Luxury is what every mom wants on a solo road trip.
For busy moms, there’s nothing quite as good for the soul as a solo road trip. With the kids safe at home with Dad, you have no one to be accountable to… except yourself! So when I was preparing for a solo road trip from New Jersey to Ohio, I knew I wanted to pamper myself. And a luxury car was the way to get there in style and comfort.
Lexus was willing to help me out with the stunning LS 460 sedan.
Who this car is for
- Singles or couples
- Smaller families
- Drivers who want a luxury experience
- Drivers who want power, performance, and technology
- Executives and salespeople who need an impressive and comfortable car
What it costs
- The LS 460 starts at $72,520 for RWD and $75,465 for AWD.
- The LS 460 Nightfall Edition starts at $77,110.
- The LS 460 F Sport starts at $80,870.
- The LS 460 F Sport Midnight Edition starts at $82,680.
- The model I drove was the LS 460 AWD with added features, priced at $84,830.
First things first: This car is the ultimate in comfort.
The Lexus LS 460 is a roomy vehicle. It’s a rather long car – nearly as long as my Toyota 4Runner SUV – and it’s super comfortable inside. I sat in every seat in the car and they all felt like that easy chair in your living room where you can just sit back, stretch out, and relax.
While driving, I was treated to a 16-way, power-adjustable seat. I especially loved the support under the knees that could be raised or lowered to my liking. In the passenger seat, I felt like I could practically lie down and sleep. The backseat offered ample leg room for full-sized adults. The large console in the back provided great separation between the two seats, giving the backseat passengers a feeling of more personal space.
Even with all that space inside the car, the trunk was still large for a sedan. And features like the trunk mat, cargo net, and one-touch power open/close all added to the function of this car.
With its 4.6 Liter V8 engine, full-time all wheel drive, and electronic power steering, the Lexus LS460 is a smoooooth ride with plenty of power. It was responsive and adept on the highways, the hills, and the city streets.
Read more: The Lexus RS 350 F Sport is a luxury crossover with style.
All the latest luxury and convenience features
Lexus is synonymous with luxury, and the LS 460 offers all the latest features you’d expect.
I was in love with the way everything in the car “glides.” Nothing snaps or pops when you open or close it. From the console to the the trunk to the glove box, every action was soft and luxurious. Other convenience features I loved include:
- Automatic high beams.
- Adaptive cruise control with a simple push button on the steering wheel to allow you to change the follow distance.
- Heated seats in the front and back.
- Heated steering wheel.
- Park assist and blind spot monitoring.
- Headlamp washers and windshield-wiper de-icers.
- Large cup holders that pass my “big water bottle test.”
- Beautiful wood and aluminum trim.
- Fully lighted mirrors in the back seat on both sides were a nice touch.
Lexus LS 460 review for safety
The LS 460 boasts 10 airbags, vehicle stability control, brake assist, traction control, anti-lock brakes, and an automatic electronic parking brake. Lexus also offers some unique features in its headlights – the high intensity discharge bi-xenon headlamps come with dynamic auto leveling to keep the light just where you need it when driving and turning corners.
Looking for a luxury family sedan? Check out the 2017 Volvo S90 T6
Technology for the win
The Lexus LS 460 has a high-resolution, 12.3” infotainment screen that was just the right size. It wasn’t too intrusive as to detract from the luxury feel of the dashboard.
Navigation in the LS 460 offered just the right volume and prompting, and the maps were terrific. I never had a problem entering in a location or getting where I wanted to go.
Lexus also made it easy to connect my iPhone via bluetooth. I was able to sync right away and every time I got back into the car, my podcasts would resume playing without me having to do a thing. Trust me, the technology in some cars just doesn’t work that effortlessly.
The only downfall in the technology department was with USB plugs. The two in the front were inside the console compartment and a bit hard to access. And there were no USB ports in the backseat. These days, every passenger needs a USB port.
Infotainment control needs a little work
The infotainment system has a remote touch interface, which is a bit like a mouse for your car. The location of this control button was ideal and the leather, raised, curve wrist rest supported my wrist and fit perfectly in my hand.
Unfortunately, the mouse was set for a lot of play in the control that made it difficult to activate my desired selection. I had to keep scrolling back and forth several times to “hit” the exact point I wanted to select. I absolutely loved the idea of using the infotainment system with this type of control, and would need to have the setting adjusted which can be done.
What we loved
- Spacious. smooth, luxurious ride.
- Sleek dashboard design with stylish wood and aluminum trim.
- 16-way, power adjustable driver’s seat. The extra support under the knees was amazing!
- Easy to adjust the adaptive cruise control’s follow distance with a quick push button on the steering wheel. Some cars make this more difficult to change.
- Gas tank is pretty big for a sedan. The Lexus LS460 gets the same range as my SUV – 400+ miles per full tank of gas.
What you need to know
- Manufacturer recommends premium gasoline.
- Gets 18 MPG combined: 16 city / 23 highway.
- 4-year/50,000 mile basic coverage warranty; 5-year/70,000 mile powertrain coverage
- Lexus offers their Owner Support Package: 24-hour, 365-day/yr roadside assistance; complimentary 1st and 2nd scheduled maintenance services; lodging covered for emergency breakdown within 100 miles from home.
Disclosure: Lexus provided this vehicle for my review. All opinions are my own.
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