Motoring
Soft touch
Alan Judd
When Toyota launched the Lexus LS400 a decade ago many thought they were on a hiding to nothing in trying to compete with the Mercedes S class, the BMW 7 series and even the (in those days) less well-built big cats, the Jaguars. Even if their car was as good as the others, people argued, buyers paying that sort of money wanted a prestige badge on the bonnet. They wouldn't want to be seen in an upmarket Toyota.
As the Lexus began to prove itself, the same people conceded that it went well enough, was comfortable and sounded all right (in fact, you could hardly hear it at all), but was bland and boring to look at. It lacked style. Maybe; but it didn't lack sales and success, or solid residual values, or a reputation for reliability that was second to none. The result is that, ten years on, its successor is introduced by its makers with one bold, simple claim: 'The new LS430 is the best luxury car in the world.' You can argue about that but the point is that no one would now dream of not taking it seriously.
Reviewing the £46,630 LS400 (Motoring, 15 February 1997), I thought its lines understated rather than boring. The fact that I didn't feel conspicuous in it and that it was no vandal-magnet was actually an advantage. Although a large car, it was compact and obliging to drive and my only complaints were with the interior, particularly the dappled-plastic effect of the dashboard material.
Well, the £49.950 LS430 (£53,950 with the Premium Pack) is an entirely new car, though its DNA inheritance is obvious. They say it is even quieter than the old one, though I can't vouch for that because I couldn't hear either properly. As with the new Mercedes S class, you can start it with the keys in your pocket and I had to trust to the instruments to tell me I had. Those instruments, by the way, are uncluttered and nicely lit all the time: the radio controls are sensibly few, large and easy. The Mark Levinson 11-speaker hi-fi system sounds as you would expect if you know anything about these things and don't, like me, start with the idea that he used to keep goal for Crystal Palace.
The new 4.3 V8 engine is quicker than the old one (0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, compared with the LS400's 0-60mph in 7.4) and its fuel consumption slightly better. I averaged 26.7mpg over 600 miles compared with 25mpg in the LS400. They've developed the lines for the new model, making the front end more bullish and raising the rear, just like the competition. Those who found the old one bland will probably still think the same of this, though with less reason. Interior space is greater and the car feels wider, but tall people in the back may still touch their heads on the roof lining (though the Premium Pack buys you electrically adjustable rear seats and a 'vibro-massage'). In fact, the cabin feels more spacious than the Mercedes S Class.
Car-makers who put wood veneer in their cars often get it wrong, giving it such a high gloss that it looks and feels like the plastic they keep telling you it isn't. Polished wood should look, feel and smell like wood. Lexus almost gets it right — at least, less wrong than most — but Bentley still does it best. I liked the automatic windscreen wipers and lights better than I'd thought; the satellite navigation system works well, though you can't programme it when you're moving; the car won't start when the steering lock is on, which — as I discovered in humiliating circumstances — can happen without your realising. The doors close softly yet solidly with only a touch, though there's an irritating pinging noise if you leave them open with the engine running. That engine, by the way, is so clean and still that you can eat off it, even when it's revved. I did, albeit only a couple of pieces of walnut cake.
As for the going — well, all these luxury cars are so powerful and well-mannered that you take it for granted. They spoil you. Some might find this a touch soft, in seating as well as handling — probably a reflection of their sales success in America — but most aren't going to be bothered by that. It's a very, very nice car to drive.
Comparing it with the competition, you perhaps get a little more for your money with Lexus than with BMW and Mercedes (though not necessarily with Jaguar) but there's not much in it. At this level, they're all good and it comes down to individual taste — how the shape appeals, whether you like the feel of the wheel, ease of entry and exit, whether you're going to drive or be driven. You may prefer one of the others, but you're unlikely to find better.
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