2020 Lexus LS vs 2021

What's the difference?

The Lexus LS 500 F Sport presents as a contradiction in terms. A large, upper-luxury limo with a performance personality. But it pulls it off, combining top-shelf value and refinement, with energetic performance and surprising dynamics. Yeah, forget the back seat... get behind the wheel.

One might be surprised to learn that, without having driven the latest S-Class, rival large luxury sedans have struggled to juggle comfort and refinement with agility and speed. Even in this modern age of adaptive dampers and air suspension. The Germans, in particular, seem to struggle at times.

The latest Lexus LS, however, walks the line with impressive confidence and poise, prioritising the former yet without dropping the ball with the latter. Just keep in mind that the 500h Sports Luxury manages the balance best.

The bar may just about be raised with the bestselling Stuttgart's arrival from March, but even then, with its extensive and complete specification, outstanding hybrid efficiency/performance combination and remarkable build quality and presentation, Japan's master luxury sedan deserves to find more buyers in this country.

Well done, Lexus.

At just over 5.2m long, 1.9m wide, and a touch over 1.4m tall the LS is no shrinking violet, but it is relatively low overall, and the brand’s unique design language translates well to such a big canvas. You won’t mistake it for anything other than a Lexus.

The signature ‘Spindle Grille’ dominates the car’s face, with large gills and jagged triple LED headlights (defined by angular LED DRLs) either side.

Hard creases and a series of character lines down the car’s flanks merge neatly with gentle curves above the wheelarches and down the doors, softening the car’s mid-section.

The turret slopes in a single shallow arc towards the boot, with the side glass tapering up to meet it at the rear, giving the car a nicely balanced, dynamic profile.

Then, LS chief chief designer, Koichi Suga, must have broken out the set squares again to shape the dramatically flared LED tail-lights, raised boot lid and chrome-trimmed exhaust apertures.

F Sport spotters will pick out ‘Jet Black’ plating on the grille, front bumper, boot lid and sills, as well as black brake calipers branded with the Lexus logo, sitting behind dark chrome 20-inch alloys. And the big LS doesn't just look racy, an aero Cd number of 0.29 is super slick. 

The interior reflects the exterior design; a multi-layered dash segmented into a compact instrument display pod, a seamlessly integrated 12.3-inch multimedia screen in the centre, and minimalist ventilation controls along the lower edge.

Air vents extend into long, curved linear decoration, and combined with intricately styled aluminium elements, adds visual interest and a ‘technical’ feel.

Attention to detail in terms of design and execution is exceptional, with immaculate stitching on the seats and elsewhere around the cabin, subtle matching of materials and colours, and ‘our’ car’s ‘Moon White’ upholstery.  

The contrast between the grey door cards and white armrests makes the latter appear to float, an effect accentuated by LED ambient lighting at night. Very cool.

Not so cool is the Lexus ‘Remote Touch’ pad used to manage multiple media and vehicle functions. Despite available adjustments for speed and sensitivity, even on its most benign setting it is maddeningly over-reactive and inaccurate.

The XF50 series is a long and imposing machine, but is also arguably the most Toyota-looking LS in history, sharing design cues with most larger sedans the company builds – and yes, even the Camry. This is a departure from the Mercedes aping ‘90s and '00 generations. If the latest S-Class can look like a 200 per cent enlarged CLA, why not?

The most obvious – and pleasing – changes are realised when the headlights are switched on, revealing the BladeScan tech. In the F Sport, the redesigned bumpers' air intakes are noticeably larger and have jazzier pattern inserts, as part of a broader exercise in differentiating the grades with what's perceived as ‘sportier' elements throughout the car. The divisive ‘Spindle' grille theme remains.

Out back – arguably the most Toyota-esque part of the LS – are piano black tail-light inserts to differentiate new from old.

If Lexus is about presenting nuanced styling evolution as to not spook the demographic, then the MY21 flagship sedan succeeds brilliantly.

The LS sits on a lengthened version of the Lexus GA-L platform which debuted with the swoopy LC Coupe in 2017.

Its wheelbase runs to a not inconsiderable 3125mm, which is 35mm more between the axles than its already expansive predecessor, translating to even greater cabin space.

Despite the LS’s limousine capabilities the driver and front passenger bask in oodles of space and aren’t forgotten in terms of practicality.

Storage up-front starts with a generous lidded box between the seats, featuring a tricky two-way lid (doubling as an armrest) hinging open towards the driver or passenger depending on which side button you've pressed. Neat.

It also contains a sliding tray for cards or keys, as well as a 12V (120W) socket, an ‘aux-in’ jack and two USB-A ports.

There are two large cupholders hidden under a flip-top cover in the centre console, with another 12V socket between them, decent door bins with room for bottles, and a medium-sized glove box.

Move to the rear and Lexus firmly presses the opulence button. There’s heaps of head and legroom, and it’s worth noting if you opt for the Sports Luxury grade, the front passenger seat is able to fold far enough forward to accommodate an ottoman extending out from under the passenger-side rear seat. Even the centre rear isn’t a short straw position, but the car functions best as a four-seater.

There are adjustable air vents at the back of the front centre console, and in the B-pillars, a lidded fold-down centre armrest containing two cupholders and another pair of USB-A ports, as well as useful door bins and hardshell map pockets on the front seat backrests. And if rear seat occupants need more device charging power there’s yet another 12V socket to keep them happy.

The boot is nicely trimmed, but at 480 litres volume is okay rather than cavernous, which must annoy hire car drivers intensely. No split-folding capability for the rear seatback only compounds the issue.

On the upside multiple tie-down anchors and a luggage net are provided, as are a valet pack and first aid kit, and the bootlid’s hands-free ‘kick sensor’ is a big plus..

Towing is not recommended for the LS, and don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, the Bridgestone Turanza T005 tyres are run-flats.

This is more like it.

While nowhere near the apex of striking interior design, with a dashboard that – again – is quite clearly from the contemporary Toyota way of thinking, the LS is massive inside, heaving with standard luxury and obsessively crafted in a few key touchpoint areas.

The brand makes a big noise about the floating door-sited armrests and their very obviously expensive craftspersonship, but it is eye-catching and satisfying to drink in the detailing, extending in and around into the dash seamlessly, carrying on the flowing, salubrious themes of sculptured multi-dimensional shapes. In 1989 journos were handing out similar platitudes in the original LS.

If the techno-overload of a Mercedes MBUX or Tesla's OTT tablet leave you cold, this enhances the luxury experience by adding a rich, cosy, warm ambience – though the instrumentation binnacle is familiar; all we can see is the first IS 250 of 1999, complete with its single, watch-face inspired analogue dial.

Here, of course, it's digitised and multi-configurable to accommodate sat-nav, multimedia and other vehicle-related needs, but it is a oddly nostalgic, given the brand's first BMW 3 Series rival is now almost forgotten. Still, it's interesting and isn't that what eccentric rich people who don't want to drive the cliché luxury behemoths desire?

With endless adjustability, the seats are sumptuous to the point of subsuming, in the way you'd imagine a limousine to be, but because of their bolstered support, they also can be manipulated into gently cupping you enough to stop you sliding about when throwing the Lexus about with gay abandon – more on that later on.

It doesn't need mentioning that the fit and finish is fabulous, with the enveloping luxury continuing out in the back seat. The Sport Luxury's airline-style recliners are enough to turn doubters into doe-eyed believers, with their restful, relaxing, relieving, refreshing and revitalising ways – well, to an extent that an airport massage-chair minus the coin box and dodgy stains can, in any case. But the fact remains: ensconced deep into that leather-lined luxury, slumber beckons. Namaste!

And that's the point of LS. It creates a sanctuary from the outside elements at least as effectively as Audi A8s, BMW 7s and Merc S' have costing upwards of 50 per cent more. The cabin is spacious, soothing and secure. On our extended drive of both 500 models, this was made abundantly clear with two stints behind the wheel of the visually similar ES 300h.

Quiet and refined, that car felt loud and coarse compared to the smooth silence of its supersized sibling. Mission accomplished, Lexus.

Value, refinement and customer care are Lexus' traditional brand pillars.

Lexus broke through with recession-ravaged consumers at the dawn of the 1990s by firstly presenting an attractively conservative S-Class sized sedan at smaller E-Class prices, and then adding an uncannily hushed cabin of exquisite build quality, silky V8 performance, the entire kitchen sink of gadgetry and unheard-of ownership privileges, like tickets to events, free parking at selected venues and home/work vehicle pick-up at service time.

If such a strategy worked then, why not an expanded version now? After all, while sales started off slowly in Australia three decades ago, in the vital US market its impact was immense. Lexus eventually gained traction locally, but nowadays the LS lags significantly behind the leading S-Class; in 2020, it managed a three per cent share compared to Mercedes' 25.5 per cent – or just 18 registrations versus 163.

Sadly, the V8s haven't returned, but the facelift does bring a richer interior with high-quality materials to elevate comfort levels, backed up by redesigned seating and overhauled adaptive suspension dampers that also promote a cushier ride while not compromising steering/handling performance.

Meanwhile, new ambient lighting and (at last) touch-display capability for the 12.3-inch central screen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity do at least play catch up with the rest of the industry, let alone its direct rivals.

The same applies with the fresh safety gains for the series that include a digital rear-view mirror, Lexus Connected Services (with automated collision notification, SOS call and vehicle tracking), Intersection Turning Assist (that helps keep the driver from turning into on-coming traffic or brakes the car if, whilst turning, a pedestrian crosses the road), far-broader functionality of the autonomous emergency braking systems (including greater rear-cross-traffic warning and intervention), full-speed stop/go adaptive cruise control with traffic flow capability, improved road-sign recognition, better lane-keep and assist tech and a next-gen adaptive high beam tech dubbed BladeScan with stronger lighting and anti-glare performance parameters.

These come on top of the standard adaptive dampers, height-adjustable rear air suspension, front/rear cross-traffic alert, sunroof, gesture-activated powered boot lid, soft-close doors, puddle lights, 23-speaker premium audio, digital radio, DVD player, head-up display, satellite navigation, climate control with infrared body temperature sensitivity, heated/vented front and rear outboard seating, powered seats with memory, heated steering wheel, electric rear blind and a four-camera surround-view monitor.

The F Sport from $195,953 differs from the Sport Luxury from $201,078 (both before on-road costs) with its 10 airbags, dark 20-inch alloys and exterior trim hues, brake-package boost, rear-wheel steering, variable gear ratio, unique instrumentation and dark-metallic interior themes and bolstered front seats, while the LS 500 adds active anti-roll bars front and rear.

Going Sports Luxury changes things up somewhat, with two extra airbags (rear-seat cushion items), special noise-reduced alloys, rear-zone climate control, Semi Aniline leather, a front-seat relaxation system, rear-seat tablet-style screens, powered reclinable heated/vented rear seats with ottoman and massage, rear centre armrest with touchscreen climate/multimedia control, side sunshades and ­– in LS 500 only – a rear cooler box.

On the owner-benefit front, ‘Encore Platinum' introduced last year builds on the regular Encore's valet servicing with benefits like free use of a Lexus for business or leisure travel within select Australian and now-New Zealand destinations (one-way only – sorry, Kiwis) for up to four times annually and lasting the first three years of ownership. There's also eight yearly free valet parking at certain shopping malls and other venues, several celebrity-laden social events/activities and discounted Caltex fuel.  

With all these features as standard, the LS costs several tens of thousands of dollars less than most full-sized luxury sedan rivals with broadly similar performance outputs and optioned up with equivalent luxuries, before the Encore Premium privileges. However, while the Lexus' four-year/100,000km warranty also betters most competitors by one year, it is mileage capped while others' regimes aren't, and none beat Mercedes' five-year/unlimited program.

Though prices are up by nearly $2000, it's fair to conclude the extra kit and improvements help offset them, but it's also worth remembering that earlier last year, Lexus hiked LS prices by up to nearly $4000, and not too long before Encore Platinum was announced...

The LS 500 F Sport is powered by a 3.4-litre (V35A-FTS), twin-turbo, 60-degree V6 engine. The all-alloy unit features direct-injection, and variable valve timing (electrically-controlled in the inlet side, hydraulic on the exhaust side) to produce 310kW at 6000rpm and 600Nm from 1600-4800rpm.

That’s a significant step up from the fourth-generations LS’s 4.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 at 285kW/493Nm.

Drive goes to the rear wheels via an adaptive 10-speed automatic transmission, with manual shifts available via wheel-mounted paddles.

The LS is powered by two versions of a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine.

Around 75 per cent of buyers choose the 500, which employs Lexus' V35A-FTS 3445cc double overhead cam 24-valve twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, delivering 310kW of power at 6000rpm and 600Nm of torque from 1600-4800rpm. Powering the rear wheels via an updated AGA0 10-speed torque-converter automatic transmission with driver-adaptive tech, it can reach 100km/h in 5.0 seconds flat, on the way to a 250km/h top speed.

For the facelift, it receives a revised twin-turbo set-up with reduced lag, new pistons and a lighter, one-piece aluminium intake manifold to save weight and cut noise paths while retaining existing outputs.

The 500h, meanwhile, gains software updates for more electrical assistance at lower revs for stronger acceleration times and feel. It employs the 8GR-FXS engine – a 3456cc naturally-aspirated variation with a higher compression ratio (13.0:1 versus the 500's 10.478:1), developing 220kW at 6600rpm and 350Nm at 5100rpm.

Being a series-parallel hybrid, there is a 132kW/300Nm permanent magnet motor and 650-system volt lithium-ion battery, making for a combined power output to 264kW. It now can run longer on pure electric – up to 129km/h compared with 70km/h before. Sending drive to the rear wheels via the L310 continuously variable transmission with a four-speed shift device and a 10-speed simulated shift control operation to mimic more natural auto responses, it requires 5.4s to hit 100km/h, and manages the same top speed as its 500 counterpart.

Both autos, by the way, have more aggressive Sport and Sport+ shift ratio software, while the M manual mode has paddle shifters.

Kerb weight varies from 2215kg (500 Sports Luxury) to 2340kg (500h Sports Luxury).

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 9.5L/100km, the LS 500 emitting 217g/km of CO2 in the process.

In a week with the car, covering city, suburban and freeway running (as well as a cheeky B-road session) we recorded an average of 12.4L/100km, which, while not exactly frugal, is within expectations for a car of this scale and performance potential .

Stop-start is standard, minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded, and you’ll need 82 litres of it to fill the tank.

The LS 500 returns a combined 10.0 litres per 100km, or 14.2L/100km urban and 7.6L/100km extra urban. Thus, the combined carbon dioxide emissions rating is 227 grams per kilometre, but can range from 172-321g/km. A theoretical average range of 820km is possible.

Moving on to the hybrid, the LS 500h manages a combined 6.6L/100km, or 7.8L/100km urban and an impressive 6.2L/100km extra urban. Its combined CO2, therefore, is 150g/km, and can drop as low as 142g/km and rise as high as 180g/km.

The Hybrid's average range should be about 1240km.

Both models require premium unleaded petrol as a minimum - 95 RON in the LS 500 and 98 RON in the Hybrid.

A key goal has been on reducing the stop/start frequency of the 500h's petrol engine during high-speed driving to increase both refinement and response.

You may be thinking, why apply the F Sport treatment to a 2.2-tonne luxury sedan? And sure, it’s not the most likely candidate for a sneaky backroad blast. But if people are ready to stump up close to $400K for a walloping Mercedes-AMG S 63, why not an LS 500 F Sport at half the price?

Thanks to standard air suspension the drive experience begins before you’ve even hit the ignition button. A ‘welcoming sequence’ starts with an access mode raising the car 40mm “to an ideal 555mm hip height” (in four seconds) when it’s unlocked.

The driver's outer cushion bolster opens out at the same time, and the seatbelt buckle extends 50mm when the front doors are opened.

According to Lexus, “cabin illumination is inspired by the soft glow of traditional Japanese Andon lanterns.” And while I’m not intimately familiar with the output of that particular device, the interior ambient lighting is super cool.

The driver's seat, which will have previously raised and moved backwards to make it easier to exit the car, will return to its previous driving position when you sit in it (the outer cushion bolster retreating to its normal position at the same time). Then, once you’re powered up, the car rises to its regular ride height. Now that’s automotive theatre.

Once up and running several attributes immediately come to the fore. This car rides incredibly well. As in, unbelievably well. It’s properly quick in a straight line, with claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.0sec. And it’s more responsive dynamically than a luxury sedan of this size and weight has any right to be.

First, the ride. Suspension is by a multi-link arrangement front and rear, and the LS 500 F Sport’s adaptive damping set-up continually adjusts to the road conditions. In concert with the air suspension, over a rough surface, the system can smooth out the ride without excessively increasing damping force. No matter which drive mode you’re in, ride comfort is amazing.

Then the speed. With no less than 600Nm available from just 1600rpm, all the way to 4800rpm, the LS 500 F Sport gets up and goes hard. The V6’s twin turbos are mounted on top of the engine to reduce intake-tract volume and throttle lag, and that engineering trick works.

Squeeze the right-hand pedal firmly and the adaptive 10-speed auto soon gets the idea, rapidly cycling through its gears, with wheel-mounted paddles delivering urgent if not outright fast manual shifts. The engine noise and exhaust note rise to the occasion with a raspy soundtrack as well.

And the dynamics. While it’s far from sports car agile the big LS handles well, helped in no small part by ‘Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management’ (VDIM), which orchestrates various sub-systems like ABS, traction and stability controls, the electrically-assisted steering, air-suspension, and adaptive damping.

On the F Sport, VDIM also links in the ‘Dynamic Rear Steering’ system and active stabiliser bars.

Aside from all that, the LS 500 F Sport has a few fundamental aces up its sleeve. Front to rear weight distribution is a handy 52/48, the GA-L platform underpinning it delivers a low centre-of-gravity, and its 20-inch alloys are ‘staggered’, wearing 245/45 Bridgestone Turanzas up front, and 275/40 rubber at the rear.

Variable ratio electric power steering, and the standard rear steering system jointly deliver accurate cornering turn-in, although road feel is average. The LS feels planted, but despite the VDIM system’s best efforts you can still feel a sizeable weight transfer in enthusiastic cornering.

And when it comes to washing off speed the F Sport is equipped with professional grade 400mm ventilated front discs clamped by six-piston calipers, and 359mm ventilated rotors at the rear with four-piston calipers attached. They do the job with a progressive pedal and no hint of fade.

In cruising mode the LS 500 F Sport is every millimetre the limo. The top three ratios in the 10-speed auto are overdriven for easy highway cruising, active noise cancelling (using anti-phase sound from the audio speakers) helps to keep things quiet, and the air suspension system can dial up the plushness.

Under the heading of random observations, the digital dash cluster is neat and functional, the stop-start system is almost imperceptible, and the front sports seats are comfortable and supportive even during longer stints behind the wheel.

No matter what it says on the badge, the LS is first and foremost a large, heavy and imposing luxury sedan. Its sporting capabilities are relative.

Keeping that in mind, the updates for the MY21 version are a success, since the largest Lexus passenger car is uncannily quiet and refined, as you might hope and expect. The ride quality is largely cushioned and free of bump intrusion inside, with a sense of gliding over most road surfaces as if they were blemish-free.

We much prefer the Sport Luxury version, and the 500h in particular, because it can run silently in electric mode for periods, and somehow feels more lavish and plusher to ride in.

Whether that's psychosomatic or actual is debatable, for essentially both the 500 and Hybrid share the same multi-link front and rear platform, adaptive dampers and rear air suspension set-up, but the impression is that this grade is the choice for those wanting to feel ultimate luxury and peace.

On paper, the 500 F Sport should be the driver's choice, since it has the racier look and set-up, as well as 600Nm of tree-trunk-pulling torque.

The thing is, it doesn't necessarily feel all that athletic, and maybe that's because the whole existence of this model is based around isolating its occupants as comfortably as possible. This is no criticism, and the LS certainly envelopes everybody as a great limo ought to, but don't expect Audi S8 levels of steering crispness or handling agility.

Anyway, if you need to feel as if you are a princess in exile escaping villains with bazookas out the back of a Kombi, then the LS does an exceptional job in keeping the 2.3-tonne-plus mass in motion, cornering safely and precisely where it is pointed to, without losing too much composure or traction in tight, fast bends. This is quite a feat, really, for the big Lexus can be hurried along a mountain pass through narrow passages like a much smaller sedan, and without being bumped out of line or off course.

Again, for all-out performance, the 500h feels stronger, especially when called on to pull ahead instantly at speed, because the electric assistance is palpable compared to the regular 500's twin-turbo V6. Both are obviously very, very fast and sufficiently responsive to throttle inputs – and it's a sign of the brand's engineering prowess that their internal serenity means the speed isn't obvious until you're looking at the speedo – but there isn't even a whiff of lag in the Hybrid. That said, once on the go, that twin-turbo V6 in the 500 soars.

Considered in this context, you have to say that the MY21 LS is an exceptionally sumptuous and sophisticated limousine with the speed, safety, security and capability of taking you from point A to B without drama or noise. 

Or, for that matter, excitement.

Neither the ANCAP organisation nor Euro NCAP has crash-tested an LS for this or previous generations. And, for that matter, nor has the American NHTSA or IIHS, due to low sales.

Standard safety items include 10 to 12 airbags (depending on model, with dual front, front-side and curtain items), AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, driver attention alert, Lane Keep Assist, a Front Lateral Side Pre-Collision System, Active Steering Assist, radar-based adaptive cruise control, Parking Support Brake, Road Sign Assist (detects certain speed signs), a four-camera Panoramic View Monitor, Blind Spot Monitor, Lexus Connected Services, Electronic Stability Control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake-assist, and parking sensors all-round. The BladeScan adaptive LED headlights with anti-dazzle tech is also fitted.

The LS' AEB functions between 5km/h and 180km/h.

Additionally, two rear-seat ISOFIX points as well as three top tethers for straps are supplied.

From its arrival in Australia in the late ‘80s, Lexus has made the ownership experience a high priority. In some areas it’s still at, or near the top of the after-sales class, but in others the grades are slipping. 

For example, the standard Lexus warranty in Australia is four years/100,000km. When you have both luxury newcomer, Genesis, and the most established of them all, Mercedes-Benz, at five years/unlimited km, that offer is off the pace.

Sure Audi, BMW, and others are at three years/unlimited km, but the game has moved on for those brands, too. Plus, the mainstream market standard is now five years/unlimited km, with some at seven years.

On the other hand, the ‘Lexus Encore Privileges’ program provides complimentary 24-hour roadside assistance for 10 years, as well as access to owner events and special offers.

Service is scheduled for 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first). At the time of writing ‘Lexus Capped Service’ set service cost at $595 for a maximum of three scheduled visits to the workshop.

A Lexus loan car is provided while your pride and joy is in the workshop, or a pick-up and return option (from home or office) is available. You’ll also receive a complimentary wash and interior vacuum. Not bad.

Lexus offers a four-year 100,000km warranty, which is considered one of the worst in the industry for mileage distance, due to the low number. Most rivals offer unlimited kilometre warranties, as well as more years in some cases.

However, it does come with a three-year program covering standard logbook services completed at an authorised service centre, with the first three annual/15,000km services for the LS costing $595 apiece.

A complimentary pickup and return service from home or workplace is available, as are a loan car, exterior wash and an interior vacuum during servicing. It's all part of the Lexus Encore Owners Benefit program, offered for three years and includes 24/7 roadside assistance.

Finally, the Encore Platinum brings the aforementioned travel destination free Lexus vehicle program (four times a year over three years) in Australia and NZ, as well as numerous valet parking and events privileges, limited to a several annually, and discounted fuel at participating outlets.