Smooooth

If what you want is a luxury car, look no further. This is the most comfortable car I have driven. The ride is extremely smooth and quiet. All of the controls are very slick. The seats are firm yet very supportive, at least fore-and-aft. There is plenty of space front and rear for four people.

On top of all this, this car performs when called upon. The engine is very powerful, and sounds very nice. Responsive, too. If anything, Lexus has dialed in a bit too much response the first inch or so of throttle travel. I'd like the throttle response to be more gradual. The brakes are powerful. The greatest surprise is that when you throw this car into a turn it leans but sticks. It never wallows, unlike other cars that ride this smoothly. Little if anything upsets the composure of this suspension.

So what's not to like? It's not a very entertaining car to drive. It will perform when called upon, but doesn't ask for it. That's not it's mission in life. It's mission is isolation, and it performs that task extremely well.

Styling in and out is very tasteful. The exterior reflects a great deal of Mercedes influence. It strongly resembles the original LS 400, sold from 1990 to 1994, just with a bit more edge the fender tops and a few inches more wheelbase. The extra edges lend a bit of much needed character, while the longer wheelbase, in addition to allowing more rear legroom, makes for better proportions (on the original LS 400 the rear overhang was a bit excessive). Though more distinctiveness would be welcome, most people in the market for this type of car seem to find the LS's styling appealing.

The interior is similarly pleasant, and to its credit less of a knock-off. Materials are all top quality, with soft-touch vinyls and buttery leather. The clean, two-toned theme has been copied by many competitors since Lexus introduced it with the original LS 400. Controls are very ergonomically laid out, especially compared to German competitors. Even minor controls have a high quality feel. The various compartment doors open in a fluid motion owing to dampeners. The extreme refinement of the 1990 interior shocked the Germans into upgrading their own interiors. It continues to lead the pack in 2000.

The LS will be redesigned for 2001, becoming the LS430 to reflect the larger, torquier (but still 290 horsepower) engine. I had hoped that the new car's styling would have more flair. If anything, it has less. To a large extent it resembles the slab-sided, bulky-loking 1990-99 Mercedes S-Class, just shorter and stubbier-looking. The original LS resembled a 1980s S-Class, which was a better looking car. The 90s S-Class was roundly criticized for its styling, so you'd think Lexus would resist copying it. Unfortunately, they did not.

This car is extremely reliable. While I have written this review based on a test drive of the 2000 model, my father has owned a 1990 for nearly nine years. It has been very reliable. With 134,000 miles on it, it drives like new. These cars can easily go twice that. This personal experience aside, the Lexus LS 400 has ranked at the top of just about every quality survey since it was introduced.

In short, if you want an unabashed luxury car that will still perform when called upon, look no further.