However you look at the Lexus LS460, its overall excellence is overwhelming. The Lexus engineers didn’t miss a thing and the technical brilliance is obvious in every drive, in fact it’s so good you can only purchase it as-is – there are no options to be ordered.
The Highlights
The fourth generation of the original LS400, the LS460 is a full-size luxury/prestige sedan with a standard equipment list and retail price that continues to cause severe heartache for its European rivals. Put simply you can buy an LS460 plus a Toyota Corolla or even a Kluger for the asking price of some its comparable German competitors.
That’s part of the reason for the continuing popularity of the LS460 in both the commercial limousine market and also with private luxury buyers – you just get so much quality and so much technology for the price.
Under The Hood
The LS460 is powered by Lexus’ 4.6-litre VVT-i V8 with 280kW and 493Nm on tap. Zero to 100 km/h takes just 5.7 seconds and the engine management system governs the top speed to 250 km/h.
Drive is to the rear wheels via an eight-speed sequential automatic transmission.
That’s not a typo and in fact the transmission – first seen when the LS460 debuted – is one of the many technical triumphs Lexus can claim. While some rivals with six or seven speed transmissions seem to be slipping up or down a ratio or two all the time, the LS460 is not intrusive as the gearbox does its work – accelerating quietly it actually selects eighth gear as low as 80 km/h.
No doubt this contributes to the combined cycle fuel economy of 11.1l/100 kms – remember this is a full-size luxury sedan that tips the scales just 55 kilos shy of two tones.
The Interior
Cocooned inside the LS460, driver and passengers are surrounded by beautiful leather and wood trims, comfortable in their heated and air-cooled seats and of course four-zone climate control (rear seat occupants have their own center console with DVD player, air-con and audio controls) and entertained by a sensational 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.
We’ve always like the Lexus satellite navigation system and when the screen switches to the reversing camera, its guidance system is one of the best. However we did find the touch screen controls for the audio system a tad complex and fiddly – granted when you got things set, the quality of the sound (Bluetooth and iPod compatible naturally) is awesome.
The Car Showroom team who opted for the chauffeur-drive in the rear seat were very happy with their accommodation.
Out back the 400 litre boot is not the largest in the luxury segment but it’s no midget either. The Car Showroom juniors were captivated by the electronic push-button self-closing function of the boot lid but mum and dad - loaded with groceries and their paraphernalia after a day at school/kindergarten - thought it was real world practicality rather than a poseurs luxury touch for showing-off to your mates at the golf club or airport Valet Parking.
Exterior & Styling
Some thought the earlier Lexus sedans had a bit too much ‘bling’ but the same cannot be said for the LS460. Sure there is the usual stylish chrome grille, a strip on the side under the doors and a little more around the bootlid but that’s it.
The five-spoke alloy wheels are meaty and the raised bootlid is the modern styling feature for the industry.
In fact, overall the 460 delivers an on-road look that’s almost austere – approaching sports/high performance sedan appearance rather than out-and-out luxury limousine. We like it a lot.
On The Road
Impressive as the 460’s comfort, convenience and entertainment features are, it’s the technology applied to driving that should be the headline for this Lexus. This is one area where the German marques had an edge over Lexus – until the 460 arrived.
We’ve mentioned the silky-smooth V8 and the eight-speed transmission but, when you consider the beautifully engineered alloy multi-link suspension with adaptive air springs and monotube dampers, you get an idea of the effort Lexus has made. It’s all intended to deliver a full-size luxury sedan with the engaging dynamics appreciated by serious drivers – the exact feature the Europeans thought they had all to themselves.
And deliver it does – brilliantly. This is a two tonne limousine that tackled our ride and handling test road with poise and precision yet never lost its refinement.
As well as the three-mode driver adjustment for ride comfort, the LS460 has a ‘Vehicle Posture System’ which the company says reduces body roll and fore-aft pitching by 30 per cent.
A pacey sprint up and down the mountains is one thing, but in the more mundane everyday driving environment the LS460 made short work of Melbourne’s numerous tram and train track crossings and hardly noticed the corrugations of our old inner city bluestone streets.
On the safety front there’s 10 airbags, traction control, stability control, ABS anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution…and more.
Challenges
While the LS460 does actually represent stunning value-for-money in the luxury sedan segment, you will still be writing a cheque for north of $200K by the time its registered, insured and the rest.
A few weeks after departing the Lexus showroom, we’re certain you’ll conquer the touch-screen adjustments for the audio system which confounded us (maybe we were being too eager to avoid Melbourne’s talk-back radio stations!).
Verdict
After our week in the 460, the Car Showroom team unanimously doffed our chauffeurs’ caps to Lexus. This is without doubt one of the world’s best.
Savvy limousine operators and private customers seem to agree with us because Lexus continues to be a massively successful part of Toyota’s global empire.
By any measure the Lexus 460 is a formidable competitor. The worry for the boys in Germany is – this is only the fourth generation model so how good will the next Lexus 4-something be?
The Competition
No surprises here – line-up the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Audi A8. Sadly Volkswagen Australia chose to not import the Phaeton because it too is a legitimate competitor. Same for Nissan’s Infiniti.
So the A8 has a V6 model that undercuts everybody for price and the entry-level 740i is now well-priced, but to get V8 power with a three-pointed star you have to write a much larger cheque than Lexus requires for the LS460.
For those considering one of these vehicles for their limousine business you will need to thoroughly digest the various leasing deals, servicing options and whole-of-life costs (how much are servicing costs and ‘consumables’ such as brake pads going to set you back when the warranty ends).
Thumbs-up:
Amazing technology; driving dynamics
Thumbs-down:
Fiddly audio controls; boot size
