2011 Lexus LS Review
Price
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to: RM844,448
Installment
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2011 Lexus LS at a glance
The 2011 Lexus LS is immaculately built, superbly refined and ultra comfortable. But in addition to its bland styling, subpar handling and hesitant gearbox, the 2011 Lexus LS simply lacks a sense of occasion rivals possess.
2011 Lexus LS quick specs
| Body Style | Sedan |
| Class | Large Luxury |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2011 Lexus LS ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
Compared to the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the 2011 Lexus LS looks bland and unadventurous, perhaps too much like a scaled-up version of the Lexus GS. The lack of design flair extends to the interior. It must be said that the 2011 Lexus LS brings plenty of road presence, but it simply lacks the sense of occasion rivals conjure.
Handling
The ride comfort and handling balance is predictably tilted towards the former. Even with the adaptive dampers set to the firmest, the driving experience is still far from sporty, lagging behind the Germans in terms of driving dynamics. The 2011 Lexus LS has high levels of grip and good body control—to a certain extent, before its bulk blunts the handling.
Comfort
Built for long-distance journeys, the 2011 Lexus LS has excellent refinement and ride comfort. The air-suspension system copes with road imperfections brilliantly, while wind, road and engine noise are barely audible at cruising speeds. The multitude of steering and seating adjustments allow drivers to fine-tune their driving position easily. Controls are also fairly intuitive to use.
Quality + Reliability
Somewhat unadventurous dash design aside, quality is the one area where Lexus will never let you down. With first-rate cabin materials and exemplary fit-and-finish, Lexus LS owners enjoy the finest in the cabin. According to JD Power customer satisfaction surveys, Lexus has ranked at the top over the years, meaning the solid cabin construction and reliable mechanics are unlikely to give Lexus LS owners any problems.
Performance
With 380 bhp and 493 Nm, the 4.6-litre V8 carries the 2011 Lexus LS's substantial bulk with decent pace. The engine is still Lexus-smooth, but the world's first production eight-speed automatic gearbox constantly seems hesitant about which ratio to choose under acceleration.
Roominess
Front driver and passenger enjoy massive amounts of room. Rear room, while more than adequate, loses out to German rivals'. That is unless you specify the long wheel-base version which adds significant legroom. The rear middle seat is uncomfortable for longer journeys, while the boot capacity is class-lagging.
Running Costs
The fuel economy is reasonable by V8 standards, returning 9.0 km/litre. Maintenance and repairs will be costly, but the same can be said for other luxury brands. As the Lexus brand has stood for reliability and quality, a case made stronger due to association with the Toyota brand, we expect moderate residual values. Even so, Lexus LS owners should expect a bigger quantum of depreciation compared to that for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Value for Money
The 2011 Lexus LS 460 is understandably more expensive than base variants of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series. But this is one key reason why we would not be seeing more Lexus LS 460s on the roads. Due to brand and pricing disadvantages, inferior driving dynamics, and most of all the lack of a sense of occasion rivals possess, the 2011 Lexus LS will find it tough competing against the Germans.
Equipment
The 2011 Lexus LS 460 comes generously equipped as standard with adaptive and auto-leveling headlamps, wood grain and leather finishing, Bluetooth interface, four-zone air-conditioning, in-dash six-CD/DVD changer and Mark Levinson 19-speaker audio system. Safety kit includes Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Whiplash Injury Lessening (WIL), and 10 SRS airbags among others.
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions of 261 grams/km and fuel consumption of 9.0 km/litre are not environment-friendly figures by any measure. Tree-huggers should be glad that the 2011 Lexus LS, like any other V8 cars, costs a bomb in Malaysia, meaning lesser such cars on the roads.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Ride and refinement
Immaculate cabin build
Generous standard equipments
Unadventurous styling
Hesitant eight-speed automatic
Subpar handling
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