The stereo is tremendous, and the climate control settings can basically be ignored thanks to an ingenious feature called Lexus Concierge that automatically manages the climate settings, including heating and cooling the seats as necessary. But the infotainment system is so terrible and difficult to use that it makes it difficult to recommend the car at all.
It doesn't have to be this way, Lexus. You have a fantastic luxury car here. And you've nearly ruined it with this stupid touchpad. Why?
Lexus thinks it can sell around 12,000 LS cars per month, snagging some 15 percent of the luxury sedan market. It made an aggressive case to us that there was a value proposition in the car, starting significantly below the
S-Class, 7 Series, and
A8 — but we wonder how much of a difference price really makes to someone spending more than $75,000 on an executive sedan.
To be sure, the Japanese style, especially of the interior, will help the new LS stand out from the Germans a little bit, and that alone will help move some units. But as nice as the new Lexus LS is, we're hard-pressed to come up with a reason why you would buy it over an S-Class without mentioning price. And if you're trying to be price-competitive around $80,000, you're probably in for a tough time.
, 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.
