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April 3, 2008 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/lexus_ls-430_2001

  Eric Peters
EditorEric Peters

John Lennon said of popular music that, "Before Elvis, there was nothing." And likewise, in the world of automobiles, until the late 1980s, there were no Japanese luxury cars or luxury nameplates. Just plain old Datsun (Nissan today), Honda and, of course, Toyota. If you wanted a basic car, fine. But the big guns of Europe — Mercedes-Benz, in particular — had the premium luxury car market pretty much cornered.

Then, in 1989, Lexus happened. That was the year the first LS400 sedan hit the streets.  The Germans laughed at first — a Japanese luxury car? Nein!

But their merriment was as short-lived as last year’s strudel. With the very first LS400 95 percent as nice, 100 percent as well built, and literally thousands of dollars less than a comparable Benz, all of a sudden people were forgoing the haughty three-pointed star in favor of the upstart from Japan.

A decade later, Lexus has become one of the world's premier luxury marques and hacked out a major slice of the luxury car market, into which it expands remorselessly with each new model intro. The 2001 LS430, the successor to the LS400, will only further annoy the Germans, who will have to explain to skeptical customers why the powerful, opulent and superbly crafted Lexus flagship sedan costs about as much ($54,005 to start) as the second-best Mercedes-Benz sedan, the $53,200 E430.

Gecko-like

The top Mercedes model — the S-Class — starts (that's right, starts) at a Gordon Gecko-like $70,800 for the S430, or almost $20,000 more than the base price of the LS430.

If the measure is price, the LS430 theoretically competes with the Mercedes E430. But take a look at the spec sheet: the E430 is noticeably less car than the LS430. The Benz is significantly smaller (111.5-inch wheelbase vs. 115.2 for the Lexus; overall length is 189.4 inches for the Mercedes, 196.7 for the Lexus; while width is 72.0 inches for the Lexus vs. 70.8 for the narrower, less roomy Benz). And the Mercedes has an appreciably less powerful engine — a 275-hp V-8 in the E430 vs. a 290-hp V-8 for the LS430.

John Lennon said of popular music that, "Before Elvis, there was nothing." And likewise, in the world of automobiles, until the late 1980s, there were no Japanese luxury cars or luxury nameplates. Just plain old Datsun (Nissan today), Honda and, of course, Toyota. If you wanted a basic car, fine. But the big guns of Europe — Mercedes-Benz, in particular — had the premium luxury car market pretty much cornered. Then, in 1989, Lexus happened. That was the year the first LS400 sedan hit the streets.  The Germans laughed at first — a Japanese luxury car? Nein! But their merriment was as short-lived as last year’s strudel. With the very first LS400 95 percent as nice, 100 percent as well built, and literally thousands of dollars less than a comparable Benz, all of a sudden people were forgoing the haughty three-pointed star in favor of the upstart from Japan. A decade later, Lexus has become one of the world's premier luxury marques and hacked out a major slice of the luxury car market, into which it expands remorselessly with each new model intro. The 2001 LS430, the successor to the LS400, will only further annoy the Germans, who will have to explain to skeptical customers why the powerful, opulent and superbly crafted Lexus flagship sedan costs about as much ($54,005 to start) as the second-best Mercedes-Benz sedan, the $53,200 E430. Gecko-like The top Mercedes model — the S-Class — starts (that's right, starts) at a Gordon Gecko-like $70,800 for the S430, or almost $20,000 more than the base price of the LS430. Lexus LS430 interiorEnlarge PhotoIf the measure is price, the LS430 theoretically competes with the Mercedes E430. But take a look at the spec sheet: the E430 is noticeably less car than the LS430. The Benz is significantly smaller (111.5-inch wheelbase vs. 115.2 for the Lexus; overall length is 189.4 inches for the Mercedes, 196.7 for the Lexus; while width is 72.0 inches for the Lexus vs. 70.8 for the narrower, less roomy Benz). And the Mercedes has an appreciably less powerful engine — a 275-hp V-8 in the E430 vs. a 290-hp V-8 for the LS430. John Lennon said of popular music that, "Before Elvis, there was nothing." And likewise, in the world of automobiles, until the late 1980s, there were no Japanese luxury cars or luxury nameplates. Just plain old Datsun ( Nissan today), Honda and, of course, Toyota . If you wanted a ...