TheCarConnection.com's editors have driven the Lexus LS 460 and LS 600h L for this hands-on road test. Editors have compared the Lexus LS range with other luxury sedans to help you narrow your choices in the buying process. TheCarConnection.com's luxury car experts also have compiled a companion review of quotes and insights from other respected sources to give you a comprehensive look at the top-line Lexus .

Likes
Exquisite, virtually silent cabin
Concert-hall-quality sound
Useful technology-self-parking!
Exceptional ride quality
Luxury-liner backseat (L edition)
Lively hybrid powertrain

Dislikes
Unpretentious, unremarkable styling
Shifty eight-speed automatic transmission
Wide console restricts front-seat space
Sport edition tuned to rivals' base settings

The 2010 Lexus LS range bristles with gas or hybrid powertrain technology, exudes world-class fit and finish, and keeps driving dynamics well-muted as it hits mid-life. New in 2007, the current LS is among the quietest sedans you can experience, and in either V-8 or V-8 hybrid form, it's at least as swift as the competition's standard-issue four-doors. And while it lacks the opulent touches of a Jaguar or an Audi , the long-wheelbase LS' backseat takes a backseat to none. Prices start at $65,000 and soar to $109,000 for the hybrid model. The competition: stalwarts like the BMW 7-Series , Mercedes-Benz S-Class , Audi A8 , and Jaguar XJ .

The 2010 Lexus LS lineup is quite conservatively styled inside and out, and that's a mixed bag depending on what buyers expect. However, on a positive note, the simple, organic, and elegant L-finesse design language in the LS will likely age well, as it's not at all gimmicky. In front, the LS 460 short- and long-wheelbase models get a revised grille, bumper, and headlamps; in back, there are revised taillamps and new exhaust diffusers. A new LS 460 Sport wears an aero body kit that's available without the Sport's suspension and handling upgrades. As for the LS 600h L , it's distinguished from the nonhybrid cars by a different grille and blue-tinted taillights-there's little, really, to set it apart from less-expensive versions, especially from a distance. The Lexus LS interior is styled with less reverence to tradition than any BMW or Mercedes (and formerly, any Jaguar ), but the cabin is opulent in its own way, with wood and leather mated perfectly to tightly grained, well-matched plastics. An LCD screen dominates the center console, while the driver faces especially clearly designed gauges. The LS 460 Sport Package adds to this a distinctive black and saddle leather interior, with sport seats and steering wheel, as well as a pair of shift paddles fitted behind the steering-wheel rim.

In either body style, Lexus LS drivers get a choice of a mighty V-8 engine or a more powerful, more fuel-efficient V-8 hybrid drivetrain.

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