Given that the LS is the pinnacle for the Lexus range they have thrown everything in there and its luxurious and extremely comfortable.

Its hard to choose whether to sit in the drivers seat or be chauffeured around in the spacious rear seat with its extendable foot rest and massage functions.

The LS is powered by the smooth 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine producing 310kW and a sublime 600Nm from 1600-4800 rpm.

Or the LS 500h features a naturally aspirated V6 of the same capacity with a multi-stage hybrid system offering 264 kW for the perfect blend of performance and economy.

This drives through a 10 speed AT, that matches perfectly to the engine characteristics.

Given that this is meant for executive transport one little niggle was that the rear seat entertainment screens seemed a little intrusive and would perhaps be better integrated into the front head rests.

The Lexus LS 500 is in a rarefied segment of large limousine style vehicles.

Pricing for the LS is from a little over $195,000 through to a little over $202,000 plus the usual costs.

TO LISTEN TO THE LEXUS LS 500 RADIO REVIEW CLICK BELOW

Quick Lexus LS thoughts

What is good?

• Engine is smooth with excellent economy
• Simple and easy to drive
• Luxurious

What is not so good?

• Ridiculous mouse pad
• Rear seat entertainment screen intrusive
• Small boot space

Some other Lexus LS Articles

• 2018 Lexus LS 500h Review
• Lexus LS 500 2018 Review
• Lexus LS500 Twin Turbo V6 Review
• 2013 Lexus LS 600H F Sport Review
• 2009 Lexus LS 600hl AWD Hybrid Luxury Video Review

Also Look At

The Lexus LS 500 sits in rarefied air, the large luxury saloon segment has shrunk dramatically over the last few years.

Buyers could look at the Genesis G80, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Maserati Quatroporte.

*MLP Includes GST and LCT but excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and dealer delivery. See your dealer for RDAP. Does not include price of options. Some features mentioned in the article are options. RDAP means Recommended Drive Away Price (without options but including all other charges)

Lexus LS Model walk

Pricing from: MLP*

Sports Luxury options:

• White, Black, Chateau and Hazel trims with premium ornamentations are no-cost options.
• Other trim and ornamentation combinations are available for an extra $10,000.

1-LS 500 and LS 500h F Sport and Sports Luxury highlights

• Adaptive Variable Suspension
• Height adjustable Multi-link Front and Rear Air Suspension
• Clearance and Reversing Sonar (8 head) with Front Cross-Traffic Alert and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert+Brake
• LED Headlights with BladeScan³ Adaptive High-beam System
• LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) with Sequential Indicators
• Tilt and Slide Moonroof
• Touchless (foot sensing) Power Boot Lid
• Keyless Smart Entry (4 door) with Smart Key Card
• Soft Close Doors
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Illuminated Door Handles with Front Puddle Lights
• Auto Retractable, Heated and Self-dimming Exterior Mirrors with Memory
• Digital Rear View Mirror
• 3″ Multimedia Touch-display and Lexus Remote Touch-pad Controller
• 23 Speaker Mark Levinson®² Audio with Subwoofer
• Apple CarPlay®⁸ and Android Auto⁹ compatibility
• DAB+ digital radio¹⁰
• DVD player, USB (x4) and AUX Input
• Satellite Navigation System
• Colour Head Up Display
• Lexus Climate Concierge with Infrared Body Temperature Sensors
• Heated and Ventilated Front Seats with Rear Heated Outer Seats
• 28-way Power Operated Front Seats with Memory
• Driver Seat with Easy Access Functions
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Smart Start and Push Button Start
• Electric Rear Sunshade

Safety

• Pre-Collision Safety System including pedestrian and daylight cyclist detection
• Front Lateral Side Pre-Collision System
• Active Steering Assist
• All-speed Radar Active Cruise Control
• Lane Tracing Assist with Curve Speed Reduction
• Parking Support Brake
• Road Sign Assist (detects certain speed signs)
• 4-camera Panoramic View Monitor
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Lexus Connected Services including Automatic Collision Notification, SOS Emergency Call and Stolen Vehicle Tracking

2-LS 500 and LS 500h F Sport exclusive features

• 20″ Dark Metallic Alloy Wheels
• Badging, Grilles and Dark Metallic Accents
• High Performance Brake Package
• Dynamic Rear Steering
• Variable Gear Ratio Steering
• Active Front and Rear Stabilisers (LS 500 F Sport only)
• Dual Zone Climate Control Air Conditioning
• LFA-style 8″ Digital Instrumentation with slide-out meter ring
• Leather Accented Seats and Ornamentation
• Bolstered Front Seats
• Steering Wheel, Shift Lever, Clock and Pedals
• 10 SRS Airbags

3-LS 500 and LS 500h Sports Luxury exclusive features

• Sports Luxury 20″ Hollow Chamber Alloy Wheels
• Quad-zone Climate Control Air Conditioning
• 8″ Sports Luxury Digital Instrumentation
• Semi Aniline Leather Accented Interior
• Choice of Unique Ornamentations, some at additional cost
• Front Seat Relaxation System
• Dual 11.6″ HD Rear Seat Entertainment screens with HDMI input
• Power Operated Outboard Rear Seats with Memory
• Rear seat (passenger side) with Full Recline function and Ottoman
• Rear Seat Massage System for outboard seats
• Rear Armrest with Touchscreen Climate, Audio and Massage Controls
• Electric Rear Side Sunshades
• Rear Cooler Box (LS 500 only)
• Rear Ventilated Outer Seats
• Front Seat Easy Access Seatbelt Buckles
• 12 SRS Airbags (Additional Rear Seat Cushion Airbags)

Motoring Minute is heard around Australia every day on over 50 radio channels through the Torque Radio network. 

Our Motoring Minute has an average daily audience of over 550,000 listeners and they are also syndicated through various news sites around Australia.

Additionally Motoring Minute is also broadcast as part of Overdrive Radio Program, which is broadcast through the Community Radio Network across Australia

The post Lexus LS 500 and LS 500h 2023 review appeared first on Eco Car Guide.

With many of the latest technology features appearing in lower priced cars is it worth buying a luxury SUV? Are hybrids what they purport to be? Rob Fraser ponders these questions driving a Lexus

These questions were on my mind when we tested the Lexus NX 300h F Sport.

As soon as we started to drive the Lexus there was an familiarity about the experience that was comforting and the near $68,000 pricing is certainly not outrageous.  Lexus prides itself in providing prestige without going over the top in price. Something some European models could emulate.

I found the Hybrid excellent round town, where the nature of stop start driving is particularly suited to the dual engine configuration. On the freeway there was little difference, cruising at a constant rate doesn’t allow the hybrid to shine as much.  Overall the economy was about 5.7l/100k.

With stylish looks, packed with standard comfort and safety features and reasonably priced and with Lexus build quality, the NX 300 H F Sport is definitely worth a drive.

The post Lexus NX 300h F Sport 2019 Radio Review appeared first on Eco Car Guide.

However the Lexus LS600h F Sport is about to change that perception. The hybrid F Sport version of the LS 460 is surprisingly sporty and for its bulk nimble.

launched late in 2013 the new LS lineup is a major update with over 50% of parts either new or redesigned. The result is as you would expect of Lexus, superb.

The LS600h F Sport is intended to deliver an enjoyable, engaging and inherently sporty drive – traits that are contrary to LS’ historical traits of comfort, quietness and luxury. It manages to combine both. This is reflected in the fact that more than one in four of all Lexus’ sold in Australia is a F Sport variant.

While the LS460 Sport Luxury is more about the comfort of the rear seat passengers the LS 600h F Sport is more about the driver.

Externally the new LS600h F Sport features a slippery aerodynamic stylish shape, with an aggressive looking family grill and a low squat stance befitting a sports saloon. In the time we had the car it generated quite a bit of interest from neighbours and people walking by when parked.

The overall length is 5090mm with a wheelbase of 2970mm, width of 1875mm and height of 1470mm. It carries it’s fairy hefty weight of 2340kg on a Bridgestone Turanza ER33 245/45R19 8.0J wheel and tyre combination. Thanks in part to the hollow wheels there is imperceptible road noise.

Step inside and you immediately notice quality, space and efficiency.

The front seats are comfortable and firm to support over long periods at the wheel. They are 16 way electrically adjustable with memory settings. Combine with the electrically adjustable heated leather steering wheel and you can get the perfect driving position no matter what your size.

In front of the driver is a dual dial style dash with two half outer dials, and a centre multi function display. All clear and easy to read as you would expect. In ECO, NORMAL and COMFORT modes dial illumination and multi-information displays feature blue lighting.

When drivers select either of the sport modes the instrument lighting switches to red, and additionally for the Hybrid models, the hybrid meter changes to a tachometer.

The centre stack houses the 12.3 inch display for navigation and maps in conjunction with driver-defined audio, climate control or vehicle efficiency screens via a split display. Control of the display functions is via the clever and intuitive ‘mouse’ system. It’s one of those design features that people seem to like or hate. I like it.

Entertainment is catered for by a state of the art 450 watt,19 speaker Mark Levinson audio that has been specifically tuned for the Lexus cabin. In addition it features Bluetooth* audio streaming, advanced Bluetooth, iPod®^, USB+ and radio capabilities along with DAB+ digital radio as standard.

In addition to playing Blu-ray discs, the system can play regular DVD audio and video, music CDs, video CDs and MP3 data. Make no mistake about it this is a truly fantastic entertainment system for the audiophile.

One feature that s becoming more popular is a self correcting analogue clock. It seems retro is in with vehicle interior designers.

The centre console bin is well designed, with plenty of storage, a sliding/tilting lid that takes a little getting used to but works a treat once you do. There are cup holders, door storage and glove box as well.

The LS600h F Sport is packed full of luxury features, way too many to mention here but the highlights include Advanced Illumination System (AIS) and Climate Concierge, an advanced climate control system combines the benefits of the previous model’s multi-zone climate control system with automatic integration of the seat heating and cooling systems, and the steering wheel rim heater.

Rear seat passengers are well catered for, not to the same degree of luxury that the LS 460 Sport Luxury passengers are, but in normal circumstances the rear passengers lack nothing. They have adequate head, shoulder, knee and leg room, even with tall drivers. There is a fold down centre arm rest and the rear seats are individually sculptured so better suited for two rather than three passengers.

The Achilles heel is the boot space. In the 2013 version Lexus have gone a long way to addressing this problem with a substantially larger boot area but it is still small by the standards of a luxury saloon of this size.

Safety is obviously a key feature with latest generation of Lexus’ Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) system. Lexus’ VDIM system is designed to enhance performance, traction control and vehicle stability by linking LS Line active safety, steering and suspension control functions.

VDIM controls functions such as the electronically controlled braking (ECB), ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control (TRC) and vehicle stability control (VSC), adaptive variable suspension (AVS), electronic power steering (EPS) and variable gear ratio steering (VGRS) systems.
Driver Fatigue Monitor (DFM) Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) All-Speed Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Automatic High Beam (AHB)

Lexus LS 600h F Sport has the Advanced Pre-Crash safety System (PCS) as well as a stronger body structure, frontal-collision impact-absorbing structures and improved pedestrian-safety measures.

There is 8 SRS airbags, including an SRS twin chamber front passenger airbag, seat mounted SRS side airbags and knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. There are also SRS side curtain shield airbags extending from the front to the rear.

So as this is a F Sport variant , what does it drive like? The short answer is great. For a car this size and weight it performs beautifully. The hybrid system ensures instant torque and the powerful V8 motor takes over. We drove the LS 460 Sport Luxury the week before and that seemed as responsive probably because it weighed less.

The LS600h F Sport is powered by a 5.0L V8 petrol engine combined with a full hybrid through two electric motors. The V8 motor delivers power of 290 Kw @ 6,400 rpm with 327Kw when combined with the electric motors and torque of 520 Nm @ 4,000. The vehicle’s 650-volt water-cooled electric drive motor delivers 165kW of power and 300Nm of torque, with that torque available from zero rpm.

LS 600h’s hybrid system blends the two power sources according to operating conditions to provide a maximum 327kW of power – equivalent to a six-litre petrol engine. Hence the 600h moniker.

This power is transferred to the road through an 8 speed automatic transmission with the new LS Lexus Drive Mode Select, offering five switchable driving modes to optimise the driver’s preferred combination of economy, comfort, performance and handling.

So the drivetrain system consists of a five-litre quad cam V8 engine, two motor-generators linked by a double set of planetary gears, a Torsen limited-slip centre differential and a gear-drive transfer to a permanent AWD system. Together, the planetary gears act as a clutchless eight-step Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT). Makes my head spin really.

Performance wise the LS 600h F Sport will go from 0-100kmh in 5.7 seconds, top out at an electrically controlled 250kmh and do this while sipping fuel at an average of 8.6 L/100km. Considering it is hauling a bulk of 2340kg give or take and this performance is spectacular.

When in sport + mode the LS600h F Sport doesn’t feel like a large car. Its ability belies it’s bulk. Switch to comfort and you have a typical boulevard cruiser, switch to economy and you will be left wondering who stole your engine. Yes the Drive Mode Select system really works. By the way on sport + mode it is FUN to drive.

The front and rear suspension system is the LS Line multilink air suspension system with hardware and control software to increase ride comfort, reduce roll angles and improve initial response to steering inputs.

The latest-generation system has electronic four-wheel linked control of the Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system to provide a flatter, more comfortable ride.

Unlike the vast majority of Australians, if you are in the market to spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars on a motor car, the Lexus LS600h F Sport should absolutely be on your list. It is jammed with standard features, combines extraordinary technology with a completely fool proof user interface and has a unique blending of performance, handling and reasonable fuel economy.

At this level of spend you also want something that stands out from other mere mortal vehicles. The LS600h F Sport provides that as well. It almost makes me a believer in hybrid technology.

What is good:
•Performance and fuel economy balance
•Build Quality
•User friendly technology

What is not so good:
•Small boot
•No heads up display
•Hefty weight

Model Lexus LS 600h F Sport
Model Price $231,795 RDAP
Engine 5.0L V8 & Two electric motors
Drivetrain AWD with 8step E-CVT
Power 290 Kw @ 6,400 rpm 327Kw combined
Torque 520 Nm @ 4,000
Safety 5 Star ANCAP
CO2 Emissions 199 g/km
Green Vehicle Rating4 Star
Economy (ADR comb) 8.6L/100km
Tow Capacity – N/A
Tow Ball Rating N/A
Servicing $Not Supplied
Warranty 4yr/100,000km with full roadside assist

Overall OzRoamer Rating91/100
Behind the Wheel9
Comfort9
Equipment9
Performance10
Ride & Handling9
Practicality9
Fit for Purpose 8
Build Quality 10
Environment10
Value for Money8

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