The Drive Review: The 2018 Lexus LS 500h

Posted by Kevin on March 20th, 2018

Lawrence Ulrich of The Drive has served up a scathing review of the 2018 Lexus LS 500h:

The [LS 500h] powertrain also boosts the Lexus curb weight to a porky 5,220 pounds, despite this being Lexus’s first lithium-ion battery hybrid system. The main electric motor emits a bothersome whine when the engine is shut down, and the car shudders when your right foot awakens those cylinders from their fuel-saving slumber. Ultimately, the hybrid system just doesn’t read as luxurious. And its intrusiveness—including the 3.5-liter V-6 that moans and moos in bovine fashion—is at odds with a flagship sedan that’s otherwise zen-like and naturally calming.

If all this negativity is harshing your mellow, let me be clear: I suspect that, as with the LC coupe, this LS sedan will feel infinitely healthier with this hybrid tumor surgically removed and a thumping engine transplanted in its place—even if that’s the twin-turbo V-6, rather than the coupe’s naturally-aspirated V-8. That engine won’t solve the maddening puzzle of the Lexus Remote Touch interface, so if you dig the LS anyway, you’ll have to live with it.

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krew
  • krew
    krew
  • September 27, 2017
Review Roundup: The 2018 Lexus LS 500 & LS 500h

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A collection of the best reviews of the new Lexus flagship.
View the original article post
bogglo
Its funny he said the touch pad is so bad considering most reviewers said it has improved when compared to the first version. its funny how Mercedes command is somewhat similar to it and I haven't seen any complaint about it. I don't know if anyone here has used the Vaistech/beat sonic device in any of there Lexus before. I will take a system that works like that over any android/apple car play. A system Like that would make you appreciate the touch pad better too.
S
krew
Hate to do this, but I can't believe this Autoblog review:



The Volvo S60 has an optional Technology package that costs $3,500 and adds the safety features that comes standard in the LS (along with pedestrian detection & road sign recognition). It does not actively avoid collisions with pedestrians or use the preceding car to draw a path to follow on the road, for instance. It does not include a massive heads-up display that provides information directly in your field of view.
It is hard to understand these things... Actually Volvo S60 basic system has less features that what Toyota includes in their cheapest cars like Yaris as base equipment. And its high end system is more like Camry system (thats free).

At the same time, AB will likely do a PR about new A8 and it is level 3 system thats not available for another year, while most of their lineup has less safety features than base Yaris. It is doing disservice to their readers that depend on them for their purchase decisions, and this is about safety too.
Tragic Bronson
A few more:

Automobile
Bangkok Post
CNET
KBB
Tragic Bronson
Most of these guys in the industry don't drive a Toyota or Lexus. They mostly have used cars :D, and lucky that they don't have to do a boring A to B commute that they are relegated to driving a Corolla or other mundane vehicle.

Anyway, a lot of these "news publications" are being helmed by folks that skew younger than not. I noticed that Motoman is a middle aged guy (lol), while a lot of these 'blogs tend to be younger than him. Jordan G from AB seems to be a millennial, so perhaps his yappin' is because he couldn't figure it out. Even Sofyan Bey (Definitely millennial) will point out vehicles that omit Apple Carplay/Android Auto, so when you consider different reviews, consider the person who writes it and what their tastes in cars are. Alex Dykes is a little older than Sofyan but he tries the most to be the least biased of all these guys I've watched.

If anything, a review from Doug DeMuro (His mom is a loyal Lexus owner) wouldn't have hurt either and that would be a guaranteed 1 million views in less than a week (Just look at his LFA and LC vids).
meth.ix
Tragic Bronson
If anything, a review from Doug DeMuro (His mom is a loyal Lexus owner) wouldn't have hurt either and that would be a guaranteed 1 million views in less than a week (Just look at his LFA and LC vids).
Doug is the G.O.A.T. :joy:
B
Ian Schmidt
The LF-FC was designed *after* this LS. It is the concept for the *next* LS, not this one. You *will* see a production car with those cues, but it'll be in 2021 or so probably.

And as a long-time LS owner I'm getting a little salty about people advocating that Lexus price me out of the car. Lexus just does not have the brand image that Mercedes and BMW have and making the car more expensive for no reason isn't gonna help.
That makes no sense, and is unlike anything they've ever done before.
So why would they show it before this one, and 5 years before production?
Why does this have several cues from that concept? This LS is about 60% of the concept.
They've never done anything like that before. What proof do you have that this is the case?
BD
S
I like them showing the schematics of the V35A engine. OK I still hate the 3.5 V6 decision, but that engine is a wonder. The packaging is so compact there's no problem it can appear in the ES, RX, or even smaller vehicles like the NX. The only engine that matches its compactness is Mercedes' counterpart. They mounted the intercoolers on top which helps packaging a lot, it also means this engine is definitely designed with transverse mounts in mind, ES-F/RX-F confirmed?
The fact that the 500h is only 65 kg heavier than the 500 is also encouraging. Finally we can have performance hybrids that are not compromised by the added weight. I would go one step further and say the improved weight balance will mostly counteract the weight increase when it comes to driving feel.
Gecko
Black Dynamite
That makes no sense, and is unlike anything they've ever done before.
So why would they show it before this one, and 5 years before production?
Why does this have several cues from that concept? This LS is about 60% of the concept.
They've never done anything like that before. What proof do you have that this is the case?
BD
We've all been telling you this for months - @Carmaker1 and others have laid out the design timelines and production decisions in previous threads.
S
ssun30
I like them showing the schematics of the V35A engine. OK I still hate the 3.5 V6 decision, but that engine is a wonder. The packaging is so compact there's no problem it can appear in the ES, RX, or even smaller vehicles like the NX. The only engine that matches its compactness is Mercedes' counterpart. They mounted the intercoolers on top which helps packaging a lot, it also means this engine is definitely designed with transverse mounts in mind, ES-F/RX-F confirmed?
The fact that the 500h is only 65 kg heavier than the 500 is also encouraging. Finally we can have performance hybrids that are not compromised by the added weight. I would go one step further and say the improved weight balance will mostly counteract the weight increase when it comes to driving feel.
indeed... complexity of twin turbos adds weight too... while hybrids are getting lighter.

Another thing is that they now have 59hp from battery power. Thats 18hp more than before, or 43%!

So in cars like RX and GS, and maybe future IS300h?, quite possibly there will be quite a bit more oomph from "electric" turbo.
krew
  • krew
    krew
  • September 28, 2017
How about this -- a full review of the LS from lifestyle outlet Gear Patrol and not a single mention of Remote Touch:

https://gearpatrol.com/2017/09/28/review-lexus-ls-ls500-500h-luxury-car/

I'm not defending the tech, but I feel like automotive mags are using Remote Touch as a crutch, as a way to criticize Lexus.
Ian Schmidt
People who hate Remote Touch should be sentenced to using the floating joy-mouse thing that preceded it (and which I still deal with daily). The trackpad's a million times better than that.
Ian Schmidt
krew
How about this -- a full review of the LS from lifestyle outlet Gear Patrol and not a single mention of Remote Touch:
I like this review! It's much more of a "here's what the LS is like, and what it'll do for you" type of thing than the standard recitation of specs sheet numbers.
S
krew
How about this -- a full review of the LS from lifestyle outlet Gear Patrol and not a single mention of Remote Touch:

https://gearpatrol.com/2017/09/28/review-lexus-ls-ls500-500h-luxury-car/

I'm not defending the tech, but I feel like automotive mags are using Remote Touch as a crutch, as a way to criticize Lexus.
i can see them not liking it though, and since rest of the car is so good, it is something to point out... Autoblog went overboard with it and especially with safety tech comments which are just ridiculous.
mikeavelli
Tragic Bronson
Most of these guys in the industry don't drive a Toyota or Lexus. They mostly have used cars :D, and lucky that they don't have to do a boring A to B commute that they are relegated to driving a Corolla or other mundane vehicle.

.
As I've gotten older and things around here continue to change I find most in this market give 2 shits about reviews. They just want what they want and its usually badge, prestige, looks, power, ride & handling, interior, features etc that. What I do find is they are much more apt to take the opinion of someone they respect, know or someone with similar car(s). That badge though... its powerful and all some care about. Many can't see themselves in a Lexus (or any other non German brand) no matter what.

Getting to the LS, I think its going to capture a market of people who want to stand out from the crowd and having a V-8 isn't a necessity. They care about the exterior, the interior, features and the lower price coupled with the usual Lexus quality/service is a winner. Contrarily they are going to lose a bunch of owners and prospective buyers that want something much more plain and they can choose from quite a few options.
S
The target demographics who buy luxury vehicles are too busy to read reviews on the Internet. Same story that the rich can't care less about how quickly a car laps Nurburgring and buy "overpriced" Ferraris instead of "super value" GT-Rs that the Internet loves.

They will keep buying what they were buying before though, which is not a great thing for Lexus.
krew
  • krew
    krew
  • September 29, 2017
As an update on my personal impressions of the new LS, I'll be holding off publishing until Tuesday.
R
  • R
    RAL
  • September 29, 2017
krew
As an update on my personal impressions of the new LS, I'll be holding off publishing until Tuesday.
Fine wine takes time ... ;)
krew
  • krew
    krew
  • September 29, 2017
RAL
Fine wine takes time ... ;)
Well, I'm glad someone said it!
bogglo
Tragic Bronson
krew
As an update on my personal impressions of the new LS, I'll be holding off publishing until Tuesday.
Since when did LE have their own embargo? :D
Tragic Bronson
Ian Schmidt
People who hate Remote Touch should be sentenced to using the floating joy-mouse thing that preceded it (and which I still deal with daily). The trackpad's a million times better than that.
I'm used to the mouse thingy, I don't mind. My dad's newer ES has the same mouse thingy as the RX we have, so no huge learning curve to deal with.
maiaramdan
So far good talks and lot of appreciation but not that game changer as the 89 LS
Joe
  • Joe
    Joe
  • September 30, 2017
Ian Schmidt
People who hate Remote Touch should be sentenced to using the floating joy-mouse thing that preceded it (and which I still deal with daily). The trackpad's a million times better than that.
In my opinion, it is a bit more complicated.
I wonder, quite honestly.. why did the designers decide to move from the mouse remote touch to the touchpad? Is it to be more modern, like swapping the trackball designer computer mouse for a touchpad on your laptop?
The weird thing is: the mouse system was heavily criticized by car media, but now they've put an even more criticizable system in it. So commercially perhaps not the best decision. It surely is more modern to look at and it does work more or less like the mousepad of your portable PC if you're not actually driving the car. But as soon as you're in first gear, just try to put in a destination address for the first time... even as a passenger. Not easy. It could even be dangerous for the driver if he's not used to the system. So if you use it for the first time as a driver, perhaps it sucks.
But I suppose that not many of these will end up in a short term rental for people who never drive a Lexus...

The other side of the story then...: this is one hell of a nice peace of engineered work! The surface of the touchpad is seriously nice to touch, the haptic feedback (which - by the way - can be adapted to everyone's taste) is very well done, the idea of having the manipulation of the system horizontally and the visual experience right where it belongs is perfect...
(And I always read some bizarre comments concerning so called dated graphics on the screen... it's merely just a question of taste).
If you've learned how to use it, it's really not bad at all. On the contrary, I like it, a lot.

But let's be honest, it can still be improved.
As a Lexus insider, I am used to 3 systems,: the rotary/push dial button, the mouse RTI and the touchpad and I can assure you: they all work very well, but it's like with every Lexus model I've known so far: it has to grow on you :cool:

Unfortunately, most car journalists don't drive the car long enough to appreciate it to the full. So to make a positive comment on the system, they need a car where every command button is like a mainstream Mercedes' or BMW's system.
And, in the case of the new LS, they really have to look very closely to find a negative point to write about.

If the one single negative aspect in their opinion is the touchpad, then I am a happy man ;)
John Strange
krew
How about this -- a full review of the LS from lifestyle outlet Gear Patrol and not a single mention of Remote Touch:

https://gearpatrol.com/2017/09/28/review-lexus-ls-ls500-500h-luxury-car/

I'm not defending the tech, but I feel like automotive mags are using Remote Touch as a crutch, as a way to criticize Lexus.
I agree with your Remote Touch comment. It was clear to me that they hadn’t taken the time to learn or understand it. Instead of showing all the whiz bang things, they should show ways to do things simply that used to be performed by knobs/buttons. Seat heating & cooling stands out.
S
John Strange
I agree with your Remote Touch comment. It was clear to me that they hadn’t taken the time to learn or understand it. Instead of showing all the whiz bang things, they should show ways to do things simply that used to be performed by knobs/buttons. Seat heating & cooling stands out.
Its case of damned if you do, damned if you dont... idrive was criticized for first 4-5 years until everyone got used to it. Lexus touch screen was "from/similar/like Toyota" at those times.

Or... "too many buttons" in RX, where you have button backup for everything... they like it clean! But if you dont have 50 buttons then it is too hard to use?!

I would assume that heated/cooled seats get activated automatically in LS by climate concierge, so all you have to do manually is set desired temp.
Joe
  • Joe
    Joe
  • October 1, 2017
spwolf
I would assume that heated/cooled seats get activated automatically in LS by climate concierge, so all you have to do manually is set desired temp.
Ideed! Climate concierge is the trick. Perfect system :thumbsup: Even the simplified version in RX and GS is working well.
John Strange
My ignorance is showing. Our beautiful ‘06 GS obviously doesn’t have the Climate Concierge so after reading up on that feature I’m sold. Since it’s been around for a number of years I guess the reviewers didn’t see the need to bring it up. As mentioned in previous posts, some of the reviewers just needed something to bash.
krew
Tragic Bronson
Since when did LE have their own embargo? :D
HEY! I just want to make sure I do the car justice. :laughing:
mikeavelli
Remote Touch does have issues in regards to being quick and intuitive. I never have fallen in love with it even though I have clearly figured it out and use it daily. I'm also not a fan of Audi's new MMI which has gotten more complicated to me and something I couldn't really figure out in the R8 compared to the S8 where it was amazing to use. The Q7 has a trackpad too (like the RC F). I do think BMW's iDrive today is very well done as is Mercedes Command.

I also just can't understand why the graphics are so, just old, compared to the Germans. You jump into a Lexus from a new German car and the NAV and graphics seem like ten steps back. They really need to focus on making it more modern.

M