What Is "The Pursuit Of Perfection"?

On a recent broadcast of the AutoNsider, we discussed how 2014 has seen unprecedented growth in the luxury auto market. Brands such as Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Cadillac and Lexus are among the most desirable and dependable. There are as many theories about the success of the luxury auto market as there are luxury brands, but one brand consistently finds itself on the top of such lists as Consumers Reports, Forbes, Edmunds, US News, as well as most other trusted automotive review sites; Lexus.

Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota, has been around since the end of 1989 with the introduction of the 1990 Lexus LS 400. Lexus was introduced to America on the heals of the Acura Legend (luxury division of Honda, which had taken the American car buyers by storm in 1986. Also, in 1989, Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan, introduced the Q45 and the war was on between all three brands. Their only unity was taking aim at the German brands, Mercedes and BMW, which had long been the benchmark for luxury automobiles.

It didn't take long for Lexus to claim the throne from Acura as the premier Japanese luxury brand and as evidenced by their original slogan, "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection", they were here to stay. In fact, my first introduction to the Lexus brand was when my father traded his Mercedes SL 380 for the 1990 Lexus LS 400 at the end of 1989. (He chose the Lexus over the Infiniti, because the Infiniti didn't have cup holders.)

Imagine my delight when the 2014 Lexus LS 460 F Sport fleet car was delivered for my review. Because of my long-standing relationship with the brand, I felt compelled to find and point out, any and all shortcomings to the Lexus flagship, as not to appear bias to my closest friends and AutoNsider listener's.

So here goes:

1. Too quiet
With all of the "F" Sport badges and logo's, one might expect that Lexus would have compromised their luxury heritage by adding stiffer suspension, seating and steering to compete head to head with its German competitors. Instead, the designers and engineers stuck to the true luxurious nature of the brand with impressive performance without all of the noise to go along with it.

2. Too comfortable
Unlike the traditionally firm seats in the autobahn inspired, German, sport luxury sedans, the LS 460 F Sport seats are supportive without enveloping the driver and restricting movement. The seats are trimmed in a high-grade, soft leather that feels almost like silk when exposed to the skin; more reminiscent of a stately leather sofa one might find in the den of an estate home in the suburbs and less like a museum piece in an art-deco condominium in the city. The integration of the supple leather and aluminum accents, it's a modern twist for mature tastes.

3. Too fast
For the second or third generation Lexus owner who has come to expect silky smooth, cocoon-like performance synonymous with the brand, switching this vehicle to "Sport Mode" can be an intense juxtaposition. In "Sport Mode", the driver may forget everything that I've just stated about this vehicle. The acceleration is quicker, the transmission shifts more aggressive and the suspension more eager to take corners and curves with more reckless abandon. It's like poking the bear!

4. Attracts too much attention
It's interesting how many errands I had to run while in possession of the LS 460 F Sport (I wish I had this car at 16 when my mother always had somewhere for me to go.) My wife and kids were eager to plan long trips around town all weekend; and it wasn't hard to convince me to chauffeur them around. The only problem was all the stares at the traffic lights and the valet's at the restaurants that insisted on parking the car right up front. (They expect a generous tip for that, you know.)

Aside from these problem areas, the 2014 Lexus LS 460 F Sport is not a bad choice if you're in "The Pursuit of Perfection".
When comparing the $85,390.00 MSRP to the comparably equipped German competitors, the Lexus is (dare I say it), a bargain. That's pretty close to perfection.

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