In a diverse range which also includes the RX SUV and the CT compact hybrid, the LS remains the flagship of the Lexus brand. The two available models are the 382bhp 4.6-litre V8 engined LS 460 and the longer wheelbase LS 600h L, which has a larger, five-litre V8 engine and an electric motor producing a total of 439bhp. Both use an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the LS being the first production car ever to have such a thing.

The LS 460 comes in two forms: the Luxury and the slightly racier F Sport, which is technically identical but has some styling changes, revised suspension and larger wheels. The LS faces strong opposition from the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes S-Class, plus the Volkswagen Phaeton.

Performance

The 460 may have a 57bhp power shortfall, but it's also several hundred kilograms lighter than the 600h, which has a large battery pack in addition to the electric motor. The overall effect is that the 460 is quicker, with a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds, though the 600h isn't far behind on 6.3 seconds. Both have a top speed electronically limited to 155mph.

If you're interested in the ultimate performance figures you are perhaps missing the point of the LS. No matter which of the two powertrains you choose, you can have sturdy acceleration whenever you want it, and driving either model should give you such a feeling of confidence that arguing about fractions of a second hardly seems to matter.

Since the days of the first LS, Lexus has shown a talent for being able to make large engines behave exceptionally quietly. In gentle motoring you can hardly hear what's going under the bonnet of the current model at all, and the 600h makes about the same amount of noise whether the engine is running or has shut down to let the electric motor do all the work. Even under the hardest acceleration, neither car produces much more than a distant hum.

Ride and Handling

All the major controls are extremely smooth in operation.

The suspension of the LS has been brilliantly set up to provide a surprising amount of agility when you're pushing on through a series of corners and superb ride quality in all other circumstances. The only blot on the landscape is that the 460 F Sport and the 600h are both fitted with 19-inch wheels and 45-section tyres. You may feel that these look better than the 18 inch wheels and 50-section tyres on the 460 Luxury, but they make the ride unfortunately jittery on rougher surfaces. We'd go for the smaller wheels every time for this reason. All the major controls are extremely smooth in operation. There are more modern luxury saloons on the market, but none of them beat the LS in this respect.

Interior and Equipment

An international jury of motoring journalists voted the Lexus LS 460 World Car of the Year in 2007.

As you might expect of one of the oldest cars in its class, the LS does not have a radical interior, but it's very nicely designed in a classical sort of way and beautifully put together from high-quality materials, including a lot of leather. The use of polished wood here and there might not appeal to everyone, and it's not appropriate when it appears on parts of the steering wheel rim, where it provides far less grip than the leather found elsewhere. Appropriately, leather is used for the whole wheel on the 460 Sport. The 600h has an extraordinary amount of rear legroom, and the seat on the passenger side both reclines and provides several massage functions. Enjoying this while watching a DVD and being chauffeured to Monte Carlo for dinner would be one of life's finest motoring experiences. The front seats are ten-way adjustable in all versions, and standard equipment also includes a powered boot closer, cruise control (adaptive in the 600h), a 12.3-inch monitor for the satellite navigation and a 19-speaker Mark Levison surround sound audio system with all the necessary connections. The 460 has a luggage capacity of 560 litres, which puts it ahead of the German rivals. The battery pack of the 600h limits the size of the boot to 420 litres, though this is still competitive among luxury hybrids.

Cost

Although the 600h has the larger engine, the fact that it isn't used all the time means that combined fuel economy is fairly respectable at 32.8mpg, while the CO2 emissions are 199g/km.

In terms of purchase price there's a big difference between the hybrid and non-hybrid cars. The most expensive 460 costs just under £75,000, but you'd find it hard to spend less than £100,000 on a 600h. As far as running costs are concerned the situation is reversed. Although the 600h has the larger engine, the fact that it isn't used all the time means that combined fuel economy is fairly respectable at 32.8mpg, while the CO2 emissions are 199g/km. This is below an important threshold in both Vehicle Excise Duty and Benefit In Kind taxation, which are rated at £285 and 32% (rising gradually to 37% over the next few years). The choice of wheel and tyre sizes for the 460 in Luxury and F Sport forms makes no difference to the economy and CO2 figures, which are 26.4mpg and 249g/km respectively. VED is more expensive for these cars than for the 600h at £485, though all other things being equal it would take about a century for this to overcome the difference in purchase price. The BIK rate will go from 35 to 37% in April 2015 and then stay there until at least the 2018-19 financial year.

Our Verdict

Only a small proportion of people in the UK will think of the LS first when they hear the phrase "luxury car", but this is nevertheless an excellent example of the type. Its interior space and especially its incredibly low noise levels are outstanding, and its driving manners are excellent. We recommend avoiding specifications with 19-inch wheels, however, as they hamper the ride quality. Unless you insist on having a car made in Germany, there's every reason to include the Lexus in your researches if this is the kind of car you want.