Lexus LS460

THIS is by far and away the best car that Lexus has ever built, so it seems a shame that at the thick-end of £60,000 not many people will get to appreciate it.

It earns this accolade because it follows some very simple principles – luxury cars should be big, quick, comfortable and have a real presence on the road.

The LS460 ticks all of these boxes and also undercuts its rivals on price despite offering a list of standard equipment which stretches to pages.

While the range-topping LS has always been big and comfortable, it has never really had the presence to make it a contender.

But things have changed and the styling and sheer size of the LS make it stand out whether it is rumbling down the fast lane of the motorway or parked in the directors’ parking bay outside the office.

Gone is the bland styling of previous models, replaced by a look which is both elegant and muscular – especially the fat twin exhaust pipes at the rear. You’ll never mistake this Lexus for an overgrown Toyota.

The look inside is not quite as convincing though. It’s well screwed together and the materials used are excellent, but it all feels a little too ‘try hard’.

In a sector where minimalism is the theme with buttons being ditched and replaced by multi-use joystick controls, the LS still has a plethora of buttons scattered around the centre console and steering wheel which give a fussy look. And the wood used has that high-gloss coating which makes it look as unlike real wood as it’s possible to do.

The German marques have realised that less is more when it comes to interior design –something the Japanese have yet to cotton on to.

But on the road the Lexus is pretty much faultless. The 4.6-litre V8 engine is silky smooth and whisper quiet on tickover, yet offers a sweet soundtrack as the unit is wound up towards the red line. It’s not sportscar style, but there’s enough engine noise to let you know there’s a V8 under the bonnet.

With 375bhp it’s not slow either, despite this car’s bulk. Accelerating from 0-62mph takes under six seconds and motorway cruising is done at such low revs that engine noise never intrudes into the cabin.

The engine is connected to a world-first eight-speed automatic gearbox which shifts imperceptibly up the gears. The only slight criticism is that with so many ratios it often kicks down by too many gears when you want to accelerate, resulting in a lurch forward in too high a gear before it realises and changes up.

The ride is utterly comfortable yet the big LS makes a decent stab at cornering, too. Weight and size prevent it being lithe, but it’s no wallowing monster on back roads either.

Lexus has created a real star with the new LS, so it’s a shame there won’t be a cheaper diesel version like its rivals. Instead, Lexus will introduce a £90,000-plus hybrid model.

P11D value: £56,752
CO2 emissions (g/km): 261
BIK % of P11D in 2007: 35%
Graduated VED rate: £210
Insurance group: 18
Combined mpg: 25.4
CAP RV (3yr/60k): £18,175/32%
Monthly lease (3yr/60k): £1,180

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