The LS 500 is a certifiable classic, holding its own apace as other challengers have sought and failed to topple it for over 20 years. The 2023 version seems as fresh and swank as if it had just been launched, and everything anyone ever liked about the looks and feel of a Lexus is here.
For 2023, they’ve installed Lexus’s new user interface, doing away with the infernally jumpy, skittish mouse. What the new system offers is a much quicker, more practical experience. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are on deck; you can download the App and and connect via Bluetooth. There are also now USB ports galore – 6 in total. You also have available Kiriko glass and exclusive Artwood designs if you so choose, for a price.
Lexus has imparted their LS with a coupe-like flavor, deflating the conservatism you find in many sedans. The fierce-looking front and rear lamps and aggressive grill aree handsome and you roll on 19 or 20-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels. It’s an attractive vehicle even while standing still.
The tester came with great-looking-and-smelling red leather all over the cockpit, coupling it with appropriate patterned fabric, so when you get in you feel you’re sitting in something special. You can fit four full sized adults in the cabin; 5 is pushing it, especially if anyone is full-figured. Go for the optional rear bucket seats for a feeling of your own personal space in the backseat. There isn’t any give with the rear seats, so you might have to get creative with fitting large items in the cockpit. There’s a nice big trunk, though.
They’re calling it “the most connected LS ever,” and they’re leading with an available Drive Connect trial and/or subscription. Its Intelligent Assistant lets you use everyday casual speech to control most in-car functions – in theory. By simply saying “Hey Lexus,” you can adjust cabin temperature, add navigation points, change audio selections and more.
You can play music through Spotify and Pandora, and send messages with WhatsApp. An attractive 24-inch full-color Head-Up Display projects key information like speed, current gear and RPM onto the windshield. It’s also one of the first to connect with available Pedestrian Alert and Front Cross-Traffic Alert. The “performance-inspired” digital tachometer in the F-Sport (my tester) was a nice dab of edge.
Most sedans of this type are equipped with V-8s but here in the F-Sport trim, we had a twin-turbo 3.4 litre V-6 delivering 416 horsepower. Despite those healthy-looking numbers, it was a tame experience start to finish. If for some reason I had to floor it from a dead stop, there was quite a gap between the mash and the blast-off, as if the engine was asking “What do you want me to do again?”
Its 10-speed automatic transmission was smooth and quiet, and its road manners were polite, but my need for speed was not slaked. Corners were cornered, quick stops weren’t a problem and steering was satisfactory. Mileage was in the neighborhood of 28 combined city/highway MPG for our trim.
The LS delivers the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 suite of driver-assistance features as standard; semi-autonomous features are available. These include standard adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, and more. Its safety systems, happily, did not encroach, nag or annoy.Your sticker may vary; my trim’s MSRP was $78,035, but with different trims and options you’ll top $100,000.
Conclusion: Anyone buying a Lexus sedan for its looks, inner swank and luxury flavor will find what they need in the LS. For unbridled enthusiasm, however, have a look at what BMW and Mercedes-Benz are offering in the same ballpark.