Lexus LS 600h 5.0 V8 L 4dr Car Review - January 2012

This Lexus model is finely tuned to deliver a comfortable drive. In terms of handling, it doesn’t have the edge that the BMW has when it comes to driver involvement. But the ride you get with this car is one of the best on the market.

The electric power steering adds to the marginally lifeless handling of this model, but a hydraulic setup can give a more engaging driving experience. Nonetheless, the LS 600h can tackle twisting and bending roads at speed, providing an adrenalin filled driving experience.

The suspension system in this Lexus model has 3 modes: comfort, normal, and sport. The comfort mode will allow the car to glide over even the bumpiest of roads, but the firmer sports mode sees all matter of bumps being felt within the cabin.

The power in this car comes from the 5 litre V8 engine which delivers a powerful boost with 439 bhp at 6400 rpm with torque figures at 384 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. This power enables the LS to do speeds of 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds, with a max speed of 155mph. The hybrid technology in the LS produces the equivalent of 221bhp and 221lb-ft of pulling power, which only adds to its already colossal performance, matching the LS with a 600bhp car. The car’s powerful performance, however, sacrifices fuel economy with a poor mileage record of 30.4 mpg, which can rack up a heavy fuel bill.

The car’s styling is more subtle than a traditional Jaguar XJ and the modern BMW 7 Series, but it is incredibly elegant.

The Lexus comes equipped with high end driving technology not found in many competing car ranges. These include climate control, electric windows, water repellent glass, electric soft shut doors, bright high intensity discharge headlamps and washers, automatic parking, voice activated SAT-NAV, audio and telephone controls, an 11 speaker Mark Levinson audio system, rear sunshade, retracting steering wheel and heated rear seats.

There is no shortage of space in the cabin of this car and there is great amount of leg room for both front and rear passengers. The car also provides extra comfort at an extra price with rear air conditioning and electrically adjustable rear seats. However, the car has a small boot which can hold only 330 litres due to the positioning of the battery packs.

The LS has some of the best safety kit available. The car comes equipped with Dynamics Integrated Management which encompasses electronically-controlled braking, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control and stability control. It has a rear pre-crash safety system which moves the headrests should it detect a potential rear-end collision, an obstacle detection which monitors the road ahead for pedestrians, animals and anything else that might get in the driver’s path. The car has ten airbags; two each for the front occupants, front side, rear side as well as knee airbags at the front.

The car has poor green credentials with a EURO5 emissions rating and a carbon footprint of 219 g/km. The car also incurs high running costs coming under the Road tax band of F and insurance premium group 50.

The LS is a very expensive car priced at £90,000. It enjoys the Lexus brand’s excellent quality and reliability record as well as excellent resale values. The car retains 45% of this original cost after 3 years or 36,000 miles.

The car can be used for day to day driving from school runs and shopping to long road trips and holidays. It continues to pay for itself as the Lexus brand enjoys good dealer services so customers can take pleasure in owning the car for longer.