Motor Trend has wrapped up their year-long stay with the Lexus LS 460L, which had its share of ups and downs:
…our staffers lauded the interior’s rich ambiance and excellent ergonomics, the buttery V-8’s power and acceleration, and the first-rate bumper-to-bumper build quality. And with an eight-speed automatic transmission, it didn’t force us to visit the gas pump that frequently. Over its year stay, the LS delivered an impressive 18.7 mpg, highlighted by a best tank average of 30.2 mpg.
As we spent more time behind the LS’s wheel, however, our admiration shifted to dissatisfaction…Complaints ranged from minor grumbles (“Side mirrors are too small”) to major grievances (“If you’re a driver, you’ll just find the whole experience numb and uninvolving. There is no emotion to this car. None”), all of which made us wish Lexus had produced more of a driver’s car than a curtailed limousine. “Too soft” and “floaty” were common notebook entries, as was, “more wind noise than I expected.”
I always find myself bristling when I read complaints about “numb steering” and “uninvolved driving”, but then I remember that I’m reading a car magazine and that’s what they do. Nothing’s perfect, after all. (But seriously, new tires and brake pads at 20K? The car’s a limousine, not a track-star.)