2012 Lexus LS Reviews

Lexus and its parent company Toyota have more experience in petrol-electric cars than any other maker. Lexus CT200h is the lowest cost model in the Lexus range by quite a margin, with new cars being sold from just $39,990 when launched in Australia in March 2011. While far from being a hot hatch the CT200h has a touch

Another week, another high-powered V8 joins a highway patrol unit, ostensibly to help keep our roads safer.

Richard Blackburn road tests and reviews the Lexus RX 450h with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Craig Jamieson road tests and reviews the Lexus GS F with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Lexus ES300 and ES300h from 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 used buy.

The massive SUVs are twins under the skin but have grown apart over the years.There was a time when Lexus just grabbed a Toyota, slapped a new badge on the bonnet, covered the seats in leather and called the vehicle its own.Things have changed and Lexus now goes to great pains to separate itself from its parent company, producing bespoke cars on different platforms with distinctive styling.Even the "twins-under-the-skin" — ES sedan and NX and LX SUVs — look and feel different.The LX used to look so much like a LandCruiser you'd mix them up in the carpark but now the Lexus has discrete new front and rear ends and the cabin has different architecture to match the up-market materials. Here is how the pair differs.At $140,500, the LX570 is $22,000 more than the top of the range LandCruiser Sahara, which puts it behind the eight ball on price.For that you get bigger wheels, a larger and more modern looking 12.3-inch centre screen, electric handbrake, extra safety gear, head-up display, adjustable ride height suspension and a "drive select" mode to vary throttle, transmission, suspension and steering settings.Standard fare on both includes twin DVD screens for rear passengers, leather trim, satnav, four-zone climate control and sunroof. Lexus provides a longer four-year warranty but no capped price servicing, which Toyota has on the LandCruiser for a reasonable $1320 over three years. They're the same size but prestige paint adds $1154 to the Lexus and $580 to the Toyota.Lexus has given the LX 570 a comprehensive styling overhaul inside and out, with new front and rear panels and a cabin design that distances it from the LandCruiser. Dimensions and basic equipment are the same yet it looks and feels like a more expensive vehicle.Some will prefer the more conservative looks of the LandCruiser over Lexus's in-your-face grille and sharper panel creases. The latter gains a more modern appearance from the bigger, lower-profile wheels and the wider use of space-age looking LEDs.Inside the Lexus, the big screen, head-up display, ambient lighting and leather-woodgrain treatments lift the cabin to another level while the LandCruiser looks and feels a little down-market and dated in comparison. Where the Lexus has plush pile and soft imitation leather panels, the Cruiser has harder plastics, cheaper-looking woodgrain and a smaller, old-tech screen. It also lacks some of the techno gadgetry of the Lexus, including the head-up display.Here's where the two diverge the most. The range-topping Sahara has a 4.5-litre V8 diesel while the LX goes with a 5.7-litre petrol job. There's no doubt the LX engine is quieter and smoother — and more befitting a luxury vehicle, perhaps — but it lacks the low-down grunt of the diesel. Off-the-line performance is strong (0-100km/h in 7.7 secs) but fuel consumption is a little frightening around town at a claimed 20.2L/100km to the LandCruiser's 11.2L. The Lexus claims an average 14.4L to the Cruiser's 9.5L.The LX's eight-speed auto shifts smoothly and swiftly and suits the engine's free-revving nature, making it a sportier drive than the Sahara's six-speeder.The Cruiser's V8 may be down on power and cubic capacity but its more accessible and more abundant torque is handy when you're lugging around 2.7 tonnes. Peak torque in the Toyota, 650Nm, is on tap from a low 1600rpm compared with 530Nm at 3200rpm for the LX. It won't win the traffic light drag but it never feels underdone for performance and would prove a better tow vehicle.Only the LandCruiser has a five-star crash rating because the LX sells too few to undergo testing. Each benefits from a substantial midlife upgrade, bringing them up to scratch with the rest of the segment. Ten airbags provide strong crash protection while driver aids now include active cruise control, lane departure warning, adaptive high beam, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.Neither SUV will feel nimble on the road. Steering is vague, there's plenty of lean and body roll through corners and they pitch noticeably under brakes.To be fair, they are both more comfortable off-road and on the freeway where they are supremely comfortable cruisers, with excellent noise suppression in the cabin.The only surprise is that the LandCruiser rides better. Its smaller diameter wheels with deeper tyre sidewalls soak up bumps and corrugations better than the lower-profile rubber on the Lexus, which makes for a wobbly ride on suburban roads.It's easy to be seduced by the Lexus's more sumptuous cabin. The LandCruiser's more frugal diesel is strong as an ox and its better sorted ride give it the points victory.Price from: $118,500 plus on-roadsWarranty: 3 years/100,000kmServicing: $1320 over 3 yearsService interval: 6 months/10,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, 5 starsEngine: 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel, 200kW/650NmTransmission: 6-speed auto; 4WDThirst: 9.5L/100kmDimensions: 4990mm (L), 1980mm (W), 1945mm (H), 2850mm (WB)Weight: 2740kgSpare: Full-size alloyTowing: 3500kgClick here for more 2016 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara Diesel price and spec infoPrice from: $140,500 plus on-roadsWarranty: 4 years/100,000kmCapped servicing: NoService interval: 6 months/10,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, not testedEngine: 5.7-litre V8, 270kW/530NmTransmission: 8-speed auto; 4WDThirst: 14.4L/100kmDimensions: 5080mm (L), 1980mm (W), 1865mm (H), 2850mm (WB)Weight: 2740kgSpare: Full-size alloyTowing: 3500kgClick here for more 2016 Lexus LX570 price and spec info

Lexus RX has been a huge success for the upmarket Japanese marque since its launch in Australia in April 2003. More a high riding station wagon than a 4WD it has mild to medium off-road ability in its AWD versions, though very few owners ever take advantage of it. The introduction of the fourth generation RX series in

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