Bruce

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The Society of Automotive Engineers declared the - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER LS 460 L the “best engineered” new car of the 2007 model year. After six months in the saddle, we could argue that a better declaration might be that it is the best “most engineered” new vehicle.

Lexus hasn’t missed a trick. More gears (eight) than any other production automotive transmission out there? Check, and boy, it’s smooth. There are continuously variable transmissions that shift more abruptly. Automated cruise control? Check, and a few of us even use it. Navigation with traffic updates? Check, thanks to XM radio. Parks itself? Check, though if we use this, it’s only to entertain folks. You can do it yourself—or hand the car off to the valet—in a lot less time and with less risk of embarrassing yourself.

It’s been stone-cold reliable, requiring one routine service during the most recent three months, when we clocked our 10,000th mile in May. The service involved an oil change, replacement of the cabin air filter, a tire rotation and general inspection, and it cost $268.60.

Our staff of enthusiast drivers continues to find the quiet, smooth Lexus too much of an isolation chamber for real driving enjoyment. Most push the “Sport” button as a matter of routine, to dial out some of the plush, gliding effect, though we do like being coddled sometimes—for example, when the Lexus awaits at the airport after 24 hours of flying home from China.

If there’s no ocean in the way, we skip the airport and take the car. The LS 460 L has been a favorite for long-distance travel, and there’s plenty of power to shorten the trip. The eight-speed contributes to exceptional fuel economy for this class. Long freeway runs have pushed mpg up beyond 25 for a 700-mile range. Road-trippers do note that the reclining back seat steals trunk space. Several times, drivers with three aboard have stowed the third person’s baggage in a rear seat. For four of you, pack lightly. There’s scads of legroom, though.

Also this quarter, our managing editor had a fright-inducing moment when a slab of steel covering a construction site on the road triggered the Lexus’ precrash safety systems. The car slammed on its own brakes (the driver wasn’t even grazing the pedal), and the seatbelts ratcheted down tight to prepare for what the system assumed was an imminent collision. It didn’t last long, but he felt as if the car had roughed him up unnecessarily. Overengineered? Maybe.

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SECOND-QUARTER UPDATE
AS-TESTED PRICE: $86,046
MILES DRIVEN (QUARTER/TO DATE): 6353/13,577
FUEL ECONOMY (QUARTER/TO DATE):
21.0/21.4 mpg
FUEL COST (QUARTER/TO DATE): $941.43/$1,772.26
DAYS OUT OF SERVICE (QUARTER/TO DATE): None/none
MAINTENANCE: 10,000-mile service, including oil and filter change, cabin air filter replacement, tire rotation, visual inspection of brake pads and rotors ($268.60)