By Kelly Foss | mycardata.com

Lexus LS|Starting price:$76,000

Way back in 1989 Toyota had the audacity to introduce the LS, a credible full-size luxury sedan aimed squarely at the well-entrenched German automotive gentry of Mercedes and BMW. How dare they! Overnight, the Lexus brand was born. Here we are almost 30 years later and Lexus graces us with another new, better version of the LS.

This edition is constructed on a new platform, and in an evolutionary manner, systematically improves on past models while still making current LS owners feel right at home. The car is a touch longer and more aggressively sculpted. The styling is new, engaging and daring though not quite scandalous. It has elegance, presence and fits the mental image of what a large luxury sedan should look like.

The interior has similarly received an infusion of dynamism. It dares to have asymmetrical swooping lines and curves. The Takumi craftsmanship introduces premium Art Woods. Totally unique Kariko Glassware ornamentation on the door panels is a new element in automotive interiors. The accommodations are glorious and if you opt for the Executive Rear Seats, the passenger side occupant’s seat will recline, extend a foot rest, heat, cool, massage, provide window shades on the rear and sides, surround you with high quality sound and just pamper you like a rock star.

Propulsion comes from either a twin turbocharged 3.5 V6 which replaces the V8, or a hybrid. The new turbo motor produces 416 horsepower and will sling the LS to 60 miles an hour in just 4.5 seconds. The 354 horsepower hybrid goes almost as fast with a 5.0 second sprint, yet delivers better fuel economy — 25/33 mpg vs. 19/29 for the non-hybrid. The turbo engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and an AWD all-wheel-drive setup is available for slippery road folks, for about $3,000 extra.

The F Sport version, while not forsaking its luxury roots, is a credible performance sedan similar to an AMG S Class in the Mercedes world. It possesses better handling, responsiveness and agility than the non-F Sport LS.

Being a luxury car, the vehicle is festooned with luxury features. These include LED headlights, a passive entry system, power rear and side sunshades, power trunk opening and closing, active noise cancellation technology, air suspension that will provide both a smoother ride and more responsive handling, a massive heads-up display and the 360-degree surround view camera system which gives you a bird’s-eye view of what’s around you.

On the safety side, it offers adaptive cruise control, adaptive high beam headlamps that will automatically dim, pre-collision with pedestrian detection which will automatically stop the car if necessary, lane departure warning and lane keep assist to keep you in your lane, rear and front cross traffic alert, road sign recognition that projects on your heads-up display, lane trace assist and active steering assist.

The LS has a price, reliability and resale value advantage compared with German models, yet can still compete in a gadget-by-gadget comparison.

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