What do you think is the best Lexus? Name where it is built, when it was designed, and options available on it.

um not sure where it was built, probably Japan or something but the GX and LX SUV is are pretty cool and so are some of the older cars

In The Face Of Some Stiff Competition In The Luxury Sector, Lexus Has Updated Their LS430 Flagship Saloon But Will Many Notice? Andy Enright Reports

Lexus have a good deal to answer for. Were it not for their LS430, the luxury saloon sector would be thoroughly carved up between Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar & Volkswagen. Breaking this European stranglehold isnt the easiest of tasks & in order to retain an Oriental toehold, Lexus have given the LS430 a midlife makeover that aims to put the car back on the map.

With cars like the latest Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Volkswagen Phaeton & Jaguars XJ all making the old LS430 look a little behind the curve, Lexus knew they had to act & quick. Unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the revised LS430 aimed to incrementally improve on a number of areas across the board. Although Lexus refer to the car as the third generation LS, few other than Lexus anoraks would be able to spot the difference between it & its predecessor. This is at once a little disquieting if like us u admire what Lexus has been doing to a traditionally stagnant market sector.

Build
Comfort
Depreciation
Economy
Equipment
Handling
Insurance
Performance
Styling
Value
The styling & handling of the early LS430 were what kept it from competing at the top of the class & little has changed in this regard. Look more closely at the latest cars lines & youll appreciate that virtually nothing has been carried over but the effect is disappointingly staid. The headlights r the most notable thing, carrying more than a hint of IS series Lexus about them. The front end is claimed to be lower & wider with a more muscular bonnet profile & the flanks r subtle curved.

The rear light clusters feature LED units that illuminate more quickly, saving vital feet in reaction time for any following drivers plus there r twin exhaust outlets on each side of the bumper assembly. Without recourse to a picture, youd have to applaud Lexus for such a thorough job. The LS was never the most nimble of handlers & little has changed with the dynamics package of the latest car. Instead Lexus have decided to stick to what theyre best at & have taken strides to reduce the already minimal cabin noise levels & introduce new shock absorbers for an even smoother ride.

These tasks would likely leave the cream of the industrys chassis engineers scratching their heads & wondering where improvements could possibly be made. The lightweight aluminium structures used in the suspension system have reduced unsprung weight an all important factor if youre trying to tune a suspension system to perform & there r also revised bearings & bushes as well as more wheel articulation so that less bump & thump from the road can filter into the cabin. The air suspension technology is reckoned to be the most advanced system currently fitted to any production car & the cars smooth progress is aided by a coefficient of drag of just 0.25.

Few other than wacky hybrid cars can match this figure.

''The latest LS430 is undoubtedly the best Lexus saloon ever made''

This Lexus punches its weight too with a 4.3-litre V8 whose peak power output of some 279bhp unit, the clever VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent) system offering a hefty 417Nm of torque. This means that the LS430 will bludgeon its way to 60mph in an astonishing 6.1 seconds.

To put that in perspective its quicker than a Mercedes SL500, a Honda S2000 or an Audi TT 3.2! This acceleration is assisted by a six-speed automatic gearbox that shifts up in a blur. Unlike its obvious rivals, there r no other engine options, nor do Lexus offer the alternative of a long wheelbase bodyshell. What will hurt Lexus sales more than anything else is the absence of a big diesel version.

With diesel now accounting for around forty per cent of all European luxury car sales, its a market that the Japanese company cannot afford to ignore. Inside that beautifully crafted cabin, theres a welcoming atmosphere, thanks to use of wood & soft leather. As youd expect for the money, every conceivable item of equipment is fitted as standard & a good deal of effort has been concentrated on safety provision. The LS430 features latest generation airbag technology with dual front airbags, side curtain airbags plus driver & front passenger knee airbags.

These deploy from the underside of the fascia at the same time as the front airbag to reduce leg injuries from contact with the steering column. Keeping the lower legs in place has also been found to reduce pelvis displacement & torso rotation, thus ensuring that in the event of a major frontal impact the head & chest dont glance sideways off the main airbags. The LS430 also features what could well be the most sophisticated headlamps ever fitted to a passenger car. Intelligent Adaptive Frontal-light System (I-AFS) controls the direction of each headlamps beam based on steering input & vehicle speed data.

Combine that with xenon lighting & a self-levelling system with headlamp cleaners & u have a car that takes the white knuckle element out of night driving. A touch sensitive seven-inch display projects an image from a rear-mounted camera when reverse gear is selected, allowing the driver to accurately gauge distances & keep an eye out for low obstructions. The same screen also displays satellite navigation information. This system is voice activated & the LS430 even includes Bluetooth technology to allow for cable free use of personal data & mobile phone equipment.

The latest LS430 is undoubtedly the best Lexus saloon ever made. That much is assured. Having said that, the areas where its predecessor struggled to compete handling, styling & the provision of a diesel engine - have still been left largely unaddressed with the latest car. Yes, its a towering achievement in terms of refinement, ride & quality but this missed opportunity wont have Lexus multi talented rivals going back to their drawing boards.

Lexus made waves when they introduced the LS400 to a shocked market. The latest LS430 barely merits a polite ripple.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Lexus LS430
PRICE: £57,220 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 17
CO2 EMISSIONS: 289g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 6.1s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side, curtain, knee ABS, VSC WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE? (length/width/height) 5005/1830/1435mm

Well in my opinion l would go with something simple. Personally l love the new 2008 Lexus IS250/350. The IS250 comes standard with a 2.5L V6, 6-speed manual transmission & 204hp. Ultra-Low Emissions vehicle, & with estimated EPA Readings of 18 City & 26 Highway miles per gallon. Which is critical now that gas prices r on the rise. Side seat mounted, side curtain, & knee airbags r safety features standard for both driver & front passenger. As well as side curtain airbags for the rear passengers. Options include several different packages including the Premium Package, X-Package, & the Luxury package & u would have to talk to the dealer about the specific options for each one. You're looking to spend about mid $30K to low $40K

Usually Car Companies Flagships r the top notch on their lines. l give credit to the 430 but is reaching a point, like any car around the world. There is so much that u can do with a car. When enough is enough & how much stuff u can cramp on it.

Lets talk about cars in overall. It does not matter how well the car performs on a race track, those r bragging rights & r selling numbers. The truth is that no one on their right mind will push the car to that limit. Not only will decrase the life of the vehicle but also their resale value. That is one reason sports cars depreciate rapidly, they do get abuse & stuff breaks also maintenance increases.

We r reaching a point that all the extra gadgets can be ordered on any car, even the mid class vehicle r what we called high end 10 years ago. We r reaching a limit also in engine performance. It takes a lot more (money, R&D) now days to squeeze an extra HP.

The bottom line will be a matter of taste, what is in fashion & quality. l get the same thrill driving 130Ks in the Autobahn on a Lexus or MB, even Cadillac is leaving that Banana Boat ride quality. Other vehicles that r coming in r entry level cars. The reason why is, there is room to improve so eventually will reach a point that will be as good as any high end car. So the Car Companies has to intetionally dumb down the cars so does not dip in the high end market. But still, the other Car Company will up their entry level so they can sell more & all will do the same.

Is a cycle that does not end & we can consider that r the dynamics of the market.

That is why the 430 did not made shuch an impact, they came strong with the 400, too strong with no much room to improve so eventually they got cornered.

The next craze will be a flying car or a car that has 1000hp motor that runs on water, but that is too far in the future.

l forecast, that all these high end cars will be equal in quality & driving experience, the selling point will be the what is in on style, company loyalty, pedigree (history), quality & service. That will dermine who will be the no1 in the market.

For the Car Company in overall, will be less models with different types of trim for different classes & price ranges. That will bring quality up & lower operational cost with ease of maintenace.

l like the 2008 Lexus GS 460 -- l own one. Consumer Reports magazine just rated the Lexus LS 460 as the best of ANY car made today -- the highest score they've given ANY make/model car, truck, SUV, or minivan.

It is a Toyota. They make the most reliable and technologically advanced cars. Their best model model so far is the LS 600h L. Designed in 2006/2007, not sure. Visit page for options.

Best, as in driving, handling, etc. is a 98-02 GS430

Best as in over all great car, long lasting. 97-01 ES300

what ever you like in a car and l look it up on lexus is web site. than you go look at the dealers lot to see if u can find some thing close and talk to a salesman.

Well l think all lexus r good looking & high tech cars from their luxery models to saloons & to their recent performance production. Its upto the buyer as what he/she looks in his/her lexus, is it luxury then the LS series should be considered or economy & enviroment then its hybrid version or a luxury sedan then of course the GS or again hybrid version, if its a normal saloon then ES & if a simple sedan then the good old IS. If want to consider SUV or luxury utility then u always have a choice between its GX, RX or LX ( RX also availible in hybrid) but those with a fast pace then its ISF is the best choice or should wait for its LF series. For more just click,

lexus.com
lexus.co.uk

RX350.. the best value that you can get but if you are not looking for an SUV. the EX350 with power and comfort combined. l think that that is what lexus are ''pursuing their perfection at''

1st place- RX350
2nd place-EX350
3rd place- LX 570

i would also say that for the flagship LS. the previous 430 is a much better choice over its new 460.. the rear headroom is crazy when you test both.

l really do not like any Lexus.

IS- Slow & Full of PLastic
ES- Good Car, Grandma Styling
GS- Lagging behind the competition in every aspect
LS- Good Value, for $70,000 l expect this car to stand out & not have bland styling
SC- Pretty, but not very functional
RX- Solid Value, Outdated Styling
GX- A dressed up Toyota 4Runner
LX- This car bothers me. The Land Cruiser has all the luxury already, why bother spending the extra $20,000 for a Lexus Badge?


I'd take a BMW 335 over any of these cars.

l think that there are two Lexus' that are the best: the IS F and the LSh. The IS F is an incredible car. They managed to cram a 5.0 Liter V8 with over 400 hp in that tiny little car. Plus it looks great. And l like the LSh because it looks so muscular and sexy, plus it is comparable to a car with a V12 engine with gas mileage of a V8.