If you think a car that costs over $80,000 should attract a little attention, you might be disappointed with the Lexus LS 430. Conservatively styled, the ultimate luxury sedan from Toyota’s luxury division simply blends into the background.

I drove the 2002 Lexus LS 430 for the better part of three weeks and got fewer looks from passing pedestrians and motorists than I received in a week behind the wheel of the Lexus’ distant relative, the Toyota Corolla S. If being seen is an important consideration in buying a car, then consider the new Corolla and save yourself $60,000 and change.

But the looks… That lingering sideways glance from the driver of a Lincoln Navigator, now that was a quality look. And the thumbs up gesture from a chauffeur driving a Mercedes-Benz S Class sedan was an event worth remembering.

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Just as it requires an experienced pallet to appreciate fine cognac, it is a knowledgeable eye that recognizes the LS 430 as one of the world’s great automobiles.

The Lexus LS 430 is not a car designed for those who have a need to be noticed. It is a vehicle for people who want one of the best automobiles money can buy and don’t give a darn what the rest of the world thinks.

It is a car for people who want world-class luxury, handling and safety and are willing to pay the price of a small house to get it. But it is also a car for people who understand the value of a dollar and want the most a vehicle can offer at a competitive price.

Starting prices for competitors in this class begin at $86,500 for the Audi A8 4.2 Quattro, $95,350 for the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz S430 and $95,700 for the BMW 745i.

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Whether or not the LS, once billed as the value alternative to the German luxury sedans, is in fact still a bargain will require a careful feature for feature comparison. But it can be said with certainty, that the Lexus re-defines the meaning of ‘loaded.’

The term refers to a vehicle equipped with all available options – things like power seats and windows, leather upholstery and automatic climate control. But in the Lexus LS 430 a power driver’s seat is 14-way adjustable. Even the seat belt height adjusters motor up and down. And there are three memory settings to accommodate different drivers. With the Ultra Premium Package, front seats are not only heated, but air conditioned as well and can be set at any temperature the occupant desires.

Driver aids The ‘full load’ doesn’t end with luxury comfort and convenience, and world-class handling and power. This Lexus is also loaded with active safety technology that makes it one of the safest cars on the planet. Here’s a sample of a few driver aids. * Speed sensitive progressive rate power steering provides the right amount of power assist to remain rock steady on the freeway or to effortlessly turn into a tight parking spot. * Sonar assisted parking means you will never worry about touching another object or vehicle in any direction around the car. * Four-channel, 4-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) help maintain steering control during urgent stops, and the brake assist system monitors and adjusts braking force to reduce stopping distances in emergencies. * Vehicle skid control (VSC) helps maintain stability when the roads are unfriendly by detecting and helping to correct for understeer and oversteer. The VSC system integrates traction control to help limit rear wheel spin when the going gets slippery. * High intensity discharge headlamps – three times as bright as conventional lights – flood the road ahead on even the darkest night. Auto leveling sensors detect vehicle posture and automatically correct headlight aim. * Front door glass is water-repellant improving visibility to the side. Optional laminated door glass prevents shards of glass from showering passengers in an impact. Passive safety features include dual front supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbags with 2-stage deployment and occupant sensors in both seats, front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain shield airbags, front and rear outboard seat belt pretensioner and force limiter system and three point lap and shoulder belt in all seating positions.

Power windows are auto up and down in every position. The wood and leather steering wheel telescopes and tilts at the press of a button, moves out of the way when the car is turned off and returns to its position when the key is placed in the ignition.

A myriad of thoughtful elements make the Lexus environment a refined and reassuring space, things like optional auto-closing doors, auto-latching trunk lid, side mirror lamps that light up the ground, under dash lights that illuminate the foot wells and courtesy lighting for every button, switch or knob. Even the seat belt buckles are lit.

Side mirrors tilt down slightly when the car is put in reverse to show where the rear wheels are going. All mirrors are monochromic – they dim when illuminated in the lights of a following car and side mirrors are water repellant.

The climate controls are dual zone of course, but airflow direction is automatically controlled based on sunlight and exterior and interior temperatures. On a hot day, initial cool air is directed to the driver, unless the passenger seat is occupied, then it is distributed evenly. A smog sensor will automatically switch the source of air from outside to inside. Air is filtered and deodorized. And when combined with the GPS navigation system, climate controls are integrated in the touch sensitive screen mounted between driver and passenger. But set the temperature on screen or with the redundant switches to either side and you’ll never touch the climate controls again.

This is the ultimate objective of Lexus convenience. Set a control and forget about it. You will never need to touch it again. Even the windshield wipers, which are rain sensitive, can be left in the ‘auto’ position and never need to be adjusted. The system works that well.

Redundancy is another feature of Lexus convenience. Frequently adjusted controls, like the audio system, can be operated from the touch screen, from the traditional dash mounted controls, from steering wheel controls, or by voice.

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Yes, a Lexus equipped with the GPS has voice-activated navigation and audio controls. Click a steering wheel mounted button and bark your command: “Home!” and the navigation system configures your pre-set home and begins guidance to get you there. “FM!” – the audio system switches to FM radio.

But technology, even Lexus technology, has its limits. You need to learn the correct commands or be misunderstood. For example, the word “Lexus” will show you all the nearest Mexican restaurants. Still it is a marvelous system that will allow you to not only locate a nearby eatery, but one that fits your taste for lunch.

After a short learning curve (an entire manual is devoted to the navigation system), operation of the DVD-based navigation system is relatively easy and intuitive. But there are a few oddities. You can select your language preference, but street names appearing on the Ottawa area maps appear in either English or French — like Innes Rue or Valin Way — quite illogically and randomly.

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The system lets you choose the preferred route, from quickest or shortest and will let you omit unwelcome roads like freeways or undesirable urban areas. ‘Quick’ and ’short’ didn’t always translate into ‘best’, but the system always took me to within a few feet of my destination.

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One of those option packages — the LS 430 Ultra Premium Package — includes power reclining rear seats with massage. Yup, after a hard day at the office, you can let Jeeves take you home while you relax in the back in your vibrating recliner. Reach into the cool box between the seats for something wet, pull down the side window privacy shades, lower the power rear window shade, and let Mark Levinson and Tony Bennett soothe you into blissful peace. The 240-watt, nine-speaker Mark Levinson system has got to be the clearest factory-built in-car audio system ever built.

The Ultra Premium Package also includes adaptive laser cruise control, which allows you to follow another vehicle at a set distance. It is handy when leisurely traveling two lane roads, but of limited use on a freeway when frequent passing is required. Adaptive mode is the default however and over-riding it requires holding the ‘cruise on’ button for a few seconds.

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The $12,700 Ultra Premium Package is more than just a fancy back seat, high-end audio and high-tech cruise. When Jeeves takes a day off, you can take your car for a spin in the country and enjoy the driving with upgraded 225/55 R17 performance summer tires on 17″ chrome wheels and adjustable air suspension.

And what a suspension. Left to its own devices, the electronically operated air suspension modulates the ride for maximum smoothness, keeping the vehicle at a constant height even with a full load of passengers inside. At highway speeds, the suspension automatically lowers to reduce aerodynamic drag. But when the road gets rough – not that you’d notice – the driver can raise the vehicle at the flick of a switch.

Ride comfort is unparalleled. I drove the LS 430 through deep potholes and over mountainous frost heaves on the road between Montebello and Mont Tremblant and was amazed at how well the Lexus softened the impact of a road that would have rattled my fillings loose in any lesser vehicle.

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But it doesn’t cushion reality like some sixties road barge, soaking up bumps like a wet sponge. You still feel the imperfections of the road; they just don’t interfere with your comfort.

Because the Lexus is so composed, so solid-feeling over rough and twisting roads, you never realize just how well it handles. It is effortless and deceptive. You think you are just cruising along, until you look down at the speedometer. The risk, of course, is that the incautious driver could get in over their head, but a full load of active safety technology (see sidebar) awaits to unobtrusively keep them on track.

The LS 430 is loaded with technology, but for the most part, the driver is blissfully unaware of it. A good example is the “torque activated” powertrain control which governs the electronic throttle. The system analyses vehicle speed , engine load and accelerator position to ensure adequate torque is always available and unnecessary downshifts are avoided. The system evens out the engine torque curve for smoother acceleration and automatically adjusts to provide just the right amount of engine torque under all driving conditions.

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Speaking of torque, the LS 430 is also sport-sedan quick. Lexus estimates 6.3 seconds from 0 -100 km/h. The 4.3 litre V-8 puts out 290 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, more than enough oomph to effortlessly propel the 1795 kg (3957 lb) Lexus along the freeway and ensure you will never be embarrassed at any stop light.

It is unlikely the typical LS 430 driver would stoop to such theatrics. The LS 430, after all, is not a show boat.

It is also not perfect. The chrome wheels look tacky on a vehicle so conservatively conceived. The vanity mirror lights are blinding at night. And the vibrating rear seats, when both are operational, create a sonic conflict that is both noisy and disconcerting.

But when those seats are silent, the Lexus LS 430 is a tranquil, smooth running, soul soothing escape from the potholes and road rage of daily driving.