New 2023 Lexus LS 500 (Overview). HIGHS
– Refined standard twin-turbo V-6, appropriately supple ride, top-spec cabin furnishings are rich.
LOWS
– Coarse and clunky hybrid system, blasé handling doesn’t match its sporty styling, low starting price swells to six figures with all the luxury options.
VERDICT
– The LS forgoes the conservative exterior and interior design themes that dominate the full-size luxury sedan class, and it doesn’t work.
The Lexus LS 500 does an admirable job as an executive sedan. It has an exquisite cabin filled with high-end materials, many premium features and good value in this prestigious segment. Unfortunately, its clunky user interface and slow-acting advanced driver aids keep the LS from truly rivaling the class leaders.
– Pros
Library-quiet at highway speeds
Ride quality remains soft, supple and impervious to broken pavement
Interior features world-class build quality and artful materials
– Cons
General lack of sportiness, ceding dynamic advantage to some German rivals
Gas pedal doesn’t feel very responsive
– What’s new
Updated infotainment system adds new touchscreen, advanced voice commands
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now connect wirelessly
Two additional USB ports
Part of the fifth LS generation introduced for 2018
Nearly 35 years after its arrival, the luxury sedan that launched Lexus in America still commands attention. That’s no small feat given the endless permutations of today’s SUVs, but the 2023 Lexus LS 500, like its predecessors, remains the automaker’s canvas for tech, comfort and safety innovations.
