The Lexus LS. Back in 1989, the launch of the original version of this model redefined what a luxury saloon should be, the engineers behind it tasked to create nothing less than 'the best luxury car in the world'. Few would argue that they succeeded. It seems rather ridiculous now to remember that back then, the European makers who ruled the flagship four-door market sector defined luxury as being as much about wood and leather as it was about ride and refinement. Thanks to this Japanese brand, cars of this kind were finally transformed from boardroom barges to the technological showcases buyers had a right to expect from their inflated price tags. Today, the LS is still a technological showcase, but it isn't the obvious segment choice that it was for a brief period in the early Nineties until the European opposition caught up. The engineers have been working on that though, the result being the improved version of the fifth generation model we're going to look at here, a boardroom segment full-Luxury saloon that claims to offer a rather unique blend of design, technology and performance, extending the boundaries of automotive luxury. That's quite a claim when other rivals in this segment include contenders as accomplished as the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7 Series and the Audi A8. Launched in 2017, then updated four years on, the latest version of this car also features big cabin upgrades in media connectivity.

About the Lexus LS

The LS is - and has always been - the car its brand is built upon. The day that Lexus can't bring us a credible large luxury saloon to challenge the best of the premium European makers will be a day the company will have taken its eye off the ball with too much of its focus on sports saloons, compact executive hatchbacks and SUVs. This improved fifth generation LS reassures us that that time is unlikely to ever come. While this isn't a class leader, it's still a desirable and very different class contender in so many ways, primarily when it comes to refinement and cabin luxury in this segment. Driving one of these is an experience, but one that few boardroom buyers will ever get to try. They'll dismiss this car for its lack of Plug-in hybrid technology, EV tech or diesel power. They'll bemoan the doubtful residual values. Or assume that driving one will be like piloting a waterbed. Which is a pity because for all its faults, this LS is a car that many top executives would really enjoy owning. It ought to make your short list - and if it does, there's the added appeal that no one else in the boardroom will have one.

Representative Example

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