The LS series is the Lexus sedan flagship, its most technologically advanced and also the most expensive vehicle. The Lexus LS 600h L carries everything what Lexus knows how to do, including an all-wheel hybrid powertrain. The LS 600h L is praised for its comfort and up-to-date technology and also featured plentiful space and seamless power.

2008 Lexus LS 600h L - A Technological Tour de Force

Popular Mechanics says the Lexus 600h L can’t be compared to other hybrids, but is comparable to "other high-horsepower luxury sedans. Its closest competition comes from the 12-cylinder Mercedes-Benz S600 and BMW 760Li." This is the reason Lexus developed its flagship sedan, the LS 600h L. To compete, they needed a new flagship sedan with a six-figure price. "The target buyers don’t have income, they have wealth. Money isn’t the concern. Instead they’re concerned about prestige, appearance and the statement their car makes about them" said one Lexus official. "These people have a very short shopping list and we’re not on it" is the way one Lexus executive put it. "The sedans they buy are the 12-cylinder Mercedes S600, BMW 760Li and Audi A8."

The Lexus 600h L hybrid featured a 5.0-liter V8 engine with two "motor generator" electric motors. The total system delivers an amazing 438 horsepower. The electric motors, the power inverter, the nickel-metal hydride battery, and the long tangle of wires and cables add almost a ton to the car, boosting the car’s weight to 5,219 pounds.

2008 Lexus LS 600h L - "Deceptively Fast"

Automobile Magazine says, "Lexus engineers have made the complex powertrain work as a seamless whole," and there’s the "faintest degree of non linearity in response, mostly when you lift off the throttle, but under most circumstances, this is an exceptionally smooth propulsion system, and one that’s almost eerily quiet." Some see the LS600h, with its 20/22 MPG rating, as an excellent compromise, providing the fuel economy of a somewhat smaller car with the performance of some of the finest luxury sedans.

Car and Driver says the 600h L is "deceptively fast. When you floor the gas pedal, the tach needle flicks almost instantly at the bidding of the continuously variable transmission to 6000 or more rpm, a point at which the new 5.0-liter V-8 pumps out about 389 horsepower." Forbes reports the V8 has "ample power to propel this two-and-a-half-ton Lexus along interstates at take-me-to-jail speeds." New Car Test Drive says the "full-hybrid drive system delivers performance on a par with a 6-liter V12 engine, yet with mileage comparable to a V6 powered sedan," adding that the 600h is "smooth, quiet and stable at any speed, so much so, that there is practically no sensation of speed at all. The car feels under-stressed at normal highway speeds, with a huge reserve of speed and passing power."

The 2008 Lexus LS 600h, with its long wheelbase and standard tech features, is well-appointed, comfortable and luxurious. The fit and finish inside the LS is high-quality, providing exactly what is expected for its class with more intuitive and easy-to-use controls. Road and Track says that the "room inside is cavernous, the rear seating almost limousine-like, with the leather-wrapped dash, hourglass-shaped center-stack fascia and luminous gauges similar to - yet slightly evolved from - the previous LS."

2008 Lexus LS 600h L - Lexus "Paid Extraordinary Attention to Safety in The 600."

The Lexus LS 600h L comes with dual-stage front air bags, front seat-mounted air bags and side curtain and knee air bags. The rear seat comes standard with rear-seat side curtain air bags and can come with optional rear seat-mounted side air bags. Car and Driver says that Lexus "paid extraordinary attention to safety in the 600."

Pros:

Quiet and smooth ride; extremely roomy with long wheelbase standard; Lexus dependability; amazing audio system; neck snapping acceleration; you get what you pay for!

Cons:

Not the best mileage; price.

MPG: 20 City / 22 Hwy

MSRP: $104,900