Lexus LS 500 Surpasses Its Euro Competitors In Many Ways

When Lexus luxury division of Toyota was introduced to North America two decades ago it was viewed by a cranky motor press as a mixture of the highest form of flattery and a daylight convenience store hold-up.

Going after the European luxury road kings was an obvious challenge which Lexus has translated into the 4th biggest luxury car brand in the world, still hot on the heels of the Mercedes, BMW, Audi triumvirate.

In terms of exterior styling a reserved use of body sculpting character lines gives the LS500 the requisite stately profile, while still leading with a dramatic and hyper-tech front grill and complex headlamp design.

For performance a 3.5 liter twin turbo V6 416 horsepower 10-speed direct shift automatic, paddle shift transmission quickens the heartbeat with crisp, clean power. The F-Sport tuned adaptive variable suspension and combo 6 front 4 rear piston brake calipers provides no nonsense handling and stopping power for aggressive jaunts.

Inside the F-Sport is a lux lounge of tech and leather, and a driver seat with a mind boggling 28 power positions, one setting certainly ideal for signing up for this $90,000 sedan.