What's the difference?
This is a review with a difference. For three days, I had a Lexus RX450h and thought it was pretty terrible to drive. Every time I turned the steering wheel, the tyres would squeal as though they weren't inflated with air but instead with tiny, fluffy kittens.
I was bitterly disappointed. How could a car get out the door of the Lexus engineering division with such an aversion to corners. I mean, I know it's not meant to be a corner-carving monster, but normal cornering should have been okay.
After those three days, I'd had enough. The low tyre pressure warning light came on and the penny dropped. I hadn't even thought to check the pressures. They were very, very low. Like only at two-thirds of recommended. So after visiting three separate establishments to find a working pump, I had a whole different car.
Surprisingly, for people who would rather be driven than drive themselves, there are quite a few options available in the large luxury sedan market.
While on the whole sedans have fallen from favour, this niche corner of the market continues to let the three-box design thrive.
The options here have changed a bit in the last few years, though, so how does the Lexus flagship, the LS fit into the picture? I drove one around for a week to find out.
The RX is a little frustrating - it's going after Mercedes and BMW and Audi in a hotly-contested space and falls over in a couple of key areas. The media/sat nav system is hopelessly outdated and the drivetrain fails to deliver a significant performance or fuel benefit (although, given its 2.2 tonnes, perhaps it delivers a miracle).
It does come with a rock-solid, scandal-free reputation, a reputation for spectacular customer service, it has a lovely cabin and it's certainly an individual looker. For plenty of people, that's quite enough.
The LS500 is the least logical version of the most logical option in the ultimate luxury sedan segment in which logic doesn’t often apply at all.
Take from that what you will, but if it was me being driven around I would definitely be opting for the hybrid version of the LS instead for its smooth electrified driving characteristics and lower operating costs.