Car and Driver: A8 vs 750i vs LS460 vs S550 vs XJ8 Super V8

Ouch, way to go Audi, beaten only by a brand new car. Do you have some specs?

Of course Lexus is in last place. Car and Driver is very biased on what kinds of cars they like. I bet the LS blew the doors off of all of the competition but they couldn't stand the thought of Lexus beating a Mercedes.

How do yoy know that it blew the doors of the competition. This past weekend I got a chance to sit in the LS460, S class and 750li at the auto show. [didn't get a chance to sit in the Audi A8 but did last year] The best part of the LS460 is the power rear reclining seats. But the S class certainly had much more spacious rear seats. The BMW 750li had some rought leather and did not impress.

If you do a serch C&D did 142 articles on Lexus and 64% were very positive. Only BMW had more with 71%.

well i have owned several bmw's, a poesche 911, and even a honda. My brother owns a MB S-500. I have test driven the 750i , S 550, A8, and LS 460. Here is my 2 cents...the 750i is awesome but over priced, the benz short term is great way over oriced and a money pit, the A8 can't hold its value at all, and the LS 460 is a ray of hope in this segment. If you want a sports car ride, for petes dake, buy the 911, for luxury, value and reliability buy the luxus. by the way the LS beats out the 750 in the slolom.

Well, Car and Driver is for the enthusiasts but they are in love with BMWs and Hondas.

yes they love BMW and Honda

every once in a while they do something good for Audi

It is like Al Gore acting Conservitive. It dosen't happen that often

How did the older XJ beat the LS?
I'll have to read when I get it to find out....

Lexus fans, where are you?

they're in hiding.

Wow over 80k for the Lexus

They need to keep this car in the 60 k range

I smell Phaton here

They said the S-Class interior was by far the best in terms of fit and finish and handled sporty too. The clear winner according to Car and Driver.

Here are the pages I scanned. Read the review.

Page 1: http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/2733/luxurysedancomparison01by7.th.jpg

Page 2: http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/8383/luxurysedancomparison02cu6.th.jpg

Page 3: http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/4599/luxurysedancomparison03yt8.th.jpg

Page 4: http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/8631/luxurysedancomparison04pw6.th.jpg

Page 5: http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/7998/luxurysedancomparison05sa4.th.jpg

Page 6: http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9523/luxurysedancomparison06zf5.th.jpg

Page 7: http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/1666/luxurysedancomparison07dr1.th.jpg

Page 8: http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9510/luxurysedancomparison08qe9.th.jpg

Page 9: http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/4677/luxurysedancomparison09cu8.th.jpg

Page 10: http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/4928/luxurysedancomparison10hr7.th.jpg

Your scans are too small to see.

no, they just need to be resized on imageshack

Get rid of the ---TH--- in the link posted and you will get the original sized image.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/2733/luxurysedancomparison01by7.th.jpg

becomes...

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/2733/luxurysedancomparison01by7.jpg

I'll just have to wait for my C&D to come... I have no idea how to use ImageShack...

S4, copy the one link Bill posted and remove the "TH" and one period and then you can see the larger scans. That's how I read the article. ;)

I saw the most beautiful brand new BMW 7 Series in white today at the grocery store that I just stopped walking in the parking lot and stared at the car.

Yes, sometimes that can just become beautiful at random moments.

I few months ago I spotted a brand new black 650i Coupe, and usually I think the styling is just ok on it, it was night out and had these big chrome wheels and I stared at it for awhile. Stunning. Too bad it only looks great at night...

Yes, like I saw a black 550i w/ the sport package at the gas station, and just stood there admiring it for while. In the right color, with the right wheels, the 5 Series can be beautiful.

Too bad the E550 Sport and A6 4.2 S-Line both upstage it, then.

The Audi A8 is a brilliant car. In fact, Car and Driver places it ahead of the BMW 750i.

we can all read just fine, but thank you....

Wow Car and Driver is just jealous of the Ls and how it can be a japanese maybach , who ever wrote that article must be biased to mb and audi even though im an audi fan the a8 would have been one of the first two

only reason the BMW would plae behind the vw, is becasue theri disdain for idrive.. when you own a bimmer and it is hardwired into your brain, the audi is no match from a driveability, luxury and sport perspective. The S.. I do agree.

Wow, you never stop being an idiot. EVERYONE knows the A8 has always been better than the 7 (at least the current generations).

AmazingBimmer, the hardwiring to your brain is hard for even BMW customers...not to mention auto-car testers.

You provided a reason, and ONE reason is good enough to place the Audi ahead of the BMW.

Obviously, your opinion is not shared by those editors at Car and Driver.

Oh and, they blatantly stated that the A8L was the sportiest! They said it had the best steering feel, the best braking feel and tied with the 7 Series for best handling! Get your head on straight! Just because it has AWD doesn't mean it's not better than the RWD BMW!

And, it only trailed the S550 by a single point... the 750Li was behind the A8L by 15 POINTS- so no, it wasn't just because of the iDrive!

idiot

Congratulations to Mercedes-Benz and the magnificent S550.

Way to go fellas.

I think the S-Class deserves the win, but I am surprised that the Lexus LS placed so poorly. I was expecting it to beat the BMW and Jaguar and maybe finish 3rd.

Thanks for the scans, Bill!

Me too!

However, the XJ was the Super V8 model, with 400hp. I think it would be more fitting that they put in a Vanden Plas- the XJ is already the lightest car in its segment, so I don't think it would be at much of a disadvantage with the standard engine.

Also, when you put the Lexus next to the Jag, that car just owns the LS when it comes to design. In fact, I feel that the Jaguar is the sexiest and classiest car in this group.

The S-Class, LS and A8 are beautiful from a modernistic styling POV, but the Jaguar is pure class IMO.

As much as I love BMW, the 7er doesn't do it for me. It looks like a fat ugly pig, but the drive is good.

I'm surprised the Jaguar XJ placed ahead of the Lexus.

When you think of world's best luxury sedan in this category of price you think S-Class above all others
followed by Audi or BMW or Lexus depending on your preference and Jaguar gets left in the dust somewhere in 4th place.

That could be turned on its side with the intro of the new XJ. I hope it looks like a sexy XK sedan, with a significantly more powerful engine, a non-J Gate shifter, and the same aluminum spaceframe.

As well as a better interior than the XK. The XK has a merely good interior, but it's not great.

Jag will not ditch the J-gate now. Why the heck do they use that still anyway? It has been hated by almost every single media review I've seen.

They already ditched it in the XK.

Not surprised the LS came last. All the reviews have been the same quiet and smooth, but boring and with wretched handling. All cars in that class will give you quiet and smooth, but most real drivers want more handling, character, a high salivation factor. Anybody who's read the last two or three issues of the 4 main US car magazines may have noticed some scary stats. The Q7 (a 5,000+ lb SUV) will blow it away in the Slalom 63mph vs. 60mph, skidpad 0.81 vs 0.80 and stop much quicker..127ft vs. 143ft from 60mph.

Show me one review that stated "wretched handling"

THE LS460 CAME IN LAST?!?!??!? Those car and drive people are so stupid! motortrend wannabies! EL34 and S4cabriofoxone are right, the LS460 IS THE BEST CAR OUT THERE! I agree with them.

Aren't you happy Mercedes came in first place and everyone is on cloud 9 at the Benz factory?

What? Where did I say that?

I think the A8L and S-Class are both better!

Yeah S4 would never say that,we all know he is a biased Audi Fanboy!!

Heh..

Lexus last..how predictable. I am surprised though that they ranked the A8 over the 750. Not that it doesn't deserve to be there (It does!) But being the Bimmer loyalists that they are..

True. Shows that sometimes they're not biased.

I think that the Lexus should have come in at least 4th place. There is no way a Jaguar is better than a Lexus.

I haven't seen the Lexus in person but I've seen the supercharged Jag. I don't think that Jaguar is better than any of the cars mentioned. Its not even close.

Ford needs to sell Jaguar.

Mercedes does probably deserve the first place, but C&D should mention that it is because of BMW that Meredes looks like that. I mean all they did is copy everything the 7-series has in the interior.

Why would they mention that? The 7 Series isn't exactly a shining star among stars.

Everyone thinks the 7 Series is the sportiest because of the badge. Well, they're wrong. The A8L, according to them, has perfect steering feel (the 7 doesn't), perfect braking feel (the 7 doesn't), and tied with the 7 for best handling.

no actually the 7 series often voted down in these tests becasue it is the sportiest, it doesnt ride like the rest of the cars because of that compromise, the a8 is from reviews is more an all rounder as far as ride, performance, and handling, but no the a8 doesnt handle like a 7 series. the jag is probably closest to the bmw as far as being nimble because it is the lightest, every review you read on the ls does say it is a good car, nice interior boring exterior, and mediocre at best handling, with a soft ride, minus the interior it sounds like a buick review. so of course a more enthusiast mag such as car and driver would rate a 400hp 5.0 second jaguar above a boring lexus. not that it isnt a nice car, but it would have been nice as the new avalon it just doesnt look like a car in this class, exterior wise anyway. if the mercedes wasnt the best in this segment they would have failed somewhere being that this is the only new car in the test besides, the ls460 which saids alot about the lexus since its on the bottom....lol

I agree. I think the LS460 is a very boring-looking car. The Lexus fans are blinded by my comments.

Too bad they didn't get the 2007 A8 with the 350 hp FSI. That one would have probably won.

The LS 460 once again with the very poor braking, dangerous I would say. Trucks do better than that. Handling is the worst as well.

BTW, flog the cars they did, look at the test mpg. That must be fun, unless you are in the Lexus of course.

Finally, about time we put an end to this whole S550 vs. LS460 argument. I wonder what HoustonCutie or Will have to say about this? and please, dont use bias of the magazine as an excuse. S550 won, car and driver generally puts test cars under alot of scrutiny and harsh test conditions. Now that there is some credibility to this, any talk about the LS460 being the better car than the S550 will be deemed rubbish.

with the Lexus guys there will be no end

The MB did copy the 7 series interior

it is amaizing how much they copied it

i too am suprised at this ranking. but when i think about it perhaps they are right. the much-overlooked jag is a damn good car, light, good handling, spacious in the rear (for LWB at least) and affordable. the mercedes has to win because the s class always has to win until it is 5 years old, and the a8 is a good car too. bmw is outclassed, but it is due to be replaced in 2008/9 i think. i think i would have tied the jag and lexus at 3rd and put the bmw at 4th. if C&D had tested these cars as proper limos though, it would go S class, LS, A8, BMW, Jag. if they tested them as cars that are "driven", then this list is correct.

Not Even. The only copying i notice is the shift knob on the steering wheel and the Command knob. There's a big difference between the two cars in interior design. And to others who mention the exterior. the s-class' trunklid did not copy the 7 series' 'bangle butt'. Its a derivative of the maybach's trunklid which was in production before the 7 series came out.

The only aspect where most of the car makers are guilty of in copying the 7-series is in the i-drive. Immitations with the COMMAND knob and the MMI knob owe credit to BMW with that revolutionary idea.

Amazing that no Lexus fans (Will, Houstoncrackwhore, etc.) have not posted yet.

C'mon, we want to hear your opinions!

Yes, and even the A8L beat the 7er in braking and steering feel, and matched it in handling capabilities. The 7 Series being the sportiest of the pack is pretty much put down by the nimble XJ, capable A8L and torquey S550.

OK.I'm a Lexus fan.Tell me what do u want to hear? BMW530i.

Where were u when Lexus LS460 Won so many awards and many magazines ranked it higher than the S class.
Namely,The last i remember is it winning CAR OF THE YEAR in JAPAN with S class touching nearly the bottom at 8th spot.

Both cars have their pros and cons.
Some magazines with different criteria rank LS460 highest and other S class.

BTW the A8 is nothing against the new LS460 in any department.It feels soooooo dated when compared to LS460 and S class.It can't stand a chance.
Tell me anything the A8 have over LS460.Styling is subjestive.

By using this logic,The LS460 should be placed above the A8 at the second spot.

This proves the Car and Driver were totally biassed.
And i totally agree with huu76,"The criteria was probably which car didn't have self-parking"

and which is not Japaneese.


JUGNU----->THE CARMAN

Jugnu,

Usually, your views and opinions are a little better and more realistic than some of the other Lexus "fans" on this site.

When people like Nicehomer or Houstoncrackwhore etc. post stuff about Lexus, they overblow it.

Look, I am not trying to start a flame war or annoy you guys. I too was expecting the LS to finish higher, 3rd place at least.

I simply do think the A8L is a better car than the LS460L. It gives a more satisfactory all-around experience. It can get through any weather, has a much more svelte exterior, and the interior is so much more interesting! LS looks like any other Lexus sedan, inside and out. The only distinguishing feature is its self-park. What other reason would a potential buyer have to buy it over an A8L or S550? And don't give me any reliability crap.

BIAS!

Throws in the crying towel for the LEXUS Fan Boys!




Phaetonmeister>>>>>>Da Fine Schmecker

Will, the Jag is not a decade old. It's a new aluminum XJ that was launched in 2003 as an 04 model. It has beaten the 7 series and Audi A8 in several car mags. All except one said the XJ was the most fun to drive because it was lighter and more easily tossed. The problem with the car is that the others have now moved up in power. That's why C & D picked the Super V8 model. The platform is not aging. Version 6 is used in the new XK. The XJ uses version 2.

If we did top of the line V12s and the Portfolio Edition XJ, I think that it would have been as follows:

1. Mercedes-Benz S600 for brute acceleration and the comfort, features, luxury feel

2. Audi A8L 6.0 W12 for its even better interior than the V8, smoother and faster acceleration

3. BMW 760Li for its dynamics, but lack of luxury interior that the BEnz and Audi have would have dropped it down to third

4. Jaguar XJ Portfolio for its lack of V12, therefore lack of true engine seperation between it and the XJR and a j-gate design and foundation that is aging.

uhm the hybrid powerplant from a toyota prius, mated to a v8 is no where near as prestigious as a v12....., there is no difference between this and jaguars supercharger except the jaguar's powerplant doesnt share similarities with a $18,000 car....the whole point of having a v12 isnt power, its prestige a normally aspirated v8 could get just as much power, so could a twin turbo v6, or supercharged v8, or even a v10....who cares about a hybrid v8 to compete with a v12 people dont buy those cars for gas mileage. mercedes makes a s63amg if the goal is performance, the s600 is all about owning a "V12" powered flagship....another generic geriatic prestige car from the brand that makes japanese buicks..

Will, I doubt the rankings would change because the S600 is the only significant difference in terms of performance compared to the V8. The V8 already won so the V12 would lilkely also win due to its much greater power increase.

Will, every review I'd read of the Lexus has been bad so far. The Lexus does make sense from a consumer point of view but it's lack of handling against the BMW, Audi and expecially the much lighter Jag kill any chance of i winning comparisons. All of the other cars in this test have been praised by car mags.

The results of this latest Car and Driver comparison isn't that surprising. I generally like Car and Driver and read it often. But one thing has been obvious: Car and Driver is typically biased towards Lexus, in a negative way. I'm not sure of the reason why. Perhaps it's because Lexus used to not be performance oriented and had very derivative styling. Add 'numb' steering to the equation and it's guaranteed Lexus will be ranked last on Car and Driver's list.
But this new test is different. This is the FIRST time any Japanese car maker has offered a luxury sedan to compete with the Germans in the $80K price range. The new Lexus LS460 was specifically designed to outdo everyone in this segement. The specs tell it straight. It has more power, more technology, improved styling, and just plain more everything, including the eight speed automatic transmission. To improve the steering, a twin axis kingpin geometry like Audi's was developed. It all looks sensational on paper, so why the last place ranking? For one, Car and Driver doesn't like Lexus to begin with, which doesn't help. Second, the new Lexus is the first Japanese luxury sedan to seriously compete against the ESTABLISHED Germans in this segement.
Perception takes time to change. Lexus isn't selling well in Japan (as of now) because the perception in Japan is that Lexus are just rebadged Toyotas, which isn't true anymore. It will take time to change that. The new Lexus LS460 is more performance oriented, but it will also take time for Lexus to establish themselves in this new higher end luxury segement they have just entered, especially with Car and Driver.

Hey Will,

Remember the last Car and Driver comparo between these cars? The LS430 finished first and the MB S430 finished last. Car and Driver isn't as biased as you would think.

^ I was wondering if any one was going to mention that. Honestly, I don't think it's so bad to come in 5th in this comparison. Excluding super exotics and the likes of R.R. and Bentley, etc., it still puts the Lexus ahead of almost 98.5% of the vehicles made. That's not too shabby. It's like not winning an Oscar... doesn't mean you suck, it just wasn't your year.

Magazines are biased because people are biased. There is nothing wrong with that. You just need to realize that even automotive magazines come down to personal preferences.

I love Lexus, but I am glad to see the Jag doing well. The interior is nice with the lamb's wool rugs, and it is nice how they are truly rare comparitively speaking.

Also, Benz, please offer that beautiful piano black wood trim on the S outside of the designo package!

Well well German fans, nothing surprising is in this article. S550 is a bigger car but I'm glad they compared the LS against the short bed 750i which is good for this time. Other previouse comparisons also put the old LS last, but on the real market, who was the winner?

The LS460 fully loaded is $71k and not $80k, its the LS460L loaded $85k and that is STILL less than its compatitors. And again I'll say, the S550 is a sport edition that's why it has a sporty feeling. Spend some extra $20k on the LS460 and it will kick the S550's behind.

As far as the Jaguar, for God's sake that's a Ford! a cheap car and gave it a sporty feeling I'm really surprised to see Jaguar being compared against these cars.

In short, different magazines will have different tests and different winners, the only real test is the real world and that has always been for the Lexus. So lets give the LS460/460L a year in the market and lets have our eyes open on the roads and see real people which of those cars they prefered to own.

"As far as the Jaguar, for God's sake that's a Ford! a cheap car and gave it a sporty feeling"
the jaguar xj is not a ford.
it is probably the second best or perhaps best handling car in its class. the lexus? easily the worst.
i could say the same uninformed statement about lexus. it's not a toyota, and the jag is not a ford.

@ Designer

If a Jaguar = Ford, then a Lexus = Toyota, right?

Nice logic there...

Uhh, nope. It was all long-wheelbase cars in this test (A8L, 750Li, etc). Bill just wrote that wrong on the page he gave us.

The LS460 exceeds $80,000 with the top-of-the-line luxury package. If you even bothered to read the article, the LS460L used in this comparison was over $90,000. Lexus charges a lot more for options than its competition, lending to its lower base price.

Designer 1, you must design toilets cuz your full of crap.

Does the LS460 have weak brakes when compared to the other cars?

Also, I think the LS460 interior with it's plastic buttons put it in last place.

"THE MOST INDULGENT LUXURY CAR IN THE SEGMENT".

You know I have to disagree and I find the LS 460 way behind the Jag when it comes to "INDULGENT LUXURY" and I put the Lexus in last place.

Seems like all you Toylex fans are ignoring what "theGenius" wrote.

"The Q7 (a 5,000+ lb SUV) will blow it away in the Slalom 63mph vs. 60mph, skidpad 0.81 vs 0.80 and stop much quicker.127ft vs. 143ft from 60mph. "

Nobody expects the LS to handle like a sports car, but to be beaten by a 5000lbs SUV is embarrassing to say the least.

The LS takes a full car length more to stop from 60mph and 2 car lengths from 80mph when compared to the S class. That is pathetic.
The LS brakes are a safety issue, which Toyota needs to fix quickly.
What's the point of having self park, which doesn't even work 90% of the time and reliability if you car can't stop?

S Class..Really the ultimate car..

hmmm funny how the title of the article is chauffeur showdown, then (as is typical of c and d) they bash the ls for PERFORMANCE. Last time i checked if you're enjoying the ls's superior rear seat luxuries while being chauffeured like this article suggests, you dont really care how fast your car can dart through the cones. if this article was true to it's title, and really did deal with the chauffuering aspect of enjoying an automobile, then the outcome would have been different. This is the PRESTIGE LUXURY segment. There is no SPORT in PRESTIGE LUXURY. just room, a big engine, elegant and comfortable cabin, and refined exterior.

by true LUXURY SALOON standards,

1) ls460l
2) audi a8l
3) mercedes s class
4) jaguar xj
5) bmw 750

if we wanted a sports car...

...we'd buy a porsche

The A8 is pretty damn luxurious! You can get a fridge in the A8L, ventilated/massaging front seats, heated steering wheel, sunshades, etc, etc...

In terms of luxury, I would put it in pretty much the same order that he did. The S-Class is high-tech, but it doesn't offer some of the pampering features the others do.

To me, the dash in the LS 460 looks like that in the 2000 Honda Accord with more buttons, and it has that same quality.

Now take the dash in the S-Class with the beautiful flowing lines of the wood like the flame maple body of a Stradivarius violin.

What do you think of those apples, Hepsabah?

I applaud your mix of poetry and ignorance, but to comapre the LS460 interior to that of the 2000 Accord is just uniformed or assinine.

Really, here are 2 photos of the cars and tell me otherwise after you have a look.

2000 Honda Accord dash.
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/comparison/2000
/family_car/honda/00.honda.accord.int.jpg

2006 Lexus LS 460 dash.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee93913/cmd.233/embedded..ee
93918

Really, here are 2 photos of the cars and tell me otherwise after you have a look.

2000 Honda Accord dash.
http://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/comparison/2000/family_car/honda/00.honda.accord.int.jpg

2006 Lexus LS 460 dash.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee93913/cmd.233/embedded..ee93918

By God you're right!

They both have steering wheels!

And they both have a similar shape in the center console.

And the two-tone look and the buttons.

And why did Lexus use a digital clock like in the Accord?

Check out the colock in the S550 and it's like lookin' at a Rolex.

If by Rolex I you mean a cheap knock-off from Mexico, then I concur.

Here's the one thing you can put in the Lexus camp.

I was at the grocery store yesterday and I was reading the Consumer Report for Cars and in the Lexus section for the LS430 it was solid red dots and Mercedes had lots of red dots with clear dots and some half black dots as well.

What do you think of that?

The 350hp A8 is actually very fast. I drove it again tonight, just to make sure I loved it. The reason I was at the dealer being someone stole the four-rings sign off of my car, and I had to get an entire new grille to replace it. Obviously, somebody wants an Audi.

Of course you'd say "although it sounded like they were describing a Lexus..." Before Lexus was around, it was Benz's hallmark to have cars like the S-Class. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WERE DESCRIBING A MERCEDES-BENZ.

Thats BS Jaguar could not have been better than the LS460!!!C&D has lost their credibility in my eyes!!!

And the Lexus LS 460 handles and stops worse than a pickups truck. That is dangerous.

I was at an Italian deli today when I saw a brand new silver Mercedes S550 with the AMG bumper, but this car had different fenders with foot long vertical vents at a slight angle and vents for the exhaust similar to the LS 460.

Anyone know if this S-Class was an AMG?

The only AMG S-Class is the 165,000+ S65.

Looking at the poor braking distance of the LS, that's probably why it was placed last. And Lexus claims this car is so safe eh?

No, they have new data for the Lexus, braking is still pickup truck like. I am sure that the Lexus doesn't let you disable any stability control, so they obviously couldn't do it. They also put the price of equally optioned out cars so the comsumer would know the price for equall equipment levels.

rough and indecisive? all i have heard about it is smoothness and light. lexus is the indecisive one.

Man, you Lexus clowns will come up with the most lame excuses. Seriously.

WHO CARES WHAT ORDER THEY FINISHED IN? The LS will most likely lead sales again in the US. WHO CARES? They're all good cars.

Jesus H. Christ...

Here is the real shocker. The LS in the test was a PRE PRODUCTION CAR, not even a real LS. The test was probably done months ago using a very early LS test mule. This is mentioned in the article but very briefly.

Wait until they compare a real LS, off the lot, and set up to the correct specs. VVVRRRROOOOOMMMMMM!!

Keep making up excuses. The LS here was not a pre-production LS. It was the real deal. Live with the loss.

Just read the article, the section on the LS. It plainly states that this is a pre production auto.

The S class are so ugly, those wheel arches just spoil the car, and the butt is just copying the 7.

A8 not special looks like a A6 that looks like an A4, way to similar.

7 looks like it got it all under control, i like it but sure the next 7 will be much better looking.

Jaguar always elegant, British style nice looking.

LS big, better looks than the S Class. Probably deserved at better place against those competitors.

I have never driven one of them, and never will, they are way out of my reach.

Car and Driver has a reputation for Lexus hating and it really shows up here

Car and Driver has a reputation for Lexus hating and it really shows up here. I put zero value on any review done with a bias - meaning C&D in general.

Agree with these results except that its a toss-up between the S and the A8. Mercedes S has the most comfortable front seats, the A8 has an ugly grille but comes with a rust-free aluminum body and the best AWD system (uses a Torsen center differential). The Jag is the prettiest but lacks the technical sophistication of the Audi. Lexus short changes its customers by offering a full-featured front seat for the driver only.

It looks like they gave some serious thought to this comparison ! ?
They put the least reliable, least affordable, least safe, least user friendal car first and the most reliable, most affordable, safest, most user friendly car last.

Lexus rules!!!!!
A five year old lexus is more reliable than a new bmw or mercedes. They never break down and are excellent cars they the ls 460 has better fuel Efficiency than the s550 and the worlds first 8 gear tranmission a guess they for got to compare that. It is much easier to use the controls on the lexus than the ompetitors and lexus is is priced at only 61000 that is a lot less then the mercedes.

lexus has become the top-selling luxury flagship vehicle in the U.S. market for a reason. Innovations on the latest LS sedans included the world's first eight-speed automatic transmission, real-time traffic updates, automatic parallel/reverse parkingThe LS is recognized as having one of the quietest automobile cabins in the world and is regarded as one of the most reliable luxury vehicles ever built.

Over a period of five years, a team of over 3,900 engineers, technicians, and other F1 personnel built some 450 flagship prototypes. These vehicles were driven over a total of 4.3 million kilometers on testing locations ranging from the autobahn in Germany, deserts in Arizona, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, to U.S. highways and wilderness areas. To ensure quality, more precise manufacturing standards were developed to produce higher levels of fit and finish in the new sedan. Toyota's Tahara plant, a highly automated facility, was selected as the site of production. Materials selection tests examined multiple types of leather and scrutinized 24 different kinds of wood for use in the passenger cabin!!!!! Total costs for the project exceeded $1 billion.

The LS has received numerous awards since its introduction.

The Lexus LS is one of the most honored vehicles in J.D. Power history.The Lexus LS has won the J.D. Power award for the "Best High-end Luxury Sedan" 12 years in a row, the most for any manufacturer, due to vehicle dependability.[41]
The Lexus LS was the highest-ranked vehicle in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Survey for seven consecutive years from 1997 to 2003. In 2004, the Lexus LS 430 was second only to the Lexus SC 430 in the Initial Quality Survey.[42]
In 2006, Consumer Reports awarded the Lexus LS as the highest ranked vehicle in reliability in the luxury car class, continuing the Lexus trend of scoring highly on Consumer Reports surveys. Based on Consumer Reports a five year old Lexus LS is more reliable and dependable than a brand new BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class and Audi A8, owing to the wide disparity in reliability scores between the top-ranked LS and below-average German makes.[43]
The 2005 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey found just 90 problems per 100 LS vehicles, the first time in the study's 16 year history for a vehicle to have less than one problem per vehicle. In 2006, the Lexus LS repeated this feat, averaging just 88 problems per 100 vehicles.[44]
The Lexus LS 430 was named the Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car by J.D. Power in 2001.[45] The second generation LS 400 was also named Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car in 1996.
In 1989, the Motoring Press Association of the U.S. named the LS 400 the Best Imported Car of the Year.
The first-generation LS earned a place on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list and became Wheels magazine's Car of the Year.
The LS 400 was named the Best Import Car of 1993 by Robb Report.
Automobile Magazine in 2005 listed the first Lexus LS 400 as one of the 24 Most Important Vehicles of the 20th Century, a title it bestowed on the vehicle in 1996.
The LS 430 was judged as the "Finest Luxury Sedan In America" by Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. in a 2002 comparison test. Competing against ten other luxury models, including the Mercedes S500 and the BMW 750iL, the LS placed first in three out of seven categories: NVH, ergonomics, and utility. The LS 430 was also the quietest car in the comparison, with an idle reading of just 31.1 dB in the front seat.[46]
Kiplinger's Personal Finance report named the Lexus LS 430 First in Class and Best in Safety for cars $40,000 and over in 2005.[47]
Intellichoice gave the Lexus LS its Best Overall Value award for the Luxury Class in 2004[48] and 2005.
AutoPacific and Intellichoice gave the LS 430 the Motorist's Choice Award in the Cars category in 2006.[49]
Kelley Blue Book gave the LS 430 its Best to Hold Value Award in 2001, 2002, and 2003.[50]
R. L. Polk & Co., automotive marketing research firm, gave the LS 430 its Polk Automotive Loyalty Award in the Prestige Luxury Car category in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005 for customer retention.[51]
Edmunds.com gave the LS

The LS has received numerous awards since its introduction.

The Lexus LS is one of the most honored vehicles in J.D. Power history.The Lexus LS has won the J.D. Power award for the "Best High-end Luxury Sedan" 12 years in a row, the most for any manufacturer, due to vehicle dependability.[41]
The Lexus LS was the highest-ranked vehicle in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Survey for seven consecutive years from 1997 to 2003. In 2004, the Lexus LS 430 was second only to the Lexus SC 430 in the Initial Quality Survey.[42]
In 2006, Consumer Reports awarded the Lexus LS as the highest ranked vehicle in reliability in the luxury car class, continuing the Lexus trend of scoring highly on Consumer Reports surveys. Based on Consumer Reports a five year old Lexus LS is more reliable and dependable than a brand new BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-class and Audi A8, owing to the wide disparity in reliability scores between the top-ranked LS and below-average German makes.[43]
The 2005 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey found just 90 problems per 100 LS vehicles, the first time in the study's 16 year history for a vehicle to have less than one problem per vehicle. In 2006, the Lexus LS repeated this feat, averaging just 88 problems per 100 vehicles.[44]
The Lexus LS 430 was named the Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car by J.D. Power in 2001.[45] The second generation LS 400 was also named Most Appealing Premium Luxury Car in 1996.
In 1989, the Motoring Press Association of the U.S. named the LS 400 the Best Imported Car of the Year.
The first-generation LS earned a place on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list and became Wheels magazine's Car of the Year.
The LS 400 was named the Best Import Car of 1993 by Robb Report.
Automobile Magazine in 2005 listed the first Lexus LS 400 as one of the 24 Most Important Vehicles of the 20th Century, a title it bestowed on the vehicle in 1996.
The LS 430 was judged as the "Finest Luxury Sedan In America" by Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. in a 2002 comparison test. Competing against ten other luxury models, including the Mercedes S500 and the BMW 750iL, the LS placed first in three out of seven categories: NVH, ergonomics, and utility. The LS 430 was also the quietest car in the comparison, with an idle reading of just 31.1 dB in the front seat.[46]
Kiplinger's Personal Finance report named the Lexus LS 430 First in Class and Best in Safety for cars $40,000 and over in 2005.[47]
Intellichoice gave the Lexus LS its Best Overall Value award for the Luxury Class in 2004[48] and 2005.
AutoPacific and Intellichoice gave the LS 430 the Motorist's Choice Award in the Cars category in 2006.[49]
Kelley Blue Book gave the LS 430 its Best to Hold Value Award in 2001, 2002, and 2003.[50]
R. L. Polk & Co., automotive marketing research firm, gave the LS 430 its Polk Automotive Loyalty Award in the Prestige Luxury Car category in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005 for customer retention.[51]
Edmunds.com gave the LS

Edmunds.com gave the LS 430 its Most Wanted Car award in the Large Luxury Class in 2002.[52]
Popular Science gave the LS 430 a Design & Engineering award in 2001,[53] and named the LS 460 to its Best of What's New in Automotive Technology in December 2006.
Popular Mechanics gave the LS 460 its 2007 Automotive Excellence Award in the Luxury category.[54] The second generation LS 400 was honored with Popular Mechanics' Design and Engineering Award in 1995.
Automotive research firm TRG declared that the 2007 Lexus LS 460 offered the most technological features of any vehicle in the North American market, surpassing the newly launched Mercedes S-class and 2006 BMW 7-Series.[55]
The fourth-generation Lexus LS was named the 2006-2007 Car of the Year Japan, taking the prestigious top prize among 10 finalists in a competition juried by Japan's top automotive journalists.[56]

Bill Gates owned a 1990 LS 400 in burgundy and subsequently donated it to the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School in Portland, Oregon in 1995.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally was a proud owner of an LS 430, proclaiming it to be the "finest car in the world".[57]
In 2005, Samsung's corporate leadership purchased seven LS 430 sedans as a corporate privilege for its presidents.
Thai Billionaire and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra owned a black Lexus LS 400.
Antony Leung, the former secretary of finance of Hong Kong, purchased an LS 430 just before implementing a new tax that would have cost him an additional HK $50,000. The scandal, known as "Lexusgate", led to his resignation.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gray 2001 LS 430 was carjacked in New Jersey in October 2006. The vehicle was later found abandoned and returned to the owner.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone drove a Lexus LS 430 before switching to a hybrid Lexus GS 450h due to London's emissions regulations.
Actor Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving in his LS 430 in 2006.
The third season of the popular BBC television program, Spooks, featured a number of Lexus LS vehicles as part of the brand's introduction in the British market.
Kasper Cole used a "confiscated" Lexus LS as his personal car when he was replacing King Tchalla as the Black Panther. The Wakandan embassy provides a black Lexus Limousine to the kings when he is in New York.
The final third generation JDM Toyota Celsior, succeeded in Japan by the Lexus LS 460.A Toyota Celsior is one of the cars driven in the racing arcade game and manga Wangan Midnight. The car, driven by Gen Sasaki (Gatchan), is often regarded as a joke due to the ricer features and Gatchan's reluctance to give his car more race features like removing excess weight and using garish bodykits.
The LS 400 is getting popular in vip style.
An air suspension controller can be used to raise or lower the LS 400. Air suspension was an optional feature.
Creative Technology CEO Sim Wong Hoo owned a LS 430 for three years and then put it up as the grand prize of a

why do presidents drive mercedes and not lexus because they are the best in comfort safety and they probably look think it looks better. also it is the top selling full size luxury sedan in the world.