Lexus LS test drive since 2009 sedan

Luxury in Japanese

At the dawn of automotive, most cars belonged to the category of representative and exclusive. The first cars were more complicated and more expensive than equestrian crews and therefore were available only to the most wealthy customers. Then Henry Ford came and transferred America from a horse to a car, proving with an example that the car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation. Now all who is not lazy, from the Americans to the Chinese, flooding the markets of all countries with mass models for students, pensioners and housewives, is now multiplying his idea. It’s not up to representative functions, the salon would be more and the trunk.
Against the backdrop of this vertep, truly luxurious cars attract special attention. In addition, buyers of luxury cars have to involuntarily act as testers of new cunning devices, which, after ten or two years, will become mandatory in mass production. That is why with a special trepidation we approached the test drive of the flagship of the entire Japanese automotive industry of the representative sedan Lexus LS 460, which should compete with Mercedes-Benz and other eminent brands.
For almost 20 years, the Japanese have been producing luxury cars under the Lexus brand and have succeeded in this very much. At least with regard to technology. For example, the new LS460 boasts the world's first passenger 8-speed automatic. Frankly, I was very skeptical about this new product: 8 programs are a clear overkill, just like 8 megapixels in a digital soap dish for $ 300 with mediocre optics. A beautiful marketing move that allows you to shut up the Germans from Mercedes with their 7G-Tronic automatic belt. Although in practice there are enough 6-programs that use BMW and Audi. Further complication of the system only makes it less reliable and more expensive. But in some incredible way, the Japanese manage to find solutions that contradict logic. Lexus LS460 with an 8-cylinder engine with a capacity of 380 hp With a very extensive set of options costs from 112,700 dollars. For comparison: the 350-horsepower Audi A8 sedan 4.2 costs from $ 128,374, and rivals named BMW 750 and Mercedes S450 are even more expensive, from 134,500 and 130,450 dollars. At the same time, Lexus, like all Toyota, is one of the most reliable cars in the world. So the paradox of a technologically complex car is cheaper and theoretically more reliable than competitors. Or maybe this is a Japanese engineering miracle?
Like it or not, outwardly Lexus is still inferior to European competitors. LS460 clearly lacks brighter style and recognition. The Japanese managed to make a very spectacular IS 250 sedan, but the flagship looks much easier. Traditional radiator grille, slanting headlights, flat sides. There is simply nothing to catch on the eye, except that for the exhaust pipes built into the rear bumper and whole chrome rims around the glasses are made by one detail, while all competitors are composite. Here it is, technological superiority.
The salon is much more interesting. First of all, a stylish trunk is noteworthy, then a massive central console with a large color display Touch Screen. That's just the abundance of buttons is somewhat scared. Around the selector there are keys for choosing shock absorbers and gearbox modes are the necessary things and often use them. But the activation of the automatic parking brake, control of the curtains on the rear windows, the brightness settings of the lighting of the instrument panel and the remaining auxiliary functions could be made inside the display and its interface control system. And on the console itself around the display, many auxiliary keys are scattered, which are also made of gray plastic and are poorly distinguishable on a gray tree.
It is a pity that we got a version with mouse-gray upholstery. In combination with the silver color of the Lexus body, it turns into a blue dream of a gray person. It is better to let the salon be black, and the ventilation, which is provided for both the front seats and for the rear, will save from strong heating. However, it is worth saying about the back sofa separately, still before us, the representative car, albeit in standard, and not elongated performance. As expected, there are plenty of space here, especially if there is no need for the guard and the front right seat can be removed to the stop forward. In the folding armrest there was a rear climate control unit, as well as the audio control console. Eh, it would be a little attention to small details and Lexus could squeeze the Germans. And so the eye gets tired from the ugliness of the right buttons and twists. The designer did not break his head at night, how to make them better and more beautiful than that of competitors. Just an engineer with a ruler took standard keys that are used on other Toyota models, and placed them in the right order. Why fool your head, and the cost of the car below unification!
But stop indulging in the back seat, because the car is not a luxury, but a means of transportation, which means it's time to drive. Here in the Lexus movement is magnificent. It seems that the sedan has no mass at all and accelerates by the wave of wind. At first, the steering wheel seems easy, but its reactive effort accurately conveys the character of LS460. It is controlled easily and naturally, from the driver it is only necessary to set the right direction, and then the car will do everything itself. She even knows how to slightly argue or dissolve the steering wheel in a bend, avoiding the breakdown of the wheels in sliding, as the athlete would do it, groping the perfect trajectory.
An 8-speed machine operates perfectly. But do not think that the point is in the abundance of steps, just when the gears are changed, the hydrrotransformer is so smooth that the driver himself does not know about switching. Even when accelerating into the floor of the transmission, there is invisible, and even more so there is no chance to guess what kind of transmission is now turned on. If on a 4-speed machine, the driver almost always knows what step he has now works, then it is unattainable on Lexus. And why know this? A sharp press on gas, second and acceleration, and not with howl and shocks, but absolutely silently. This resembles a gust of wind or high -speed electric train, in which the dynamics is almost not felt and is noticeable only by the speed of which the trees rush past. If it is necessary to speed up the reactions, you can use the sports mode of operation of the machine or the manual switching mode, only in the latter you will have to contact the selector too often. To drive an speedometer arrow for a mark of 200 km/h on Lexus is easier, and it seems that the car will not even feel the load.
The sedan suspension is also excellent. Active shock absorbers have three operating modes Comfort, Auto and Sport. As a driver, I liked Sport, the rolls are reduced to zero, and small shocks that are transmitted on the body from road joints, they only do not allow you to forget about the homeland. In Comfort, sometimes buildup occurs, which can rock passengers. So Auto will be optimal for everyone, because it was precisely what was counted on the gloomy Japanese genius. It is only a pity that the suspension is devoid of pneumoballons and, accordingly, the ability to increase the clearance, like Mercedes and Audi.
Giving Lexus it was really sorry. It is so computerized that in terms of intelligence, it seems, approaches a person. He would have a little more soul, and he would come to life.
But most importantly, I managed to unravel the secret of an engineering miracle: why Lexus is not inferior to the Germans in technical characteristics, but it is cheaper. All the ingenious just the Japanese reduced the staff of designers to the limit and slightly raised the salary of technologists, that's all. And the output turned out to be an excellent silver car. He will probably attract a person who loves all kinds of gadgets and an abundance of buttons, but he also considers money and is not ready to overpay for imaginary solidity and far -fetched respectability. With its main responsibilities, to transport representative passengers with maximum comfort Lexus LS copes perfectly and at the same time also gives pleasure to the driver. So everyone is happy and happy with Happy End.
Text: Leonid Pavlov.
 
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An 8-engineer machine
Shodal qualities
Price
 
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Boring design
The abundance of auxiliary buttons
 
The price of the tested car is $ 128,000

Complete the test of the tested car
Frontary airbags
Side airbags
Inflatable curtains
Knee pillows
Abs
Anti -boom system
The system of dynamic stabilization
Adjustable suspension
Steering amplifier
Automatic transmission
Multifunctional steering wheel
Adjustable steering column in height
Adjustable steering column by departure
Steering wheel decoration with leather
Salon decoration with leather
Electric heating of the front seats
Rear seats electric heating
Rear -view mirror
Robny camera
Bluetooth kit for phone
Remote Central Castle
Contactless access
Air conditioner
Climate control is four-zone
Electric drive and heating of external mirrors
Electric power drive of external mirrors
Electr -glass lifts are front
Rear electric windows
Adjustable angle of inclination of the back seats
CD-audio system
CD changer
TV tuner/DVD
Light sensor
Rain sensor
Trip computer
Luke with electric drive
Parctronics
Lighting headlights
Fog lights
headlight washer
Alloy wheels
Full -size spare wheel
Coloring metallic
Electroregulation of the driver's seat
Electroregulation of the front seats
Electroregulation of the rear seats
Front seats ventilation
Sunscreen on the rear window
Sunscreen curtain on the rear lateral glass
The drive of the trunk lid
Tire pressure sensor
Cruise control
Xenon headlights
Specifications
Body
Body type 4-door sedan
The number of places 5
Trunk volume, l 509
Equipped mass, kg 1925
Full mass, kg 2500
Length, mm 5030
Width, mm 1875
Height, mm 1465
Wheel base, mm 2970
Road clearance, mm 156
Engine
Type of gasoline, with distributed fuel injection and phase change system
Front location, longitudinally
Location and number of cylinders V8
Working volume, cm 4608
Cylinder diameter/piston stroke, mm 94x83
Compression degree 11.8
The number of valves per cylinder 4
Maximum power, L.S./rpm 380/6400
Maximum torque, Nm/rpm 493/4100
Transmission
Gearbox 8-speed, automatic
The rear drive
The front suspension is independent, pneumatic, on double levers
The rear suspension is independent, pneumatic, multi -link
Front brakes Disco ventilated
Rear brakes Disco ventilated
Tires 235/50 R18
Dynamics
Maximum speed, km/h 250
Acceleration time 0-100 km/h, from 5.7
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
city cycle 12.3
country cycle 8.7
mixed cycle 11.1
Fuel tank capacity, l 84
Fuel AI-95 gasoline
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

Source: Carclub.ru