If you are interested in the new LS500 please do a in person assessment. I personally believe this is the best LS in terms of features and refinement. The fit and finish of the car is outstanding imo.

 

do you really think the 2018 LS500 is worse than our 2007 LS460?
It's on the same page as a person with a LS430 saying LS460 is worse.

Maybe LS500 isn't up to expectations, but i have no doubts it's better than a 4LS.

 

Well, we upgraded our 07 LS 460 to the new LS 500 two months ago. And my wife and I have enjoyed every moment of either driving it or riding in it this summer. Both long road trips and daily driving to and from the office have been such luxurious experiences. If anyone is still talking about the 4LS being a better car than the 5LS, he is most likely blind to what the new LS offers, both in terms of superior styling and workmanship, as well as new safety and technical features. As I said in another thread on clublexus, let these folks talking trash about the new LS while we enjoy our latest car around town and on the road. Hahaha...

 

"We" as in the ever diminishing 789 American monthly buyers who purchased the 5LS in June 2018?

Generally speaking, this 5LS may have its flaws, but this 5LS is generally overall the best LS ever.
Comparing the 5LS to its predecessors is one thing, but comparing the 5LS to its peers is something else.

There is no perfect car, and each model has its set of pros and cons.
Horses for courses and each to their own.
What is great for Jack, isn't necessarily so good for Jill.
There are a number of drivers where the 5LS is personally certainly the best choice for them!

However, if we are talking about the mass market satisfaction for the majority of buyers in this full size luxury segment, then things may be different.

That the 5LS delivers personal satisfaction to a small number of buyers is absolutely true, but that the 5LS is delivering satisfaction across the full size luxury market is obviously a no - given the 5LS' monthly statistics.


For short term glory with enormous long term pain, one of the top posters in this forum - he turns a blind eye, and brushes it under the carpet, and he says that my midsize luxury 4GS was a great model with a significant >30% fall in sales over its 3GS predecessor, [at a time when 5 Series increased its peak sales from 56k/year to 60k/year] - hence President Akio was given the wrong message, and look at the 5LS that has been delivered now.

There is a saying "No pain - no gain".
In the short term, constructive feedback on 5LS hurts - however in the long term, President Akio is given a strong message, so he puts his heads down, and comes up with a brilliant fix for the next generation 6LS which averages over 2k/month in sales on debut like the current model S Class sedan.
And it's all history from there on.


Think of it another way.
Imagine your 10 year old son is misbehaving.
Do you accept the pain to confront him directly and have a talk to him about improving his behavior?
Or do you avoid the pain and hassle - turn a blind eye, sweep it under the carpet, and pretend that this 10 year old child's misbehavior is all good?


I own a 4GS, and I never pretend that it is a perfect car.
IMO, I believe it is the best choice for "me", and I am happy with that.
Though I can understand why in that same period of time, E Class sales increased its peak from 59k to 69k, while 5 Series increased its peak from 57k to 60k.
I am happy with my choice, though I can understand market statistics for the 4GS, and the performance of alternative competitors.
When people criticise my 4GS, I understand what they are talking about, and where they are coming from.
I've never claimed that any of my cars were perfect.

There was a point in time when I considered changing my 4GS for a 6.5ES, but the 6.5ES is no perfect car either [6.5ES has its own set of issues] - there simply is NO perfect car, and each model has its set of pros and cons, and I believe that the 4GS's pros and cons are best for me in that period of time.
I have a number of constructive recommendations for the 5GS especially for myself, but I also have a number of recommendations for 5GS to satisfy buyer tastes across the midsize luxury market.
.

 

I'm afraid your conclusion/opinion is just dead wrong, Pete. If we look at the average monthly sales for Q1 vs. Q2 for the segment, we get the following:




Moreover, I threw out Jan & Feb for the LS since available qty's were limited and went with the March number, which was the highest month of any and puts the LS at a disadvantage right out of the gate. As you can see, the LS handily beat the competition in Quarter over Quarter sales. The lone exception was the 7 Series, which had May sales nearly double the previous month and more than double the remaining 5 months average, so there is clearly a statistical aberration there.

So before writing the LS off as an unpopular failure, perhaps you should wait until the Feb '19 sales figures have been reported and you've got a full years worth of data to back up your claims.

 

Well, Pete, by "we" I simply meant my wife and I. It's a car we enjoy; and we are so glad to have upgraded to this new 5LS from an 07 LS460. Otherwise, we don't have your heavy burden to worry about Toyota's future and trying to improve its product designs.

 

I finally got to spend some time with the new LS and I came away sufficiently impressed. It's far too large of a car for my needs, but if I were looking in the segment, it would be near the top of my short list. I like the styling, the lack of a V8 doesn't bother me, and the interior is simply stunning.