Lexus LS 500 Luxury at What Price
Despite the sedan seeing declining sales, there is still a
huge market for four doors with a proper lower center of gravity and separate,
locked area for valuables in the trunk as opposed to a taller SUV or hatchback.
Long, sleek lines and superb luxury, this Manganese Luster LS 500 is an interesting
combination of features and amenities for an eye watering price of 108,490.
This elephant in the room was the price, being a surprise to
multiple passengers, with most guessing the $70-$80k range, and they were
mostly right, the base price is $75,450 before offering hybrid power, all-wheel
drive or F-sport features. The refinement for the driver and passengers is
quite wonderful because this model featured the $17,100 Executive Package which
offered a combination of front and rear passenger amenities. This included
quilted-stitched, perforated, semi-aniline leather seating and trim,
twenty-eight (not a typo, actually 28) way power driver’s seat with
multi-function massage, Ultrasuede headliner, power front seat buckles for
easier reach, heated rear seats that the left and right sides also power
recline with a matching padded leg rest/ottoman, four zone climate control with
a 7” touch screen controller for two rear passengers (it’s in the center
armrest) and power side window shades. More on the pricing later.
Powered by a smooth 3.5 liter twin turbo V-6, producing 416
horsepower and a nice torque figure of 442lbs ft starting at 1600rpm to 4800rpm.
The acceleration is brisk and Lexus claims a 4.6 0-60mph figure which gets it
done pretty well while commuting with a subtle growl from the engine. It’s combined with a 10 speed automatic
transmission that with throttle modulation software, it has an extremely smooth
and intuitive response starting from a stop. The feel and power modulation is
perfect for smooth starts from a stop. The shifts are imperceptible and makes
for a very pleasant driving experience when you’re just chillin’. At 75mph the
engine is turning about 1490rpm.
Featuring a 12.3” navigation display, it is configurable for
language, split screen for display, and the interface combined with Amazon
Alexa, offers many services including smart home access and of course,
monitoring your conversations for targeted advertising opportunities. Lexus
also offers Enform wi-fi in the vehicle, Enform Remote via smartphone or
smartwatch with Alexa or Google, and multiple apps for fuel prices, sports
scores, stocks, etc.
A huge 24” heads-up display shows audio selection, speed,
current gear and rpm. It also ties into the Pedestrian Alert and Cross-Traffic
Alert systems. One interesting safety feature is the 4-point hood pop-up system
in case of a pedestrian collision. How significant is this system? The latest
ZR1 Corvette could not be sold in Europe due to engine to hood clearance.
Raising the hood height changes every design aspect of the car, a system like
this could be a huge styling savior.
The touchpad is a clever alternative to a touchscreen, but
doesn’t have the precision placement of a dial, one reason why some don’t like
it. But it’s easier than a touchscreen due to the small size and higher visual
field. It also doesn’t show fingerprints on your visual display. It also worked
well with Apple CarPlay.
Switching the drive mode from Sport, Normal, Comfort, made
noticeable changes but with a 206” length and 4707 pounds, just how sporty are
you trying to get? But road noise, bumps, vibrations are minimal. The Sport
mode does provide a more aggressive mode, holding the gears longer but it’s
still a luxury sedan first. The isolation from the road really pacifies all
occupants. It offers a suite of safety and convenience features like lane
keeping assist, a clever road sign indicator on the dashboard display, pre-collision
warning, and adaptive cruise control. The adaptive headlights with the automatic
dimming work so quickly its possible someone observing might think you flashed
the brights as surroundings and lighting constantly change at night on busier
roads.
The Lexus front grill generates frequent commentary, but it
isn’t a detriment to its function, the LS 500 has a drag coefficient of .28.
The sophisticated powertrain and low drag contribute to its 19 mpg city rating
and 30 mpg highway rating. With a fuel tank capacity of 21.7 gallons, smooth
ride, quiet interior and a 23 speaker Mark Levinson sound system, it may be one
of the ultimate road-trip cars on the road.
The conflict is the pricing although the reliability is
approaching legendary. There’s a nice Lexus branding on the headlights and the
top of the rear bumper, but why are the calipers so plain vs. a gloss black
with distinguished lettering? Beautifully made and well crafted, its pricing is
comparable to the competitors, but one wonders if expectations for the $100k
mark are higher. Shouldn’t it have 550-600 horsepower for that much money? Maybe buyers
who spend that much on a sublime sedan who want big horsepower already have it sitting
in the garage.
