Driving the new Lexus LS460 I’m reminded of Cadillacs in their prime years, from about 1941 until the late 1960s.
The Cadillacs were always style leaders, and consistently high quality cars that satisfied their owners. If a Cadillac wasn’t the fastest car on the road, it was always among the top two or three. Their advertising slogan was “Standard of the World”, which was close enough to the truth that it couldn’t be called boastful.
Even if a Cadillac didn’t possess sports car qualities, the suspension of the cars, and their carefully designed-in inherent balance managed to please demanding drivers.
Unfortunately, Cadillac didn’t survive the downsizing era very successfully, and that, plus the emergence of bean counters rather than true motorheads at the head of GM, opened the door to Mercedes-Benz.
If Mercedes taught us about smartly sober size and style and superior driving qualities during their twenty years of supremacy, they still left something on the table for Lexus. Toyota, the parent company of Lexus, led the world in defect-free, high quality manufacturing, and in accurately surveying customer attitudes and experiences. (Toyota was J.D. Power’s first owner survey customer, in 1968).
Lexus redefined the relationship between dealer and customer. Lexus dealers were trained to truly cater to customer needs, and have led the industry in customer satisfaction ever since. It didn’t hurt that the Lexus was the highest quality car, as measured by absence of defects, that the world has ever seen.
Just as Cadillac’s slogan “Standard of the World” was believable, so is Lexus’ “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection”. Like those old Cadillacs, Lexus cars were well-made, fast and stable, and good enough for demanding drivers. What they didn’t have was distinctive style.
Enter the 2007 Lexus LS460, the first Lexus to really try to be distinctive and stylish. It’s a bit too “middle-of-the-road” for me, but I’m probably not their target customer. The LS460 is exquisitely detailed, tastefully finished, and exceptional in its silky driving performance. Although its complexity dictates 950 pages of owner’s manual (650 for the car, 300 more for the navigation system), you can drive and understand this car without reading the book. That’s more than you can say about BMW, with their maddening I-drive electronic control center. Lexus today, like Cadillac in its glory days, is the clear leader in luxury car sales.
The respected British motoring magazine recently reviewed this new Lexus. On its cover they referred to the article saying: Lexus LS – The Best Car In The World – Again. This from a highly knowledgeable and very critical editorial staff.
People used to say, in describing a product as the best of its type, “It’s the Cadillac (or Rolls Royce) of (its category)”. In recent years, Lexus is often the paragon referred to. Very few other car brands have reached this level as acceptance as “the best”.
The 2007 Jaguar S type R is an instructive alternative to the Lexus. At about the same price ($68,000 vs $71,000 for the Lexus), it offers 400 hp to the Lexus’ 380, and a six speed automatic instead of Lexus’ eight. The Lexus is a handsome new style, while the Jaguar is either old or traditional, depending on your viewpoint. Their ads say “Gorgeous”, but to my eyes this particular Jaguar isn’t.
The big difference is the driver for whom the car is designed. Lexus, as good as it is, is a car for the non-car-guy. An owner who’s not very keen on driving. The Jaguar, though, is ALIVE. It’s taut and makes appealing noises, such as the faint whine of the supercharger under hard acceleration. The ride quality is comfortable enough, but it’s firm at the same time, offering the assurance of control even when pressed hard.
The Jaguar has an old-fashioned ignition key, which I prefer to the new-wave keyless systems, and a navigation system with voice direction. In the Jag as in the Lexus, I fought with the system trying to turn the voice off. The quality of fit and finish in this Jaguar goes head-to-head with Lexus, and comes out about equal.
What Do San Franciscans Buy?
Luxury car sales statistics in San Francisco show how much the market has changed. For 2006(cars only, no SUVs), here’s the tally:
- BMW 1357
- Mercedes-Benz 1012
- Audi 784
- Lexus 717
- Acura 550
- Infiniti 239
- Porsche 151
- Cadillac 84
- Jaguar 66
- Lincoln 49
- TOTAL 5009
Jaguar and Lincoln (owned by Ford) plus GM’s Cadillac gave the Americans 4% of this lucrative market. German and Japanese companies took 96%. Does this mean we Americans have no talent? Or has the anti-auto witch-hunt, plus a shift in educational focus away from the hard stuff like mathematics, engineering and the sciences had an effect?
