So Lexus sent me to a "Ride and Drive" event today to experience the all new LS460. This is the same Taste of Luxury Tour in El Toro Marine Base in Irvine,Ca.

I'm certainly privileged to be apart of Lexus because they send you to these functions and cater to you to the fullest extent. They fed and educated us all morning and even let us road test the LS and its competitors. Anyway, I snapped off some pics that I would like to share to the rest of you folks on CL...enjoy!!!

They were warming up an LS @ 7am...definete sneek peek from the parking lot...
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The all new LS460 in gold...Chardonnay perhaps??


The rear of the vehicle...nice exhaust tips


The only interior shot I got off because they ushered us off to the next station...rear seats had lots of room btw..


The business end of the new LS - brand new 380hp 4.6L V8...


The front right wheel...fixed 4 piston calipers still apply here....

 

Now moving on to the LS460L...same rear end...


Right Rear Seat Area....relaxing in style for sure...


All of your controls at your finger tips when you relax in the rear....*Note* You can adjust the seat in front of you when seated in the right rear position.


Suede like headliner with dual air zones that accomdate each passenger to the desired temperature, adjusting accordingly to the occupants body temp...


Now onto the test drive...one in Blue Onyx I believe...


The course...turning radius test in the beginning(which the LS dominated in), accleration test(Got it up to 75mph before hitting the brakes), then braking(Felt really good btw), then the VDIM corner test(Actually works), then the slalom.


The LS with its competitors...the new S550 and 750i


Driving Impressions:

LS460 - Quicker than the previous LS for sure...felt nimble for its size, great brakes. It had the luxury ride but not quite the sportiness feel when driven on this course. Acceleration was very smooth and linear. Steering was responsive a la EPS...

S550 Benz - Although the LS460 is quicker on paper, this vehicle felt a lot more powerful...great engine and exhaust note. Also had stellar brakes. Handling was a bit more solid than the LS. Interior layout is by far the best in any S-Class ever offered. Dissapointed in the intergrated "I-Drive" style feature. Reminded me of the 7 Series...So many buttons everywhere and had a hard time figuring out where all of the adjustsments were. Other than that, this S-Class is by far the best S...

750i - The best handling vehicle of the bunch in my opinion. It took the turns and corners easily and was very much in control. It was a little weak in the power department but the handling offsets it. Downside? iDrive still present...

Verdict:
Without a doubt, if I would take any 1 of these vehicles home, I would be happy. All 3 had luxury appointed leather seating,cabin space, gadgets and gizmos. However, if you're looking for the best bang for your buck, then the LS460 would be a good choice because of what it has to offer. It has a bevy of features that are easy to utilize and understand. Aside from the performance testing, I Think that's where the new LS really shines. Great day overall Beats a day in the office!

 

Great write up! I like the fact that you have lots of pics. Good to see a non-biased review of those vehicles.

 

when it came to the previous versions of the GS and LS, i'd prefer the GS over the LS but i actually like the new LS more than the new GS. the styling looks fresh but not too bland (maybe the rims). it's certainly better looking than the other two.

 

Great pics and details, thanks!

 

The new LS looks way better in person imo....I'm pretty hardcore when it comes to the 04-06 LS look....but this new one seems to be growing in me...

About the wheels, some chrome stockers would do the trick...

On a preliminary note, the Lexus Rep. notified us that the 19 inch wheel/tire combo on the LS460L will NOT fit on the regular wheelbase LS because of clearance issues in the front fender area...seems like a bummer because some of the new LS buyers will want aftermarket wheels...I'll keep my eyes out once these new LS models hit our dealer lot....

 

I really like your non-biased review. Thanks for the pictures too, I like the backseat of that LS.

 

Excellent info and pics, thanks so much.

Thanks for providing a 'fair and balanced' assessment.

 

I do like the fact that you can adjust the front seat from the back seat, although I can see some kind of conflict between the person in the front seat and the person behind them arising from this feature.

 

Nice pics and nice short review.

 

The conflict will soon be over once they are crushed by the chair.

 

Nice pics and write-up... I'll be going up to El Toro on Saturday. I'll be posting my impressions as well as pics and try to include a video too.

 

awesome write up there man, nice stuff!!!

interesting how you saw "more" than all of us did with that private seesion on the track and the gold ls460

 

That would be fun especially, if someone is sitting infront unless there's something to disable it...

Great pics btw, it is such an awesome looker in person.

 

Nice review pics were a plus......