A Closer Look at the 2021 Lexus LS500
The LS performs better with selective options.
LS500
Lexus has a reputation for building reliable luxury cars, and this LS500 is their top-of-the-line flagship. Sit inside, and its fancy and roomy cabin lets you know this is a first-class ride.
Text and photos by Chad Haire
Price Tag
As expected the LS is expensive. The base fee is $76,600. Ours has plenty of options, with the most costly being the F-Sport Dynamic package. This includes variable gear ratio steering, active stabilizers, and active rear steering for a tidy $7,800. How about $1,940 for a 23 speaker Mark Levinson sound unit? The variable air suspension will set us back $1,400 more. Add safety nannies, digital mirror, HUD, sun roof, panorama camera, and more. The total cost comes to $98,810. $305 of this was for a cargo net and trunk mat that should be standard.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Engine
The old 386 hp V-8 engine is long gone. It is replaced by a 416 hp turbo V-6, hooked to a modern 10-speed transmission. The fuel economy is claimed to be 18/29 mpg. On long highway trips, we observed an easy 28 mpg, which is a fantastic number for such a huge 2.5-ton car. But is brisk city commuting, where we were a bit heavy on the throttle, it dropped as low as 13 mpg!
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Tire
There is no spare tire, so run-flats are issued. The ride quality is far better than the previous run-flats used last year.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Headlights
These LED headlights put out plenty of light. They also pivot in the same direction as the steering wheel, which is great when taking tight corners.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Info Controls
The infotainment system is controlled by a finger touch pad. It works fine when sitting still, but will take some practice when the car is in motion.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Transmission
Paddle shifters are located on the steering wheel should the drivers want to pick gears manually. With 10 speeds, this can give fingers a workout!
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Info Screen
The infotainment screen is large, and the quality of camera image is excellent.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Drive Mode
This selector switch allows many drive modes to be picked: ECO, COMFORT, CUSTOM, NORMAL, SPORT, and SPORT+.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
POV
If you are looking for a long-distance cruiser, this LS500 is up to the challenge. It's smooth, quiet, and comfortable. The highway fuel consumption numbers are impressive too.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
Rear View
While not inexpensive, the Lexus LS500 offers a lot luxury for its entry fee. It is also more reliable than most of the European competition, with better resale value too.
>>Join the conversation about the 2021 LS500 right here in Club Lexus.
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