2019 Lexus LS 500 Road Test and Review

2019 Lexus LS 500 ・ Photo by Lexus

The 2019 Lexus LS is a large luxury sedan, and it is the flagship of the Lexus line, but it is also bucking a trend — the explosive growth of luxury crossover SUVs. For two decades there was no doubt that the largest sedan of any luxury brand would also be its flagship model. Now, though, the predominance of luxury SUVs have relegated sedans to also-ran status.

Still, Lexus has invested its LS 500 and LS 500h with immense amounts of new technology, making their traditional virtues of quiet, comfort and dependability that much more robust. The sedan was completely revamped for the 2018 model year, but for 2019, there are several significant enhancements. Most notable among those changes is the addition of Lexus Safety System 2.0 as standard equipment. LSS+ 2.0 offers additional safety to the driver and passengers. And while the LS adds technological capabilities, it also takes its emphasis on hand-craftsmanship to a new level.

Exterior

The 2019 Lexus LS doesn’t look like a big, stodgy Japanese luxury sedan, a design that previous generations of the LS pioneered. Instead, the admittedly big car has a sleek, bold, coupe-like design. Rather than trying to de-fang the signature Lexus "spindle grille," the LS designers doubled-down by surrounding it with massive lower air vents below sleek, slit-like headlights. The result is both expressive and attractive. From the rear, the LS is significantly less frenetic. It offers a contemporary look with appealing details like the exhaust surrounds.

Big wheels keep on turnin’ for the LS, too. It offers two 19-inch and three 20-inch wheel designs, including a set that employs an electroplating technique known as sputtering. In the we-think-of-everything department, most of the wheels feature a hollow rim structure that helps reduce resonant sounds generated by the tires. Because the new LS is lower than previous versions, Lexus built an “access function” into the available air suspension. Activated by unlocking the car with the smart key, it automatically raises the vehicle to make it easier to get into or out of. The LS also retains a good-sized trunk opening and nearly 17 cubic feet of space. 

Photo by Lexus

Interior

While some import luxury sedans take a conservative, international approach to their interiors, the Lexus LS embraces its Japanese origins. Its interior lighting takes its theme from Andon lanterns. That’s just one of several areas in which Lexus designers combined traditional Japanese aesthetics with advanced manufacturing techniques. On some versions, Kiriko glass ornamentation and door trim featuring hand-folded pleats illustrate the brand’s commitment to “Innovative elegance through Japanese craftsmanship.”

The 2019 LS 500 offers nine interior color schemes, plus two more for the performance-inspired F Sport. In addition, nine choices in interior trim are available, including the exclusive Naguri-style aluminum for the F Sport. Many sedans give the rear-seat passengers second-class accommodations, but not the LS. Acknowledging that many are chauffeur-driven, it bestows its rear-seat area with both heating and massage. In the Executive Package, the passenger-side seat can be reclined up to 48 degrees, an angle chosen for its precise level of comfort while the vehicle is in motion.

Photo by Lexus

Infotainment

The 2019 LS features standard Apple CarPlay that allows its occupants to use the same interface they see on their iPhones in the LS’s 12.3-inch dashboard display. The standard audio system has 12 speakers, an eight-channel 300-watt amplifier, and digital signal processing with Automatic Sound Levelizer. It offers HD radio, SiriusXM, and a single-disc CD/MP3/WMA player.

Integrated navigation is also included, and the home screen can be divided into three sections that are customizable for functions like heating and air conditioning, real-time traffic, and audio — a nice touch. The cache radio is an inventive feature enabling you to pause live AM, FM, and HD radio for up to 15 minutes. Each LS is also equipped with Lexus Enform Wi-Fi for a one-year trial period. For 2019, the Lexus Enform remote app offers compatibility with smartwatches and Alexa-enabled devices at home to make it easier to lock and unlock the doors, check the fuel level and start the car remotely. Voice activation plus Bluetooth and USB smartphone connectivity round out the Lexus LS’s infotainment offering.

Photo by Lexus

Powertrains

The Lexus LS offers both a conventional gasoline engine and a gas-electric hybrid powertrain. Both use variations of a 3.5-liter V6 engine designed specifically for the LS. With twin turbochargers, the LS 500’s engine offers 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. That is enough to launch the rear-wheel drive variant of the LS from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 4.6 seconds. The 10-speed automatic transmission uses a torque converter, which typically offers smoother shifts than a dual-clutch automatic, yet the shift times are comparable to those of many dual-clutch units. The driver can tailor powertrain response by choosing from Normal, Sport S, or Sport S+ modes. The available all-wheel-drive system features a Torsen limited-slip center differential to further enhance grip, traction and cornering stability.

The 2019 LS Hybrid combines a naturally aspirated Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine with two electric motor/generators that are powered by a compact, lightweight lithium-ion battery. Combined system output of the internal combustion engine with the electric traction system is 354 horsepower, and the powertrain gives the hybrid more than 600 miles of range.

Photo by Lexus

Driving Impressions

Yes, the Lexus LS is a substantial sedan, but it is far from a lumbering behemoth. Instead, from behind the wheel, it feels exceptionally composed. It is comfortable and quiet, yet it still offers very good handling characteristics. Further, as we’ve noted, its acceleration treads in territory where supercars used to live not that many years ago. The LS 500 launches with essentially no lag and very little noise from under the hood. The 10-speed automatic shifts promptly, and there is minimal shift-shock as it makes its way through the gears.

To offer refined ride quality, the LS offers an optional air suspension system as well as Adaptive Variable Suspension, which continually adjusts damping control in response to driving conditions.

Photo by Lexus

Safety/Driver Aids

Lexus is making a serious effort to become a leader in auto safety, so it is no surprise that the LS doesn’t skimp on available driver-assistance tech. Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management implements cooperative control of several vehicle subsystems, including antilock braking, traction control, stability control, variable-ratio steering, and dynamic rear steering. It is all designed to harness various ride motions.

The Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 is standard on the LS. It offers a pre-collision system with low-light pedestrian detection and daytime bicyclist detection, a lane-departure alert with steering assist, and all-speed adaptive cruise control. It also features intelligent high-beam assist, road sign assist, lane tracing assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system that points to the location of the poorly inflated tire. Complimentary for the first 10 years of ownership, Lexus Enform Safety Connect includes an emergency assistance button, roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, and stolen vehicle notification.

Photo by Lexus

Interior Space, Cargo, and Fuel Economy

The LS sedan’s wide and highly styled dashboard and control panel contribute to a feeling of luxurious spaciousness. The cabin offers an ample amount of passenger space for five adults, and head, shoulder, and legroom are more than generous. The LS has an EPA passenger volume of 99.4 cubic feet and 16.95 cubic feet of luggage space.

Depending upon equipment levels, the LS weighs just under or just over 5,000 pounds. Fuel economy for the rear-drive 3.5-liter V6-powered LS is 19 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. With all-wheel drive, fuel economy is 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway/21 mpg combined. The Lexus LS Hybrid version offers fuel economy of 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway/28 mpg combined.

Photo by Lexus

Trim Levels

The LS is offered in three different versions: LS 500, LS Hybrid, and LS F Sport. The LS 500 is designed for the typical luxury sedan buyer who favors comfort and quiet and unobtrusive handling. The LS Hybrid is designed for those who have an environmental bent. And the F Sport is designed to appeal to those who want sporty handling in a vehicle that looks and feels the part.

The F Sport offers exclusive 20-inch wheels and 245/45RF20 front and 275/40RF20 rear tires in either summer performance or all-season compounds. Larger front and rear brakes assure confident stopping power, and the available performance package on gasoline-powered F Sport models features the variable gear ratio steering system, active rear steering, and an active stabilizer. Inside, the F Sport features 28-way electric/pneumatic seats with cushion length-extenders that help brace occupants when driving through curves.

Photo by Lexus

Pricing and Value

The LS proves that while luxury crossovers continue to gain market share in the United States, the best luxury sedans offer more technology, features, and pure hedonism than ever. The LS is filled with both handcrafted features that echo its heritage and new-as-tomorrow safety and drive-assistance technology.

The rear-wheel drive 2019 Lexus LS 500 has an MSRP of $75,200, the LS 500 F Sport with rear-wheel drive starts at $81,200, and the all-wheel drive LS 500h hybrid begins at $82,930, plus a $1,025 destination charge. All these prices compare favorably to the large luxury sedan offerings from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lexus is also well-known for its exemplary customer service.

Photo by Lexus