Test drive Lexus LX 1997 - 2007 SUV

All inclusive

Range Rover and Lexus LX470: Almost perfect
These cars can or almost everything: impressed with a chic appearance and luxury of decoration, like representative sedans; overcome heavy off -road, like real all -terrain vehicles; Drive almost as fast as sportsmen. The new Range Rover and Lexus LX470 are almost perfect. Their mild shortcomings, which it would be or rather called the nuances of behavior, can only be felt only transplanted alternately from one car to another. Which we did.
In the Russian tablets about the ranks of prestigious SUVs, some confusion has been observed recently. It seems that the unconditional leader of the prestige rating of the Mercedes G-class, the famous Gelendvagen, is slowly losing ground. Yes, it is still difficult for competitors to compete with him in monumentality, reliability and ability to overcome heavy off-road. However, the appearance on the BMW X5 market highlighted the main problems of the G-class insufficient smoothness and mediocre handling. This is understandable: it is impossible to teach to travel in a light uncompromising, but at the same time a very elderly SUV (the G-class was developed in the late seventies). However, despite his age, Mercedes kept leadership at least until the new Range Rover appeared. It is this British model, from and to the direct participation of the BMW, that many are subject to the role of an unconditional leader in the category of luxury-wide-speeds. Let's try to figure out how objective these judgments are.
City and village
A distinctive feature of most British machines the ability to stand out in a bright spot in the city stream, even if they are painted black. The new Range Rover is a typical Briton in this regard. On the one hand, he, as befits a true conservator, inherited the style of his predecessors: powerful proportions, a characteristic inclination of the rear racks, a massive hood with embossed stamping along the edges ... Nevertheless, the car looks very modern and bright. There are several main details that allow it to stand out from the crowd (in addition to impressive dimensions): these are huge block factors with close and high light spotlights, and gills on the front wings, and rear lights with rubies (stop symbols) and amber (turn signals (turnover ) in a chrome frame. By the way, instead of lamps in the stop-signals, non-war LEDs are used.
Designed delights that clearly migrated to Range Rover from concepts directly indicate the stylistic influence of BMW. Let's not forget that the appearance of the SUV, although it was developed in England, was approved in Munich. Apparently, therefore, the Range Rover feed is elusively resembles Mini, and the chopped edges of the waist line of the BMW seven.
I suppose that the vast majority of Russian buyers Range Rover will decide to improve the SUV by dull tinting of glasses. It's a pity. The interior of the car harmoniously complements the appearance and worthy of universal review. Tinting the glass Range Rover is like covering a deck of a chic yacht with a tarpaulin stent. Perhaps it is better to do with curtains that would cover the rear passengers?
By the way, many automobile journalists after the Range Rover presentation compared it to a chic yacht. Actually, Land Rover press materials unobtered unobtrusively to such a comparison. Media representatives, for example, showed a rigging block taken from the equipment of a modern sailboat. It was he who allegedly served as a standard that designers were equal to the development of a car.
In fairness, it is worth noting that Range Rover resembles the chic yacht only in the most expensive (from $ 97,000) Vogue configuration and provided that the entire interior will be finished with the skin of light tones. In the HSE configuration ($ 90,000), namely, such a car went to the test, the interior decoration of Range Rover does not withstand such a comparison.
The interior of our version of Range Rover more resembled the appearance of the High End class audio equipment: both the design and the materials looked discreet, but very expensive. In every detail, even if it is not made of prestigious material, quality is felt. By the way, this is not always characteristic of British machines, in which often the form does not correlate with content.
It is wonderful that the functionality is not sacrificed to aesthetics. Driving the SUV is convenient for the driver, not one of the controls causes irritation. Perhaps only the watch is clearly located in its place at the very bottom of the front console. You can consider their evidence only bending. Probably, the interior developers considered that the happy owners of the Range Rover do not observe hours.
Indeed, while driving this SUV, it is much more interesting to monitor the readings of another speedometer. Rather, cast a short glance at him. The dynamics of the car are so fascinating that there is simply no time to break away from the road.
A V-shaped gasoline eight with a volume of 4.4 liters with a capacity of 282 hp throws to the horizon of Range Rover. Efforts to the wheels are transmitted through a five -speed automatic box with the possibility of manual gear shifts. Moreover, this option does not look at all superfluous, as is often the case. The RANGE ROVER automatic machine operates on Range Rover so clearly and shifts the programs so imperceptibly that I got the impression that I was driving a car equipped with a variator: the tachometer arrow during intensive acceleration seemed to always be near the red zone. No matter how strange it seems, the sensations did not have enough a small step when switching gear. The transfer of the machine gun selector into manual mode allowed to better feel the car and more fully enjoy its dynamics. But the high (typical for BMW) sound motor, breaking into the salon with intense acceleration, does not add adrenaline to the blood. On the contrary, it seems to me that a car with such a rich inner world could be quieter.
Yes, it seems that with the advent of the new Range Rover, power structures (both state and private) will not have options when choosing cars used as escort vehicles. The impressive Range Rover will easily be held in the tail of the most powerful representative sedan (it is another matter that the British car is too aristocratic for the role of a guard). Its maximum speed reaches 210 km/h. The time of acceleration of this bulk to 100 km/h 10 s. However, the ability of Range Rover is more notable to accelerate from high speeds. Even at 150 km/h it feels that under the gas pedal remains a fair supply of power. The most important thing is that at these prohibitive (for such a heavy and high car) speeds driving Range Rover are not at all scary. There is no hint of buildup, the car behaves very collected, clearly obey the steering wheel. The march-cut on the Range Rover on the Novorizhskoye Shosse (one of the fastest highways of the Moscow Region) left no doubt that the legendary British SUV was now endowed with magnificent asphalt habits. We can say that today of all jeeps (until the sale of Porsche Cayenne has appeared on sale) on the track only BMW X5 is able to surpass it.
And what's out of the road? After all, Range Rover won his glory not thanks to the honed behavior of this car on the asphalt of this car always a combination of comfort and the ability to overcome serious off -road. No wonder the Range Rover previous generations was called a farmer in a tailcoat.
I managed to test the English jeep in conditions as close as possible to the combat. The test took place on a special off -road highway next to the Major car dealership (it was this dealer that provided Range Rover for the KO test). And if there were no Lexus LX470 nearby, then I would appreciate the ability of an English SUV to overcome the autumn thaw. However, against the background of the Japanese jeep, the deficiencies of Range Rover on the roads came out.
No, Range did not have to be pulled out of the mud captivity. He never sat tightly. However, it was felt that those areas that Lexus passes confidently, the English car overcomes to the limit of its capabilities. It cannot yet replace the forced locking of differentials. The reducing transmission and electronic distribution of traction efforts is clearly not enough to go to Range Rover, for example, to hunt. Especially during autumn or spring thaw.
Yes, and somehow the new Range in the mud does not look. It is felt that the farmer sold his distillery, on which beautiful whiskey was made, and finally moved to the city.
Prince of mud
Lexus LX470 SUV is one of the favorite models of gray dealers. Until recently, this luxurious and technically the most perfect version of Toyota Land Cruiser 100 was officially sold only in the American market. However, LX470 is not at all uncommon on the streets of Moscow, which is understandable. The Russian buyer of the car, in his awareness and technical fuel on the head, is ahead of Europeans and Americans (this, by the way, is the opinion of not only the author, but also the director of the Ford Motor Russia Sergey Bogdanov). Therefore, knowing that the most popular Land Cruiser 100 has an even more cool version in Russia, many wealthy fans of the SUVs chose the Lexus LX470. And they were not embarrassed by possible problems with the lack of warranty service. However, as you know, Lexus breaks very rarely
Now there should not be problems with that and guarantee at all. A month ago, Lexus LX470 began to be officially sold in Moscow. Buyers LX470 are offered in only one version. A 4.7-liter V-shaped engine with a capacity of 235 hp is installed on the car. He migrated almost unchanged from the hundredth of the cruiser. The main highlight of the LX 470, which distinguishes it from the cruiser, is a smart suspension with two electronic systems. The first ANS (Adjustable Height Control) allows you to adjust the road clearance. In the lower position, the body squats, facilitating the landing and uphill, the middle position of the body is intended for driving on general purposes, and the highest is used on impassability, and the body when reaching 30 km/h for security purposes is automatically risen to the middle position.
The second electronic device for increasing the comfort of AVS (Adaptive Variable Suspension) instantly, in just 2.5 milliseconds, changes the rigidity of shock absorbers (which are monitored by 16 sensors) depending on road conditions.
And finally, the third difference is a special mechanism that allows you to change the sensitivity of the steering. With the speed of speed, the steering wheel is filled with elastic strength, allowing you to confidently lead the car at high speeds: the SUV does not scour from side to side. The action of the mechanism clearly shows the rearrangement exercise with an energetic detour of several obstacles in a row is not required to intercept your hands on the steering wheel.
And, of course, Lexus differs from the Land Cruiser 100 richest interior decoration. Inside is very spacious and light. A feeling of airiness arises due to the fact that the interior, including the dashboard, is trimmed with excellent dressing cream skin. In general, the quality of the materials that are used in the interior decoration is very high. And in the opinion, and to the touch it is felt that both the skin, and the tree, and even the plastic is as expensive as possible. At the same time, a large amount of skin and wood does not cause badness at all. The only contradiction between luxury and functionality, according to my personal sensations, was a steering wheel with a wooden rim. Still, the helm, sheathed with skin, is much more convenient in hand.
All technical and designer bells and whistles turn Lexus into a different car compared to Land Cruiser. If Toyota on the asphalt shows the manner typical of the classic SUV, then Lexus is much more like a representative car. So for connoisseurs of comfort, it probably makes sense to pay $ 20,000 (Land Cruiser with a 4.7 liter engine is sold in Russia for $ 70,000, and $ 90,000 is asked for Lexus LX470).
The style in which the instrument panel and the central console are made are typical for Lexus cars of the latest generations. The proprietary find of the Lexus designers and the instruments of the instruments becomes extremely spectacular extremely spectacular, become visible only with the ignition on. The second important detail of the interior design is the convex central console, on the decoration of which the wood did not regret. It is very difficult to find fault with the ergonomics of the driver's seat. The only serious miscalculation of an unsuccessfully located display, displaying the control modes of the climate control system. Tuning the temperature in the cabin, you have to cast a look right and down into the gearbox selector, being distracted from the road.
According to the internal scope, Lexus clearly strives for huge American SUVs. A car with full comfort will take on board four adult passengers and two children: they provide for very comfortable chairs in the luggage compartment. The rear passengers will barely touch each other's shoulders.
By the way, the LX470 also resembles huge American jeeps. There are no bad roads for him. All the bumps, potholes and joints of asphalt, he does not just swallow it, he sucks them. At the same time, the Japanese SUV favorably differs from Americans by the lack of any swing on the gentle waves of the road surface (people with a weak vestibular apparatus can safely ride on LX470) and an excellent sensitivity of steering for such a massive car.
Those to whom Lexus suspension seems too soft can switch it to sports mode. Frankly, moving in a straight line, any striking changes in the behavior of a car with a Sport button, I did not notice. This option will come in handy if there is a desire to grab on winding roads. The combination of a rigid sports regime of suspension and an indestructible off -road chassis gives rise to a feeling of great confidence in the driver. In this case, the car is acutely obeying the steering wheel and not at all terribly rolled in quick turns.
The Lexus LX470 power unit is very solid. I had no desire to spin it to maximum revolutions or start, pressing the pedal into the floor. On Lexus I want to go smoothly and measuredly. True, if there is a desire to accelerate powerfully, for example, at a speed of 100 km/h, you can simply drown the accelerator pedal. A huge jeep rush forward with the pressure of a powerful business class sedan. It will be rapidly gaining speed until an electronic limiter will turn on at 175 km/h. The motor at the LX470 is extremely flexible and painful: 80% of the peak of torque is reached at only 1100 rpm.
In this motor, everything is satisfied with everything except one: the car just has an elephant appetite. Lexus drinks at least 20 liters of gasoline per 100 km. And the point is not even the cost of fuel (it is unlikely that Lexus owners think about expenses on gasoline). The need to constantly call in the gas station is annoying: a 95-liter SUV gas tank is unlikely to be enough more than 500 km of path.
And finally, the main thing for any jeep is impassable dirt. I got to the Lexus test even before frost, so there were no problems with dirt. And I was convinced that outside the road Lexus looks inimitable. Japanese engineers managed the impossible: on the asphalt Lexus behaves almost as a representative of the representative class, but at the same time it remained a real SUV. Lexus overcomes the Russian autumn thaw with a huge margin of reliability. There is no shadow of doubt about its abilities. This is not by chance. The LX470 is armed with lowering gear, an electronic system for redistributing traction efforts, a rigid blocking of the center differential (which, however, even in the difficult conditions I did not have to use), adjustable air suspension that can raise the body to an additional 70 mm, and a painful motor. All this arsenal turns Lexus into a professional fighter with off -road. Moreover, fighters in a front uniform with Marshal stars on their shoulders.
Igor Komarov
 

A source: Wheel (company)