2008 Lexus LS

This will have to be somewhat short as we only got to preview the Lexus flagship through a friend. But we did get to spend some time with this new luxo cruiser.
The first LS was a very expensive large scale Toyota. The next in the line up was, and still feels like an overgrown Camry with a lot of sound deadening materials added. Very quiet around town but the ambient noise quickly picked up with speed. Freeway joints became loud bonks and wind noise was a little pronounced even though the overall levels weren't obtrusive but borderlined on the obtrusive.

Not as quiet on the highway as the Mercedes Benz S class we tested. There is a lot of difference in this gen lex as opposed to the previous two. First things first; climbing in reveals a much lower roof line and the rear seating area felt dark and closed in due to the lower roof and higher C pillars. Not what we were expecting when compared to the airy LS 430. The higher belt line made the front seating area feel closed in as well with much poorer rear visibility. Lexus designers must have felt that form trumps function. The front controls seemed complex and nowhere near as intuitive as the previous LS family making a brief orientation necessary for full understanding and functionality from behind the wheel. Still the complexity of the dash controls, switches all over, shifting attention from the road. Nav was fairly easy to operate but sound, HVAC, and other assorted functions could use some simplification.

Selecting a comfortable and suitable driver seat position was easy enough and as in all Lexus/Toyota products, switches and knobs are smooth and easy to work. The ignition key is a fob you keep near you. Like many new cars these days, you just get in, set your seat, put your foot on the brake and push the start/stop button and the engine quietly comes to life.

Moving out felt quiet and the steering seemed to work fine but felt very disconnected, something we'd notice more at higher speeds. This is not a light car and applying throttle reveals the heft quickly as did the handling. Straight ahead at any speed was quiet enough with low noises intruding into the cabin with the exception of a little too much wind noise for such an expensive ride. Body movements were wallowy and very disconnected from the road and steering was not well connected at speed, quickly giving the driver the false impression of instability during sudden changes in speed or direction.

More stable than initial feel would suggest. Steering feel was really weird with over assist under about 10 mph and under assisted over, feeling extraordinarily heavy until speed picks up, yeilding vague on centre feel and sloppy turning when pushed. Almost as though the suspension was borrowed from a lighter car. Sort of under engineered. Surprising for this type of genre.

Sort of reminds us of the GM cars of old where you never quite knew where the rear end of the car was during any kind of maneuvers. Also, and much to our disappointment, This Lexus flagship scrubbed and complained around turns with the slightest provocation. That's not acceptable for a luxo-cruiser costing in the high 5 figure range. The engine is nicely muted but a bit raspy and underpowered during strong acceleration. The sound and RPM did not match the lag in reaching speed. Power only felt like a gentle push rather than a strong pull. Toyota/Lexus still can't figure out throttle by wire responsiveness and input did not match response. Simply go easy and you'll wait for an answer from the engine room. Stomp on it and it's like mashing a potato. Just wait a sec or so and she'll get moving. Adequate but not impressive. Especially for such low economy numbers. In all fairness, there was nothing really wrong but there was nothing really right. We'd pay a bit north of the Camry prices but not the 80 grand you have to plunk down for this kind of ride.

If you want to cruise the interstates or just kick back around town, there would be no problem. Conversely, any kind of quick maneuvering or emergency action will quickly upset the Lexo's composure. Serious points deducted! Interior appointments are nice enough and the heated/air conditioned front seats work well as do the adjustments. It's almost impossible to not to get a nice fit inside. Leather surfaces are nice as are the wood treatments but the areas of plastic don't really fit in and if you scratch any of them, sorry about that, you can't get that out. Would it be that hard to provide a decent quality material? Shouldn't be for this price tag.

Overall, it's a decent ride, quiet and the little touches like cooled, reclining rear seats are nice. headliner is quite nice and the overall quality image is apparent. Nothing feels cheap but neither do the Camry and Avalon and that's just the point. For 80 large or better, the European rivals and possibly those of Korea would compete nicely. Would we recommend it? Yes, but.....