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Perfect? Maybe. Boring and Without a Soul? Yes. Long Term Lexus LS460 Review
The LS460 from Lexus is certainly a car to be reckoned with. Without a doubt the quintessential Japanese luxury car, the LS is the car than can be credited with sending both Mercedes and BMW back to the drawing boards in the early 90’s to rethink what makes a great car, great.
A strong performer while being efficient, and less expensive than the rivals from Germany, the original LS was a hit. In baseball terms this was a grand slam. Lexus along with the rest of the automotive industry knew it, and Lexus hasn’t let up the pressure on the competition. Arrogant in its slogan, “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection,” you have to wonder if perfect is too good.
In completing a long-term test of the new LS460, our friends at Motor Trend may have stumbled upon what for me seems to be the biggest problem with Lexus and the LS460.
Here are a few remarks made by MT:
“…At first, it was a time warp to 1989, the LS impressing us to no end.”
“…The driving experience transcends mere transportation and falls into the realm of therapy.”
“…It has a nice blend of ride and handling attributes – very appropriate for a luxury sedan.”
All good things to be said for sure, and compliments to Lexus for those remarks, and then it hit…
“…If you’re a driver, you’ll just find the whole experience numb and uninvolving. There is no emotion to this car. None”
And therein lies what I believe to be the biggest problem Lexus has. Simply put, these cars ain’t got no soul.
No personality, no charisma, no charm. They may be the best at what they do, but as they do it there is nothing to make the experience memorable. You can chime in here all day long as to how great Lexus is or isn’t, what it boils down to is the fact that in comparison to cars from Mercedes BMW and Audi, the Lexus lineup is boring (with the possible exception of the IS-f, but we will leave that for another day). Lexus is like the smart kid in school who knew every answer but had no personality. Fun perhaps to have as a partner in a school project because you know you will get the “A,” but this is not the kid you are inviting to your birthday party to see what crazy antic is going to be pulled next.
BMW and Mercedes offer their drivers a level of excitement and personality that Lexus either by design or by ignorance largely has left out of their cars. And while perfection sells, some people want more.
I WANT MORE!
And capturing that soul, that spirit, that charisma - it really doesn’t matter what you call it. That special something that takes a hunk of metal, steel, plastic and leather and turns it into a living breathing entity that people lust after, that is what makes a good car great.
And I am sure Lexus has it in them to produce. And imagine the reviews then. You think they are good now – they would only get better.
A Lexus with soul.
Soul is what makes legends out of mere metal. Ferraris have a soul, Lamborghinis have a soul, BMW’s have a soul, the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Oprah is auctioning off has a soul, and people flock to cars with soul. Because once it is in you, it is nearly impossible to go back to driving a mere car.
Lexus (and I am talking directly to Lexus, the rest of you skip this paragraph and resume reading at the next paragraph) if you want to kick the snot out of Mercedes and BMW, inject some soul into your already perfect cars. Make them sing with attitude and charisma. Make them such that when a non-Lexus owner rides or drives in one, he or she HAS TO HAVE IT.
Don’t misunderstand me; the guys at Motor Trend loved the LS460. They even state missing having it around. They write, “…every one on staff has longed for the luxurious Lexus...” however a few lines later conclude by saying, “…when the road got twisty, we wished we had a sportier, more responsive long-termer…”
Lexus may have it right for Lexus, but I can tell you from personal experience, there is a whole class of customer out there just waiting for perfection coupled with soul.
Produce a perfect car with soul, and you will OWN the market.