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An owner since March, wanted to wait several weeks before giving my impressions on this car mainly to avoid any first impressions getting tainted in emotion. I would be among the first buyers in Canada I think.
A bit of background. I've been on CL for about 6 years although it's a while since I've posted anything. Have a wife and two kids and by choice we are a one car family. Living in Toronto. This is our second Lexus. Previous to this we bought (also new) an atomic silver 2013 GS350 AWD Tech+ (=fully loaded). Loved the GS and had no reason to ditch it other than the two kids about to enter their teenage years and the impending lack of space. And even then we'd have been fine hanging on to the GS for another couple of years since it was running well, and economically this made the most sense as well given we'd already taken the bulk of the depreciation hit.
We also looked at the Genesis G90. We spent a lot of time initially looking at the Genesis in the showroom and were very impressed by the interior in particular. We then looked at the LS luxury version and took it for a brief test drive and were a bit underwhelmed. For starters my head basically hit the ceiling, there seemed to be miles less head space than in the Genesis and also a lot less than in the GS. Driving around selecting all the various drive options the car seemed to lurch around between sedate and psychotic. What on earth was Lexus thinking? We we relieved to drive back home in the GS. Then during the week an F Sport model came in and the dealer asked if I wanted to see that. Sure I did but was stuck working so the wife and kids went out there to look at it and take a few pictures. The following weekend we took the G90 out for a decently long test drive. Genesis wants you to take this car home at the weekend and really put the car through its paces, which is an admirable sales technique and a refreshing change from the five minute hurry up a few dealers seem to think is adequate and acceptable nowadays. The G90 was refined, powerful, and drama free. Overall it's a lovely vehicle. But there was nothing really to compel us to write a check especially when the GS was still serving us so well. In fact driving home we remarked how the GS felt more planted at higher speeds than the Genesis. So we decided to keep the GS for two more years, by which time a refreshed LS would be out, and with Apple Car Play likely along with that. But we also kept an appointment we'd made earlier that week to give the LS F Sport a quick drive, mainly out of interest and to compare with the luxury version. I really don't know what happened: the dimensions and the engine are of course exactly the same as in the luxury version but we immediately fell in love with the F Sport. For the 99 per cent of the time that you just want to mooch along, put it in Comfort mode and it's an incredibly serene and engaging experience. Then put it in Sport + for those moments you're feeling more adventurous. For some reason this Jekll and Hyde persona seemed more suited to the F Sport for us. This is not meant as a criticism of the luxury version in any way or to anyone who purchased the luxury version. It's just the way things were for us and I know it's mostly in the mind. We did find the exterior styling of the F Sport cosmetically a lot more appealing though. One thing to bear in mind for anyone test driving these cars is that if you leave it in normal or comfort setting and put your foot to the floor WOT, the car will accelerate quickly and smoothly with a growling yet refined spring. Lexus really hit a sweet spot here I think in what will be the day to day driving for most people most of the time. Do the same thing in Sport or Sport + and there are artificial sounds that gets pumped in through the audio system (same as with the GS) and any sense of dignity gets lost. Again, fine in the F Sport but the wolf yowl in those modes seemed out of place in the luxury model (for us) and was probably partly why the lux test drive did not really do it for us.
After several weeks living with the car there are/were a few annoyances.
- The lack of head space as noted above and by many others. I'm average height, 5'10 but like to drive with the seat in the highest available position. I eventually relented and lowered the seat position and slightly increased the seat recline, Once that concession was made I quickly become accustomed to the new driving position and belatedly came to realize that it's actually better in this car sitting from the lower position given the already low sweep of the dash. So all is well here..
- A continuous alarm chime when in reverse gear. Disabled at the dealership. Again, all good.
- No cover art displayed unless the car is in Park.Given the plethora of other visual distractions, this one is a somewhat bizarre safety feature, which can't be circumvented by anyone it seems.
- Lane Keep Assist. While others have commented it's okay, for me it's a terrible waste of time and about as much use as Night Vision was in the GS (that is, no use at all). When engaged and with your hands on the wheel, it's like you're wrestling with the invisible man for control over the car. Taking your hands off the wheel and letting the car steer itself in the lane only works for a few seconds before the computer insists you lay a hand back on the wheel to prove you're still awake. Perhaps I am failing completely to see the point with this feature and someone can explain how it's useful in the real world.YMMV.
- The transmission is occasionally jerky moving from second to first gear too soon when rolling slowly to a stop, or worse getting stuck in neutral going nowhere with the engine revving when putting the throttle about half way down from a standing start when trying to accelerate briskly (more so when the engine is cold) requiring easing back on the throttle before the transmission will properly engage. I read somewhere there was a firmware update being released to remedy this transmission issue, which I can't imagine is intended. I hope that is the case (that there will be a firmware remedy) as this remains the biggest annoyance in the car so far.
- Fuel consumption is poorer than we'd expected based on the advertised specs. According to the Lexus Canada web site, the GS that we owned has a city/highway litre/100km rating of 12.5/9.2 versus 13/8.7 for the LS that we now own. However our experience to date is the fuel economy in the LS is about 30 per cent worse than the GS rather than being similar as the advertised specs would suggest.
- No V8 engine option,.Tons of complaints about it here and a show stopper for some. I know this is a car enthusiast forum but really my 2 cents is there is nothing at all lacking in power, smoothness or refinement with this TT V6, which is testament to the engineers and Lexus has done a very good job of fooling you that this car is a V8 as it lumbers around effortlessly, and quite frankly, I doubt anyone but a true enthusiast if they didn't know otherwise would notice the difference nor care. For what it's worth we found this car significantly more smooth and refined than the Genesis G90, which had a V8. The only thing I'm slightly nervous about is the long term reliability of these turbos. Right now I can only trust that the glacial pace with which Lexus has come to market with turbos and new engines generally reflects its desire not to put anything out there that won't last and last, which is what the brand is all about.
- Minimalist design resulting in lack of dedicated buttons for seat and steering wheel heaters etc. Actually this quite quickly became a non issue after realizing the steering wheel heat (and heating duration) and seat temperature preferences can be altered from the menu. From there it's then a case of set and forget with the car doing an admirable job of working out what's required while automatically heating and cooling the seats etc.
- The touch pad. I'm mentioning this one mainly as it's so contentious and has been raised by pretty much every reviewer out there as being among the worst interfaces of all time. It's best to think of this one like getting a new mouse or laptop, which inevitably feels strange at first and take some getting used to. Once that happens, all is well and no oily fingerprint marks soiling the display. Again another non issue.
- There is a lot of tech in the car which generally makes us nervous about out-of-warranty repairs later on. More of a concern than a current annoyance I guess.
It's not all bling, bells and whistles.. Some of the safety elements are truly useful. I was at a gas station a few weeks back and after filling up needed to reverse back out from the pumps after another car blocked the forward exit. So I slowly reversed checking my surroundings carefully (or so I thought) when BAM! I thought oh no I have hit something behind me. Hard. But there was no collision, the car had slammed on the brakes automatically after I'd quite honestly completely failed to see a van that was parked directly behind me. This absolutely saved a trip to the body shop and a hefty repair bill.
With its aggressive styling this is a car that both looks good and is happy to flaunt that and be noticed, yet also does not scream 'look at me' in an overtly boorish way. It is very nicely balanced in this way and now we are well used to it, appreciate its smart style. This is the nicest car we've owned by a wide margin and we'll be owning this for a long time to come. Despite the irritations mentioned above, it is a ridiculously nice car and there is a tactile and emotional element to looking at it, sitting in it and driving it that's very joyful. We love this car and with its bold styling both inside and out it does seem is a step away from the coyness if not conservatism of Lexus in days gone by.
These pictures were taken by my lovely wife who is not normally that interested in cars but loves this one probably as much as I do or more, The wheels are a bit dirty here but too lazy to take all the pics again, lol, And we still need to get the windows tinted as well.
An owner since March, wanted to wait several weeks before giving my impressions on this car mainly to avoid any first impressions getting tainted in emotion. I would be among the first buyers in Canada I think.
A bit of background. I've been on CL for about 6 years although it's a while since I've posted anything. Have a wife and two kids and by choice we are a one car family. Living in Toronto. This is our second Lexus. Previous to this we bought (also new) an atomic silver 2013 GS350 AWD Tech+ (=fully loaded). Loved the GS and had no reason to ditch it other than the two kids about to enter their teenage years and the impending lack of space. And even then we'd have been fine hanging on to the GS for another couple of years since it was running well, and economically this made the most sense as well given we'd already taken the bulk of the depreciation hit.
We also looked at the Genesis G90. We spent a lot of time initially looking at the Genesis in the showroom and were very impressed by the interior in particular. We then looked at the LS luxury version and took it for a brief test drive and were a bit underwhelmed. For starters my head basically hit the ceiling, there seemed to be miles less head space than in the Genesis and also a lot less than in the GS. Driving around selecting all the various drive options the car seemed to lurch around between sedate and psychotic. What on earth was Lexus thinking? We we relieved to drive back home in the GS. Then during the week an F Sport model came in and the dealer asked if I wanted to see that. Sure I did but was stuck working so the wife and kids went out there to look at it and take a few pictures. The following weekend we took the G90 out for a decently long test drive. Genesis wants you to take this car home at the weekend and really put the car through its paces, which is an admirable sales technique and a refreshing change from the five minute hurry up a few dealers seem to think is adequate and acceptable nowadays. The G90 was refined, powerful, and drama free. Overall it's a lovely vehicle. But there was nothing really to compel us to write a check especially when the GS was still serving us so well. In fact driving home we remarked how the GS felt more planted at higher speeds than the Genesis. So we decided to keep the GS for two more years, by which time a refreshed LS would be out, and with Apple Car Play likely along with that. But we also kept an appointment we'd made earlier that week to give the LS F Sport a quick drive, mainly out of interest and to compare with the luxury version. I really don't know what happened: the dimensions and the engine are of course exactly the same as in the luxury version but we immediately fell in love with the F Sport. For the 99 per cent of the time that you just want to mooch along, put it in Comfort mode and it's an incredibly serene and engaging experience. Then put it in Sport + for those moments you're feeling more adventurous. For some reason this Jekll and Hyde persona seemed more suited to the F Sport for us. This is not meant as a criticism of the luxury version in any way or to anyone who purchased the luxury version. It's just the way things were for us and I know it's mostly in the mind. We did find the exterior styling of the F Sport cosmetically a lot more appealing though. One thing to bear in mind for anyone test driving these cars is that if you leave it in normal or comfort setting and put your foot to the floor WOT, the car will accelerate quickly and smoothly with a growling yet refined spring. Lexus really hit a sweet spot here I think in what will be the day to day driving for most people most of the time. Do the same thing in Sport or Sport + and there are artificial sounds that gets pumped in through the audio system (same as with the GS) and any sense of dignity gets lost. Again, fine in the F Sport but the wolf yowl in those modes seemed out of place in the luxury model (for us) and was probably partly why the lux test drive did not really do it for us.
After several weeks living with the car there are/were a few annoyances.
- The lack of head space as noted above and by many others. I'm average height, 5'10 but like to drive with the seat in the highest available position. I eventually relented and lowered the seat position and slightly increased the seat recline, Once that concession was made I quickly become accustomed to the new driving position and belatedly came to realize that it's actually better in this car sitting from the lower position given the already low sweep of the dash. So all is well here..
- A continuous alarm chime when in reverse gear. Disabled at the dealership. Again, all good.
- No cover art displayed unless the car is in Park.Given the plethora of other visual distractions, this one is a somewhat bizarre safety feature, which can't be circumvented by anyone it seems.
- Lane Keep Assist. While others have commented it's okay, for me it's a terrible waste of time and about as much use as Night Vision was in the GS (that is, no use at all). When engaged and with your hands on the wheel, it's like you're wrestling with the invisible man for control over the car. Taking your hands off the wheel and letting the car steer itself in the lane only works for a few seconds before the computer insists you lay a hand back on the wheel to prove you're still awake. Perhaps I am failing completely to see the point with this feature and someone can explain how it's useful in the real world.YMMV.
- The transmission is occasionally jerky moving from second to first gear too soon when rolling slowly to a stop, or worse getting stuck in neutral going nowhere with the engine revving when putting the throttle about half way down from a standing start when trying to accelerate briskly (more so when the engine is cold) requiring easing back on the throttle before the transmission will properly engage. I read somewhere there was a firmware update being released to remedy this transmission issue, which I can't imagine is intended. I hope that is the case (that there will be a firmware remedy) as this remains the biggest annoyance in the car so far.
- Fuel consumption is poorer than we'd expected based on the advertised specs. According to the Lexus Canada web site, the GS that we owned has a city/highway litre/100km rating of 12.5/9.2 versus 13/8.7 for the LS that we now own. However our experience to date is the fuel economy in the LS is about 30 per cent worse than the GS rather than being similar as the advertised specs would suggest.
- No V8 engine option,.Tons of complaints about it here and a show stopper for some. I know this is a car enthusiast forum but really my 2 cents is there is nothing at all lacking in power, smoothness or refinement with this TT V6, which is testament to the engineers and Lexus has done a very good job of fooling you that this car is a V8 as it lumbers around effortlessly, and quite frankly, I doubt anyone but a true enthusiast if they didn't know otherwise would notice the difference nor care. For what it's worth we found this car significantly more smooth and refined than the Genesis G90, which had a V8. The only thing I'm slightly nervous about is the long term reliability of these turbos. Right now I can only trust that the glacial pace with which Lexus has come to market with turbos and new engines generally reflects its desire not to put anything out there that won't last and last, which is what the brand is all about.
- Minimalist design resulting in lack of dedicated buttons for seat and steering wheel heaters etc. Actually this quite quickly became a non issue after realizing the steering wheel heat (and heating duration) and seat temperature preferences can be altered from the menu. From there it's then a case of set and forget with the car doing an admirable job of working out what's required while automatically heating and cooling the seats etc.
- The touch pad. I'm mentioning this one mainly as it's so contentious and has been raised by pretty much every reviewer out there as being among the worst interfaces of all time. It's best to think of this one like getting a new mouse or laptop, which inevitably feels strange at first and take some getting used to. Once that happens, all is well and no oily fingerprint marks soiling the display. Again another non issue.
- There is a lot of tech in the car which generally makes us nervous about out-of-warranty repairs later on. More of a concern than a current annoyance I guess.
It's not all bling, bells and whistles.. Some of the safety elements are truly useful. I was at a gas station a few weeks back and after filling up needed to reverse back out from the pumps after another car blocked the forward exit. So I slowly reversed checking my surroundings carefully (or so I thought) when BAM! I thought oh no I have hit something behind me. Hard. But there was no collision, the car had slammed on the brakes automatically after I'd quite honestly completely failed to see a van that was parked directly behind me. This absolutely saved a trip to the body shop and a hefty repair bill.
With its aggressive styling this is a car that both looks good and is happy to flaunt that and be noticed, yet also does not scream 'look at me' in an overtly boorish way. It is very nicely balanced in this way and now we are well used to it, appreciate its smart style. This is the nicest car we've owned by a wide margin and we'll be owning this for a long time to come. Despite the irritations mentioned above, it is a ridiculously nice car and there is a tactile and emotional element to looking at it, sitting in it and driving it that's very joyful. We love this car and with its bold styling both inside and out it does seem is a step away from the coyness if not conservatism of Lexus in days gone by.
These pictures were taken by my lovely wife who is not normally that interested in cars but loves this one probably as much as I do or more, The wheels are a bit dirty here but too lazy to take all the pics again, lol, And we still need to get the windows tinted as well.
My only real complaint is the down shift to first gear. Annoying at best. After fiddling around with the heating and cooling and finding some short cuts, the ***** I prefer aren't missed as badly. I've had two LS's before and this one definitely has a sportier ride. Just wish it had the HP of the RC F that I turned in a few months ago. Well, I do have one more "complaint". The car is just too long! It takes up 2 feet more than the RC F in the garage.
An owner since March, wanted to wait several weeks before giving my impressions on this car mainly to avoid any first impressions getting tainted in emotion. I would be among the first buyers in Canada I think.
Thank you for a wonderful review! It pretty much re-iterated many of the pros and cons others have noted, but from someone who has driven the car for several weeks. It's good to know that the pros far outweigh the cons for you, and that you have adjusted to some of the "annoyances" in the car.
Can you please elaborate on a few more issues? Thank you.
1) Do you miss the ambient lighting system in the G90 and the other flagships? The LS has a very basic system. Does your car have illuminated door sills?
2) How do you like the HUD? Do all the bells and whistles appeal to you? Stop sign recognition etc?
3) How do you like the surround camera system? When I tried it out, it appeared very "amateurish" compared to the ones in the G90, S500 etc.
4) Your car appears to have the panoramic sun roof. That really cuts into the rear seat headroom. Any complaints?
5) I am guessing the "cover art" you are referring to is the dash display for the front passenger. I agree Lexus has missed a golden opportunity to make that a functional display that owners could use creatively. I am hopeful there will be an aftermarket mod to convert it into a functional display.
5) I am guessing the "cover art" you are referring to is the dash display for the front passenger. I agree Lexus has missed a golden opportunity to make that a functional display that owners could use creatively. I am hopeful there will be an aftermarket mod to convert it into a functional display.
The cover art being referred to is the Gracenote cover art on the audio screen of the nav display. Unlike previous Lexus models, that's disabled while driving with the new LS.
The cover art being referred to is the Gracenote cover art on the audio screen of the nav display. Unlike previous Lexus models, that's disabled while driving with the new LS.
Oh, I wasn't aware of that. So, why take out a feature that people like? This feature must be available in most vehicles nowadays. Another small annoyance, I guess...
Thank you for a wonderful review! It pretty much re-iterated many of the pros and cons others have noted, but from someone who has driven the car for several weeks. It's good to know that the pros far outweigh the cons for you, and that you have adjusted to some of the "annoyances" in the car.
Can you please elaborate on a few more issues? Thank you.
1) Do you miss the ambient lighting system in the G90 and the other flagships? The LS has a very basic system. Does your car have illuminated door sills?
2) How do you like the HUD? Do all the bells and whistles appeal to you? Stop sign recognition etc?
3) How do you like the surround camera system? When I tried it out, it appeared very "amateurish" compared to the ones in the G90, S500 etc.
4) Your car appears to have the panoramic sun roof. That really cuts into the rear seat headroom. Any complaints?
5) I am guessing the "cover art" you are referring to is the dash display for the front passenger. I agree Lexus has missed a golden opportunity to make that a functional display that owners could use creatively. I am hopeful there will be an aftermarket mod to convert it into a functional display.
I have driven my LS500 for about two months, with more than 3000 miles. Since I have had two previous LS's (2000 LS 400 and 2007 LS 460) but no experience with any GXX cars, my comments only deal with your questions 2-5.
2) Both my wife and I love the HUD. I like the navigation info on the HUD the most; no need to look at the regular screen while driving. The warning graphics about traffic at intersections are also very useful.
3) I like the surround camera display when it pops up on the screen, but I don't bring it up manually for other reasons. Useful in parking situations where the space is tight.
4) I'm 6' and the rest of my family members are all 6' or under. So we don't have any complaints at all about the front nor back leg room and head room, even with the Panoramic Sunroof in the back.
5) Likewise, I'm waiting for some aftermarket solution to make this display functional. But as is, the display provides some ambient light in the cabin at night.
Thank you for a wonderful review! It pretty much re-iterated many of the pros and cons others have noted, but from someone who has driven the car for several weeks. It's good to know that the pros far outweigh the cons for you, and that you have adjusted to some of the "annoyances" in the car.
Can you please elaborate on a few more issues? Thank you.
1) Do you miss the ambient lighting system in the G90 and the other flagships? The LS has a very basic system. Does your car have illuminated door sills?
2) How do you like the HUD? Do all the bells and whistles appeal to you? Stop sign recognition etc?
3) How do you like the surround camera system? When I tried it out, it appeared very "amateurish" compared to the ones in the G90, S500 etc.
4) Your car appears to have the panoramic sun roof. That really cuts into the rear seat headroom. Any complaints?
5) I am guessing the "cover art" you are referring to is the dash display for the front passenger. I agree Lexus has missed a golden opportunity to make that a functional display that owners could use creatively. I am hopeful there will be an aftermarket mod to convert it into a functional display.
1) Do you miss the ambient lighting system in the G90 and the other flagships? The LS has a very basic system. Does your car have illuminated door sills?
Personally this is not a big deal for us. I understand the G90 has customizable colors etc., which if anything we actually thought a little tacky and OTT. However I rarely drive after dark and perhaps I’d care more if I did. For me, the functionally important stuff there: for example, I do find useful the lights in the seat belt buckles so you can easily put your seat belt on while it’s dark and while I’ve not paid a huge amount of attention to the lighting overall it’s never been an issue visually entering or exiting the car from our garage, which is dark. I’m not sure about the door sills, I will check.
2) How do you like the HUD? Do all the bells and whistles appeal to you? Stop sign recognition etc?
Love the HUD and yes the bells and whistles are appealing. When reversing out of our drive in particular with the neighbors’ cars blocking the street view there is a good sense of approaching traffic from both directions with the HUD animation. The stop sign recognition does not work for us so not sure about that (maybe a Canadian thing?). Overall I give the visual safety cues a 9/10. It loses a point for being a bit cautious when in reverse often flashing a false alarm people warning when there are no people there. Maybe they intended it to mean “hey watch out in case there are people behind you”, rather than “there is a person there”, not sure…
3) How do you like the surround camera system? When I tried it out, it appeared very "amateurish" compared to the ones in the G90, S500 etc.
It is fine and works well if the objective of it is not to drive into walls etc. So it’s adequate in the sense we’ve not yet scraped anything. I agree with you the one in the G90 is visually better.
4) Your car appears to have the panoramic sun roof. That really cuts into the rear seat headroom. Any complaints?
Not from me although I am average height and not tall. No one really tall has been back there yet. On father’s day after a few drinks I sat in the back while the wife drove us all home and I did not feel any lack of space at all either for head/shoulder room or legroom. Actually it was so comfortable and enjoyable I was disappointed to have to get out when we arrived home. Again though, I’m 5’10 and not tall.
5) I am guessing the "cover art" you are referring to is the dash display for the front passenger. I agree Lexus has missed a golden opportunity to make that a functional display that owners could use creatively. I am hopeful there will be an aftermarket mod to convert it into a functional display.
It’s the music album art work, which is suppressed unless the car is in park. I know there are park hacks for a few hundred bucks that can get around it but I’m not paying to enable something that shouldn’t have been disabled to begin with.
My only real complaint is the down shift to first gear. Annoying at best. After fiddling around with the heating and cooling and finding some short cuts, the ***** I prefer aren't missed as badly. I've had two LS's before and this one definitely has a sportier ride. Just wish it had the HP of the RC F that I turned in a few months ago. Well, I do have one more "complaint". The car is just too long! It takes up 2 feet more than the RC F in the garage.
You are right it is a loooong car. We had to completely clear out the garage to fit it in there. Good opportunity to do some spring cleaning getting rid of old fridges etc.
An owner since March, wanted to wait several weeks before giving my impressions on this car mainly to avoid any first impressions getting tainted in emotion. I would be among the first buyers in Canada I think.
A bit of background. I've been on CL for about 6 years although it's a while since I've posted anything. Have a wife and two kids and by choice we are a one car family. Living in Toronto. This is our second Lexus. Previous to this we bought (also new) an atomic silver 2013 GS350 AWD Tech+ (=fully loaded). Loved the GS and had no reason to ditch it other than the two kids about to enter their teenage years and the impending lack of space. And even then we'd have been fine hanging on to the GS for another couple of years since it was running well, and economically this made the most sense as well given we'd already taken the bulk of the depreciation hit.
We also looked at the Genesis G90. We spent a lot of time initially looking at the Genesis in the showroom and were very impressed by the interior in particular. We then looked at the LS luxury version and took it for a brief test drive and were a bit underwhelmed. For starters my head basically hit the ceiling, there seemed to be miles less head space than in the Genesis and also a lot less than in the GS. Driving around selecting all the various drive options the car seemed to lurch around between sedate and psychotic. What on earth was Lexus thinking? We we relieved to drive back home in the GS. Then during the week an F Sport model came in and the dealer asked if I wanted to see that. Sure I did but was stuck working so the wife and kids went out there to look at it and take a few pictures. The following weekend we took the G90 out for a decently long test drive. Genesis wants you to take this car home at the weekend and really put the car through its paces, which is an admirable sales technique and a refreshing change from the five minute hurry up a few dealers seem to think is adequate and acceptable nowadays. The G90 was refined, powerful, and drama free. Overall it's a lovely vehicle. But there was nothing really to compel us to write a check especially when the GS was still serving us so well. In fact driving home we remarked how the GS felt more planted at higher speeds than the Genesis. So we decided to keep the GS for two more years, by which time a refreshed LS would be out, and with Apple Car Play likely along with that. But we also kept an appointment we'd made earlier that week to give the LS F Sport a quick drive, mainly out of interest and to compare with the luxury version. I really don't know what happened: the dimensions and the engine are of course exactly the same as in the luxury version but we immediately fell in love with the F Sport. For the 99 per cent of the time that you just want to mooch along, put it in Comfort mode and it's an incredibly serene and engaging experience. Then put it in Sport + for those moments you're feeling more adventurous. For some reason this Jekll and Hyde persona seemed more suited to the F Sport for us. This is not meant as a criticism of the luxury version in any way or to anyone who purchased the luxury version. It's just the way things were for us and I know it's mostly in the mind. We did find the exterior styling of the F Sport cosmetically a lot more appealing though. One thing to bear in mind for anyone test driving these cars is that if you leave it in normal or comfort setting and put your foot to the floor WOT, the car will accelerate quickly and smoothly with a growling yet refined spring. Lexus really hit a sweet spot here I think in what will be the day to day driving for most people most of the time. Do the same thing in Sport or Sport + and there are artificial sounds that gets pumped in through the audio system (same as with the GS) and any sense of dignity gets lost. Again, fine in the F Sport but the wolf yowl in those modes seemed out of place in the luxury model (for us) and was probably partly why the lux test drive did not really do it for us.
After several weeks living with the car there are/were a few annoyances.
- The lack of head space as noted above and by many others. I'm average height, 5'10 but like to drive with the seat in the highest available position. I eventually relented and lowered the seat position and slightly increased the seat recline, Once that concession was made I quickly become accustomed to the new driving position and belatedly came to realize that it's actually better in this car sitting from the lower position given the already low sweep of the dash. So all is well here..
- A continuous alarm chime when in reverse gear. Disabled at the dealership. Again, all good.
- No cover art displayed unless the car is in Park.Given the plethora of other visual distractions, this one is a somewhat bizarre safety feature, which can't be circumvented by anyone it seems.
- Lane Keep Assist. While others have commented it's okay, for me it's a terrible waste of time and about as much use as Night Vision was in the GS (that is, no use at all). When engaged and with your hands on the wheel, it's like you're wrestling with the invisible man for control over the car. Taking your hands off the wheel and letting the car steer itself in the lane only works for a few seconds before the computer insists you lay a hand back on the wheel to prove you're still awake. Perhaps I am failing completely to see the point with this feature and someone can explain how it's useful in the real world.YMMV.
- The transmission is occasionally jerky moving from second to first gear too soon when rolling slowly to a stop, or worse getting stuck in neutral going nowhere with the engine revving when putting the throttle about half way down from a standing start when trying to accelerate briskly (more so when the engine is cold) requiring easing back on the throttle before the transmission will properly engage. I read somewhere there was a firmware update being released to remedy this transmission issue, which I can't imagine is intended. I hope that is the case (that there will be a firmware remedy) as this remains the biggest annoyance in the car so far.
- Fuel consumption is poorer than we'd expected based on the advertised specs. According to the Lexus Canada web site, the GS that we owned has a city/highway litre/100km rating of 12.5/9.2 versus 13/8.7 for the LS that we now own. However our experience to date is the fuel economy in the LS is about 30 per cent worse than the GS rather than being similar as the advertised specs would suggest.
- No V8 engine option,.Tons of complaints about it here and a show stopper for some. I know this is a car enthusiast forum but really my 2 cents is there is nothing at all lacking in power, smoothness or refinement with this TT V6, which is testament to the engineers and Lexus has done a very good job of fooling you that this car is a V8 as it lumbers around effortlessly, and quite frankly, I doubt anyone but a true enthusiast if they didn't know otherwise would notice the difference nor care. For what it's worth we found this car significantly more smooth and refined than the Genesis G90, which had a V8. The only thing I'm slightly nervous about is the long term reliability of these turbos. Right now I can only trust that the glacial pace with which Lexus has come to market with turbos and new engines generally reflects its desire not to put anything out there that won't last and last, which is what the brand is all about.
- Minimalist design resulting in lack of dedicated buttons for seat and steering wheel heaters etc. Actually this quite quickly became a non issue after realizing the steering wheel heat (and heating duration) and seat temperature preferences can be altered from the menu. From there it's then a case of set and forget with the car doing an admirable job of working out what's required while automatically heating and cooling the seats etc.
- The touch pad. I'm mentioning this one mainly as it's so contentious and has been raised by pretty much every reviewer out there as being among the worst interfaces of all time. It's best to think of this one like getting a new mouse or laptop, which inevitably feels strange at first and take some getting used to. Once that happens, all is well and no oily fingerprint marks soiling the display. Again another non issue.
- There is a lot of tech in the car which generally makes us nervous about out-of-warranty repairs later on. More of a concern than a current annoyance I guess.
It's not all bling, bells and whistles.. Some of the safety elements are truly useful. I was at a gas station a few weeks back and after filling up needed to reverse back out from the pumps after another car blocked the forward exit. So I slowly reversed checking my surroundings carefully (or so I thought) when BAM! I thought oh no I have hit something behind me. Hard. But there was no collision, the car had slammed on the brakes automatically after I'd quite honestly completely failed to see a van that was parked directly behind me. This absolutely saved a trip to the body shop and a hefty repair bill.
With its aggressive styling this is a car that both looks good and is happy to flaunt that and be noticed, yet also does not scream 'look at me' in an overtly boorish way. It is very nicely balanced in this way and now we are well used to it, appreciate its smart style. This is the nicest car we've owned by a wide margin and we'll be owning this for a long time to come. Despite the irritations mentioned above, it is a ridiculously nice car and there is a tactile and emotional element to looking at it, sitting in it and driving it that's very joyful. We love this car and with its bold styling both inside and out it does seem is a step away from the coyness if not conservatism of Lexus in days gone by.
These pictures were taken by my lovely wife who is not normally that interested in cars but loves this one probably as much as I do or more, The wheels are a bit dirty here but too lazy to take all the pics again, lol, And we still need to get the windows tinted as well.
Very good detailed write-up, I also agree as I checked the measurements and between the GS and the LS 500 they are very close with height. width and leg room.
Very good detailed write-up, I also agree as I checked the measurements and between the GS and the LS 500 they are very close with height. width and leg room.
Just me, but with the new lower center of gravity design, I thought the headroom lost 1-2" - from the seat of the pants feeling.
Despite the 5LS being wider, the rear shoulder room lost up to 2" due to the internal taper of the rear door trims, though the thicker rear doors may enhance side protection.
The rear foot room is very poor - unless the front seats are raised, but that restricts front headroom - Lexus must try to improve the space efficiency of their fancy air conditioned front seat bases.
I thought the 5LS rear leg room is obviously not cavernous, but still pretty good for a full size luxury sedan, and a good 4" or so longer in cabin length than my 4GS.
Though the new 5LS trunk is long, but it is also noticeably shallow, mainly caused by a surprizingly high trunk floor that contains NO spare tire! What is under that trunk floor I wonder?
I noticed a test with metric measurements giving the 5LS a 440 L trunk, with the full size sporting luxury Maserati Quattroporte on 530 L, an S Class also 530 L, while a regular Camry on 520 L.
I love the styling of the sporting-luxury Quattroporte, but I cannot live with its harsh ride, let alone its reliability.
The Quattroporte has even more of a front mid-engine than 5LS with even better dynamics, though at the expense of an even more cramped cabin - this doesn't really affect me, but it can be an issue with a number of other buyers.
If the 5LS had the styling of this Quattroporte, the 5LS would sell like hot cakes, with an easy 2,000 units/month on debut in the USA...
Just me, but with the new lower center of gravity design, I thought the headroom lost 1-2" - from the seat of the pants feeling.
Despite the 5LS being wider, the rear shoulder room lost up to 2" due to the internal taper of the rear door trims, though the thicker rear doors may enhance side protection.
The rear foot room is very poor - unless the front seats are raised, but that restricts front headroom - Lexus must try to improve the space efficiency of their fancy air conditioned front seat bases.
I thought the 5LS rear leg room is obviously not cavernous, but still pretty good for a full size luxury sedan, and a good 4" or so longer in cabin length than my 4GS.
Though the new 5LS trunk is long, but it is also noticeably shallow, mainly caused by a surprizingly high trunk floor that contains NO spare tire! What is under that trunk floor I wonder?
I noticed a test with metric measurements giving the 5LS a 440 L trunk, with the full size sporting luxury Maserati Quattroporte on 530 L, an S Class also 530 L, while a regular Camry on 520 L.
I love the styling of the sporting-luxury Quattroporte, but I cannot live with its harsh ride, let alone its reliability.
The Quattroporte has even more of a front mid-engine than 5LS with even better dynamics, though at the expense of an even more cramped cabin - this doesn't really affect me, but it can be an issue with a number of other buyers.
If the 5LS had the styling of this Quattroporte, the 5LS would sell like hot cakes, with an easy 2,000 units/month on debut in the USA...
I've thought long and hard about car choices, and I want to go with the LS, but if the LS is the same size (front driver seat) as the GS-F I really don't know. I have also looked at QP and BMW but I want reliability. I do wish Lexus created more space interior with the LS front seat at least.
Congrats on the new purchase. Great thorough review and a big help to those of us considering a purchase.
I have driven 2 AWD non F Sport and in both of them when flooring the car from a complete stop there has been a noticeable lag before the car moves. The salesman said that the car would learn as you drive and adjust to where the lag goes away. While I don't floor my cars regularly I tend to accelerate quickly away from stops. I was wondering if anyone has experienced the turbo lag when new and it has improved after it gets accustomed to your driving style.
For me I am still on the fence because there is a lot to like about the car but the decreased interior room is something to be concerned with. I am the same size as you, 5'10" but regularly have adults 6'1" to 6'3" in my LS 430 and at lease one of them would have to be in the back. Even with the standard moonroof it seems like someone 6' or taller would have their head touching the roof unless they slouch.
It is interesting that Lexus makes the car longer and the interior smaller
07-06-18, 05:25 AM
LS500 F Sport impressions
