2018 Lexus LS 500 Road Test and Review

2018 Lexus LS 500 Dark Grey Front Quarter ・ Photo by Lexus

Flagship luxury sedans, like the 2018 Lexus LS 500, aren’t as popular as they used to be. The fancy full-size sedan market has taken a backseat to the popularity of fancy SUVs, and luxury auto brands have answered the call, creating sport utilities in a seemingly endless variety of sizes, seating capacities, and price points.

Lexus was way ahead of this curve. Its RX, now offered in both five and seven-passenger versions, has been a longtime sales leader in the luxury SUV market. Meanwhile, its largest luxury sedan, the LS, had fallen behind its German rivals. But Lexus is gunning for the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Audi A8 once again, and its all-new 2018 LS 500 is sexier and more fun-to-drive to drive than the Japanese brand’s previous efforts in this class.

$15,000 Less Than an S-Class

Value has always been an important part of the Lexus equation, and the new sixth-generation Lexus LS is priced aggressively, undercutting the starting prices of its rivals significantly. With a base price of $75,995, including $1,050 delivery fee, the 2018 LS 500 is nearly $10,000 less than a BMW 740i or an Audi A8 V6, and it’s about 15 grand less than a Mercedes S 450.

Lexus offers all-wheel drive for an additional $3,220, and buyers looking for a sportier look can choose the F Sport model, which costs $6,000. It adds aluminum trim to the interior, unique stitching to the seats, and “intricacy” to the sedan’s massive grille, increasing its count of individual surfaces from 5,000 to nearly 7,000. There’s also an available Performance Package on the F Sport that adds a Variable Gear Ratio Steering system, active rear steering, and an active stabilizer for improved handling.

Photo by Lexus

Very Well Equipped

Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, run-flat tires, LED headlamps, a massive 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a 12-speaker sound system, leather-trimmed seats, real wood interior trim, blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert, and onboard Wi-Fi. The LS 500 also comes with Drive Mode Select, a system that allows the driver to choose among six driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Custom, Normal, Sport, and Sport+. Each setting adjusts the layout and color of the sedan’s gauge cluster, retunes its throttle response, and adjusts the performance of its transmission. It also modifies the chassis tuning if the car is equipped with the optional adaptive variable air suspension.

Our rear-wheel drive test vehicle was loaded up with options, including the $17,000 Executive Package, 20-inch wheels, a 23-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, the air suspension, and additional safety systems, which drove its price up to $106,695.

Photo by Lexus

Quicker Than the Rest

Assembled in Japan, the 2018 LS 500 is the first Lexus powered by the brand’s all-new twin-turbo V6 engine, and it’s the second to get its new 10-speed automatic transmission. Although the engine isn’t as powerful as the 5.0-liter V8 used in Lexus’ LC 500 coupe, it's more refined and far more fuel-efficient. The two models share the same chassis, as well as many styling cues, so a version of the boosted V6 will surely make its way into the coupe shortly. We also hear there’s an even more powerful twin-turbo V8 on the way.

With 3.5 liters and 416 hp, the LS 500’s V6 is the largest and most powerful base engine in its class, offering 54 more horsepower than the S-Class, 81 more horsepower than the A8, and 96 hp more than the 7 Series. That additional power makes the new LS 500 the quickest car in this group, with a 0-60 mph time of just 4.6 seconds. That’s a full second quicker than the Audi, and over a half second quicker than the Mercedes.

Photo by Lexus

Comfortable, Sporty Interior

Sixty may be the new 40, but selling cars to retirees is not a long-term strategy. To entice younger buyers, those that are actually in their 40s, Lexus has completely reshaped the LS 500 inside and out. The new car is longer, lower, and wider, with a hunkered down stance and radical curves that muscularize its skin, and its imposing grille effectively intimidates left lane hogs on Southern California’s freeways. It’s fun to fill their mirrors with it and watch them move over.

Inside, you sit lower than before, which adds to the sedan’s sporty personality. There’s also supercar-like instrumentation, paddle shifters, and seats with more aggressive bolsters. Build quality is exceptional and the materials are rich. It feels upscale but there’s nothing traditional about the design. The dash wraps beautifully into the doors, which gives the cabin a cockpit feel, and the contrasting stitching on the seats, door panels, and dashboard is artistically interesting. Visibility is excellent, and the tilting and telescoping steering column and the driver's seat offer generous power adjustments. 

Photo by Lexus

Complicated In-Cabin Technology

Unfortunately, efforts to add excitement and remove clutter from the interior of the 2018 Lexus LS 500 have had unintended consequences, and the ergonomics have gotten a little complicated. The digital gauge cluster, which was inspired by the instruments in the Lexus LFA supercar, looks cool but packs too much information into a small space. It’s difficult to scan at a glance. Inexplicably, Lexus has also flanked the main cluster with two analog gauges so devoid of visual appeal they belong in a Toyota Corolla.

Another odd design choice is the interface for the sedan’s infotainment system, which Lexus calls Remote Touchpad. Although it’s easier to use than the brand’s previous systems, it’s still not as intuitive as it should be. Too many features are buried in a sea of menus and its large touchpad, which you manipulate with your fingertips, is too slow to respond to inputs. Lexus should just swallow its pride and switch the system to a large knob, an interface used by BMW, Mercedes, and Audi — or better yet, a touchscreen.

Photo by Lexus

Cool Tech and Comfort Features

Interface frustrations and ergonomic gaffes aside, the LS 500’s infotainment system features beautiful graphics and many cool functions. One of our favorites is called Destination Assist. Instead of using the touchpad to input an address into the sedan’s navigation system when driving, this feature places a call to an extremely polite “response center agent,” available 24/7, that will find the destination for you and upload it to the car. The process is quick and convenient and keeps you from being distracted from the road.

Impressive driver aids come stacked in the $3,000 Safety System+ package, which includes autonomous capability that enables the sedan to accelerate, brake, and steer itself. Its radar cruise control and active steering assistance are among the smoothest and most precise we’ve ever sampled. Also on the standout list are the LS 500’s massaging front seats, which are part of the optional Executive Package. There’s a list of massage types to choose from, and you can adjust its intensity. The package also includes heated and reclining rear seats with footrests, four-zone climate control, and power side window shades.

Photo by Lexus

Larger Trunk Than an S-Class

With 17 cubic feet of trunk volume, the 2018 Lexus LS 500 offers quite a bit more space for luggage than the Audi A8 and a bit more than the Mercedes-Benz S Class. The BMW 7 Series, however, is the class leader in this regard with 18.2 cubic feet for cargo.

Meanwhile, if cargo volume is your highest priority at this price point, check out the Porsche Panamera hatchback. It’s sportier than then the Lexus, but it also offers 17.6 cubic feet of trunk space, which expands to 47.3 cubic feet when you fold down its rear seat. With its more formal roofline, the Panamera Sport Turismo and the longer-wheelbase Panamera Executive models offer even more.

Photo by Lexus

Refined and Responsive

Since the first Lexus LS hit America in 1989, its luxurious ride and refinement have never been questioned. And this sedan’s extremely quiet interior has been considered a benchmark for its exceptional isolation characteristics. These qualities, however, have caused some to reject the LS, calling it boring and robotic.

But the new 2018 Lexus LS 500 strikes a better balance between luxury, comfort, and performance. In and around Los Angeles, our test vehicle kept us pampered and isolated from the outside world, but it never put us to sleep. The Lexus is smooth, comfortable, and quiet, and the adjustable air suspension perfectly soaks up potholes and other road irregularities, even in Sport and Sport+ Modes. It doesn't float down the road, body control is excellent, and it leans little in hard corners. The LS 500 feels solid and substantial, but never heavy or unresponsive. Its precise steering has just enough feel, and its weighting doesn’t demand too much effort. This Lexus isn't exactly a sports sedan, but it is sporty — especially in Sport and Sport+ Modes — and its handling ability will impress most drivers.

Photo by Lexus

Final Thoughts

We were also very impressed with the Lexus’ powertrain. The twin-turbo V6 is extremely smooth and makes plenty of power. The new 10-speed automatic is also well-tuned and well-geared. However, enthusiast drivers may find it to be more to their liking in Sport and Sport+ modes, in which it’s significantly more responsive.

Overall, this is absolutely the best LS ever. It retains the comfort, features, and luxury we all expect from Lexus, and expect from an expensive sedan in this class, but it performs much better than before and it’s more engaging to drive. If you’re looking for a full-size luxury sedan, the 2018 Lexus LS 500 is a desirable overall choice.

Photo by Lexus