LEXUS' EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC
Never a fan of those new-fangled CVTs (continuously variable transmissions), which are quickly replacing traditional automatics, especially in smaller cars, the CVT in this LS600h L is different, and is called a "stepless dual-range CVT". Surprisingly, and rather unexpectedly, especially to anyone who has driven CVT-equipped cars before experiencing the tranny in this Lexus, it provides the kind of driver feedback, when using the gated shifter to emulate a manual transmission, which pleases the senses and actually "feels" as if it is "shifting" up-and-down, as the driver slaps the center tunnel-mounted shifter from "gear-to-gear". In automatic mode, this advanced CVT does not feel exactly like a traditional auto shifter, but closer to providing that familiar sensation than any other CVT currently on the market.