Lexus LM 350h MPV (2023 - ) review

SUVs and crossovers remain the default choice for most families but the stylish and endlessly practical VW Multivan proves people will still pay serious money for a premium people carrier or MPV, something Lexus clearly sees as an opportunity given the established following it has for such cars in markets like its Japanese homeland. Enter the LM, picking up where the most expensive Multivan you could buy leaves off and introducing the idea of a truly luxurious MPV to a whole new audience. That could be families or business users with the more conventional six-seat version, or high-rollers attracted to the six-figure opulence of the top of the range Takumi model with its separate rear cabin and two reclining armchairs. That might seem a lot to spend on a people carrier, until you start comparing it with the likes of the ultra-premium limos or SUVs the target audience may also be considering, an extended wheelbase Bentley Bentayga easily costing double what you’d spend on even the top-spec LM. In terms of running costs, meanwhile, the hybrid system is proven tech used across the Lexus and Toyota ranges, though the lack of a full plug-in version may limit appeal for city drivers wanting meaningful electric-only range.

The reliability tables don’t necessarily tell the whole story here, though Lexus and its Toyota parent brand both share a reputation for rigorous engineering and the hybrid system is well proven for its reliability. Anecdotally Lexus goes above and beyond in its customer service as well, owners telling us they appreciate the level of attention they get from dealers. Build quality also seems typically strong, though a malfunctioning rear sunblind on our test car was an uncharacteristic wobble.

Like all Lexus models there’s a lot of tech geared towards keeping you calm and comfortable at the wheel, with the usual range of driver assist systems to hold you in your lane, automatically maintain a fixed distance to the car in front while on cruise control and brake automatically if you fail to respond to a hazard in your path. Credit to Lexus, there are no hidden upgrades required and all trim levels come with all the kit as standard, including automated lane changes and alerts for crossing traffic. Oh, and while the idea of stretching out for a snooze on the fully-flat, bed-like rear seats may appeal Lexus’s official guidance is you should only consider doing this when the LM is stationary on the basis you need to be upright for the seatbelts to do their job. Spoilsports!

The Lexus LM flips the conventional comfort pecking order on its head, on the basis the driver and front-seat passenger play second fiddle to those in the back. All things relative, of course. This is still a Lexus, and the front seats strike a fine balance between squishy comfort and supportive firmness, with an easy, car-like driving position and decent forward visibility around the double front windscreen pillars. Lexus meanwhile reckons the regular LM is a seven-seater, with two giant reclining armchairs in the middle and a third row behind you can flip up and stow for more luggage space as required. All slide back and forth to configure the space to your needs but the middle position in the cheap seats at the back really isn’t viable given you’re straddling the split between the two outer ones. Sorry Lexus, we’re calling it a six-seater on that basis. With that caveat while it’s possibly a bit posh to serve as a family bus there’s more space than an SUV and the two middle row seats really are exceptionally comfy. They are merely business class compared with the first-class accommodation on the top-level Takumi trim, though. The fact there’s a physical partition between the front and rear cabins says a lot about the intended use, and most owners will be paying someone to be doing their driving for them while they chill out in the back. Depending on the situation you can drop the glass partition to talk to Jeeves up front as required, or raise it and turn it opaque at the touch of a button for complete privacy. Each seat gets its own smartphone-style controller, from which you can adjust your position, tweak ventilation, open or close the blinds, control the infotainment or even dial up one of five different massage programmes. All of which are fabulous. Refinement is brilliant as well, with a specific ‘Comfort Rear’ mode you’ll be asking your driver to use for the ultimate in smoothness for suspension and braking, active noise cancelling and incredibly sophisticated climate control for complete comfort. The air purification system even permeates the cabin with microscopic water droplets to help keep your skin hydrated!

In the unlikely event you choose to take the wheel of the LM yourself you’ll appreciate the large central screen, its touch operation much easier than the fiddly mousepad Lexus used previously. Annoying there’s no physical ‘home’ button to quickly switch out of CarPlay or Android Auto if you need to interact with the car’s systems, though. On the six-seat version a 14-inch screen folds down out of the roof to keep those in the back entertained, though it can’t match the equivalent one on the BMW 7 Series or the gigantic 48-inch monitor that stretches the full width of the partition on the Takumi model. Our limited time with the car meant we weren’t able to fully get our heads around its many features, but it seems frustrating there isn’t a separate CarPlay or Android Auto ‘environment’ in the rear cabin, and if a phone is paired you have to operate via the system in the front. You have control over volume and track skipping but, really, with the partition closed you should have fully independent control over what you’re watching or listening to while the driver can navigate via their own phone up front. You can plug in a laptop, games console or other device via HDMI, USB or wirelessly on Miracast if you want, but you’ll probably want a tech-savvy helper to get it all set up in the first place. Once that’s done, though, you can enjoy full-screen entertainment, split screen with separate outputs if you and your fellow passenger want to watch different things or even take your virtual meetings on the move via the digital conferencing system of your choosing. A worthy shout-out to the fancy Mark Levinson stereos on all models as well, the Takumi one slightly more sophisticated but both packages a cut above the average.

The target audience for the LM will probably have little or no interest in what’s under the bonnet so long as it gets them where they want to be as effortlessly and quietly as possible. But, for the record, you can have your LM with a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the former a little easier on fuel and emissions even if the stated power outputs are the same. The hybrid system means long-haul travel without time consuming charging stops is a given, and the petrol engine is smoother than the diesels powering van-derived alternatives like the majority of Mercedes V-Classes. It can get a little noisy under hard acceleration, the type of automatic gearbox used also meaning revs rise and fall with seemingly little relation to forward progress. This is only really noticeable to those up front, though. And in the back it’s all peace and tranquillity.