Used 2018 Lexus LS 500 for sale 

Starting at just over $75,000, the 2018 Lexus LS sits near the top of a large luxury car ladder. For the price it comes, Lexus offers an interior boasting one of the best build quality in the automotive business. The LS is powered by a 3.5L Twin-Turbo engine developing 416 horsepower and 442 foot-pounds of torque. Every variant of the car is offered with an AWD setup, which costs around $3,200 extra.

The other prominent features on offer are the Lane departure warning and a backup camera. The LS 500F Sport gets a bigger set of wheels, where there are 20-inch alloys on offer. And some exclusive leather Upholstery and a 28-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Although even on the basic model, you would get some of the most comprehensive and well-designed interiors.

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The basic sedan, the LS 500 is already richly appointed and includes most of the features and interior accents that you could desire from a car at this price. The F-Sport variant is only a good idea if you want to feel the output for a bit, though the price tag of $6,000 extra for better exterior styling and a revised suspension is hardly a bargain. So the basic LS 500 is the most recommended.

The biggest talking point for 2018 is the fact that Lexus decided to swap out their long-lasting and thoroughly reliable, classical, and free-breathing V-8 for a turbocharged V-6. The Lexus gets a 3.5L Twin-Turbo V-6 engine developing 416 bhp of power and 442 Lb-Ft of torque. The engine is mated to a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission. Power is sent to the wheels with an RWD as standard, and which would ideally be good enough for most users, but an AWD comes for $3,200 and is only recommended for colder climates.

The engine is comparable to most of the LS’s European rivals and offers a super low rpm range torque, which delectably gets the car off the line. The gearbox is highly refined and barely makes even a minor jitter while shifting at any speed. Though it does tend to be a bit sluggish when you press the throttle hard or want a burst of acceleration.

Its 10-speed automatic is designed in such a way that it just runs smoothly, so the revs stay low and the luxurious experience isn't affected much. It’s quite surprising that most of its competitors come with lower power output from their respective motors, particularly considering that the Lexus is at least $7,000 cheaper than the closest competitor. The BMW 740i and the Mercedes S450 come with an RWD standard with an AWD option, while the Audi A8 L comes only with an AWD.

2018 Lexus LS 500 Acceleration

The Lexus is surprisingly quick in terms of linear acceleration. The gearbox does a brilliant job of getting the car moving particularly at lower speeds, where the car just zips towards the 60 mph mark. Although at higher speeds the gear ratios are panned out and differentiated, and this is when the sedan begins to slow down into a comfortable cruising speed.

The gearbox works brilliantly while having linear acceleration, though ask it to downshift or accelerate on the go and it feels a bit off place.

The Lexus LS 500 with its 3.5L engine is the fastest car in its lot to do a 0-60 mph. It crosses the 60mph mark in about 4.6sec. The slowest car of the lot in terms of 0-60 time is the Audi which needs 5.5 seconds. The Lexus takes 13.8 seconds to cover a quarter-mile which is not quite the best time amongst its rivals. BMW has the least quarter-mile time which is about 13.4 sec. The BMW gets a 3L engine.

2018 Lexus LS 500 Braking

Toyota has not skimped on the braking character of the sedan. And one brilliant thing the Japanese automaker does is design some capable brakes. The brakes aren't the biggest of the competition though they are highly reliable, and can capably control the Lexus LS 500 without failure even at track speeds. The brake pedal itself is a little deep like most Toyota sedans, though it has a distinct bite and a reliable feel to it.

The LS 500 does get some decent sized brakes with 14-inch discs at the front and 13.1-inch at the rear. These brakes help the Lexus to achieve a stopping distance of 113 feet from 60 mph. The BMW with its humongous 17.7 inches discs at the front and 14.5 inches at the rear manages to get the best stopping distance of about 112ft.

Give it to Lexus for making a car that has larger displacement, more power, and yet miraculously more refinement and efficiency than that of the Germans. Toyota uses its extensive experience in manufacturing frugal cars and puts it in a car that is both heavier, more powerful, and has a larger engine to get the best fuel economy. The LS 500 gets an even better economy with its hybrid powertrain, the Lexus LS 500h.

The Lexus even after getting a bigger engine and better performance than its rivals doesn't disappoint us in terms of Fuel Economy. It manages to get around 19 MPG in city conditions and 30 MPG on the highway. All these help in getting a combined MPG of about 23 which by our terms is pretty much decent for the car. The BMW with its 3.0 L engine returns an economy of about 21 MPG in the city, 29 MPG on the highway, and a combined MPG of 24 which is best in its class.

The Lexus LS 500 is by far the best interiors and layout created by the Japanese giant. The basic platform is the same that is used in the Lexus LC 500 Coupe, albeit in a stretched avatar. The car has sculpted seats that can adjust in a possible 28-ways to accommodate almost anyone. 

Entry and exit are much easier with the suspension raising the car’s height when passengers are climbing in. that said even the standard sedan offers pristine luxury and comfort. The Executive package is where it hits off with 4-zone climate control, 22-way heated and cooled rear seats with massage functions. The backrest at the rear can recline 48-degrees. All of this makes it a worthy competitor with the likes of Mercedes or BMW.

The Lexus gets a seating capacity of 5 people like all its rivals. It gets the smallest passenger volume of 116.3 Ft. Cube and is not as roomy as the rivals. It gets a headroom of 37.3 inches, a shoulder room of 58.8 inches, and a headroom of 41 inches in the front. The Lexus gets a headroom of 37.3 inches, shoulder room of 56.4 inches, and legroom of 38.9 inches in the rear. All this just makes the sedan just a tad bit lacking in legroom as compared to its rivals. The most spacious car is the Mercedes-Benz S 450 Sedan. Standout interior features include:

• Heated/Cooled Front Bucket Seats -inc: power front headrests
• Bench Front Facing Rear Seat
• Power Tilt/Telescoping Steering Column
• 12-Way Power Passenger Seat -inc: Power Recline, Height Adjustment, Fore/Aft Movement, Cushion Tilt, and Power 4-Way Lumbar Support
• Proximity Key For Doors And Push Button Start

2018 Lexus LS 500 Cargo Capacity

The trunk space on offer is quite decent, with the normal variant getting about 17.2 cubic feet, while the Hybrid variant gets a smaller space of 15.2 cubic feet. The truck lip is super low and it has all sorts of functionality to ease loading. The truck can even automatically load and close if required.

The Lexus gets a boot space of 16.95 ft. cubic which is big, but not the best. The best Boot volume comes with the BMW. The BMW gets a cargo volume of about 18.2 ft. cube which is the best among the cars compared here. The Audi A8 offers the least amount of storage space on account of its battery which sits in the trunk.

2018 Lexus LS 500 Infotainment

The LS 500 comes standard with a plethora of technology and luxury features. There is automatic climate control as well as leather seating and other options offered as standard. All LS 500 sedans come with a 12.3-inch display with a touchpad in the middle of the center console. The infotainment includes Voice Recognition, Navigation, although it misses out on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The infotainment itself is quite laggy and clumsy and not at all easy to use.

A basic audio system is a 12-speaker unit that has Bluetooth compatibility. People wishing for a more premium experience can opt for the 19-speaker premium audio which has a colossal output of 2,400-watts. The infotainment features in the Lexus include -

• Bluetooth Compatibility
• Satellite Radio
• In-Built Navigation
• Active noise cancellation
• 12-speaker audio
• Premium Mark Levinson 23-speaker 2,400-watt audio

The new Lexus LS 500 is a total looker of a car. The sedan has a well proportioned and styled flair that can’t quite be matched by any other currently on the roads. Upfront is the Z-shaped headlamps with the large hourglass-shaped front grille that is the styling cue for most Lexus cars.

The sloping roofline and the teardrop-shaped side windows aid the look. The LED tail lamps round up the styling and give the sedan a composed look.

The Lexus LS weighs over 4707 lbs. which makes it the heaviest car in the lot. It has a length of 206.1, a width of 74.8, a height of 57.5. and a ground clearance of 6.5 Inch which is best among its rivals. The Lexus gets a wheelbase of 123 inches, which is not the best in its class but fair enough to make the car stable at high speeds. The Audi A8 is the bigger car compared to all its rivals, with a length of 207.3 inches, a width of 76.7 inches, and a height of 57.9 inches. The BMW has a wheelbase of 126.4 inches and it's the longest among all its rivals. Some standard exterior features include -

• Fixed Rear Window w/Defroster
• Chrome Bodyside Insert
• Speed Sensitive Rain Detecting Variable Intermittent Wipers w/Heated Wiper Park
• Metal-Look Grille w/Chrome Surround
• Fully Automatic Projector Beam Led Low/High Beam Daytime Running Auto-Leveling Directionally Adaptive Auto High-Beam Headlamps w/Delay-Off

The Lexus is a premium sedan, and the low volume and price make it unlikely that either the NHTSA or the IIHS will ever test it for its crashworthiness. The build quality of the new Lexus has been adopted from the LC 500, which has an aluminum-intensive chassis that speaks volumes of capability, reliability, and rigidity. Like most Toyota models, the car will hold its round no matter what you throw at it. Lexus loads the car with a variety of top of the line safety and driver’s assist tech that makes it comparable to any other luxury sedan on the market, these are:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• ABS And Driveline Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Intuitive Park Assist Front And Rear Parking Sensors
• Curtain 1st And 2nd Row Airbags
• Lexus Safety System+ Forward Collision Monitor
• Blind Spot Monitor Blind Spot Sensor
• Back-Up Camera

2018 Lexus LS 500 Vs. Audi A8

The new Audi A8 L comes at about $82,500 which is costlier by $7500 than the Lexus. It gets a smaller engine than the Lexus. Also, it's not as powerful as the Lexus LS 500. However, the A8 offers a more spacious cabin with more legroom and better legroom than the Lexus both at the front and at the back.

Also, there is highly intuitive infotainment and a bit better driver-assist tech. So, if you want a bigger and much spacious car and won't mind spending the extra cash, the Audi A8 is the car for you.

2018 Lexus LS 500 Vs. Mercedes-Benz S 450 Sedan

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is costlier by around $14,900 than the Lexus. The S450 gets a smaller engine compared to the Lexus. Mercedes offers a highly modern interior with some of the most delectable technology touches throughout. The car also features a variety of driver-assist tech, which is by far more than what Lexus offers.

The S Class is more spacious inside and it should be your choice if you are looking for back seat legroom.

2018 Lexus LS 500 Vs. BMW 740i Sedan

The BMW 7 Series costs around $83,100 - about $8100 more than the Lexus. The BMW gets a smaller engine than the Lexus. However, the 7 Series brings more entertaining driving characteristics which means it has better steering, has potent optional engines, and has better brakes.

The BMW also is a bit more low slung and has a better adaptive suspension setup. The Lexus feel a bit better on the reliability front, and the performance output on the straight line is also better in the Japanese car.

The 2018 Lexus LS 500 gets a bigger engine, has decent performance and is luxurious too with plenty of standard safety features. The LS 500 comes in at a price tag that is much cheaper than any of its competitors and offers comparable features which makes it a bargain. The car does get enough space to make it luxurious, although it is a bit lacking in legroom as compared to its rivals. Its 10-speed automatic transmission offers a smooth and refined output that almost leads no engine noise into the cabin and at the same time is capable of going blisteringly fast. It's a worthy sedan if you are looking for a luxurious chauffeur driver car.