A NEW ATTITUDE
Lexus redefines its flagship LS500
SAN FRANCISCO » With the fifth generation of the Lexus LS large luxury sedan the company seeks to change the car’s image.
This is the flagship of the Lexus brand, and this new generation seeks to make it a better driving experience in addition to its other luxurious capabilities.
This is worth doing, as the premier luxury sedan segment sold 70,000 cars in the U.S. last year, so there is some healthy profit, as well as competition, in this segment. But the car has been seen increasingly as a “soft” car, one perhaps happy with driving comfortably to the Phoenix or Florida country clubs.
But times and tastes change, today even cars designed for women drivers, such as sports utes, should at least look macho. So, the LS gets a quite large version of the family front. I think it is a little too aggressive and imposing for a luxury sedan. To me it doesn’t really match the rest of the car either aesthetically or
functionally.
Overall the 2018 Lexus LS really has presence. It is good looking and quite sophisticated: both with what it does, as well as how it looks.
This generation looks both longer and lower in profile, helped by having a lower hood, and front wheels which are pushed forward. The body is aluminum, except for the roof, which is steel.
Lexus says the interior is designed to represent Japanese hospitality. One of the things they have done is to create armrests that feel very different, much like the armrest in first class airline are seats.
The instrument panel shows a lot of attention to both design and detail. I particularly liked that the heads-up display, which projects itself on the windshield, is interesting in that rather than seeing its information as a reflection in the glass, it appears to be floating three meters in front of you.
There is a four-zone climate control system with one zone for each place a passenger would probably sit. Seats are heated and cooled and clad in delightfully soft leather. The touchscreen on the dashboard is 12.3 in. across. It’s used to show not only navigation and temperature information, but what either the Pioneer or Mark Levinson audio systems are doing. The Mark Levinson system is 2900-watts of power being pushed through the cabin’s 23 speakers.
Underneath the body, the focus is clearly on impacting what their research calls the “Lexus is boring to drive” impression among some buyers. For that reason, this Lexus gets active steering and the F-Sport model is somewhat aggressive in its handling for a large luxury car. These are worthwhile goals, since the brand is targeting men in their late 50s with at least $200,000 in household income.
All of this begins with a much stiffer – and safer – body. Highstrength steel toughens the space around passengers and crush zones in the front and rear collapse to consume and redirect energy away from passengers. Electronic management of the powertrain and suspension also add safety and have been tweaked to add more fun to that equation.
Eschewing the V-8 which was the premier powerplant for this car for the first four generations, this new version sticks with six cylinders, although they produce effectively more power and performance that the V-8s.
The LS500 is powered by a new 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which produces 416 hp. and 442 lb.-ft. of peak torque. In this trim, fuel economy is 19 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway for the rear-wheel drive and 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for all-wheeldrive versions.
The LS 500h uses a the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine without the turbos and more fuel-efficient engine management software allowing it to generate 295 hp. When combined with the electric motor, the total power output is 354 hp. It’s fuel rating is 25 mpg city and 33 mpg on the highway. Both the gasoline and hybrid versions use a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The chassis is completely new, which lets the engineers and designers do a lot. The car also has the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system, which is one of the better suspension and handling integration packages
That suspension is a multilink both in front and in the rear. Both are newly designed for this new generation of the big sedan. There is an optional air suspension for more comfort, giving the car a softer ride. On the other side of that equation, there are also an optional active-stability system as well as a dynamic handling system, which improves the vehicle’s handling and agility when added to the F-Sport version.
The LS 500 comes with run-flat tires standard in both 19- and 20in. wheels and there are five different choices. The Lexus Safety System Plus series of active safety features is standard on this car
The models we drove were actually what are called “late prototypes. Despite that, I thought for a car that costs this much there was too much wind noise at highway speeds.
Another issue revolved around trim coming loose. Lexus gave us the option of being driven back to San Francisco instead of driving, so that we could “evaluate the riding experience.” During the drive the rear shelf came unattached and rattled. How were we supposed to concentrate on our fantasy that we deserved to be treated this way under those circumstances?
One presumes that these were one-off problems to be addressed prior to going into full production. But baring that, this Lexus certainly does earn its spot at the top of the Lexus food chain. Luxury cars are not allowed to have faults – they must be perceived as the best possible.
Because of that, what is perceived from the driver’s seat is really important. And that may be doubly so from the passenger seat. That perception of the car is half reality of what it is, and half the person’s emotional response.
Lexus is very good at managing both. The feel of the car is exceptional. It fits the bill for almost anyone who is able to shop for sedans in this category. Even the ultimate car guy – one who is going to end up buying a BMW – will clearly see and feel what makes this car what it is.