One of the few times C&D doesn't get slammed for their reviews

 

Well I still am miffed that they have lost the thoughtfulness they had back in the day. The whole magazine has gotten a lot smaller, the articles shorter...it's been dumbed down a bit with the new generation of inexperienced writers.

Contrast with...Winding Road or some other publications were are joyous to read.

But you do have to hand it to them...they will always produce a blizzard-fast 0-60 time. How do they do it?

 

I hear they have the test strip on the really steep downhill and some monkeys pushing the cars from behind.

 

I do not really like to quote C & D, and I find it odd that they of all publications have one of the more accurate previews/reviews of the 600h out there, mentioning the difference between 2007 and 2008 EPA figures.

One point to make is that C & D tested a pre-production 460L, just like here where it tested a pre-production 600h.

As for performance, you might not feel a big difference 0 - 60 between and LS460L or an LS600h, but you will definitely feel it 50 - 70 mph, or at higher speeds where the 600h will have the tremendous torque from it's hybrid system.

I think it's a bit silly to be arguing about the "value" of the 600h. It is after all the flagship for ALL of Toyota at the moment, and rightfully so it should carry a price premium. It's certainly a value compared to the competition, and considering a base 600h is packed with features and options that a loaded LS460L has, and some things it doesn't have, I think it's fair to say it's priced nicely.

Do not forget the greater insulation and noise refinement on the 600h compared to the 460L, the unique front suspension, the AWD system, the leather dash, the LED headlights, the driver monitoring camera, and of course the hybrid system.

I think it's simply astonishing that a 5000lb+ sedan which has extreme refinement, luxury and great performance can achieve 20 mpg real-world economy and achieve clean emissions at the same time.

The 600h in this pic looks awesome:

 

Couldn't that same exact argument apply to their German counterparts? Even more so since they have even more of a HP/tq difference.

While the LS is an clean car, it looks rather plain for a $100,000 car. Don't get me wrong, I think it's classy, and a big improvement over the previous models.



Doesn't look any diff. than the LS460 to me? I'm starting to see very many LS460s around.

 

Yup, the LS 600h L does follow the German model to some extent. A chart-topping ultra-luxe model, similar in most attributes to the regular flagship, but with extras and a price premium.

Except the LS 600h L gets there with far fewer emissions and significantly better fuel economy vs. the regular flagship, and moreso over the competition.

That pic looks really nice. I like the wheels, and the LED taillights, but overall the look is sleek and athletic in a way the LS has not seen before.

 

LS460L and LS600h look more different than S500 and S600... so what is the complaint - that top models of all brands dont look very different from lower equipped models? :-)

 

Isn't 94 with the executive seating and the 110 for an LS600hL without? If an LS600hL with exec seating is 115 then we're already at 20K diff, without AWD.

 

Is AWD going to be offered on the regular-wheelbase 460, without the 600 Hybrid package? That's the model I'd like to see....and have formally suggested that to Lexus. But that would, likely, still be more than I myself can afford to spend....probably around 75K.

 

An AWD version won't make that much of a difference on price.

 

That's another thing. When you have the engine running, the engine noise can drown out a lot of the noises. When you're driving a hybrid in EV mode, suddenly all those noises can be heard so extra sound insulation needs to be used or quieter components be installed.

 

Exactly. Even though the 460L is already very quiet, as many owners have seen, Lexus went even further with the 600h. In EV mode, the car is supposed to be virtually dead silent.

 

what 30k? why are we talking about 30k when price difference is NOT 30k?

 

Yes... it will probably be priced around 98k for LS460L AWD :-).

 

IT IS a ~$30K difference without a doubt, it's simple arithmatic, not sure why you don't get it What we are talking about is what gains/extra's/benefits do we get for that $30K - AWD, ****, hybrid blahblahblah . . .