Expectations run high for the 2012 Lexus LS 600h L, the latest model of Lexus’s last word in luxury sedans. A new release of a flagship model like the LS is always bound to excite interest, and this year is no exception. With both a 5.0-liter V8 engine and two large electric motors (one to start the engine, and the other to move the car), this all-wheel drive hybrid combines luxury motoring comfort and design with eco-friendly low emissions and hybrid technology. If you drive it, you’ll have to buy it.
The 2012 Lexus LS 600h L handles like a dream, with the engine putting out 438 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. You’ll also often need to crank up the volume on the Mark Levinson surround sound system (you can, of course, plug in your iPod) just to remind yourself you’re driving. When you’re travelling at low speeds or starting and stopping a lot in heavy traffic, the engine can switch to electric mode. This is a great way of economizing fuel, and it also reduces the engine noise to barely a murmur.
On the open road, however, that V8 engine delivers fantastic acceleration, going from zero to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, and when passing slower cars, you can get from 50 to 70 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
Even the navigation system is great fun, with its back-up camera, and the LS 600h also offers full Bluetooth connectivity, as well as voice recognition software. Sitting in the driver’s seat is a great experience, with the comfortable climate-controlled seat and the heated steering wheel, which comes complete with accessible controls for the audio system and display options.
Lexus has chosen to make only the smallest tweaks to the LS body’s basic shape in 2012, with perhaps the most obvious innovation being the new Nebula Gray Pearl paint option, which looks beautiful on the road. The car still looks great, with strong lines. Its solid body is packed with just about every feature you could expect of a modern car and quite a few of which you probably never thought of. The safety-conscious will take solace in the plethora of airbags, three-point seatbelts, and Vehicle Stability Control among a host of other safety features.
The Premium Package of extras even includes air purifiers and smog sensors. And the limited Executive-Class Seating Package features a rear seat that acts as a recliner and a massage unit.
Starting at $112,250, the 2012 Lexus LS 600h provides a fantastically luxurious driving experience in a truly stylish car. Passengers can even lie back and get a backrub while pondering how much good they’re doing the environment. This is a seriously impressive car, for drivers who want to make a statement while on the road.