Tough To Justify

In a class where exclusivity counts, the $104,715 hybrid LS should rattle a few cages. Only 2,000 will be built this year for sale in the United States, and we have little doubt each will be sold quickly.

Still, this car is hard to justify on its merits. It's no quicker or more refined than its far cheaper, conventional brother, the LS 460 L, and it has a smaller trunk. Even its fuel economy advantage is conditional at best.

Truth be told, for those who want a socially responsible luxury car, the LS 600h L isn't even the best choice at the Lexus store. The slightly smaller GS 450h is also a hybrid, but uses a V6 instead of a V8 and consequently gets better fuel economy — an EPA-rated 25 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. An argument can even be made that the base LS 460 is the "green" LS model. It's simpler to assemble, uses fewer energy-intensive parts, should be easier to recycle at the end of its life, and gets 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

With the word "Hybrid" boldly displayed on each of its rear doors, the LS 600h L certainly makes a unique and strong statement in the luxury-car world. It's certainly the world's first politically correct luxury automobile, but we think it should be more than that.

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I knew the car would be no match for the V12s, especially Mercedes all-encompasing S600.

M

I honestly would not base a verdict off one test - which btw, happens to be it's first.

Although I do agree..

I really love this car, but some aspects of it are purely ridiculous. The trunk is just 11.7 cubic feet? The LS460 trunk was already smaller than it should be, but this is absurd. For that fact alone, I'd have to buy the 460.

Not to mention, an extra 887lbs. At least has better braking distances than the 460, but overall - no thanks.

I wouldn't either, but this LS in all forms has never lived up to the performance numbers Lexus gave. I've only seen one test out of at least a dozen in which the LS460L actually matched the factory numbers. There has been far too much hype about this car, especially from the Lexus loving people on various other sites, yet in reality the LS460L and now this 600 version don't match the hype. A S600 will maul this car. Adding 900lbs to a car and taking away the trunk space to save a few gallons of fuel only to wind up slower than the competition is just plain dumb, IMO.

A moderately optioned LS460L makes the most sense, not this hybrid nonsense.

M

I am one of those Lexus lovers, but I do admit, when it comes to performance that neither the 460 or the 600h have ever lived up to thier performance )not surprising with Toyota, they've always done that..) Having said that, I still think the LS (the 460 in particular) is a great car. It's not the most sporty car in it's segment, nor the fastest - but I still admire it very much.


I agree

Agreed once again.

Another review of the LS600hL, from TheCarConnection.com:









Breakthrough or poor substitute?

On paper, that puts the LS600h up solid against its V-12 competitors. On the road, the sedan is quick, though no benchmark. It'll turn 0-60 times of 5.5 seconds, though Audi's A8L gets there in 4.8 seconds. The overall feel is confident and inspiring, with a nice V-8 resonance, though not the silky V-12 exhaust note aficionados love.

All-in-all, the goal of the LS600h is to "show Lexus as not only refined but innovative," says general manager Carter. "We want to appeal to those prestige buyers who have previously not shopped Lexus."

Does LS600h deliver? When it comes to looks and technology, the new sedan just might crack the European hold on this segment of the market. There are still those who'd prefer a V-12 for its own sake, though others might enjoy the bragging rights of driving an environmentally friendly package.

Price is also a plus. Yes, it may be the most expensive Lexus ever, but LS600h comes in at least $15,000 less than European competitors - more like $25,000 considering comparable equipment packages.

The new sedan is a worthy offering, comfortable, lavish, prestigious, and surprisingly fun-to-drive. While we might have a few minor complaints, the overall package is quite spectacular and we expect the market to pay serious attention when the first LS600h sedans roll into Lexus showrooms.

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M

But the point about having a V12 is for refinement, smoothness and quietness in the first place. I seriously don't care how this car goes from 0-100 or how it tackles slaloms, I'm more concerned about how the car travels in the city from A to B and how comfortable the thing is. And there is where it shines. The only problem is, the V8 in the LS460L is so good that the V12 doesn't seem to offer anything more in refinement. I agree here then that the LS600L is abit of a useless exercise.

But then again, you get exclusivity and hey, as a perk, better fuel consumption... What's not to love?

Well refinement is one thing, but the V12 in the S600 offers mind-boggling performance, something the LS600h L can't even come close to offering. True the V8 in the LS460 models is as about as refined as you can get, but the thrust of a S600 isn't there. Now I've said all along that the LS600hL might match the V12s in the A8 and 760Li in most ways, but the S600, not even close.

As far as an upgrade over the LS460L, the extra 30K over a LS460L doesn't provide much of an upgrade. The LS600hL is simply a poor value compared to the LS460L. It burns more gas on the highway than the LS460L and isn't any faster, according to Edmunds. IMO, the car is pointless going by the Edmunds test, we'll see what others have to say about it.

M