Best Reviewed
Hybrid Cars
- Most fuel-efficient hybrid car 2011 Toyota Prius *Est. $21650
- Best hybrid family sedan 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid *Est. $28600
Get info about new reports and updates
- Strong acceleration
- Smooth hybrid performance
- All-wheel drive
- Decadently appointed
- Excellent fit and finish
- Reliability record
- Fuel economy like a midsize sedan
- Low emissions
- Staggeringly expensive
- Outperformed by V-12 rivals
- Soft handling
- Small trunk with no pass-through
- Low fuel economy for a hybrid
The Lexus LS 600h L (*Est. $106,035) hybrid luxury sedan is the Lexus brand's flagship and the most expensive hybrid car on the market. While many of Lexus' competitors choose to put mighty 12-cylinder engines into their range-topping luxury sedans, Lexus made its most powerful sedan a technological showcase. The long-wheelbase LS 600h L is powered by a 5.0-liter, V-8 engine and electric motor, rated together at 438 peak horsepower and delivered to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission. Reviewers say the powertrain is remarkably smooth and quiet, and it's often difficult to tell when the gas engine starts and stops or when the vehicle is running on pure electric power. Reviewers talk of extremely strong acceleration -- Jonny Lieberman describes the power at a driver's disposal as "rocket sled-esque forward thrust" -- although the big Lexus hybrid isn't quite as quick as competitors with V-12 engines.
With an Environmental Protection Agency estimate of 20 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, many reviewers are disappointed that the hybrid powertrain doesn't deliver better fuel economy. Others emphasize that it beats all of its V-12 competitors with mileage similar to some midsize V-6 sedans, and the Lexus LS 600h L's tailpipe emissions are cleaner than many four-cylinder engines.
While the Lexus LS 600h L shows "exquisite craftsmanship," according to Edmunds.com, when it comes to value the large hybrid sedan comes up short. Many critics say the nonhybrid Lexus LS 460 (*Est. $62,825) or long-wheelbase LS 460 L (*Est. $77,260) are better buys. "A standard LS 460 is a staggering $40k cheaper, making it extremely difficult to justify purchasing the hybrid model as no amount of fuel savings could recoup the additional cost," says DriverSide.com's Brian Alexander. Compared to the Lexus LS 460, the heavier LS 600h L delivers similar performance and only 2 mpg better average fuel economy. And it's not as if you can't get the creature comforts in the substantially cheaper LS 460 range. All Lexus LS models offer a full complement of available luxury features, such as power reclining rear seats, built-in beverage coolers, seat-massage features, four-zone automatic climate control and an "Advanced Parking Guidance System" that allows the car to park itself.
Reviewers are uniformly impressed with the Lexus LS 600h L as a supremely comfortable, well-engineered, technologically advanced luxo-sedan, although they consistently criticize its less-than-practical 11.7-cubic-inch trunk, its soft handling and its high price. Although no rivals offer the low emissions and environmental feel-good of a hybrid, many reviewers say luxury car buyers would do better with competitors like the BMW 7-Series (*Est. $80,300 to $84,200), Mercedes S-Class (*Est. $89,350 to $147,450) or Audi A8 (*Est. $74,050 to $120,100), each of which offers better handling and more prestige.
We've included several reviews of 2008 models, as there are no significant changes for 2009. Edmunds.com has a hybrid-specific comprehensive review, contrasting the LS 600h with some of its competitors. ConsumerGuide.com evaluates hybrid and nonhybrid versions of the Lexus LS and gives them all Best Buy designations. CNET gives extra emphasis to the car's technological features in a comprehensive road-test review. DriverSide.com and TheTruthAboutCars.com both present plenty of behind-the-wheel driving impressions and valuable insight. CarGurus.com does not perform its own test drives but offers good general reviews of vehicles based on research. MyRide.com and NewCarTestDrive.com have lengthy and detailed evaluations, while Motor Trend provides some of Lexus' strategy behind the choice of a hybrid rather than a V-12 engine for its flagship.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
In a hybrid-specific summary review, Edmunds.com editors say they fail to see the advantages of the LS 600h over nonhybrid competitors, including the Lexus LS 460 L. They claim it would take 187 years to recoup the extra costs of the hybrid model over the LS 460 L, based on driving 15,000 miles per year with gas priced at $3 a gallon. In addition, the performance is "essentially identical" between the two cars, while the hybrid's average fuel economy is only two mpg better.
Review: 2009 Lexus LS 600h L Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
ConsumerGuide.com ranks the Lexus LS models among its Best Buys and includes the hybrid LS 600h in the road-test review. In mostly highway driving, editors achieved an average 18.7 mpg with the LS 600h, but managed 22.7 mpg with a shorter-wheelbase LS 460. The review concludes that the LS 600h is a "technological tour-de-force, but in this price range, most European competitors offer the cachet of a 12-cylinder powertrain."
Review: 2009 Lexus LS: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
3. CNET
CNET gives extra attention in car reviews to electronic features in the cabin and technology under the hood. The LS 600h is included on CNET's list of best hybrid cars and given a top rating. Writer Wayne Cunningham achieved an average of 19.4 mpg during test driving. Overall, he is quite impressed with the LS 600h, noting that "its cabin gadgets are easier to use than those from BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz."
Review: 2008 Lexus LS 600h, Wayne Cunningham, June 15, 2007
DriverSide.com provides well-balanced reviews with plenty of driving impressions. Editor Brian Alexander says the Lexus LS 600h L should appeal to those luxury car shoppers "who demand to be on the cutting edge of modern technology." He criticizes the "multitude of buttons and switches in the cabin" and excessive body roll during cornering. Despite the soft, quiet ride, abundant comfort and pleasant driving manners, Alexander finds the price premium difficult to justify.
Review: 2008 Lexus LS 600h L, Brian Alexander
This provocative car-enthusiast website offers opinionated and highly insightful viewpoints. Writer Jonny Lieberman says the LS 600h hybrid technology appeals to him, providing "better driving through science" rather than an environmental advantage. He likes the car's "rocket sled-esque forward thrust" as well as its respectable fuel economy.
Review: 2008 Lexus LS 600hL Review -- Take Two, Jonny Lieberman, May 28, 2008
6. MyRide.com
This review covers each aspect of the LS 600h in detail, covering cabin features, options, styling, safety, driving impressions and more. The writer says the interior is "awash in buttons, but they're properly grouped and labeled to keep confusion to a minimum." He questions whether buyers would choose the Lexus over more prestigious German brands.
Review: 2008 Lexus LS 600h L First Drive, Keith Buglewicz
This lengthy evaluation covers the LS 600h L in detail, with sections devoted to each aspect of the car, with a good description of how it drives. The review has a distinct positive spin, with very little criticism. The writer calls the LS 600h "an advanced, intelligent, premium vehicle with numerous environmental benefits."
Review: 2008 Lexus LS 600h L -- One of the Most Technically Advanced Cars in the World, John Stewart
8. Motor TrendDetails/Subscribe
Motor Trend attempts to explain some of the rationale behind the flagship LS 600h L, commenting that while most competitors were using 12-cylinder engines, Lexus chose to showcase its hybrid technology. The article is heavy on background and light on driving impressions, but it does provide useful information not found in other road-test reviews.
Review: First Test: 2008 Lexus LS 600h L, Ron Kiino
Hybrid Cars Runners Up:
9 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…
6 picks including: Car and Driver, Cars.com…
6 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…
4 picks including: About.com, FuelEconomy.gov…
4 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…
3 picks including: About.com, Business Week…
3 picks including: About.com, FuelEconomy.gov…
2 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…
2 picks including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…
1 pick including: FuelEconomy.gov, Edmunds.com…
1 pick including: Car and Driver, Kelley Blue Book…
1 pick including: FuelEconomy.gov, Car and Driver…