I don't know if I would call it bland, I would say the LS500 styling is just not desirable. it does not look luxurious, fluid, interesting, its just off and odd to me. It looks like a stretched Nissan sedan with some bling thrown on it to try to pass off as luxurious to me, the proportions, the way it sits, and looks are just off and something you would have thought they would have rejected well into the design process as not close to good enough. The interior leaves me cold too, it looks bland, not luxurious to me, not something I would want to spend much time in or inviting, I find the LS460 interior more warm, a place you would want to spend time, the exterior styling at least looks cohesive and nice even if it is not exciting to look at. One look at the LS500 and I knew it would not sell, they didn't get the interior right, and the lack of a V8 is just the final nail. You look at the current S class, inside and out and you just know that is the leader, the one where they got it, its not perfect, its not radical in any way but it is one of the best looking Mercedes Benz sedans, very elegant. I slightly prefer the exterior styling of the A8 over the LS500 but the interior of the A8 is just a disaster, it looks like they got rid of everything interesting and luxurious in a luxury car and thought touch screens or mimicking a smart phone would work, it doesn't. LS500 and new A8 do nothing for me, I just can't see myself ever being even slightly interested in one or ever considering owning one.

 

I can understand the exterior being polarizing, but the LS 500 interior is visually a masterpiece. It trumps the copy-paste interiors of all the Germans. The only negative with the interior design is the lack of space, which was the ultimate downfall of the LS.

 

I don't care for its interior at all, not as bad as the new A8 but not much better. I think the S class is the nicest by far in its class and when you go a rung up I think the Bentley Continental and Mulsanne are the nicest current sedan interiors.

 

i disagree with you that people who buy a large luxury sedan want to turn heads. some do sure, but others don't. i certainly don't!

and even if it doesn't turn heads from outside, it certainly will INSIDE. it's amazing.

i'd say the driver gauge cluster has no equal, especially with its map display.

 

The only time I ever touch our Audi's key is while I'm in the house, either to put it in my pocket, or to take it out. Doors are unlocked by grabbing the handle.

Agree with you completely. There are several vehicles I could never drive/own because they're too ostentatious. I want a really nice car, because i like nice things. But I couldn't care less if it impresses anyone.

It does look SO cool. But the navigation itself is so inferior to Waze that we only used ours twice, and never renewed the ($400/year!) subscription required to use it.

 

If you're talking about the 3rd generation A8 vs this current version, there is very little that's different in the overall body style. Like I keep saying, Audi as with the German luxury cars in general, evolutionary vs radical changes.

The 5 LS came along too little too late. Previous generations filled a niche but were not that special compared to the competition. The LS 430 was not sporty at all and had slab sided styling themes. The 4LS was and is a wonderful car, but it is not going to turn heads. It's not supposed to. It also only had one drivetrain option. By this time Audi had already moved on.

That's one of the thing I'm glad that Lexus made the LS 500 sportier. For years Lexus has been criticized relentlessly for its bland vanilla smooth driving characteristics. They nearly got it right, just went oddball with the interior and exteriour. The competition here, can deliver the smooth creamy ride you desire while still catering to being sporty and snappy for other drivers. It's not all one or the other.

 

I've warmed to the styling of it a lot, and the interior the materials in it are really excellent, I've always liked the design of the interior just not the tighter space.

I actually would challenge that the S Class is the nicest. All of these cars have very good quality materials, it comes down to which design you prefer. The A8 is very cold and technological inside, but the materials and build quality are excellent. Materials in the LS and 7 Series are great too, the LS is very asian feeling, 7 Series is the most standard luxury car look but with super high quality materials. S Class has a great, organic feel and super high quality materials.

And you were one of the ones who chose the Genesis

Prestige is a part of a $100k flagship sedan purchase for most of those buyers. I'm not an image guy, but even for me I was unable to give up that little bit of prestige to go from Lexus to Genesis, to go back to explaining to people what kind of car it is, etc. You see it in the A8s sales numbers too, sales of the new generation are actually down, and the old one didn't sell much anyways.

Agreed but thats implementation more than its tech. Everybody has an adaptable TFT Virtual gauge cluster.

I just don't agree. The old one had a presence about it, a muscularity that the new one just doesn't have to me. Yes its a very evolutionary design, but just some subtle changes can change the overall feel of the car.

The LS430 was the sales leader in the segment...

And the 4LS had two powertrain options, 460 and 600h.

Believe it or not, the LS460 DOES turn some heads. I've been driving them since 2015, especially the LWB one I have now does get looks and attention. My LS400 and LS430 got attention too in their day.

Have you driven the LS500? Its far from right. Like you said the competition can deliver a smooth creamy ride while still being sporty, the LS500 can't. Its chassis doesnt deliver the smooth creamy ride. It doesnt feel like a peer to the S Class and 7 Series like the LS460 did.

I just got back from a trip to WV In my LS460L, it still amazes me how competent it is on a twisty curvy mountain road in Sport S+. The LS500 would be even moreso but it won't deliver the same glasslike highway ride at 80 the 460 and these other cars do,

A car I have been warming up a lot to is the BMW 7 Series in the right spec

 

Because he's said that he's not necessarily a badge snob.

The same can be said about the LS 500, and even the LS 460. Most people are not car people but they do know a big Audi.

See mine, and others criticisms of the LS styling changes from the 400 to the 430 and 460 to the LS 500. Too much jumping around with no cohesive pedigree here.

Because of pricing in the case of the former and almost nobody bought the latter.

If you say so...

That references my point about why the S class and A8 do it all.

No doubt. But what you think is sporty in sport plus mode is different than what a MB or A8 driver might find sporty. It's your subjective impressions. The 7 is a great vehicle but I doubt you'll go sedan. Likely an X7.

 

Totally, in fact I know him not to be. That doesn't mean most buyers in this segment don't have some level of badge snobbery though.

Thats exactly it, it doesnt look big. The previous A8 looked bigger and more impressive. The new A8 has very soft lines, and doesnt look visually as big as its competitors even though its actually bigger



I agree.

It absolutely does. Just on the way back from WV a guy stopped me at a rest stop and complimented it. People look at it at traffic lights from time to time and I've seen people looking at it in parking lots. Certainly nowhere near as flashy as an S Class but it does draw some attention.

I've driven all these cars at length. The current A8 is the softest A8 Audi has ever made. The current S Class and 7 Series are the softest ones they have ever made, when you drive them all back to back with the LS460L, they are all pretty similar. The LS500 goes in the other direction and is much firmer and the chassis is much jitterier, it never settles down the way the other cars do or the LS460 does.

A 7 Series in Comfort Plus is a total boat, and in Sport + feels like the previous generation 7 in its softest setting. The A8 is the same way.

I dunno. I really prefer sedans, and you get a MUCH better deal on a sedan than an SUV. I can get a $100k sticker 740 for $75,000 out the door, best you can do on a $100k X7 is maybe $90-92k. Range Rover is the same way. I can lease a $100k sticker 740 for less than the payment on my LS460L.