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AUTO REVIEW

2018 Lexus LS 500

By Stephen Schutz, MD

Almost 30 years ago, Lexus was born, and, to quote the great less, the LS still matters as I was reminded during a recent visit to
Chris Harris of Top Gear, they “kaboomed the entire U.S. prestige Manhattan when I saw many LS sedans with chauffeurs driving
car industry” when their first cars launched in 1989. around with important passengers in back.
As many readers will recall, before Lexus was born in 1989 luxury The all-new 2018 LS 500 sports an exterior design that is best de-
car customers in this country could choose between low-quality and scribed as different — different from its predecessor, the LS 460,
under-engineered American luxury cars or their wonderfully-engi- and different from its German and American competitors. The I’m-
neered but persnickety (and seriously over-priced) German rivals. getting-used-to-it huge grille is there, of course, but gone is the ex-
Gee, wondered Toyota, would people buy luxury cars that were pected low front/high rear profile, replaced by a more coupe-ish
much cheaper than the Germans to buy and maintain, as reliable as form, almost as if the previous car had mated with a Porsche
Camrys, and supported by pampering dealerships that treated cus- Panamera. I have criticized recent Lexuses for having highly stylized
tomers with respect? We all know the answer to that question. front ends and boring sterns, but if anything, the rear of the new
While Lexus actually offered two cars in 1989, the ES 250, a small LS has more visual action than the front. In fact, the only quibble I
sedan based on the Camry, and the larger LS 400 sedan, it was the have with the attractive new LS shape is that from the rear ¾ angle
LS that became a sensation. Essentially a better built and more reli- it is a little too much like the Nissan Maxima.
able Mercedes S-class that sold for about $20,000 less than its iconic I have no quibbles with the interior, which is very well done. It’s a
German competitor, the LS 400 changed everything. Who doesn’t Lexus, so everything you see and touch exudes quality, but clearly
remember the famous TV commercial featuring a tower of full Lexus has decided to be non-German as well. Instead of focusing on
champagne glasses sitting unmoving on the hood of an LS 400 as a central controller knob, Lexus decided to go with a small finger-ac-
its engine revved? tivated control surface on the center console that lets you work various
All these years and many kept promises later, Lexus is a well-es- functions as you drive. It’s not ergonomically perfect by any means,
tablished brand with a broad portfolio of vehicles. In fact, the U.S. but Lexus presumably knew that and left many redundant buttons so
luxury market has changed so much since 1989 that the LS 500 is that drivers could avoid the controller if they preferred. My favorite
much less important sales-wise than any of their SUVs. Neverthe- button is a two-level knob that allows for easy adjustment of the audio

40 San Antonio Medicine • June 2018