Category: Large Executive 
Price Range: £57,263 to £57,263
Outstanding refinement, reasonable performance, comfortable, reliability, well specified
Rather conspicuous styling limits appeal, doesn't feel special enough
Objectively, a very good luxury car. Just not too desirable.
The LS 430 is the flagship model in Lexus's range, pitched against luxury cars like the Mercedes S-Class, Audi A8, and BMW 7-Series and Range Rover. The LS was the first Lexus when it landed in the UK in 1989, was completely revised in 2000, and facelifted in November 2003.
There's just one version, powered by a 4.3 V8, but the LS's standard equipment list shames its rivals. Lexus's reliability record is just about second-to-none, too. Shame, then, that it doesn't look a little less conspicuous. Over recent years, the obviousness of many luxury cars has been toned down, but visually, the LS seems little changed from the first LS400.
It is different though, of course. That new model, released in 2000, got the LS 430 tag because of its bigger engine, and virtually all that was carried over from the earlier car was a five-speed gearbox. In November 2003, revisions included a new gearbox. An all-new LS will arrive in 2006.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Lexus LS 430
wrote on 11 10 2007
wrote on 05 09 2006
wrote on 30 06 2006