Chris Brewer: Well done, Lexus; LS 460 F Sport delivers genuine quality, richness

Have you ever picked something up and immediately realized that it was well built and valuable? You may not know anything about the item, but there is an inherent perception of quality about it. The weight or balance; the quality of the materials; the precision of the construction - it just looks and feels expensive.

I have been playing the guitar since I was 12 years old and have a vast collection of stringed instruments. While I may not know the details of every brand and model, I have a good understanding of how a quality instrument should look and feel. More than simply looking for telltale signs, I can often identify a counterfeit copy of a brand name instrument by weight alone. It just doesn't feel right.

Over the years, I have acquired the same understanding of automobiles. While there may be too many makes and models to store every detail in my head, I can typically spot quality from across a crowded parking lot. The materials, fit, and finish are quick giveaways. The best-built vehicles, regardless of sticker price, look expensive.

Introduced in 1989, Lexus has a long history of building good-looking durable vehicles that deliver quality. Aimed squarely at the likes of BMW and Mercedes, the Japanese luxury division of Toyota garnered a strong reputation by overbuilding engines and chassis to the point that many of the early cars are still on the road today. What the newcomer would lack in history, the freshman carmaker would make up in quality and engineering.

Rarely has this sense of quality been more apparent than in the 2015 Lexus LS 460 F Sport.

The 2015 Lexus LS 460 F Sport is a beautiful car. The generously applied ultra-white paint, striking chrome accents, signature bold grille and 19-inch, 10-spoke, forged-alloy wheels join together to create an aesthetically pleasing and expensive-looking sedan.

The V-8 powerplant serves up a healthy 386 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque through a silky-smooth eight-speed sequential automatic transmission - enough power to send the full-size sedan from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

While there are faster sedans on the market, Lexus has proven its ability to build drivetrains that balance power and longevity.

The first time I sat behind the wheel of the 2015 Lexus LS 460 and took in the ergonomic controls, high-quality materials and meaningful implementation, I had the overwhelming feeling that I was home.

I know it sounds silly, but the overstuffed leather seat felt like a favorite chair and the F Sport steering wheel fit my hands perfectly. Driving the LS 460 to my favorite picture spot confirmed my initial assessment; Lexus has built a luxury car that feels expensive.

After a few days of driving around Jacksonville in the Lexus, my wife commented that "the LS 460 felt like riding around on a cloud that handled really well." Turns out she was spot-on with her assessment.

The F Sport edition literally rides around on air. Equipped with a variable-adaptive air-suspension system, the 4,233-pound sedan is at once a luxurious people mover and nimble sports sedan.

While the selectable drive modes are not as polarizing as those found in many purpose-built sport sedans, the comfort mode is hypnotically soothing and sport-plus adds enough grunt from the engine and exhaust and tightens up the suspension just enough to keep things lively.

One aspect of the 2015 Lexus LS 460 F Sport that is not cloudlike is the braking. Equipped with massive 14-inch two-piece brake rotors, four piston calipers up front and an overly boosted brake pedal that is anxious to please, the LS 460 stops aggressively, even under moderate breaking pressure. Even a few minutes behind the wheel is enough to learn that a gentle tap is all it takes to slow the full-size sedan down, although it is great to know that the LS 460 F Sport will not hesitate to comply in panic-stop situations.

I have grown to appreciate the recent rise in popularity of remote-touch interfaces for vehicle infotainment systems. While the high-resolution 12.3-inch screen would provide plenty of real estate for a touchscreen surface, the position would make accessing the screen difficult for many drivers. Having the arcade-video-game-like joystick available in the center console provides quick immediate control over thousands of functions while keeping the dashboard free of fingerprints. I may be in the minority on this one, but I would rather learn a complex remote system by heart than have to stare at greasy fingerprints all over my $85,000 car's touchscreen.

The optional Mark Levinson 19-speaker infotainment system sounds incredibly life-like and can easily overpower the full-size cabin with rich audio. The proprietary Lexus information apps and navigation are easy to use and add to the driving experience.

Gas mileage is what you would expect from a full-size sedan with a V-8 under the hood. The 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway will not win the LS 460 any environmental awards, but when you consider the comfortable seating for five large adults and the ample cargo space, the Lexus provides a decent mpg versus usefulness ratio.

The base 2015 LS 460 starts at $72,520. The F Sport comfort package adds $1,650 and the F Sport performance package tacks on $8,350. My review vehicle, including delivery, processing and handling fees, cost $85,525.

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