My local Lexus Dealer just got their first few 2018 LS500 sedans and they called to offer me a test drive. How could I refuse? It was a short, 15 minute drive, but I came away with the feeling that this is not the ever-so-special car that has been so hyped for the last 18 to 24 months.

First off, the Turbo V6 feels and sounds like a V6, which to me, in a high end luxury sedan, just doesn’t feel or sound right. The fact that I could actually HEAR the engine was amazing to me. This new car has been touted as something unworldly and was supposed to be near silent. Not so. As a matter of fact, it sounded noisier than any of the eight V8 LS sedans I have owned.

The ride in this air suspension car was good, but did not compare to the ride of my 2015, MBC & 18” conventional tire equipped S550.

The presence of the car was not nearly as striking in person as it has been in photos.

All in all, I was expecting something truly over the top—and there may be some areas where that can be said about this new car—but with what I experienced in my short time with the car, I can only say that I was underwhelmed. Oh well.

How was the acceleration vs the S450 you tested? Was the S450’s V6 quieter?

As I recall, I was not put off by the S450; but I was with the Lexus. But bith test drives were too short to really get a good feel for the cars.

Actually, I believe the wheels were 20”, with what looked like very low profile tires. And, I believe the height adjustment may have been in the “Up” position when I took these photos. The cars had only arrived a couple of hours ago and the salesman knew almost nothing about the controls. He said he would be doing a crash course in learning about the car that evening.

I agree. They should have gone for a refined, subtle, understated elegance look, but that’s not the current Lexus philosophy. They want to be “in your face,” which is pretty much exactly the opposite of where their traditional customers were coming from. In my opinion, they threw their customer base—that they had won over and pampered for decades—under the bus, so they could become a performance brand, more like BMW than MB.

As I have mentioned in the past, I was a die-hard Lexus customer. I had eight, new, loaded LS sedans between 1993 and 2012, but when they went to their horrid “spindle grill” design, I bailed and went to an MB S Class. I won’t say I have never looked back, as I have, hoping that Lexus would win me over again, but that was not to be. The tsunami devastated Lexus and what has emerged from the ashes are Godzilla type designs and the mind set that their big sedan needs to be “sporty” and overly aggressive, both of which targets I feel they have badly missed with this new car. I wish the company well, but they won’t be seeing me back anytime soon. My new S560 went through the Panama Canal the other day and is due to arrive next week. The choice over the new Lexus isn’t even close. And, if my MB dealer doesn’t treat me right on the deal for the new car, the choice to keep my 2015 over the new Lexus won’t even be close either.

Disappointed to read your review, SL. As I get more and more frustrated with my noisy 560, I’ve starting to look for MB alternatives.
The LS was on my list. Interestingly, the local high end body shop that has all the euro dealer contracts, suggested I avoid BMW 7 series...
also said the Audi cars are noisy inside. Doesn’t leave much. The XJ jags are cramped inside and old tech, Flying Spur is really low tech - no new driver aids for 2 more model years...and frowned upon by many here in San Francisco as too “showy”. My wife vetoed the Tesla S due to rough ride, crude interior appointments, etc. The Lyft driver yesterday had a quiet, nicely appointed Toyota Avalon...

Thanks. Sadly, I have no choice. Can’t stand driving the car. What an unpleasant surprise. My fear is the noise is getting in thru the panoramic roof.
Then what?

Me too!

Please tell us again what the noise sounds like. Is it like rushing air entering the cabin? Or road noise from the tires? At what speeds does it start? Does it get worse at faster speeds? I just can’t imagine how a car that is probably 98% exactly the same, body wise, as the car that has been built since 2014 can all of a sudden be so different. I feel very badly for you, as I know that I would be absolutely sick over such a situation. At least it would appear that you have the resources to tackle this problem and the tenacity to see it through. I wish you the best of success in your fight.

P.S. My new S560 is due in next week. However, I had to extend the lease on my 2015, as I waited too long to order the new car. So, I have paid the lease through the end of February. I am not going to return the old car, until I am absolutely convinced that the new car is what it should be. Maybe I can get the dealer to let me take it for an extended test drive, before I sign the papers.

Turn up the radio...problem fixed!

But seriously, is it really that much louder? How is that even possible considering the bones of the vehicle hasn’t changed at all. I bet it’s a very simple fix. Maybe a piece of soundproofing was left out of one of the panels or???

Good luck!

Here’s a proposed order for some customer. Check out the option charge for that “Executive Package.” I’ll bet all the middle management types over in China will be going nuts over this car. Maybe that’s the market Lexus designed this car for, not the Western World. Sort of makes sense when you think about it.

What is Kirko glass?

Fancy, sort of cut glass inserts in the door panels. Lexus says they are engineered to break in a certain way in an accident, but the last thing I would want on a door panel is GLASS!

Yeah, it really is that bad. My S550 was QUIET. Serene. My SL65 has less external noise penetration. That’s just nuts!