As you've probably seen in some areas and as I suspected, the Lexus LS will not see any changes for the 2024 model year, because Toyota does not have the best of plans in place for it, so they are focusing on other models in the meantime once again.

Toward 2025, the LS will get some needed attention. The current model entered production in the fourth quarter of 2017 and launched in JDM (January 2018) and Anglophone North America (including Quebec) on February 15, 2018.

A rushed MMC for 2021MY arrived in the fall of 2020, less than 3 years after the 5th generation entered showrooms. Since then it's just been marginal LS updates between JDM and North America.

There have been no trademark filings signifying any powertrain changes to the nameplate, but since we are in March, lookout for any of them through next January, to get a hint of what's coming.

Thank you VFD90 and co.

In the meantime the LC will get a midlife update apparently, which I imagine will launch at the end of next month (something I find ridiculous and impossible this late in the game).

 

I think Toyota/Lexus may be gauging the future of the LS depending on how well the TX will be received- I imagine if it's overwhelmingly positive and sells in droves (which it likely will), the flagship role of the LS will be effectively be replaced. The LS has always been unfortunately a vehicle designed primarily for the North American market, and doesn't sell well domestically like the German and Korean offerings. Therefore I don't see much incentive to keep it if Lexus releases a more popular flagship product for the U.S. market.

The biggest waste of the LS has to be the underusage of the TNGA-L platform which was only utilized by this, the LC, the Crown, and the Mirai. It's insane to me that Lexus never bothered to use this platform for a crossover.

 

Not sure what total LS production is worldwide, but hope it’s enough to warrant continued production.
The longer Lexus produces this car, the better the quality and reliability should be, as if it really even needed improvement.

I love the exclusivity of my LS500. It’s different enough to warrant attention from everyone. It’s not a soccer mom mobile, and that’s a good thing.
I love my LS430 too, wish Lexus still made it.

 

My guess is goes exclusive to EV at some point. Hybrid perhaps standard. Flagships seem to go that way now. Current LSHybrid performance needs to be upped.
Its not the energy savings, its the tech and delicious torque.
US market seems prome for a Crown type offering from Lexus? Maybe thats the next GS platform?
Then there is Hydrogen.
I think Range has to hit 300 miles to be “luxury” status.

 

I really like our 2022 LS, but I stopped by the dealer a couple of weeks ago to check out the IS500, and while I was there I sat in an ES350. Wow, the interior is so nice on the ES. I think most people find it hard to justify spending $30K-$40K more to get the LS instead of the ES, and I think that's the rational choice. A lot of the components and switchgear are identical, and even though the ES cabin is noticeably smaller than the LS, the luxury feeling is the basically the same (caveat, our LS has zero interior upgrades, which is what we wanted). I did not drive the ES, but I suspect the FWD platform provides an inferior driving experience, but many people just don't care about that. I think Toyota is playing this just right. LS volume in the US is only about 4500 per year, so it doesn't warrant much attention. But at least they're still building it. And the ES is the class leader in its segment (at least in my opinion), and I see tons of them on the road. Endnote, I ended up buying an IS500, and I love it.

 

I traded my LS500 in on a new ESh in part because of the laggy powertrain. The ES is a really great overall car. It is so similar to the LS in so many ways. If buying brand new, the ES is a much better bang for the buck. My '18 LS and '22 ES basically looked identical from the front, can hardly tell the cars apart. That has changed since then. Also the steering wheel and steering column stalks are the same, so much of the feel in the driver seat is the same. I feel the ES is an under-rated car in the industry.

 

I doubt few are cross shopping the ES and LS500. Cross shop with BMW 3, A4 audi, the Acura thing, the G70 Genesis.
You took a US$30-40k hit selling your 2018 for a 2022 ES hybrid because of some lag, that must have been some god awful lag.
That lag was there when you test drove the car? Did it get worse over time?
We all advocate for what we have. ES is a damn fine car, and very attractive.
I'd respect the heck out of someone who leased an LS and then decided on a better value quotient going forward moving to an ES.
But to eat that kind of coin and then conjure up a story is something else.

 

Are you the resident troll around here? I wasn't bashing your choice, so why get your panties in a bunch?

I mainly moved from the LS to ES to gain - more responsive powertrain off-the-line, touch screen, phone app capability, full warranty again, more efficient, smoother, easier to park/maneouver, etc.

 

Never bashed your decision. You ate $30-40,000 U.S for a touch screen, phone app and warranty? Better MPG, Smoother (a stretch) and easier to park. Im not the one coming on the LS site reminding us again you “moved on”. Yet, here you are.

 

I'm not sure what gave you that idea, I never discussed numbers.

 

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Bascially 3 years, about 40% depreciation. LS500 like many luxury flagships have not held like vast majority or cars or SUV’s have.
Lets be real, in 2018 or when ever you bought your LS the vehicle’s MPG was not good then. Its turning radius was not tight, and the lag when you test drove was not bloody bad enough to deter you. You still purchased the car. Did it get worse?
Warranty: we talking a Lexus and cars with great record. YOu did not say the care was problematic did you? Nope.
So its not like you said “I want to get out from this nightmare”. You said the front end is similar.

Whats not logical is someone buys a inefficient Luxury car, then eats a bad depreciation for better MPG, a touch screen, and easier to park.
Cheaper to get extended warranty to reduce repair exposure.
Luxury cars are not good investments. They are illogical non essential. Nobody needs an LS500. It costs about twice what an ES cost new. You insinuate that there is not much return for that premium because you had both. Since chat groups advocate for their choices im sure your like a folk hero in the ES world. Damn nice cars they are. They look great and Im sure i I had one I too would be happy it looked like the LS500. Nobody said you can’t be happy. You don’t need the LS chat to validate your decision, do you? Of course not , You seem to be trying to talk yourself and others into it though.

 

The TX is not a flagship vehicle, as the LX will remain that vehicle, especially when it is updated for 2025. TX is designated to be Lexus' new people carrier (7-8) and fit what the compromised LX and smaller RX cannot. It's apparently nice, but not flagship fantastic. Fanatics probably want to overhype it, but even the guy working on it and regularly PMing me, claims otherwise. LS will remain in its role, but will quietly suffer for a bit.

Thanks to TX, GX was allowed to become more niche, interestingly being Lexus' Discovery 2/LR3/LR4 competitor from the start, now switching over to target the Defender 110/130.

The LS should be updated within 2 years. Whether that's an updated GA-L or all new architecture, not sure yet. It's not dead yet, but on the backburner in terms of launches, while they are working on it. The GA-L architecture was indeed a waste, but it will continue on in all of these vehicles for some years to come like GA-K will.

The waste, was not being utilized for any high end crossovers and IS and GS models. A unibody derivative of LX should've made in the form of LF-1 or a model called LFX. Some claim RZ450e became that vehicle, which doesn't make sense to me. Thankfully not as bad as GM's Omega architecture and Alpha to a less wasteful degree.

 

That all sounds right to me. The TX cannot be a flagship even if it sells like hotcakes in the US, because it's a massive SUV, and those are poorly regarding in Japan. The TX is not aspirational, it's garish and lame. It will be popular in the US, but may not even sell in Japan. I don't have a good read on the China market, but given that most sales in China are to urban folk, I don't think it will be popular there either. Look at Porsche, the 911 remains their flagship and aspirational halo car even though 90% of their sales (at least in the US) are goofy SUVs (my neighbors think they're super-cool driving around in some Audi-platform SUV because it has a Porsche badge).

It's too bad that the LS has sold poorly. I really like our 2022 LS, but we only bought it because my wife wanted it. In the nine months we've owned it I just lost interest in it, and preferred driving our 2012 BMW 740Li because the handling was so much better, and it looks great and very boss. The LS500 was supposed to replace our BMW, but the resale value was so low on the BMW that I just kept it (but I just traded that in on a 2023 IS500, which I LOVE). For me, the LS500 just doesn't look good enough; it doesn't have compelling presence or beauty, and I love the looks of the LS400.

 

I also cross shopped the LS hybrid versus a new ES hybrid. I’ve owned an LS and other flagship sedans, but went with the ES this time around because gen 7 is amazing. Might get another LS in future. I also just a couple weeks ago got an IS350 F Sport for me and my wife, peolle do in fact cross shop all sorts of things.

User LS500fan is pretty well known around here incedentally, you might pay attention to what he writes. Sure he didn’t trade the LS in for what he paid, but he also got to enjoy it for a few years. Which is pretty much how it works?

As for lag, I’m going to bet a wooden nickel you haven’t driven a modern electrified vehicle.

 

I have. I cross shopped the Kia EV6. They wanted a crazy 10k premium. The nice sport version was $65,000! Money matters and I did not need to get a new car. The acceleration was very intoxicating but Im not ready to go EV. I had a 2021 ES hybrid for loaner. The driving dynamic felt sloppy due to weight.
YOu came from an LS before, but was it 3 years old? At some point running costs of any flagship add up and the car ages where newer and more modern features are attractive. If money is no object, why not get a new flagship. Money matters, even if its a value quotient statement that “its not worth it to me”.
Im sure LS500Fan is a good dude and his cred/posts are for more contributory than my snarky ones on this subject. We just talking posts and its content, not the person.