My eight-year-old son got a taste of the high life this week. Comfortably ensconced in a tilting, heated, air-conditioned and massaging throne amid fine leather, wood trim and electronic gadgets galore, Mr President haughtily ordered the chauffeur, i.e. Daddy, to take him somewhere.
My heir apparent had the privilege of sitting in the back row of Lexus’ standard-bearer, the mighty LS 460L. No way was he going to forgo watching the movie he’d started at breakfast: His Highness would enjoy his DVD on one of the entertainment screens mounted on the rear seats. Diego’s voice has never sounded so clear. Which is only natural, as Lexus put Mark Levinson in charge of sound via 19 loud speakers! To think that back in my day, our choice of travel entertainment was limited to a sing-along with mom and dad…
The rear of this Lexus has more in common with the rich appointments of a private jet – even the first-class accommodations of a regular airline don’t measure up to all this luxury, all this comfort and, especially, all these features. The outstandingly spacious cabin offers enough room for one to stretch in all directions. Note, however, that the seat separator in the middle limits the number of passengers to four. Also, the extra space along with the tilting seats amputate trunk space to the point that it can only accommodate two measly golf bags.
As for the driver’s side, there’s really nothing to find fault with, other than the somewhat baroque style of the dash board, which is not as elegant as the competition’s. You’ll need a few days to get used to this car, which has been buried in a veritable avalanche of buttons and accessories. Some of them are less efficient than others, such as the Parking Assist system. On the other hand, the Lane Keeping Assist function reads the markings on the road and corrects the vehicle’s trajectory after emitting an audible warning signal.
Fans of Japanese machines will appreciate the brand’s L-Finess design language. Slightly revised this year, the LS 460L inherits updated bumpers, grille, and tail lights, now featuring DEL and neon technology, as well as a set of new 18-inch wheels. Personally, I’m not as impressed. I don’t get the same sense of radiant prestige as I do from a Jaguar XJL (385 hp, $95,500), Audi A8L (350 hp, $100,000) or Mercedes-Benz S550 (382 hp, $123,500), for instance.
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| The Lexus LS 460L is a car that offers comfort, safety and performance in a package that stands out from the crowd. (Photo : Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
My heir apparent had the privilege of sitting in the back row of Lexus’ standard-bearer, the mighty LS 460L. No way was he going to forgo watching the movie he’d started at breakfast: His Highness would enjoy his DVD on one of the entertainment screens mounted on the rear seats. Diego’s voice has never sounded so clear. Which is only natural, as Lexus put Mark Levinson in charge of sound via 19 loud speakers! To think that back in my day, our choice of travel entertainment was limited to a sing-along with mom and dad…
The rear of this Lexus has more in common with the rich appointments of a private jet – even the first-class accommodations of a regular airline don’t measure up to all this luxury, all this comfort and, especially, all these features. The outstandingly spacious cabin offers enough room for one to stretch in all directions. Note, however, that the seat separator in the middle limits the number of passengers to four. Also, the extra space along with the tilting seats amputate trunk space to the point that it can only accommodate two measly golf bags.
As for the driver’s side, there’s really nothing to find fault with, other than the somewhat baroque style of the dash board, which is not as elegant as the competition’s. You’ll need a few days to get used to this car, which has been buried in a veritable avalanche of buttons and accessories. Some of them are less efficient than others, such as the Parking Assist system. On the other hand, the Lane Keeping Assist function reads the markings on the road and corrects the vehicle’s trajectory after emitting an audible warning signal.
Fans of Japanese machines will appreciate the brand’s L-Finess design language. Slightly revised this year, the LS 460L inherits updated bumpers, grille, and tail lights, now featuring DEL and neon technology, as well as a set of new 18-inch wheels. Personally, I’m not as impressed. I don’t get the same sense of radiant prestige as I do from a Jaguar XJL (385 hp, $95,500), Audi A8L (350 hp, $100,000) or Mercedes-Benz S550 (382 hp, $123,500), for instance.
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| The outstandingly spacious cabin offers enough room for one to stretch in all directions. (Photo : Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |