ClubClub

Before I begin this very short opinion on the new LS500 model, I just wanted to mention that I did not get a chance to test drive the car at all. Therefore, I don't have a personal opinion at all about the driving dynamics or anything at all like that.

Alright, so I'm in the market for an ultra-luxury sedan, and I decided to step into the Lexus dealership with basically low expectations of what the LS500 would be like. The moment I went on to the showroom and opened the door to one, I was a bit surprised. Then I sat inside of the car, and within about 7-8 seconds, I deduced that this was hands down the most comfortable and impressive interior that I've sat in, and this is in comparison to the Mercedes S Class, Porsche Panamera turbo, Audi A8, etc. I couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly it was that made me like this interior so much, but to me it just felt like a "rich man's" interior. Like something a golfer would want to buy. The cabin's overhead lights can be turned on by just touching the glass which I thought was an interesting touch as well. The Panamera seemed like a colder interior, with the leather surfaces being harder to the touch vs. the LS500's. It just has this rich and wealthy appearance to it that was absent in the other German luxury brands. Perhaps one day they will be able to make it an option to have super-premium leather like Rolls Royces.

I thought the door panels were quite beautiful and it was different, especially with the floating armrest design which I thought was more modern in aesthetics than any of its competitors. I'm 5'6 and thought the legroom in the back was plenty. The zigzagged pattern wood seemed tacky to me on the configurator online, but in person it looked very gorgeous. I then realized that for some reason, this car's interior aesthetics just don't come across as good in pictures. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people sit inside the LS500 and are just surprised by it, despite what some reviewers online might say.

Overall, I'd have to give the interior a 10/10 in terms of quality and aesthetics. The driving mode selectors behind the steering wheel column did not seem silly or weird to me. If anything, it seemed like an interesting touch that made the cabin feel that much more expensive and classier. It's not something you'd see on Ford or whatever. My lasting impression is that Lexus probably just decided to do a gutsy gamble and just renovate the whole interior with something that was different, with the word "different" as its underlying philosophy.

The only thing that struck me as out of place was probably the roof height. Even at my height, I thought that the roof could've used 1 more inch to really make it feel more airy. I know it was lexus' objective to achieve a sportier and more sleek look with the roofline, as well as better aerodynamics. I don't know how someone much taller than me could feel comfortable in the driver's seat except to make the seat lower. I looked up the car's height online and its not even an inch lower than the S-class, so maybe it was just me.

The last thing I would like to mention is that I still haven't driven the car, and I'd like to test drive one soon with standard non run flat tires to really test out the transmission and see if its as weird as some people say it is. With a turning radius of 36.8 feet without the rear axle steering, I think this car can become an excellent daily driver.

Cons preventing me from caring much about its competitors:

Panamera - according to rennlist, possible power steering failure out of the blue, weird clicking noise at near idle or idle speeds due to fuel injector, possible weird transmission problems

S560 - windshield cracking when going up an incline like into a parking lot, weird stuff breaking, total engine failure on AMG modelsl within a few months of buying, etc

Audi A8 - inferior interior, a new one is coming out soon

BMW - just LOL @ buying a BMW, numerous V8 engines failing within 3,000 miles or less, tons of other problems with opening the doors, etc

SW17LS

The interior is beautiful I agree,

That would be why

Its the low height of the windshield. The roof slopes down towards the windshield in an unusual way that makes the roofline seem very low when seated in the front.

All LS500s unfortunately come with run flat tires. Only way to drive one without run flats is to buy it and swap them out.

john341

The Porsche Panamera has one more serious problem, according to a neighbor that owns a 2011 model year. His camshaft broke in half, which incurred some serious engine damage. The car only had 58,xxx miles and according and to him its a common problem.

SW17LS

I wouldn't go so far as to say its a "common issue", modern Porsches have very good reliability ratings.

FWIW a member in the LS460 forum just had an engine throw a rod and trash itself with only 90k miles on it. Stuff happens.

ClubClub

The very good reliability ratings in Porsche are all from the Boxster and Cayman, which are more simple machines with fewer things. I have a 2015 Cayman with 50,000 miles on it, and there has not been a single mechanical issue at all with the thing (the door panel gluing came loose and both doors were replaced under warranty which would've cost 6,000 out of warranty which is ridiculous)

I was only talking about the new generation 2018 Panamera turbo in my first post. The previous generation Panamera was known to have a LAUNDRY list of problems - everything from water pouring out of the air conditioning vents, to other ridiculous things