Living in luxury

When it comes to ultra luxury cars, it’s no wonder Consumer Reports magazine, the bible for many car buyers, named the 2005 Lexus LS430 top pick in its category. The sedan oozes style. Plus, it’s fast, powerful, and loaded with tech toys. While some gadgets complicate life, others, like the ones in this sedan, require no work at all. But keep in mind, the gizmos come at a hefty price – $93,500 for my tester, the sport package with navigation system. The Lexus LS430 comes with power everything. There’s so much technology, the car practically drives itself. My favourite feature is the laser cruise control. It’s an innovative safety device incorporated into the standard cruise control system. A laser monitors and regulates the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. So, if you are driving too close to the car ahead of you, it instantly slows down and maintains a safe distance between cars. The technology practically thinks for itself – it automatically applies the brakes, too, if it anticipates trouble ahead. If you’re sick and tired of searching for your keys in the bottomless pit of your purse, Lexus’ Smart Access system puts an end to all that frustration. The system allows you to enter and start the vehicle without the key. As long as the key is nearby, the car door will automatically unlock. You can even start the engine without inserting the key. I tried fooling the technology by locking the key inside the car. But it didn’t work – the doors won’t lock and an alarm sounds immediately if the key is left inside. Do you remember the original M45 from Nissan’s upscale Infiniti division? Probably not. It was introduced in North America as a 2003 model. And it wasn’t very impressive; actually, it was pretty dull and boring. But not anymore. For 2006, the Infiniti M series finally gets a much-needed makeover. And the new look is fresh, sporty, and stylish. Inside, the new M models are extremely comfortable, spacious, and luxurious. The wide-centre console houses a number of features. In the middle is a large DVD navigation system with Birdview. It includes all roads in Canada built within the last year . My favourite feature on the M is the intelligent key with push-button ignition. There’s no key to insert in the vehicle; just a button to start the engine. But I also love the rear-view camera attached to the back of the car. The camera transmits the images behind you onto a large screen in the centre of the dashboard. It’s a brilliant feature – extremely handy, especially when parallel parking. So, when you put the car in reverse and bac up, you can see every last detail. When it comes to safety and luxury, there’s the Volvo S80 AWD (all-wheel-drive) sedan. The exterior design is sleek and sporty; the interior is lavishly appointed with comfortable, leather, heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The dashboard is nicely laid out with gauges that are clear, large, and easy-to-read. The cabin is very spacious with plenty of legroom and headroom for all passengers. But if you need extra hauling capacity, the front passenger seat folds flat. Foldable 60/40 split rear seats also create more cargo space. Like all Volvos, the S80 is filled with safety features. Besides the superb all-wheel-drive system, the sedan is loaded with airbags, a whiplash protection seating system, and stability and traction control systems. The S80 is fast, smooth, and fun to drive – a nice package starting at $54,995.

Photo Credit: thecarconnection.com