I may have found it a week late, but the time allowed this Lexus LS 600hL review by Jonny Lieberman to fill up with some of the best comments I’ve read regarding the hybrid limo’s appeal. Here’s a quote from the article itself:
I disagree with every review of the Lexus LS600hL ever written. Categorically. To a man, my colleagues misinterpret the most expensive Lexus as a misguided planet-saver that doesn’t deliver enough mpg to justify its sky-high price tag. I view the ultimate hybrid as better driving through science. In fact, despite the dorky “hybrid” badges uglifying the LS600hL’s flanks, Lexus didn’t build this beast to sip fuel. They built it to go toe-to-toe with 12-cylinder Germans.
The LS600hL is no design statement, like the 760Li. It doesn’t announce, “I have a huge wallet” like a Mercedes S600. The LS design is much more Audi A8 W12, only without the goatee. The restrained yet handsome lines strike the same chord as VW’s Phaeton. Only this time they’re brand correct.
This marks the second time Lieberman has reviewed the LS 600hL (the first time was for Jalopnik), and this second go-round is just as enjoyable as the first. In fact, it speaks volumes that the writer would think to revisit the car, convinced as he is that the flagship sedan is getting an unfair reputation.
This was a review I agreed with 100%, and it seemed to echo with the TTAC readership, as the article piled up pages of comments with almost no negativity.
Great read.