Talk about irony; the much-anticipated arrival of the Lexus LS430 test car coincided exactly with the arrival of my fourteen-year-old sister for a visit.  So much for playing hot-shot auto journalist for her, I figured.  What could be less interesting to a fourteen-year-old girl than a big, boring old man’s car?  A rich old man’s car, to be sure, but Lexus clearly didn’t have the Britney Spears generation in mind when they designed the LS430.

Much to my surprise, young Ashleigh hopped into the LS430′s back seat, raised the side and rear sun shades, turned on the rear seat massage, and was in heaven.  Perhaps some luxuries are universal.

If the LS430 can impress the Britney Spears generation, it should have no problem grabbing the attention of the older, Mercedes-bred buyers it’s hoping to attract.  The original LS400 was a luxury upstart from an unlikely source–Toyota–that put Mercedes and Jaguar and other European luxury brands on the run.  Lexus kept the competition working hard throughout the 1990s with minor revisions and updates to the LS400, but the new-for-2001 LS430 is the first complete revision.  The wheelbase is longer, but the car is the same length, offering impressive increases in interior room and giving the car a more limousine-like presence at the curb.  The new LS430 has a larger engine, a more modern, angular look, and a whole list of new gadgets.

The LS430′s big-box design doesn’t do much for me, but judging by the pedestrians’ stares, it looks good from the curb.  Big chrome wheels certainly don’t hurt.  The wheelbase has been increased three inches, so the LS430 looks larger without being substantially longer.  Up front, a broad horizontal-bar grille with the familiar Lexus “L” in the center is flanked by multi-unit projector-lens headlamps under glass.  The broad hood is very Mercedes-like, and the squared-off trunk even more so.  Yet the proportions of the car are distinctly Lexus.  It’s hard to actually mistake an LS430 for a Mercedes S-Class thanks to some design voodoo.  The overall design is conservative and substantial.  The LS430 makes a good piece of upscale corporate jewelry.

It’s also a good place to be a chauffeur.  The LS430 is a playground of technology and gadgetry inside.  The lovely, gently sweeping dash looks best in light colors.  Lexus offers ecru, black, or ivory interiors with California walnut accents on the console, dash, and doors.  There are a lot of ancillary controls, to operate the raft of power options.  An in-dash satellite navigation system is available, as is an in-dash CD changer.  The front seats are both heated and cooled; a fan pulls hot air away from the body through perforations in the butter-smooth leather, for a cooling effect.  Seat, steering wheel, and mirror preferences are programmable, of course.  And, to make the driver’s job easier (since he may well be a professional) the doors and trunklid are equipped with self-closing mechanisms.  Very often in cars like this, the guy in the back is really the one who gets coddled.  It’s no surprise my sister spent so much time back there.  Sunshades cover both rear side windows, and the rear window.  The rear seats are not only heated and power adjustable, but have a massage feature as well.  Stereo and climate controls are provided for rear seat passengers, inside an armrest which looks almost like a second instrument panel.  A separate rear air conditioner is also available, with an air purifier.  The LS430 feels like the shortest limousine ever built–all it needs is a crystal chandelier and a wet bar.  My sister and I both enjoyed the 240-watt Mark Levinson sound system, which may not have been designed to blare Limp Bizkit and Nelly Furtado for the enjoyment of teenagers (and their journalist brothers), but obliged quite willingly.

To witness Lexus’ signature quality all one has to do is listen to the LS430 while driving or riding inside.  Listen hard.  That’s the trick–the LS430 is nearly silent and vibration-free while it’s running.  The magic-carpet ride has always been a Lexus trademark, and the LS430 takes it farther with an available air suspension.  To smooth out the overall freeway ride as well as improve the road feel, the available Dynamic Laser Cruise Control can be programmed to maintain a set distance from the car ahead, rather than a set speed.  This way, there’s no need to disable the cruise control in heavy traffic.  We didn’t use it much; it was easier to simply pass the slower cars.

Lexus has been just as fanatical about the engine’s smoothness as it has the suspension’s.  It’s so smooth and silent it’s hard to believe there’s a 290 horsepower engine under the hood. The new 4.3 liter V8 is a silky 32-valve powerplant, and uses Toyota’s Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) to ensure slick power delivery.  The LS430 will even help the driver; the Intuitive Powertrain Control detects gas pedal pressure, vehicle speed, road grade, and other factors, and adjusts the engine’s torque delivery to make the ride smoother.  The result?  Much of the jerkiness felt when trying to maintain speed in traffic is wiped out.  Intuitive Powertrain Control will also automatically hold gears while climbing hills, and downshift when the brake is applied.  Chances are most drivers will never even notice it working.  The five-speed automatic transmission works so smoothly it might as well be using a single all-purpose gear.

Yet another driver assist is available–Intuitive Parking Assist.  Ultrasonic sensors pick up obstacles in front of and behind the car can be had on minivans and are nothing new, but the LS430 uses the navigation system’s dash display to show exactly where the obstacle is.  It proved invaluable when parallel parking the big car.

The laser-guided cruise control, Intuitive Parking Assist, and Mark Levinson sound system are all part of the LS430′s Ultra Luxury Package.  It also includes the air suspension, navigation system, moonroof, powered door closers, sun shades, and more.  The Ultra Luxury package adds over $12,000 to the LS430′s base price of $54,005.  The boardroom-on-wheels feeling makes the car well worth our test car’s price of $70,440–even to teenage girls.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Lexus LS430, which we tested.
Length:     196.7 in.
Width:        72.0 in
Height:        58.7 in.
Wheelbase:    115.2 in
Curb weight:    3955 lb
Cargo space:    20.2 cu. ft.
Base price:    $54,005
Price as tested: $70,440
Engine:     4.3 liter, 32 valve V8
Drivetrain:     five-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:     290 @ 5600 rpm
Torque:     320 @ 3400
Fuel capacity:    22.2 gal.
Est. mileage:    18/25

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