Anthony’s Adventures: 2022 Lexus LS500 AWD

by  Anthony Fongaro  - Photos by Lexus- 07/01/2022

SUVs have become the pinnacle of automakers, but some still do it old-school. Large sedans are still around and have some major competition. Vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or the Lexus LS500 are great cars when you want to be a chauffeur. These traditionally large sedans are becoming either extinct or going more towards becoming EVs. When the first LS came out, it was a large, inexpensive luxury sedan. At first glance, the LS500 holds that reputation. 

My adventure for the week was quite simple: pickup two special individuals from the airport. On my journey, I was able to reflect on what I liked, disliked, and any changes to my thoughts on the LS500. This drive was a combination of suburban, highway, and driving through O’Hare International Airport. The LS500 definitely fit right in with the rest of the executive sedans picking up hoity toity passengers, excluding my passengers. 

There are a few characteristics that make an LS500 a Lexus. It has the now traditional giant grille that looks better on it than the RX. This LS500 came in Iridium paint along with 20-inch alloys. The basic silhouette and rear end continue the Japanese design that Lexus has been using for years. There are a lot of creases which makes the LS500 look more athletic. For added class, Lexus’ air suspension will lower or raise depending on if you’re entering or exiting the car. It’s a nice touch.

Inside, there are some comfortable seats that are heated, ventilated, and massaged. This interior had the same color and trim combo as the last one: White leather with Laser Special Black. The Laser Special Black are some beautiful trim pieces that combine well with the white leather and blade-looking door handles. Look out front and you’ll see an optional head-up display with speed, cross-traffic alert, navigation, and more. Steering wheel controls are your typical audio and cruise control buttons. 

This may be a 2022 model, but Lexus hasn’t updated the LS500 too much. Yes, it does now have a nice 12.3-inch infotainment display, but it still has the infuriating mousepad. Since this is last-gen tech, the screen is a little slow to respond compared to the latest infotainment systems. Thankfully, you can either use the CD player (in 2022!?) or use Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. To help with the audio, Lexus has its fantastic-sounding Mark Levinson sound system. The LS feels well made and the soft-touch materials are abundant.

When a large sedan has an “executive package”, it usually means the rear seats are the stars. I wonder why I did chauffeur duty again? Oh right, the regular bench seat is swapped with a more luxurious set-up. You can still use all three seats but if you fold the armrest down, you’ll see the controls for the seats, audio, and more. Both seats have massaging, heated, and ventilated seats which recline. If you’re on the passenger side, you can push the front seat forward and deploy your calf rest. My passengers were quite pleased.

While they were experiencing those seats, I was fussing around with the engine and transmission. Under the hood is a 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 producing 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft. In its class, the 0-60 time of 5.2 is average but you have plenty of pulling power, even in Comfort. There are other driving modes such as eco, normal, sport, and sport +, but I kept it in Comfort most of the time. We aren’t talking about a sports car here; more of a comfortable transporter. Surprise surprise, it does lean in the corners and that V6 only returns around 20-22 MPG.

Finally home, I started to think about how the Lexus LS500 is a great car to be driven in. Being the driver is another story. I don’t recommend using the manual mode because the shifting is far too delayed. Also, you still have to use the touchpad to get to the home screen. Some may complain that the sunroof cover is manually operated, but not having a panoramic room seems like a miss. My biggest complaint is with the digital dials. They now look old. Lexus has had these types of dials for over eight years. Thankfully, the new Lexus NX has the updated interior that the LS needs. 

As it’s been with the LS, the LS500 still undercuts its German rivals by tens of thousands. This particular model started at $79,000 but was given the $17,380 Executive Package which transforms the rear seat into a first-class experience. When you add in other options such as the $3,200 Lexus Safety Suite, $1,400 Adaptive Variable Air Suspension, $1,200 heads-up display, and a few more items, the total cost is $110,000. That’s less than the starting price of a Mercedes-Benz S500. 

In the end, my opinion of the Lexus LS500 didn’t really change. It’s still a very comfortable executive sedan that can be optioned to be a relaxing way to be driven. When you are driving, the engine is smooth and you can cruise along in Comfort Mode listening to the great sound system. Even though I think the interior does need some updating, the LS500 is still a relatively good bargain and chauffeur car.