Safety wise, the Lexus is loaded. You have crumple zones and steel reinforcements, seat-mounted side airbags and front air bags. There are side-curtain airbags mounted above the side windows, too. Of course, there are excellent xenon headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, ABS with brake assist that automatically applies extra force during emergencies, skid and traction control, and enough power to get out of tight situations. The only part I didn't like of these features was the soft feel of the brake pedal.
I really loved the way the outside mirrors automatically tucked themselves in when you put the car in park which is a real safety feature and reduces the chances for damage to the car from owners who throw their door open in parking lots. In other words, the LS is a very reassuring car to drive.
This is also one of the ultimate highway cruisers, and its tight turning radius makes it easy to finagle the LS into the tightest of spots so getting around town is not as difficult as the vehicle's dimensions might lead you to believe.
Overall, this Lexus is a fine luxury car with a great warranty and its high resale adds to your peace of mind.
Dad's view: The car is luxurious, but the engine is the big news. You can get to 60 mph in well under 7 seconds, which isn't bad for a 4000-pound car. More importantly, the variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) enables this 4.3-liter V8 engine and its 290 horsepower to earn ULEV certification.
Handling is fairly cushy, although not soft on the sports settings. Finally, the car is loaded with special features such as the laser cruise control. You select how far you want the Lexus to stay from cars in front of you, the speed you want to go, and the Lexus does the rest. We traveled miles testing the system and it was marvelous, although a little frightening when you think that all you are doing is holding the steering wheel and the car is handling everything else.