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First, the question asked by most people who recognized the 2007 Lexus LS460L when I pulled into a parking space: “Will that thing really park itself?”

The answer: yes and no.

In fact, after doing all the electronic adjustments that must be made from inside the car, I decided that if you can learn to operate the system, you should be able to learn to parallel park on your own. The car’s automatic parking feature involved stopping ahead of the car I wanted to park behind, picking a parking mode, setting arrows to determine parking position, and letting the car back up and steer while I was on top of the brake. Nifty idea that ought to die a quick death.

But the car itself? Superb, as are all things Lexus.

In fact, the company’s luxury cars often are priced $10,000 to $30,000 below what some competitors charge, and with equal appointments and luxury.

With the long version of the LS460 we tested, we’re talking about as much as you can spend on a Lexus — about $10,000 above the $71,000 base price. Not chump change, but some other makers price similar-quality cars at more than $100,000.

The Lexus has a 4.6-liter, 380-horsepower, V-8 engine. Power is transferred through a speed sequential automatic transmission that whispers, “Leave the shifting to me, you’ll never know I am here.” And it’s true.

You can set the car to drive in an aggressive power mode, or in a safe snow mode. And you ride in absolute quiet — no engine whine, no wind whistling — surrounded by air bags that would make the Michelin man look under inflated: front, front side, driver and passenger front knee, front and rear side curtain.

Add standard electronic braking, brake assist, traction control, and stability control, and it adds up to a vehicle that is far less likely to let you crash. And if you do, you probably won’t die.

At some point when driving uber-luxury cars such as this, the package can overwhelm. So just go back to “basics,” such as they are.

Standard fare here includes leather seating with memory for seats, steering wheel, and outside mirrors. The front seats can send cool air to hot bottoms. Heated seats are a given, fore and aft.

The steering wheel is heated, the 10-speaker sound system offers high fidelity, a voice-activated navigation system (backup camera included) features details down to the dead-end roads on the New Hampshire peninsula where I live, and Bluetooth technology connects my phone to the Internet.

The test car featured a luxury package that adds a cold-air option to the rear seats, extra leather appointments, rear seat side airbags (why these aren’t in the standard package, I can’t guess), four-zone air-conditioning with air purifier, an upgraded Mark Levinson DVD/CD changer and 19 speakers (sure beats having only 10), and the parallel-parking package.

Granted, we are a long way from the Chevrolet Aveo I tested and liked a few weeks back.

Performance-wise, even with 380 horsepower, the Lexus provides a basically stable, solid ride. In contrast to the Mercedes-Benz S550 I’ve been in since, the LS460L will not blow off anyone’s socks.

Consider its roots, though. Toyota builds Lexus, and Toyota appeals to consumers who want to get from here to there reliably and economically. With the LS460L, those basic needs are met.

But sometimes it’s nice to spend money on subtle luxury, too