You may have seen in the news of late that the Lexus LS has been withdrawn from sale in the UK. Or perhaps you haven’t; it was never the most exciting thing in the world, even by luxury car standards, and the current generation has been soldiering on for a good few years now. As evidenced by the sales; according to Autocar just 39 examples of the V6 hybrid have been sold here this decade (!), so it’s hard to begrudge Lexus pulling the plug. Particularly as the giant LM MPV is going better than expected, and with future legislation not looking favourable for large, grand cars with engines.
But even though the big Lex has faded away with a whisper - in some ways that’s kind of appropriate - its demise really represents the end of an era. For 35 years in the UK, the LS pioneered technology and offered up the sort of luxury and durability that showed up so many European rivals. All, typically, for less money as well. Perhaps they were never the most stylish or cool saloons, but the Lexus LS marked a real turning point; prior to 1990 there wasn’t a Japanese luxury saloon to rival the established elite, then Lexus provided a real contender at their very first attempt.
Indeed part of the LS’s problem after that groundbreaking first generation was that subsequent cars all felt a tad samey. Always quite conservatively styled, always with a familiar interior layout, keeping a naturally aspirated V8 for as long as possible. Great for repeat customers who probably enjoyed gentle evolution, though not brilliant, presumably, at creating excitement for conquest sales.
Plus there’s the simple fact that the LS was typically so good - dependable, reliable, sturdy - that many must have felt little need to upgrade. That definitely appears to have been the case here; it’s a 2010 LS600h - so a 5.0-litre V8 hybrid with batteries and motors, but no plug - that’s been with one owner from new. Not unheard of, perhaps, but the mileage is: there are more than 365,000 miles on the clock, believe it or not. Even by high mile club standards - even by Lexus standards - that’s a hearty total: an original LS with a mere quarter of a million isn’t even in the same ballpark.
And if a familiar refrain these days, the LS really doesn’t look that used. Of course there is some wear and a few scuffs inside, and there’s not a good pic of the seat bolsters, but all the switches remain clear, the screen isn’t damaged and the wood looks… well, almost as good as it would have 15 years ago, put it that way. Build quality isn’t really a sexy subject, and this won’t have been an alluring cabin new, but what staying power.
Outside, too, the LS looks like a car that’s done half the miles, if that; a little bit of kerbing on the wheels seems more than acceptable given this has driven as far as 56 years of the average UK annual mileage. At its most recent MOT, at 365,242 miles in November, it recorded not a single advisory. Seriously. Just as in 2023 and 2022, happily plodding along past 300,000 miles. In 2021 there were advisories for tyres, the first such notices since 2013; this went from 130,000 miles to more than 300,000 with flawless, first time MOTs. It has never failed one. There are well-built cars, then there are Lexuses.
Some credit must go to the owner as well, who has by and large kept on top of maintenance it seems and kept the car really nicely. Now they’ve moved it on there’s a chance for another driver to crack on towards half a million. The asking price is £7,490, and there must be some wiggle room there given the phone number on the odometer. Wonder where it might be in another 15 years…
1 / 5
