The thing about a car like the Lexus LS460 is that it is so complex and has so many features, it’s hard to know where to begin. So, let’s start with the price. The flagship of Lexus models in Canada, the LS460 has a base sticker price a hair under $83,000, and my tester, the Sport model, goes out the door for $94,550, before taxes and extras.

That’s a lot of coin. What are you getting for your money?

Well, for power, the LS460 has a 4.6 litre V8 engine that, in this configuration, delivers 380 horsepower and 367 foot-pounds of torque. It’s mated to an eight-speed automatic, and it’s unlikely you’ll find a smoother, more useable V8 drivetrain anywhere else in the industry. This is about as good as it gets; responsive, well-behaved, and almost completely silent. Technical highlights include four valves per cylinder, Toyota’ variable valve timing system, a high-pressure induction system for the intake manifold, and an electronic throttle control with an intelligence feature. This last item is essentially a gas pedal without direct mechanical linkage to the engine. In Lexus’ own words, it works this way: "The accelerator pedal position is sensed and relayed to the Engine Control Module (ECM). A small electronic motor then opens/closes the throttle as required." It also works in tandem with the transmission to find the best gear ratios and.

So far, at least, the LS460 is not one of the models affected by Toyota/Lexus’ massive sticky gas pedal recall. There is also an all-wheel-drive variant of the LS460, but it has slightly less horsepower and torque, and a long wheelbase hybrid version, that is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Speaking of which, the LS460 is good for 12.9 L/100 km in town and 8.2 on the highway. Given the fact that most typical owners of this vehicle are unaffected by the price of fuel, these numbers could be considered window dressing as much as anything else, but it’s good to know that a luxury sedan of this size and calibre is relatively easy on fuel, nonetheless.

And if you like automotive modcons and technological gew-gaws, the LS460 is definitely your cup of tea. Standard equipment for this model includes goodies like a heated steering wheel (excellent!), four-zone heating and ventilation, full leather interior that actually smells and feels like the real thing, automatically adjusting headlights, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a DVD navigation system, back-up camera, headlight washers, and on and on. It even comes with a first-aid kit. The LS460 is also the famed "self-parking" Lexus, but I never used this feature during my time with this car. I’ve experienced it before, and quite frankly, it takes too much time, is too fussy, and the thrill of holding up traffic while you fiddle around with the monitor and controls wears off pretty quickly. As far as I’m concerned, anyone that needs this feature should probably re-take their driver’s exam because they clearly don’t know how to parallel park. Interesting and fascinating technology for sure, but ultimately kind of silly. I’m willing to bet any sum of money that I can manually park this car faster than the park assist program.

Anyway, the Sport version also comes with extras that include upgraded Brembo disc brakes, sport tuned suspension, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for the transmission, and a cruise control that automatically keeps you from getting too close to the car in front....among other things. All in all, this package adds some $11,650 to the car’s base price and doesn’t really transform the car into a Sport sedan or anything like it. The LS460 is first and foremost a luxury saloon and I’m actually kind of perplexed by the Sport options package. What’s the point of it? If I want to rip up the pavement, I’ll buy a GS or something from Audi or BMW. At no time did I feel the urge to do any corner-carving with this car. That said, it’ll run you from 0 to 100 km/h in the six second range, which is definitely competitive.

One quibble: I found the styling of the LS460 to be a little on the chunky side. Compared to - oh - Mercedes’ S-class, for example, it looks heavy, massive, and kind of bloated. Japanese manufacturers continue to take second place to the Europeans when it comes to styling, in my opinion.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy my time with the LS460. In fact, I absolutely loved it. From the refined smell of genuine leather that greets you when you open the door, to the unbelievably comfortable front buckets, to the abundance of interior elbow room, to the almost limitless power available at the press of the pedal, to the surprisingly easy to understand controls....a pleasure to drive, from every angle. Aside from its stratospheric price tag, it’s pretty hard to find fault with this one.

AT A GLANCE

Type: Four-door prestige sedan

Base Price: $82,900; as tested: $94,550

Engine: 4.6 litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic w. manual shift mode

Drive: RWD

Horsepower/Torque: 380 hp @ 6400 rpm/ 367 foot-pounds @ 4100 rpm

Fuel Economy (L/100 km): 12.9 city; 8.2 hwy, premium gas.

Alternatives: Mercedes S-class, Audi A8, BMW 750i, Porsche Panamera, Infiniti M-series, Maserati Quattroporte.

Likes: Overall refinement, powertrain , interior layout.