Drove The Ls 600h At Tol In La

[jainla]

Hello all. Just got back from the '07 Taste of Lexus event. This year it was in Arcadia which at least for me is a lot farther than it has been in years past so I didn't stay as long as I usually do. The main reason I drove out there was to drive the LS 600hL and see for myself what all the fuss is about. I was not even sure they would have the car because the introduction has apparently been pushed (again) until the fall.

I noticed a couple of differences at the event this year; first being that the lines are (almost) gone. You get a smart card when you sign in and you have to reserve a timeslot; this sounds great in practice but if you are like me and want to drive everything there then you'll have a problem as you can't go and reserve multiple timeslots at once. You can only make one reservation at a time. If there aren't a lot of people there this isn't an issue but when you have to wait an hour to drive a car you either can sit around or look at the displays for the umpteenth time; at the old events i could have zipped into the lines of cars that nobody seemed to want to drive. Whatever; if you're going this year go early and reserve often. Also no GX or LX models, and no competitors this year.

First I drove the 600h around the hybrid course. It really struck me how eerily silent it is; both inside and out. It makes the 460 sound like a tractor. If the cars were sitting in the queue long enough the engine would cut out and the cars would glide towards the start line in all-electric mode with a creepy silence; no high pitched ringing sound like the Prius or the RX. Even with the engine running you have to strain to hear it as you approach it. Inside the car it was impossible to hear the engine running at all unless you really floor it. They had about 7-8 600s that seem to rotate in and out in groups of 4.

On the road the car accelerates much like the GS 450h; a smooth linear rush of power. I'm not sure if I engaged the 2nd of two tranny modes; I never felt a shift. It feels like it's always in 2nd gear; the engine just shoots up towards the redline and stays there until you take your foot off the gas. No waiting for downshifts; stab the throttle and the car just goes. It's quick; but again the LS460 isn't exactly slow. Through the transients I was impressed; the car feels big and heavy but not 900lbs more than the regular 460. It's actually quite spry and quick on its feet; I would venture it felt more agile than the S550 they had last year. The one time the brakes felt a bit grabby was when I was coasting towards the start line on my first run and I stabbed the brakes at a crawl. I then realized at the end of my run that I had shifted past D into the manual gate; the car apparently stayed in S4 the whole time. My second run I made sure to stay in Drive and the car felt completely normal; no hint of the elves and wizards under the hood and the braking system was completely transparent--I couldn't feel any weirdness as the regen braking cut in and out. I don't know if the car had the power stabilizer system or not but there was almost no body lean and the ride was remarkably smooth.

Immediately after my first run I drove the LS460L. Only then did the extra weight of the 600h become apparent; but it's not a huge difference. Also one of the 600h cars I drove had the exec seating package; not sure how much additional weight that adds to the mix. The course for the 460 was a lot longer than the hybrid course so I was able to throw it around a little more. Still the same great driving experience as last year. After that I hit the 600 again and yes it feels different; but it could be the weight; could be the AWD. I think the 600h actually felt more balanced than the non-hybrid model.

The fitments are even nicer than the LS460 (leather dash; wood on the grab handles and shifter). It feels very posh and very expensive. Apparently the prototypes have some Japan-spec parts; the Lexus Link system gave all its prompts in Japanese. Nobody would let us see the trunk of either the running cars or the car they had in the tent; someone was telling me it's even smaller than the initial prototypes suggest. Also the informational associates had NO clue as to when the cars would start arriving at dealerships; they said the Neiman Marcus models had gone out but other than that there was no arrival date; she said she drove the prototype into Newport Lexus and it was the first one they had ever seen.

I guess if I had more time to run around in the 600H I would have a stronger opinion as to if I think it's worth the money. Right now my impression is that the LS600 really is in a class by itself. There's nothing else on the road that feels quite like it in terms of driving experience save the GS450h. I'm not saying it's better than everything else; just markedly different from any other car of that class I have driven; and also markedly different than the Camry and Prius hybrids I have driven. It's very quiet; it's very comfy; it's very quick. But so it the non-hybrid car. It feels expensive (the quiet and mass help here). I guess if I had a driver or was only going to do driving in town I would consider a 600h (on the planet where I'm buying a $100k+ car). However if you are the kind of person who takes long trips on the highway and values luggage and gas mileage then the gas model might be a better fit. You can't really go wrong either way.

Some pix attached.

Almost half a million bucks worth of hybrids!

I drove the one on the right for my first run.

The lovely expensive leather covered dash. Immediately after I snapped this i got yelled at for having my phone out while driving. Doh!. I was waiting to get out of the car. :chairshot:

[05silverls430]

I also went to the TOL event, solely to see and drive the 600h. I must have been there right before you. I think my appt. time was 3:15. I got to drive the green one, but only did one lap around the SHORT course. I was blown away by the 600h. I was fortunate enough to have a 460 to drive for a week, the week before the TOL event. Although the 460 is a VERY NICE car, the 600h would be my choice without question, if I had the money to spend (which I don't). It's clear that it was built to compete with the S600 and the 760Li. I would rather have the 600h, hands down.

Lexus of Glendale had a 600hL on the floor when I was there 3 weeks ago for service. The sticker on it was $140K. I assume it was a fully loaded model that they had marked up a healthy amount. I also saw a 600h in a restaurant parking lot early last week. Other than that, I haven't seen any on the road yet, aside from the one that Ari Gold drives on Entourage... ;)

[jainla]

Lexus of Glendale had a 600hL on the floor when I was there 3 weeks ago for service. The sticker on it was $140K. I assume it was a fully loaded model that they had marked up a healthy amount. I also saw a 600h in a restaurant parking lot early last week. Other than that, I haven't seen any on the road yet, aside from the one that Ari Gold drives on Entourage... ;)

LOL that is a very nice piece of product placement.

I saw my first one 3 days ago driving between Madison and Fifth on 73rd st. in NYC. They must just be arriving for delivery.