…it certainly represents a passionate approach to automotive opulence
By: Mike Blake
The last of its generation, the 2006 Lexus LS 430 is a wonderfully luxurious incarnation of the vehicle that will undergo a freshening and redesign in 2007 and maybe even include a high-performance hybrid version.
The flagship of the Lexus fleet, the LS 430 looks, acts and feels the way a luxury car is supposed to quiet, refined, powerful and safe. And need we say, luxurious?
The Lexus credo is: "passionate pursuit of perfection." The LS 430 isn’t perfect, but in the 17th year of LS grandeur, it certainly represents a passionate approach to automotive opulence. This third-generation luxury sedan came out in 2001 as an elegantly hip, roomy, techno-current four-wheeled mansion. Three years later, a mid-cycle "freshening" added more techno-advances, more power and the most cutting-edge safety systems available.
The first Lexus to incorporate a pre-collision system, the LS 430 employs radar and computerized intelligence to determine if a crash is impending. If the system detects such a scenario, it retracts seat belts, while it readies the braking system to apply additional power to the disks.
That’s just the beginning of the LS 430’s dedication to safety. Standard systems include eight airbags: dual front airbags; front seat-mounted side impact airbags; front and rear curtain airbags and front knee airbags. Also on board are such no-extra-charge safety-related items as a supplemental restraining system, vehicle stability control, active traction control, dynamic auto leveling, four-wheel power-assisted ventilated anti-lock disc brakes, energy managing crumple zones, side-impact door beams, theft-deterrent system with engine immobilizer, tire pressure monitor, rain-sensing variable intermittent wipers with mist cycle, water repellent front door glass, a tool kit and first aid kit.
Priced at a robust $71,604 to weed out the riff-raff, the ’06 LS 430 is more than simply a safe car it is one built to aggressively take to the highways with all the comforts of a home in the exclusive part of town.
The 430 in this LS’ name refers to the 4.3-liter V-8 powerplant under hood. The 3,990-pound rear-wheel-drive vehicle is propelled by some 278 horses and a hardy 312 pounds/feet of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a manumatic steering, the continuously variable valve timing with intelligence operation gets you better performance and fuel consumption by shutting down valves that are not needed during driving. It works well enough to earn an EPA rating of 18 mpg/city and 25 mpg/highway. During my weeklong jaunts around town and around the state of Pennsylvania, I got about 24 mpg on 91-octane fuel.
With the system at hand, or at foot, finesse is rewarded, as gently increasing pressure provides the best engine response. A mash down on the pedal gives birth to a slight hesitation. An attempt to burn rubber is met with distaste from this luxury sedan, and reveals a torque curve better suited for higher ranges. Once the engine kicks it up a notch, you get to enjoy a very quiet, very muscular powerplant that accelerates very briskly throughout the mid and upper breadths. This allowed me to get from zero-to-60 mph in about 6.5 seconds, on my way to a 15-second quarter-mile in my Mercury metallic test vehicle.
With power to spare, the Lexus also attends to the ride. With a cushiony, four-wheel independent double wishbone suspension, speed sensing power rack-and-pinion steering, 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/55R17 H-rated tires, driving the LS 430 is a comfort-lovers ride. This car was meant to be driven, and drivers and passengers can enjoy a smooth experience even on twisty turns and uneven roads. And offering one of the quietest rides of the year, you can cruise the highways and tool around town with pride.
If it has any failings, one might be that the exterior architecture is uninspired. But with such a high-end product, one might expect a less-than-ostentatious outward appearance.
What it may lack on the outside, it more than makes up for in the lavish cabin.
Luxury and convenience features include a Semi-Aniline leather trimmed interior, genuine wood trim, wood and leather steering wheel and shift knob with audio controls on the wheel, power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, dual-zone climate control with interior air filter and smog sensor, recirculation mode, compass and exterior temperature gauge, Mark Levinson Audio/Navigation system with backup camera, voice command and Bluetooth, all tied into the Lexus 7-speaker, 178-watt, premium audio system with AM/FM/Cassette, 6-disc in-dash CD changer and automatic sound levelizer.
Also onboard to make your voyages plush are dynamic laser cruise control, air suspension, manual rear door sunshades, automatic rear-window sunshade, intuitive parking assist, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, rear air conditioner with air purifier, headlamp washer, rear seat swivel-type reading lamps, front and rear lighted vanity mirror, Lexus memory system encompassing the driver’s seat, steering wheel, shoulder belt, outside mirrors and a power tilt one-touch moonroof.
The 2006 Lexus LS 430, it’s the way a luxury car is supposed to be.
Visit www.carsatcarlisle.com for more on the automotive hobby. Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He’s been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

