Lexus LS600HL Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2016 Lexus LS as a used buy.

No, it doesn't mean a luxury version for the models they are based on are more than luxurious already. The L means long, or more correctly long-wheelbase.

It is a fast, well made, prestigious vehicle, and a smooth ride. But is it enough to convince people they can have both prestige and a `green’ tinge.Its economy numbers are modest but a car this large – a six litre V8 - can only be so frugal, even if it is a hybrid.But in the end, it is a hybrid, so people can cruise around proclaiming they they’re saving the planet, while ironically sitting behind a mammoth V8 engine in a cabin stuffed with dead tree and dead cow.DrivetrainA 6.0 litre DOHC V8 engine combines with a high output electric motor to power the 600h.The petrol engine alone produces 290kW at 6400rpm and 520Nm at 4000rpm. As a hybrid unit another 37kW are produced to take it to 327kW max output.To transfer power to the wheels, the 4WD uses electronically-controlled, continually-variable transmission with an eight-step sequential shiftmatic system.For such a large car, combined fuel economy is respectable at 9.3l/100km and it outputs 219gm of CO2/100km.ExteriorAt over five metres long, just under two metres wide and with a wheelbase of over three meters, it’s hard not to notice the LS 600hL on the road.Lexus suggest the extended cabin length and long bonnet are the ultimate expression of their `L-Finesse’ design language, claiming it not only creates a feeling of prestige and elegance but also contributes to the impressive fuel economy and quiet cabin.Unique low beam headlamps using the Adaptive Front Lighting system, use less power and redirect themselves according to driving conditions.Big 19-inch wheels and self-closing doors and boot lid, plus rain-sensing wipers and a clever reversing camera are all standard on the luxury sedan.InteriorFinished in polished wood and leather trim, the LS 600hL has everything you expect to come across in a prestige car.Importantly because it’s a hybrid, there are two displays to keep you informed of your energy expenditure, be it electric power, the V8 engine, or both. You can also see when the Regenerative Braking System is recharging the battery.Front and rear seats are extremely comfortable and supportive with an ottoman footrest as an extra pleasure for passengers in the back.Rear passengers are also treated to Rear Seat Relaxation and Entertainment systems which allow them to enjoy a massage, listen to music or watch DVDs all via remote control.Driver and passenger don’t miss out, with glare resistant instrumentation, four-seat climate control, a heated steering wheel and a hand-stitched leather instrument panel.SafetyThe list of safety equipment and technology in the LS 600hL includes a comprehensive airbag package and a Pre-Collision Safety System that uses a radar in the front grill to determine the distance to the car in front and pre-tensions the seatbelts and controls braking to avoid a crash.It also includes Active Cruise Control, Brake Assist, ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Vehicle Stability Control.PricingThe Lexus LS 600hL starts at $252,900.DrivingInitially there were two things that struck us about the 600hL when it arrived.First was its size. This car is immense - longer than a Toyota LandCruiser at over five metres – and it proved a real challenge navigating in and out of small parking lots.The second is how quiet it is when you push the start button. Only the electric motor is activated on start-up and it really takes a while to get used to not hearing an engine note.The interior has been given the traditional Japanese luxury treatment with garish perforated white leather seats, two tone doors and too much overly polished timber. A colleague questioned how ‘green’ owners could possibly feel sitting on dead cows and staring at what looked to be two thirds of the Daintree. I couldn’t help but agree.After dismounting our moral high horses we also agreed the cabin of the 600hL is a very comfortable place to be. How can it not be with a heated steering wheel, four seat climate control and your own personal games room and masseur.But driving the car was the most pleasant surprise.Throttle response was immediate and jerk free, and there was a satisfying amount of poke right across the rev range.The combination of multilink front and five link type independent rear suspension swooshed over pot holes and bumps easily.Steering is light and responsive, there was little body roll and the ventilated disc brakes were superb.Visibility was quite poor out the rear window given the car’s high waistline, so it was just as well there was a reversing camera.If you’re after a driver’s car this probably isn’t the one for you because the ride is much too soft to feel you’re in total control. It’s Japanese over-the-top luxury but it’s well made and fast, so if prestige is your bag and you enjoy the odd rubdown, go for it.Verdict: 7/10

Pressure is on to deliver safer, less polluting, more economical, cheaper, better performing, better equipped and longer lasting vehicles.It seems almost unachievable but take a look at the new Lexus LS600hL and you will get some idea of where cars are heading in the near future.This is the techno showpiece from the giant Toyota organisation and as its flagship, the big 600 has a bewildering array of features, some useful, some useless.Is it over the top, suffering from technology overkill? In some respects, yes, but we can't keep our heads in the sand forever.Though completely out of the realm of the average Aussie, at $240,000 the LS600hL is actually good value against its direct competitors from Europe, undercutting them by up to $125,000.And, better yet, useful technology in the 600 will gradually filter down to mainstream cars.Take the hybrid-drive system, for example. The complex “engine” comprising of a 290kW, 5.0-litre petrol V8 and two electric motors delivers a total of 327kW and about 600Nm of torque to push the 2.4 tonne 600 with surprising velocity. Normally, this would dictate a hefty fuel bill but in the 600's case, it is capable of attaining a mere 9.3-litres/100km and generate only 210g/km of carbon dioxide.It has a constant all-wheel drive system and an eight-step constantly variable auto transmission with sequential change mode. This has safety and driveability benefits and gives the big 600 quite a sporty feel, enhanced by variable ratio steering and electronic brake assist.Lexus pushes the 600 and other hybrids in its lineup as guilt-free performance and in this sense, the 600 really delivers.But it is weird when you start up because the petrol engine doesn't run. Instead, initial motion is provided by the electric motors powered by the large battery pack in the back of the car.The petrol engine fires up when the accelerator is pushed beyond a certain threshold or speed goes above 40km/h. It shuts off when the car comes to a standstill.This is only scratching the surface of the 600's technology arsenal. It's one of the first cars to have LED headlights (a set of six) and they are also adaptive they turn with the steering.It has what is called intelligent park assist that almost parks the car automatically and the climate control system inside has body heat sensors to minutely adjust interior temperature.The cruise control uses radar to maintain a distance from vehicles in front and the air suspension adapts to any given type of driving or road conditions.All this is very nice but not really necessary.The massage seat in the back (with ottoman) is useless because there is not enough legroom to stretch out.We still haven't figured out the self parking system. If you can't park, you shouldn't be driving. The vehicle has to be stopped to re-program the satnav a major annoyance because the front passenger could do the job on the move.We must have occasionally performed an incorrect start sequence because the “engine” failed to fire a couple of times. The boot refused to open and all doors except the driver's would not unlock using the key fob.There are 11 airbags including knee bags and 19 speakers; on what rates as possibly the best audio and in-car entertainment system I have experienced.There is no doubt that all the goodies inside the 600 are great to experience but working out how they operate is challenging.Boil this car down to its essence and it is definitely impressive.Performance is strong with 0-100km/h sprint taking 6.3 seconds. It whispers along at warp speed in near silence and slices through the atmosphere at an aerodynamically efficient 0.29Cd.The big, handsome limo acquits itself well in sporty driving mode.The boot is ridiculously small due to the battery pack and we can't begin to explain the level of technology inside the engine apart from saying it has direct fuel injection and variable cam timing. 

Opulence is a word used by soap companies, perfumeries and appears early on in the Lexus PR tome. It's appropriate - everything about this brand has been about taking aim at and surpassing the more established marques.The LS 600hL - the largest Lexus sedan ever to roll off the company's production line - has equalled and beaten them in many respects.It's a large vehicle, impressive and imposing at first sight, with a high waistline and broad stance.It sits on wide, 19in wheels with bespoke Dunlop tyres and plenty of street presence. The 5150mm long 600hL is 120mm longer than its LS 460 sibling, and all the extra length increases the wheelbase to 3090mm.To say the 600hL has good rear passenger room is like saying the Sultan of Brunei is comfortably well off; there's enough room for a seven-footer, broad of shoulder, to sit. His head is close to the roof but the fact that he could stay there for a journey is a feat in itself.The journey could be undertaken with serenity; combine a 290kW/520Nm five-litre V8 with a 650V electric motor producing 165kW and 300Nm of almost instant torque; and the 2430kg of luxury limo can move away from standstill in a hurry.Lexus quotes a combined power figure of 327kW comparable to a six-litre V8, which is where the 600 in the badge comes from. But it wont wake its passengers, unless the pedal is floored. Full bore, the LS 600hL can cover the zero to 100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds and the standing 400m in 14.3 seconds, numbers that fell right when I was behind the wheel.With the multi-link air suspension, variable gear ratio steering and super-smooth transmission in sport mode, the big limo can hustle through bends with good body control and remarkable poise. Quick changes of direction are not its forte, but drop back the pace a notch or two and the 600hL can cover ground quickly. The performance comes with less of sting at the pump, with the test car using fuel at a rate of 12.3 litres/100km from mainly suburban work, although the Lexus claims it is capable of 9.3 litres/100km.Lexus also claims an exhaust emission level of 219g/km, which might not sound impressive until you compare it with some of its petrol V8 competition, which rack up numbers beyond 300g/km.The drive is sent through an eight-step electronic continuously variable transmission (ECVT), a new gear-drive transfer system and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip centre differential to apportion drive 40 per cent to the front and 60 per cent to the rear, with the ability to vary the split according to conditions.The big limo can also creep around at low speed in EV mode, which works up to 40km/h on electric power only.The car uses its transmission as a generator, which combines with a conventional raking system to recover energy and store it in the battery.It's the smoothest example of system yet, easily making a seamless transition and allowing the driver to brake cleanly without rough spots in deceleration.But this car is about occupant comfort and there is no shortage of equipment to look after passengers.The quad-zone climate-control system has a body-temperature-sensor network that combines with a stack of other sensors and vents - more than 20 outlets - to keep the temp at the set level, which can be controlled from the front or rear.Left-hand rear passengers in the four-seater get a reclining ottoman, reclining backrest, massage function, an adjustable seat base and the world-first in-seat airbag to keep the relaxed occupant safe in an accident.Rear-seat passengers also get a DVD screen, but if your rear occupants favour Tom and Jerry instead of more adult viewing, the soundtrack can't be isolated to the rear infra-red headphones.If Jaguar and Holden can do it, surely the Lexus boffins can.Tom and Jerry never sounded so good, thanks to the Mark Levinson surround system, which offers more than 400W from 19 speakers to produce impeccable sound at serious volume.The Lexus engineers have included LED low-beams, a world first, they claim, as is the Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) system, a first for this segment and for any vehicle in Australia.Although not as nimble as some of its competition, there's so much technology for driving and for occupant comfort that it's hard to ignore the big Lexus.Throw in the green credentials, its quality and reliability and the 600hL impresses even more.The serene, unfussed progress offered by the Lexus leviathan could almost (in a Lotto winner's way) be considered value for money. Almost. SnapshotSmall torqueLexus LS 600hLPrice: $240,000Engine: Hybrid petrol-electric, five-litre quad-cam, 32-valve V8, with electric generator, motor and battery system.Power: 290kW at 6400rpm.Torque: 520Nm at 4000rpm.Transmission: ECVT with Torsen limited-slip centre differential and electronic virtual rear limited-slip differential. All-wheel drive.Performance: 0-100km/h 6.3 seconds, 0-400m 14.3 seconds, top speed 250 km/h (governed).Fuel consumption: Claimed 9.3 litres/100km, on test 12.3 litres/100km. Tank capacity 84 litres.Emissions: 219g/km.Suspension: Multi-link front and rear, air suspension with Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS).Brakes: 357mm ventilated front discs, 335mm ventilated rear discs, four-piston aluminium front calipers, two-piston aluminium rear calipers; Electronically Controlled Braking (ECB), ABS with Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Traction Control (TRC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Vehicle Dynamics integrated Management (VDiM).Dimensions: Length 5150mm, width 1875mm, height 1480mm, wheelbase 3090mm, track fr/rr 1610mm, weight 2430kg, luggage capacity 330 litres.Wheels: 19in alloys.Class competitionMercedes-Benz S 500: $274,974.BMW 750Li: $239,000.Audi A8 4.2 FSI LWB: $219,600.Jaguar XJ Super V8 LWB:  $234,900. 

One stretches to near full length in the rear of the limo, an ottoman propping extended legs while the vertebrae are manipulated by a cunning practitioner of shiatsu. Then a wailing sound assails the ears ...This would be all too Hugh Grant, except the noise is not a Highway Patrol siren. Or the Vice Squad. Though it is The Police.That's the 1980s popsters, of all things to pick. The nasal whine of the vocalist is surround sounding through 11 speakers from a DVD screen that's dropped from the inner roof.And the masseuse is not some flower of the orient, but a mechanical function built into the optional-with-ottoman left rear seat of the new Lexus LS 600hL.And that's about the only option in a car whose decadent lushness contrasts utterly with frugal fuel use and a carbon dioxide emission rating that wouldn't disgrace a V6.The LS 600hL is the world's first V8 all-wheel-drive hybrid.It can reach 100km/h from standing in 6.3 seconds, but will use as little as 9.3-litres of 95 RON petrol per 100km.Its globulous, 2.4 tonne kerb weight can be clawed through a tight bend with surety via a Torsen all-paw system, leaving a fairly petite carbon footprint of 219 grams per kilometre.All this and it just about parks itself too.While the LS 600hL undercuts by more than $100,000 certain German LWB limos, it still costs $240,000 for the full-specced four seater as described above or $233,000 for the five pew model.All right already, so that's light years beyond the likes of you and I.So too, for that matter, is the $120K GS 400h released 18 months back and even the $94K RX 400h SUV that followed.Where all this does impact on us is in Toyota's luxury arm making hybrid performance vehicles their domain.While the Europeans adhere to ever-cleaner diesels — and BMW spruik their Hydrogen 7 to the mega-rich and famous — the Lexus petrol-electric gambit will surely devolve to the compact executive class.So what chance a hybrid of the IS to compete against the 3 Series and C-Class?“Very possible, absolutely,” the 600hL's chief engineer and my fellow backseat passenger Osamu Sakata assured Carsguide as he ratcheted up the shiatsu setting to intense.For now, the bombastic halo exercise that is the most expensive Lexus to date serves to provide glimpses of our motoring future.The easiest to see are the first application of LED low-beam headlights — near daylight bright, it's claimed. One you hope you'll never have to see is the anti-submarining in-seat airbag in the four seat model.Then there's the Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) system, which is sending a thrill through the geeky and the ability-shy.IPA uses a rear camera and ultrasonic sensors to identify a parking space and calculates the correct steering angle to guide the big bugger in without curbing the 19-inch rims or bending fenders.For a decent part of the exercise your only involvement is pressure on the gas pedal.The side and rear window blinds are push button. A body heat sensor (I'm not making this up) automatically controls the climate. The grab handles and bin doors are damped so they shut at uniform rate. Which is nice. SNAPSHOT LEXUS LS 600hLPrice: $233,000 (five seat); $240,000 (full spec)Engine: 5L/V8 hybrid; 290kW/520NmEconomy: 9.3L/100km0-100km/h: 6.3 seconds  THE KEY RIVAL THEY FORGOT TO MENTIONLexus compares its LS 460hL flagship against a list of leviathans such as BMW's $346,000 760Li and even the Bentley Arnage.Insofar as these fat-capacity petrol-guzzlers are towards thetop of their respective makers' ranges, that's a reasonable suggestion.Lexus just happens to flog them in terms of value and green credentials.A car Lexus failed to mention was another biggish, V8 AWD — one that uses a hi-tech diesel engine to accomplish its ends.At $210,000, Audi's A8 4.2 TDIquattro undercuts the LS600hL on price. It alsohas better acceleration(5.9 seconds to 100km/h over 6.3) and competitive fuel economy (9.4L/100km to 9.3).The first eight-cylinder diesel in this class, the A8 has twin turbos and intercoolers to deliver 650Nm of turbine-like thrust.If the hybrid system is eco-friendlier in city traffic, the TDI comes into its own on the open road, proving that performance and prestige are compatible with diesel, too.There's 11 airbags, Pre-Collision Safety System, Active-radar Cruise Control, Adaptive Variable Suspension and Vehicle Dynamic integrated Management (VDiM) system. And a sunroof. So you get the lot. Lock and stock as standard. Leave the option gouging to the Germans.And leave the hybrid engines to theJapanese.This latest Lexus petrol-electric combo is another modern marvel, shifting a game it has almost to itself to another level.A 5.0-litre version of the 4.6 quad-cam V8 used in the much huzzah-ed LS 460 is combined with a new dual-stage transmission incorporating the electric drive system for a combined output of 290kW and 520Nm from 4000rpm. The 650-volt electric drive motor delivers 165kW/300Nm, with all those lovely Newtons available from zero revs.The hybrid system blends the two power sources according to operating conditions to provide a maximum 327kW. That's about the output of 6.0 petrol — hence the designation.A switchable EV mode2 allows 40km/h on electric power only. Indeed the car stops its petrol engine whenever possible (when the car's stationary, for example) to save fuel and reduce emissions and noise.It says much of the intended buyer that the Lexus minders saw that we spent as much time in the back as behind the wheel. On the basis of our limited and mostly straight line exposure, any of the myriad cars that Lexus pits itself against are more involving drives.That said, with the sport suspensions selected and the eight-speed manual mode of the CVT engaged, the V8 emits the heartfelt growl and something approaching the overtaking ability of the lesser, conventional LS.Unlike the latter, it's afflicted with a hybrid's tiny boot (albeit with full size spare), all those clever gubbins chewing up the golf club space.While your captain of industry might accept that it's not easy being green, he mightn't take so kindly to a lack of implements to use on the green.Still, at least the Lexus will massage more than the ego.

Mercedes and BMW have luxury-loaded battle wagons for $300,000-plus. Suzuki's local headliner is the Grand Vitara four-wheel-drive and Proton has to get by with the Gen.2 baby hatch.But there is no flagship quite like the new Lexus LS.Australia has just had details of the new V8 Lexus LS460 but, barely a week later, it has been overtaken by a car called the LS600hL.It is a serious, tick-all-the-boxes headliner for Lexus, for Japan, and for hybrids.Lexus has gone all the way with its commitment to petrol-electric hybrids by creating the first flagship of any brand that has a green footprint.It is still more than two tonnes and the fuel economy is never going to rival a diesel-engined Peugeot 207, but it is a huge commitment by Toyota as it overtakes General Motors as the world's largest carmaker.The LS600hL — cryptic for 6.0-litre performance, hybrid drive and long wheelbase — will reach Australia in a couple of months. The price should be in about $240,000, based on the $184,900 of the LS460.Final details are being decided, but the car will have incredible luxury and technology, from a self-parking system to LED headlamps, a device that monitors driver fatigue, and even a reclining rear passenger seat with shiatsu massager.On the hybrid front, Lexus has gone all-out with a 5.0-litre V8 with battery-electric booster, all-wheel drive and a constantly variable transmission that can mimic an eight-speed manual.“This car is the symbol of the Lexus brand. It is like a president or the chairman of a company, not just responsible for itself, but for everyone in the group,” chief engineer of the LS hybrid Osamu Sadakata says.“When conceiving the 600h, we didn't set out to build a hybrid car. First we thought about the level of performance and social responsibility required for a premium car. Then we started thinking about what kind of powertrain we needed. The answer was the hybrid.”Sadakata says the new LS has the performance to match a V12 petrol limousine, with the fuel economy and CO2 emission of a V6.That means a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.3 seconds, a limited top of 250km/h, and a claimed combined fuel economy of 9.3 litres for 100km.In some ways the arrival of the 600h is a return to the start for Lexus, which broke the mould in 1989 with its original LS flagship.The question is how many customers will want the car, and if so, as a green machine or for the gadgets.Lexus Australia is forecasting sales of five to 10 cars a month, or about half the volume of the regular LS460, and is still working on the final price and specification.It intends to sell it as a regular five-seater and with the four-seat cabin that is compulsory with the shiatsu recliner — which crimps front-passenger space — but is not sure of the breakdown.But all will have the long-wheelbase body, which puts an extra 120mm into the rear-passenger space.“It will be almost a built-to-order car,” Lexus Australia sales operations manager Andrew Caie says.“It's a toe-in-the water for us. A lot of LS buyers have been lining up for the car, so it will take a while to clear those before we go out to new buyers.”Caie is not firm on final details because of the price and position of the 600h.“The planning volume is not really huge. That's one of the reasons we have not locked everything down.“We aren't going to go out and sell thousands. This is a very different perspective even from the LS460.”But he does confirm the LS600hL will be the first Lexus over the $200,000 mark.“We probably have a few months before we know the final price.”The bottom line will include leather seats, twin DVD screens, 19-speaker sound, 17-inch alloy wheels, four-zone automatic airconditioning, a rear cooler bin and safety gear ranging from front/curtain/knee airbags, an airbag to stop rear-seat passengers sliding into the footwell in a serious crash, a pre-crash system, radar cruise control and a fully integrated vehicle dynamics system including stability control, anti-skid brakes and adaptive air suspension.On the roadTHE LS hybrid creates a sensory overload. There is so much technology, so much luxury, it is difficult to know where to start.It is easy to slide into the reclining shiatsu massager and fire up a DVD for relaxation, or talk to the Japanese engineers to hear the inside story of the engine and transmission and all-wheel drive.But it all fades to background when I crank the speedometer towards 240km/h on a German autobahn arrowing out from Frankfurt — the obvious choice for the preview, because it is Benz-BMW-Audi home ground — and submerge in the luxury, the quiet, the refinement and the surprisingly good driving experience.The long-wheelbase LS is the best car Lexus has created, as expected. It has cracking performance, is stable and responsive in corners, is supremely quiet, and has every luxury trinket possible.It does not have the personality of a BMW or Benz, but Lexus has always gone softly to avoid offending potential owners. And it wants people to choose their car for different reasons.So to the hybrid drive. The LS is electric-car quiet around a carpark, but there is no mistaking the howl of its 5.0-litre V8 when I sink the foot on a wide-open autobahn.Or the stop-light potential of a total package that delivers a combined 327kW and 820Nm.The LSh will also drop down to about 8 litres for 100km on a gentle cruise and, despite its heft, Lexus says its CO2 output is lower than the regular 460.There is so much in the 600h that I could write a book about the technology and frame an essay on how it feels and drives and responds.It is enough to say that it is the world's most techno-driven car and it delivers everything wanted from a Lexus flagship.Does the world need a car such as this?Probably not, but I said much the same thing when Lexus introduced the original LS and when Toyota unveiled its first Prius hybrid.Those cars started something new and there is every chance the LS600hL will be carving out fresh territory and previewing technology that will eventually be as common as electric windows are in today's economy compacts. Fast Facts: LEXUS LS600hLON SALE: SeptemberPRICE: Estimate $240,000ENGINE: 5.0-litre V8 engine with series/parallel hybrid drive, 650-volt electric motor and nickel-metal hydride batteryPOWER: 327kW combined (290kW at 6400 revs, V8 only)TORQUE: 800Nm combined (520Nm at 4000 revs, V8 only)TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed constantly-variable automatic, all-wheel driveWEIGHT: 2320kgFUEL ECONOMY: 9.3 litres/100km (claimed combined)CO OUTPUT: 219g/km (claimed combined)