2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Reviews, Pictures and Prices

Based on analysis of 20 Gallardo reviews and test drives.

MSRP: $198,000 - $198,000

Invoice: NA

MPG: 12 City / 20 Hwy

U.S.News Scores

Overall:	9.1
Performance:	8.9
Exterior:	9.3
Interior:	8.3
Safety:	NA
Reliability:	NA

Research we analyzed for this review

Pros and Cons

Blasts from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds
Restyled, aggressive exterior design
Comfortable, supportive seats
Audi-style ergonomics and finish

Bias torque distribution to rear wheels hampers AWD benefits
Hard to enter/exit low-slung cabin
Fussy multi-media interface

Prices

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Lamborghini Gallardo - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo ranks 3 out of 8 Exotic Sports Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 20 published reviews and test drives of the Lamborghini Gallardo, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The Lamborghini Gallardo is lust on wheels -- combining sexy, look-at-me styling with mind-numbing performance capabilities.

For 2009, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 undergoes a series of changes that lead Automobile Magazine to describe it as lying "between a 'face-lift' and an 'all new car." To start with, its new acronym -- LP560-4 -- stands for its engine's position (Longitudinale Posteriore, or longitudinally-mid mounted), horsepower output (560), and standard four-wheel drivetrain. Add to that a more powerful engine, reworked E-gear transmission, lighter weight, refreshed sheet metal, and reconfigured interior ergonomics and its easy to see why some describe the 2009 Gallardo as an entirely new car.

Overall, critics are pleased with the changes -- reporting that it enhances this already menacing vehicle's aggressiveness and functionality. Still if you're in the market for an exotic sports car, also consider the Aston Martin DB9. It looks more elegant than aggressive, but still packs a mean punch with its 470-horsepower V12 engine. The Gallardo is more powerful, but the DB9 is a magnificent handler and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis.

Though the Gallardo's Superleggera trim has been dropped, reviewers expect a LP560-4 Spyder (convertible) to hit the market in late-2009.

"With rakish good looks, an Audi-inspired interior and a wailing 10-cylinder engine, the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 is the stuff that automotive dreams are made of." -- Edmunds
"Lamborghinis have always been rare, fast, and exciting. But they haven't always been good cars. The new Gallardo LP560-4 -- and, to a large extent, its acronym-free Gallardo predecessor -- is a very good car, however, pretty much any way you slice it. Well built, well equipped, and generally reliable, the Gallardo is a car one can actually drive each and every day." -- Car and Driver
"For now we are content to celebrate Lamborghini's decision to build a truly hard-core exotic and give Ferrari something to worry about, aside from the pretty lime-green paint." -- Road and Track
"A sleek machine and newest member to the Gallardo (pronounced guy-ar-doe) family, it does something to you. Maybe it's an escape, a fantasy, or just the only opportunity to drive an Italian work of art." -- Detroit News

Gallardo Performance - 8.9 (Very Good)

Test drivers report that the '09 Gallardo is lightening fast and holds its own with other exotics. "Inside the low-roofed cabin, the LP560-4's attempt to violate Newton's second law is a comprehensive assault on the senses," writes Motor Trend. "Getting kicked in the ass a split second before being shot from a cannon is probably the closest approximation. The only thing missing is the taste of cordite upon the lips." Read More

Gallardo Exterior - 9.3 (Excellent)

Critics are in love with the Gallardo's heart-pounding design. "There's nothing subtle about this car," writes the Detroit News. "It draws constant stares. Pedestrians gawk. Traffic stops. This car is an obscenity in all of the right ways." For 2009, the Gallardo receives a makeover that leaves auto writers pleased. Read More

Gallardo Interior - 8.3 (Very Good)

Despite being hard to enter and exist, the Gallardo provides comfortable seating and superb fit and finish. In fact, Edmunds writes, "Gallardo owners will ... be tickled by how tractable and ergonomically sound this full-on exotic can be during daily use." Still, drivers planning on vacationing in the Gallardo may need to buy their luggage from Lamborghini. Read More

Gallardo Safety - NA

The '09 Gallardo hasn't been crash tested by the federal government or insurance industry, but features such safety technology as four-wheel-drive and front and side airbags. Read More