There are a lot of great minivans on the market. They take up much less room than the three-row SUVs that Americans like, and their lower ride height tends to make them more fun to drive and make it easier to get in and out. Think about how much more space there would be if just two royal seats replaced the second and third rows of a minivan. If you go to Asia, where places like South Korea, China, and Japan use cars as executive shuttles, you won’t have to make anything up. During a Lexus-sponsored event at Fuji Speedway, we took a short step up into the back seat of the LM, which stands for “luxury mover,” Lexus’s new top-of-the-line van. The people in the back seats are, without a doubt, the castle’s kings, who have access to many powers. A glass barrier between the front and back can be turned on and off and made invisible with the push of a button. Right below that is a giant 48-inch screen that takes up most of the width of the chamber. When two people want to see different things, the display can be split in two, showing what’s on the other side. In front of the people in the back seats is a refrigerator, and the sides have tray tables. Most of the features are powered, like the side shades, the different shades for each side of the sunroof, and the seat changes. For the first time, the armrests and leg rests are heated, and an infrared monitor checks the temperature of the passengers in four different places to adjust the temperature of the HVAC system and the heating and cooling of the seats. Even though the LM is several inches higher than U.S. minivans, it is shorter and has a shorter wheelbase than, say a Honda Odyssey. Even when the seat is pulled back, and the leg rest is extended, this tall, six-foot-five CEO wannabe has enough room to fully stretch his legs, which is impossible in even the most stretched-out Mercedes S-class cars. The 23-speaker Mark Levinson sound system makes the music sound better, and the leather and fur upholstery in the back is very well done. There is also a new option called “Rear Comfort,” which is meant to make the boss in the back happy by slowing down the throttle reaction, moving the brakes farther back, and softening the dampers. From the driver’s seat, the LM looks more significant than it is because of its steeply angled windshield, which leaves about three feet of room between the dashboard and the glass. For example, the LM350h has a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-4 engine with a well-known planetary hybrid system that makes a continuously variable transmission (CVT), like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. It can have either front-wheel drive or drive on all four wheels. The LM500h only comes with all-wheel drive and has the same 2.4-liter turbocharged engine and six-speed transmission as the RX500h. The LM’s third row could be chosen by customers who want to be able to move their seats around more. Even though the LM500h has more power, it feels like it could be faster and has a nice ride. Prices for the LM start at about $200,000 in China, where it is already on sale. On the other hand, this high price is unique to the Chinese market. Fees for the Toyota Alphard range from $36,500 to $60,000. In Japan, the Lexus LM will be offered along with the Toyota Alphard for the first time. However, the United States has a slight chance of getting it because more people need to learn how valuable the car can be.
