Over the last couple weeks, automotive journalists from around the world have streamed through Palo Alto, California, to drive the new 2013 LS, and today, the very first reviews are coming in — let’s take a look at the first impressions of the new Lexus flagship sedan.
LS Reviews: Round One
Here’s a quote from the Inside Line review by Erin Riches:
…buying a large luxury sedan isn’t a rational decision at heart. No one needs a Lexus LS like they need a Toyota Camry. You just want a lavish sedan because you want it and, in that case, the new LS F Sport delivers the most compelling package that Lexus has had in a long time.
AutoWeek’s Davey G. Johnson turned in a great review of the new LS:
Niggles over the spindle grille aside, the new car looks ace. Lexus found the confidence to make the new LS look more Japanese than ever before. The sculpted hood seems to catch the light in any color–it even manages to grab one’s eye in silver. From the rear, it’s a presence out of anime; something elegant and rather threatening–a yakuza hover tank, perhaps.
Automobile Magazine’s Joe DeMatio was impressed by the LS 460’s “newfound athleticism”:
As we headed north on the 101 freeway, the LS460 felt at once familiar and fresh. Look up “ride comfort and suspension compliance” in your automotive dictionary, and there will be a picture of the Lexus LS460. Yet the Lexus flagship didn’t demonstrate the floatiness and utter lack of body control that have plagued the car for years. Sure, the steering still lacks feel and the car remains isolated from the road, but there’s very little head toss, and pitch and dive are well controlled.
Fred Gregory’s review in Car & Driver calls the LS “Luxurious and serene, as it was”:
Lexus itself doesn’t tout the LS in any form as a quintessential sports sedan, and it’s not as focused as is the latest GS; the LS doesn’t need to be. It is a near-ultimate boulevardier, its sophisticated technology and innovative hardware concealed from the driver by a façade of impeccable quality and subtle design.
LS Reviews: Round Two
Antuan Goodwin from CNET has this to say about the 2013 LS:
Overall, I came away from the drive impressed with the level of comfort and composure the LS presented. Many people, myself included, criticize the automaker for building boring cars. Nobody likes a goody two shoes. With this generation of Lexus, the automaker has managed to inject the LS with quite a bit of style and technology, which adds quite a bit to this model’s (and this brand’s) desirability.
The Truth About Cars LS review by Alex Dykes includes a ten-minute video review, and concludes that:
The LS is not without its charm, Lexus continues to deliver the most serene ride on the road this side of a Rolls Royce with large, cushy seats that will coddle your bottom for cross-country road trips. Lexus’ impeccable reliability reputation, coupled with a price that is likely to undercut the competition makes the LS a vehicle that has a place on your short list.
The About.com review from Aaron Gold notes that “Lexus has made a series of strategic changes that really transform the character of the LS”:
As you’d expect from a Lexus, the LS is as solid as a mountain, as quiet as a monastery, as comfortable as a cool summer breeze, and as dependable as a string of overused similes — and yet no longer does it feel completely anonymous. It looks quite a bit nicer on the outside, a hell of a lot better on the inside, and it’s actually rather rewarding to drive, especially if you choose the F Sport model.
I’ll continue to add reviews as they’re published — as for my own review, I’m currently putting the final touches on a full technical overview of the new model, to be published later today tomorrow.
Update: I didn’t expect so many outlets to publish their reviews today, so I’ve decided to postpone my coverage until tomorrow to avoid LS overload.
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