2019 Lexus LS500 Review

2019 Lexus LS500 F-Sport

MSRP: $81,300

Engine: Twin Turbo 3.5 Liter V6

Horsepower and Torque: 416/442

0-60: 5.3 Seconds

MPG as observed: 21

Text: Yousef Alvi // Photography: Geoff Dennis

The Lexus LS series has always been the pinnacle of Japanese automotive sedans.  The LS helped cement Japan as a formidable adversary in the automotive realm as well. Let me explain.  Before the LS was introduced, Japanese cars were known to be small, economical, bit quirky and while they were well built...they weren’t taken in high regard in contrast to Mercedes and BMW.  The 1989 LS400 changed that entirely. Here was a car that not just benchmarked the hallowed Mercedes S Class, it exceeded it in reliability, design and fortitude.

So how does one live up to those lofty expectations?  You honestly couldn’t and for years Lexus played it safe with the subsequent LS series. They kept the styling, performance and interior all conservative.  The 2019 LS500 is different. It’s not just a new model...it’s a radical shift in the paradigm of the LS.  Instead of a soft vault made of leather like the old one, the new LS500 is a stunning performance sedan with looks to match.

The signature Lexus spindle grille is on display in all of it’s large glory.  The creases of the bodywork and the overall styling is less Japanese and more Italian if anything.  The bodywork doesn’t just make this best looking LS in recent memory...it’s one of the most striking vehicles on the road today.  That exterior styling doesn’t hold a candle to the interior though. The use of beautifully styled aluminum, wood and leather blends sport, comfort and art into one stunning and comfortable form.  

Performance wise the LS500 is another shift into the future.  Gone is the much beloved V8 and replaced with a twin turbo V6 making 416 horsepower and 442 ft/lbs of torque.  Whereas the V8 provided a nice aural note, the new boosted V6 makes up for it with low end torque.  Riding that torque wave sprints the LS500 to 60 in a brisk 5.3 seconds. Dialing the drive selector to Sport Plus activates the dampers, the steering and throttle to an even more tactile level.  The big LS can wipe away its heft and she dance in the corners in a speed that would make the old one roll over and play dead.

So how do I sum up the 2019 Lexus LS500?  It’s a standout star in the Ultra Luxury Car domain that doesn’t skimp on style and performance…all backed with Lexus’s legendary reliability.