Finally test drove the LS500...
02-26-18, 04:42 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
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SW17LS (02-27-18)
02-27-18, 11:07 PM
#18
Driver School Candidate
Oh Oh LS500 review
Update 3/21/2018 : Finally drove the LS500. My prior was the LS500H
OK the LS500 is GREAT. Smooth shifting, a perfect car. A little sportier than the LS460, less engine lag. Really great. Nice light dashboard at night.
It was the LS500H I wrote about before that shifted jerkily.
Older post below, about the LS500H:
I'll probably get it, as usual I am a LS loyalist
I found the outside and inside fantastic
The ride is much different than the LS460/430/400
I am an MIT Mechanical Engineer (1975) and an MIT MBA (1977), and my advice to Lexus is to keep making LS460 cars because the LS500 is so different, it might or it may not thrive. People who loved the serenity of the 400/430/460 line will buck against the LS500, I have no doubt of that. I'm 63, but I see a lot of older doctors in their LS460s and they will find themselves disoriented in a Cadillac dealership 10 minutes after leaving the LS500 test drive, looking for serenity.
I have had the following cars and loved every single one of them for their fantastic ride, all very LS400 like:
Jaguar 7, BMW 5, BMW 735, LS400, LS 430, LS460
I even loved my Mercedes 320 before that. Also my Audi 5000 standard model, my wife's Audi 5000 Auto, my Toyota Celica.
Did not like my Corolla, my 1980 Maxima, or this LS500.
I am an LS driver because here in Miami the Hold button is so needed, with long red lights, one needs it period. I needed a Hold button.
I recently test drove a GS 350 and loved it. It was fun. It felt small. Every bit of road I saw felt perfectly handled by the car. Really dampened smoothly and perfectly over tiny and large bumps, edge of road stones, great V6 feel, no lag like in my super loved LS460.
The LS500 I thought I'd get regardless. I was gonna just get it without driving it. At the last minute I thought to drive it. I probably will still get it warts and all. But I am confused and surprised.
Now I don't know if it was in need of a tune up, and I test drove an H. Very quick acceleration, and very little lag! The ride was not smooth at all like the LS 400, 430, 460. No way. I preferred the GS350 to the LS500 for smoothness and bump feel. The LS500 was over bouncy. More than the GS. The high frequency little pebbles which the LS460 overdoes is worse on the LS500. And the large bumps (low frequency) which the LS460 can so well were felt too much on the LS500.
The engine would over rev and then compensate with lower rev during normal driving. Very disappointing. Like a car with low oil that would soon sieze, like my student days in Fords which would in fact seize. The LS460 shifting is divine. It is hard to know which gear the car is in. The LS500 was at too high an RPM and then audibly too low an RPM, with forward and backwards G forces clearly shifting in a bad way. I have to try a non H in hopes it is better.
At this point I look for the outside look and the plushness I confess. But I cannot see myself in a Cadillac. Just pride or snobbiness I guess.
If I had another car besides my LS460 it would be a GS350 and I might end up preferring it to the LS460.
Also yes the controls have too many ways to access, digitally, touch only, deep menus, very confusing. I read dialing the seat temperature is deep in the menus. Like the BMW X3 that the dealer spent 2 hours programming the radio after purchasing it for my wife, only to be changed 1 month later towards another loved RX350 for my thankful wife.
Lexus will survive this, one way or another. They can come up with an LS470 immediately with little improvements on the LS460 and milk that for 5 years more. I still like the dash on the LS460 better than the pointless LS500 'line' look that is only cosmetic.
And who knows, maybe the LS500 will surprise. The ride is not majestic anymore. Its busy. But over busy in the high frequency way it reads the road. Too bouncy. The instrument panel with its monolithic one circle setup is underwhelming, too centric, too tunnel like, busy and confusing. The clock got smaller.
I would never look at a BMW 7 series or Mercedes these days. But with a stubborn air conditioner in my 2014 LS460 that won't start every time unless I press Auto myself after 3 service appointments I think Lexus service has given my doubts...it could be the technician.
And I feel loyalty towards my dealership.
I will probably get it just as a dare to myself, like buying the bull that gives you the trouble and taming it for the effort and the internal satisfaction.
But the second I drove the LS400/430/460 I was melting in awe. The LS500 makes me think I got old and now normal is too rough. The LS500 is not serene. The dash is busy and confusing and the ride paradoxically bucky. I am happily married 36 years but the LS500 is like suddenly dating a 40 year old with too much trouble that one might like but is hard to deal with. But a challenge. The GS350 drive was yes more athletic than the LS460 but still the GS was just right.
I wish I could not afford the LS500 because the GS350 is just right. Fun, but still very competent reader of the road. I think the LS500 does not know what is going on. Its a horse that needs taming and refining and streamlining and redesigning. Certainly a distracting headache that might get my worries redirected into motoring that could be good. For a long time the LS was so perfectly smooth that the road was like the first time one flies first class and the trip is almost too easy. I will have to devote a few therapist sessions to the LS500 for sure.
I think the Lexus designers in their eagerness to please the car critics who are by nature looking for a responsive ride went overboard. The LS was 11 years old I was told a couple of times by the salespeople. That message woke up the Lexus LS team and this is the result. I am not worried about Lexus, they have the money to redesign a car and a marketing strategy on the fly easily. My guess is the LS500 as is will be changed quickly.
I once had a Ford S10 and that was in 1988 a little miserable bucking colt. I lived with it. No big deal. Maybe what I wrote is too hyperfocused.
OK the LS500 is GREAT. Smooth shifting, a perfect car. A little sportier than the LS460, less engine lag. Really great. Nice light dashboard at night.
It was the LS500H I wrote about before that shifted jerkily.
Older post below, about the LS500H:
I'll probably get it, as usual I am a LS loyalist
I found the outside and inside fantastic
The ride is much different than the LS460/430/400
I am an MIT Mechanical Engineer (1975) and an MIT MBA (1977), and my advice to Lexus is to keep making LS460 cars because the LS500 is so different, it might or it may not thrive. People who loved the serenity of the 400/430/460 line will buck against the LS500, I have no doubt of that. I'm 63, but I see a lot of older doctors in their LS460s and they will find themselves disoriented in a Cadillac dealership 10 minutes after leaving the LS500 test drive, looking for serenity.
I have had the following cars and loved every single one of them for their fantastic ride, all very LS400 like:
Jaguar 7, BMW 5, BMW 735, LS400, LS 430, LS460
I even loved my Mercedes 320 before that. Also my Audi 5000 standard model, my wife's Audi 5000 Auto, my Toyota Celica.
Did not like my Corolla, my 1980 Maxima, or this LS500.
I am an LS driver because here in Miami the Hold button is so needed, with long red lights, one needs it period. I needed a Hold button.
I recently test drove a GS 350 and loved it. It was fun. It felt small. Every bit of road I saw felt perfectly handled by the car. Really dampened smoothly and perfectly over tiny and large bumps, edge of road stones, great V6 feel, no lag like in my super loved LS460.
The LS500 I thought I'd get regardless. I was gonna just get it without driving it. At the last minute I thought to drive it. I probably will still get it warts and all. But I am confused and surprised.
Now I don't know if it was in need of a tune up, and I test drove an H. Very quick acceleration, and very little lag! The ride was not smooth at all like the LS 400, 430, 460. No way. I preferred the GS350 to the LS500 for smoothness and bump feel. The LS500 was over bouncy. More than the GS. The high frequency little pebbles which the LS460 overdoes is worse on the LS500. And the large bumps (low frequency) which the LS460 can so well were felt too much on the LS500.
The engine would over rev and then compensate with lower rev during normal driving. Very disappointing. Like a car with low oil that would soon sieze, like my student days in Fords which would in fact seize. The LS460 shifting is divine. It is hard to know which gear the car is in. The LS500 was at too high an RPM and then audibly too low an RPM, with forward and backwards G forces clearly shifting in a bad way. I have to try a non H in hopes it is better.
At this point I look for the outside look and the plushness I confess. But I cannot see myself in a Cadillac. Just pride or snobbiness I guess.
If I had another car besides my LS460 it would be a GS350 and I might end up preferring it to the LS460.
Also yes the controls have too many ways to access, digitally, touch only, deep menus, very confusing. I read dialing the seat temperature is deep in the menus. Like the BMW X3 that the dealer spent 2 hours programming the radio after purchasing it for my wife, only to be changed 1 month later towards another loved RX350 for my thankful wife.
Lexus will survive this, one way or another. They can come up with an LS470 immediately with little improvements on the LS460 and milk that for 5 years more. I still like the dash on the LS460 better than the pointless LS500 'line' look that is only cosmetic.
And who knows, maybe the LS500 will surprise. The ride is not majestic anymore. Its busy. But over busy in the high frequency way it reads the road. Too bouncy. The instrument panel with its monolithic one circle setup is underwhelming, too centric, too tunnel like, busy and confusing. The clock got smaller.
I would never look at a BMW 7 series or Mercedes these days. But with a stubborn air conditioner in my 2014 LS460 that won't start every time unless I press Auto myself after 3 service appointments I think Lexus service has given my doubts...it could be the technician.
And I feel loyalty towards my dealership.
I will probably get it just as a dare to myself, like buying the bull that gives you the trouble and taming it for the effort and the internal satisfaction.
But the second I drove the LS400/430/460 I was melting in awe. The LS500 makes me think I got old and now normal is too rough. The LS500 is not serene. The dash is busy and confusing and the ride paradoxically bucky. I am happily married 36 years but the LS500 is like suddenly dating a 40 year old with too much trouble that one might like but is hard to deal with. But a challenge. The GS350 drive was yes more athletic than the LS460 but still the GS was just right.
I wish I could not afford the LS500 because the GS350 is just right. Fun, but still very competent reader of the road. I think the LS500 does not know what is going on. Its a horse that needs taming and refining and streamlining and redesigning. Certainly a distracting headache that might get my worries redirected into motoring that could be good. For a long time the LS was so perfectly smooth that the road was like the first time one flies first class and the trip is almost too easy. I will have to devote a few therapist sessions to the LS500 for sure.
I think the Lexus designers in their eagerness to please the car critics who are by nature looking for a responsive ride went overboard. The LS was 11 years old I was told a couple of times by the salespeople. That message woke up the Lexus LS team and this is the result. I am not worried about Lexus, they have the money to redesign a car and a marketing strategy on the fly easily. My guess is the LS500 as is will be changed quickly.
I once had a Ford S10 and that was in 1988 a little miserable bucking colt. I lived with it. No big deal. Maybe what I wrote is too hyperfocused.
Last edited by mgauss7; 03-21-18 at 10:38 PM.
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02-27-18, 11:19 PM
#19
Driver School Candidate
No the LS500 is clearly roomy compared to the GS. I like the GS ride much better than the LS500. But I like the LS and ES roomy feel. The GS inside is cramped, many buttons are behind the wheel and one cannot even see them one has to search for them unseen like the Park button.
02-28-18, 07:54 AM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I would have a couple questions and comments mgauss...
1. Did the car you drove have the air suspension? I haven't driven the car on the coil suspension, but I have read reviews that say the ride is busy on the coils and much better on the air suspension. The car I drove had the air suspension and it didn't exhibit any of the behaviors that you experienced. On a straight road the ride is not that different from the LS460. When you encounter turns, its much flatter and more engaging to drive. I was very satisfied with the ride/handling, my issues are with the powertrain and smaller interior.
2. You mentioned the car you drove was the hybrid model. I would suggest that you drive the normal gas model. The hybrid doesn't have a normal transmission, it has a CVT that pretends to be a 10 speed transmission which likely is what created the shifting experiences you had. The gas model I drove with the 10 speed transmission didn't have any of that shifting behavior at all, the transmission felt fine.
I had a highly optioned luxury package GS before I got my 2015 LS. The GS is a great car, in a lot of ways one of my favorite cars I've had. It has a great ride/handling balance I agree, although its not nearly as softly sprung as the LS, and obviously its much smaller. The LS500 very much so becomes a progression from the GS where the LS460 is a progression from the ES. If you like the GS, get one...don't let snobbery affect you. My issue with the refresh model is IMHO the front end is ugly, my GS was the current generation pre-refresh.
1. Did the car you drove have the air suspension? I haven't driven the car on the coil suspension, but I have read reviews that say the ride is busy on the coils and much better on the air suspension. The car I drove had the air suspension and it didn't exhibit any of the behaviors that you experienced. On a straight road the ride is not that different from the LS460. When you encounter turns, its much flatter and more engaging to drive. I was very satisfied with the ride/handling, my issues are with the powertrain and smaller interior.
2. You mentioned the car you drove was the hybrid model. I would suggest that you drive the normal gas model. The hybrid doesn't have a normal transmission, it has a CVT that pretends to be a 10 speed transmission which likely is what created the shifting experiences you had. The gas model I drove with the 10 speed transmission didn't have any of that shifting behavior at all, the transmission felt fine.
I had a highly optioned luxury package GS before I got my 2015 LS. The GS is a great car, in a lot of ways one of my favorite cars I've had. It has a great ride/handling balance I agree, although its not nearly as softly sprung as the LS, and obviously its much smaller. The LS500 very much so becomes a progression from the GS where the LS460 is a progression from the ES. If you like the GS, get one...don't let snobbery affect you. My issue with the refresh model is IMHO the front end is ugly, my GS was the current generation pre-refresh.
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spwolf (03-01-18)
02-28-18, 10:14 AM
#21
Pole Position
Now I don't know if it was in need of a tune up, and I test drove an H. Very quick acceleration, and very little lag! The ride was not smooth at all like the LS 400, 430, 460. No way. I preferred the GS350 to the LS500 for smoothness and bump feel. The LS500 was over bouncy. More than the GS. The high frequency little pebbles which the LS460 overdoes is worse on the LS500. And the large bumps (low frequency) which the LS460 can so well were felt too much on the LS500.
I would never look at a BMW 7 series or Mercedes these days. But with a stubborn air conditioner in my 2014 LS460 that won't start every time unless I press Auto myself after 3 service appointments I think Lexus service has given my doubts...it could be the technician.
I would never look at a BMW 7 series or Mercedes these days. But with a stubborn air conditioner in my 2014 LS460 that won't start every time unless I press Auto myself after 3 service appointments I think Lexus service has given my doubts...it could be the technician.
Your issues with the ride comfort were noted in some of the reviews. Like Steve said, it is probably the suspension, although I would have thought the air suspension would be standard on the Hybrids. Some of the ride harshness could also come from the run flat tires, and maybe they were over-inflated.
It's odd that you have AC setting issues. My 2014 remains in Auto mode all the time, and I don't have to select it every time. I am surprised the dealer hasn't fixed this problem. Good luck!
02-28-18, 11:29 AM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Air suspension isn't standard on the hybrid. The hybrid and the gas car have the same set of standard features and options unlike before where the hybrid was the top of the line car.
The tires on the one I drove were set to 40 which is really high and the ride was still fine
The tires on the one I drove were set to 40 which is really high and the ride was still fine
02-28-18, 08:37 PM
#23
Lexus Champion
Excellent write up.
Just for fun, I compared the front and rear legroom of my LS430 to the LS500. The LS430 has a whopping 3 inches more front legroom while the LS500 only had 1.3 inches more rear legroom. Yet the LS500 is 9 inches longer overall. And, the LS500 only has 17 cu ft of cargo capacity while the LS430 has 20.2 cu ft. That is a significant difference.
How did Lexus take what was essentially a 460L and make it smaller with less cargo capacity than a 430? My 460L felt bigger inside than my 460, mostly in the rear. Where did all that space go?
Just for fun, I compared the front and rear legroom of my LS430 to the LS500. The LS430 has a whopping 3 inches more front legroom while the LS500 only had 1.3 inches more rear legroom. Yet the LS500 is 9 inches longer overall. And, the LS500 only has 17 cu ft of cargo capacity while the LS430 has 20.2 cu ft. That is a significant difference.
How did Lexus take what was essentially a 460L and make it smaller with less cargo capacity than a 430? My 460L felt bigger inside than my 460, mostly in the rear. Where did all that space go?
03-01-18, 06:02 PM
#24
I think Bob04 said it best when he said i'd like it to be "Big, roomy, conservative but elegant, smooth, ultra-quiet and comfortable car. Just with updated safety features and electronic toys". Its non of those things. It looks like a Infinity sedan. It has zero presence when it pulls up, except for the large grill (love it or hate it, I hate it)
I had 4 Lexus LS sedans and after test driving the LS500 I'm out. Too cramped, un-comfortable seat and driving position, not enough room inside, (feels small) funky controls, seat warmer is now controlled via 3 levels of menus via the touch screen (really?), cruise control buttons that are different, confusing and hard to read without reading glasses (unless they expect 30 year-olds to be buying this car) not to mention that the engine is disappointing. Since the LS500 was delayed for so long, I purchased last year a well optioned 2017 Mercedes S550. That's what a high-end luxury car should look like, feel like and drive like. Its my first Mercedes and when my lease is up, I'll get another one. Perhaps it costs a little more, but there is truly no comparison. I just purchased a 2017 Lexus LX in October. I love that car and really hope they don't give the new upcoming LX redesign the LS treatment.
I had 4 Lexus LS sedans and after test driving the LS500 I'm out. Too cramped, un-comfortable seat and driving position, not enough room inside, (feels small) funky controls, seat warmer is now controlled via 3 levels of menus via the touch screen (really?), cruise control buttons that are different, confusing and hard to read without reading glasses (unless they expect 30 year-olds to be buying this car) not to mention that the engine is disappointing. Since the LS500 was delayed for so long, I purchased last year a well optioned 2017 Mercedes S550. That's what a high-end luxury car should look like, feel like and drive like. Its my first Mercedes and when my lease is up, I'll get another one. Perhaps it costs a little more, but there is truly no comparison. I just purchased a 2017 Lexus LX in October. I love that car and really hope they don't give the new upcoming LX redesign the LS treatment.
03-01-18, 08:25 PM
#25
Driver School Candidate
LS 500 drive comment
Hi mgauss, you raise a lot of interesting points. Well, I hope you will take the plunge and buy the LS500.
Your issues with the ride comfort were noted in some of the reviews. Like Steve said, it is probably the suspension, although I would have thought the air suspension would be standard on the Hybrids. Some of the ride harshness could also come from the run flat tires, and maybe they were over-inflated.
It's odd that you have AC setting issues. My 2014 remains in Auto mode all the time, and I don't have to select it every time. I am surprised the dealer hasn't fixed this problem. Good luck!
Your issues with the ride comfort were noted in some of the reviews. Like Steve said, it is probably the suspension, although I would have thought the air suspension would be standard on the Hybrids. Some of the ride harshness could also come from the run flat tires, and maybe they were over-inflated.
It's odd that you have AC setting issues. My 2014 remains in Auto mode all the time, and I don't have to select it every time. I am surprised the dealer hasn't fixed this problem. Good luck!
But this dealership has been disappointing me in its service. When I took my LS460 for a routine service call they called me and told me they smelled something in the A/C and that it needed a $ 20 filter. I said sure and paid the $180 bill they gave me. But then the air stopped working in the morning, and I had to press Auto and reset the temperature from its 75F to my 72F I usually put. If I turn it off it seems to be OK within a short time, like a few minutes. But after a couple of hours all A/C lights are off.
The dealership service department is too busy, they always put you on hold, and even when they come back to you they still interrupt the call several times. They seldom return calls.
All that to say I bet it needs a tune up. You never know what the test drive cars go through,
I serviced that problem 3 times, once they kept it for 2 days and never fixed, it. On the Internet it is written about, an LS460 described as that problem. Some say the filter is backwards, some a software issue.
Its probably an air ride. A month ago we had some cool weather and now again the Miami heat has the tires popping. Maybe over inflation.
The outside of the LS500 looks like the king of the valet world. Like those large Polo logo golf shorts. where the logo grew from 3/4" to 5". The inside is great. More modern than the LS460. It is great till you turn it on.
The pressure pad looks great.
The passenger's dash is such a wasted opportunity. Instead of those cheap lines and that painted glass they could have done things like a passenger's GPS co-pilot panel, a larger clock than before instead of the 50 cent sized one now, and other cool things like a compass, another 12" or mini me display mirroring the driver's, a cool iPhone hookup holder, or just an honest piece of great wood.
Anyway there are no other LS460's left to buy, so I'm forced to get it and purposely learn the LS500 complicated menus and quirks as a distraction from my worries. Therapy through frustration. After driving LS400 models since the very first 30 years or so ago, I'm ready for a change. But in my opinion, the 400/430/460 were the best for decades.
I am gonna go test drive a BMW 5, since the 7 reviews are awful. I just see the LS to GS move as gong down, whereas a LS to BMW move is a statement. But its been 30 years since a BMW 5 or 7.
Last edited by mgauss7; 03-01-18 at 08:45 PM.
03-01-18, 08:29 PM
#26
Driver School Candidate
I would have a couple questions and comments mgauss...
1. Did the car you drove have the air suspension? I haven't driven the car on the coil suspension, but I have read reviews that say the ride is busy on the coils and much better on the air suspension. The car I drove had the air suspension and it didn't exhibit any of the behaviors that you experienced. On a straight road the ride is not that different from the LS460. When you encounter turns, its much flatter and more engaging to drive. I was very satisfied with the ride/handling, my issues are with the powertrain and smaller interior.
I don't know. Somebody told me the H is not as smooth as the non H.
2. You mentioned the car you drove was the hybrid model. I would suggest that you drive the normal gas model. The hybrid doesn't have a normal transmission, it has a CVT that pretends to be a 10 speed transmission which likely is what created the shifting experiences you had. The gas model I drove with the 10 speed transmission didn't have any of that shifting behavior at all, the transmission felt fine.
Agreed.
I had a highly optioned luxury package GS before I got my 2015 LS. The GS is a great car, in a lot of ways one of my favorite cars I've had. It has a great ride/handling balance I agree, although its not nearly as softly sprung as the LS, and obviously its much smaller. The LS500 very much so becomes a progression from the GS where the LS460 is a progression from the ES. If you like the GS, get one...don't let snobbery affect you. My issue with the refresh model is IMHO the front end is ugly, my GS was the current generation pre-refresh.
1. Did the car you drove have the air suspension? I haven't driven the car on the coil suspension, but I have read reviews that say the ride is busy on the coils and much better on the air suspension. The car I drove had the air suspension and it didn't exhibit any of the behaviors that you experienced. On a straight road the ride is not that different from the LS460. When you encounter turns, its much flatter and more engaging to drive. I was very satisfied with the ride/handling, my issues are with the powertrain and smaller interior.
I don't know. Somebody told me the H is not as smooth as the non H.
2. You mentioned the car you drove was the hybrid model. I would suggest that you drive the normal gas model. The hybrid doesn't have a normal transmission, it has a CVT that pretends to be a 10 speed transmission which likely is what created the shifting experiences you had. The gas model I drove with the 10 speed transmission didn't have any of that shifting behavior at all, the transmission felt fine.
Agreed.
I had a highly optioned luxury package GS before I got my 2015 LS. The GS is a great car, in a lot of ways one of my favorite cars I've had. It has a great ride/handling balance I agree, although its not nearly as softly sprung as the LS, and obviously its much smaller. The LS500 very much so becomes a progression from the GS where the LS460 is a progression from the ES. If you like the GS, get one...don't let snobbery affect you. My issue with the refresh model is IMHO the front end is ugly, my GS was the current generation pre-refresh.
03-02-18, 05:09 AM
#27
Instructor
I was at dealer yesterday,
had an eminent white ls500 with air suspension
simply beautiful in white, the interior had two tone light beige w chocolate stunning
read the posts here and sat in it for hour or so, thought the size and ergonomics were great
As anyone going from one car to another it would take four or five days to get use to it,
the ls460 is a great car, this is the next step.
if you want the most refined, floaty, decent handling sedan every made buy the ls460
if you desire a more sporty, next gen ergonomic car with the latest in safety technology, this is light years ahead.
they can stand to pay millions and pull some of bmw staff from munich to tweak and change the interface, besides that drive one of these you will be impressed if your an enthusiast that still wants great ride quality
and with air suspension, upgraded interior, and couple of other options, 85k ... bravo lexus
had an eminent white ls500 with air suspension
simply beautiful in white, the interior had two tone light beige w chocolate stunning
read the posts here and sat in it for hour or so, thought the size and ergonomics were great
As anyone going from one car to another it would take four or five days to get use to it,
the ls460 is a great car, this is the next step.
if you want the most refined, floaty, decent handling sedan every made buy the ls460
if you desire a more sporty, next gen ergonomic car with the latest in safety technology, this is light years ahead.
they can stand to pay millions and pull some of bmw staff from munich to tweak and change the interface, besides that drive one of these you will be impressed if your an enthusiast that still wants great ride quality
and with air suspension, upgraded interior, and couple of other options, 85k ... bravo lexus
03-02-18, 09:24 AM
#28
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
See the LS460 when it goes through its 8 gears is so smooth one cannot even feel them. It is angelic, serene, powerful, calming and well its like George Clooney. And as one takes it out of the parking lot it moves like a battleship, sure of its footing, exuding authority. The LS500 as it accelerates (the H one I tested, a "top" model) jerked one's body forward, backwards three or four times as it accelerated from 0 to 55mph, you could hear and feel the engine and the gears just groan in pain. It was embarrassing. It was powerful. And the LS500 was bucking and jumping in a most undistinguished way.
Like a 2 seater Porsche a 928S I once purchased from my mother in law on a busy pebble filled road. No grace, just too much of the feel of the road at all times. I really disliked it. I read the experts and their reviews and they like the ride. Maybe they have to keep the largest car company in the world happy.
But this dealership has been disappointing me in its service. When I took my LS460 for a routine service call they called me and told me they smelled something in the A/C and that it needed a $ 20 filter. I said sure and paid the $180 bill they gave me. But then the air stopped working in the morning, and I had to press Auto and reset the temperature from its 75F to my 72F I usually put. If I turn it off it seems to be OK within a short time, like a few minutes. But after a couple of hours all A/C lights are off.
I am gonna go test drive a BMW 5, since the 7 reviews are awful. I just see the LS to GS move as gong down, whereas a LS to BMW move is a statement.
You should also look at a Genesis G90, very similar to the LS460L.
03-02-18, 04:10 PM
#29
i just want to add that part of the reason for the longer WB than previous 'L' models, yet smaller interior/trunk space is that the engine has been moved back behind the front axle for better weight distribution and better handling dynamics. I'm seriously considering a new LS 500, but i think ill wait until year 2 or even 3, when more options are available, perhaps even an 'L'
03-02-18, 04:29 PM
#30
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Seeing that the car is already as long as all the other LWB cars I wouldn’t hold my breath for a LWB version.