Lexus Rep Talks about Driving the 2018 Lexus LS500

The ClubLexus community shares its questions and concerns with the 2018 LS500.

This discussion on the 2018 Lexus LS500 was started by a Lexus Dealership Representative from Indiana, who had recently completed the company program with the sleek, new sedan. He offered some insight on the car and opened the floor for questions and to those who wanted to voice their opinions on what they do and don’t like about the new LS500.

The Introduction

Back in November, a ClubLexus user named “INLexusRep” started his thread on the 2018 Lexus LS500. He explained his time with the new car and included the pictures shown here of the premium sedan.

Just completed my Launch tour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and this car is PHENOMENAL. We compared side by side as well as drove the MB S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, and Tesla. The Lexus LS500 blows all of these vehicles away. The interior & exterior fit/finish is absolutely stunning. The wood, floating door handles, safety features (Lexus Safety System Plus – A), the beautiful grill are all AMAZING. Seating is incredibly comfortable in all packages. I prefer the non F-Sport as far as looks go. The front grill draws you in. This 5th generation LS is AWESOME!!

Two exclamation points and typing in caps? You know that he was serious.

Question on Noise Levels

“Dave144239” was the first person to ask a question about the 2018 Lexus LS500:

How do you find interior noise levels compared to the 460? I believe they are using active noise cancellation in the 500, so it may be quieter.

The OP replied with this:

It’s a quiet ride, hard to tell if it is anymore quiet. I was on the track majority of the time which is a very smooth surface. I was not able to drive it out in town. I will say it feels nothing like the 460 inside. It drives very much like the LC and does not feel like a large sedan.

In response to the noise level discussion, “jzqj55” replied with this input:

A recent video test of the ls500 noted the noise when stepping into the twin turbo. The typical noise of a 6 cyl toyota

Thought they would have done a v8 w/ cyl deactivation.

Granted it’s early, but I expected more advances – especially after so many years. And I think the styling is not what people in this segment are looking for – s550 better inside and out

Driver’s Seat Legroom Addressed

Next, the point of driver’s seat legroom was brought up by “rgs92”:

In the Motortrend article, it says the 2018 LS front legroom is 41 inches, down from 43.7 in the older generation. This seems like a downgrade and a potential problem for taller folks. Maybe the seating position is higher, but it seems stingy, especially in comparison to the G90 or the S-Class. Even the Infiniti Q70 has 44.4 inches.

The OP didn’t reply to that, but “SW15LS “did, offering the following insight:

Seating position is actually lower. Going to have to face facts that this is a car built for style and dynamics, not for sheer space and comfort. Think more Panamara than S Class.

“dsc07” chimed in to voice his concerns about the lack of interior space while also taking a shot at the spindle grille design:

Yes, and can someone explain to me how the overall height on the LS500 is 4 inches greater than the LC500, but the headroom is virtually the same (37.3 vs 37.2). What the hell happened to the other 3.9 inches? What moron designed this thing? Probably the same genius that gave us the hideousness they call the spindle grill.

Finally, “wdlugitch” joined in on the spindle-hate:

Agree the grill is ” hideousness .

Click here to head into the forum to join in on the conversation on the 2018 Lexus LS500.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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