2024 Lexus LS 500 Review: Old-School Luxury Meets Hands-Free Driving

Luxury doesn't just mean leather seats and real wood on the dashboard these days, with high-end models falling over themselves to add every bell and whistle possible. Amid the vast screens and complicated gadgets of its rivals, the 2024 Lexus LS sails through serenely and — for the most part — simply. A reminder that, for some buyers at least, there's a lot to be said for focusing on just one thing.

What once was shocking, now is commonplace. Lexus' outsized spindle grille, a chrome-fluted hourglass of visual excess, doesn't feel so ostentatious these days. That's more about the industry's general shift to maximized proportions rather than Lexus toning it down on the LS, of course.

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Overall, it's not a bad-looking sedan, if a little generic from some quarters. It has presence from scale alone, and the 20-inch dark gray metallic wheels on this particular example look good. That said, there's none of the visual drama of, say, a BMW 7 Series. The Silver Illusion paint is a whopping $3,100 option.

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Then again, this isn't a cheap car however you dice it. Even before a small sprinkling of extras, the 2024 LS 500h AWD is $114,210 (before $1,350 destination). All-in, this particular example is just shy of $120K.

That's roughly a $40K premium over the base 2024 LS 500 without the hybrid drivetrain, which instead "makes do" with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 gas engine that offers 416 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. It's sufficient, Lexus says, for a 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive forms (from $80,685 and $83,935 respectively, each before destination).

F Sport variants of the LS 500 push the sedan to the mid-to-high-$80K region, though they add styling rather than performance. It's a huge jump from there to the six-figure LS 500h AWD with its V6 hybrid drivetrain.

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As in the LC 500h, that combines a 3.5-liter six-cylinder gas engine with a pair of electric motors and a complicated double transmission. There's both a four-speed automatic gearbox and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), that together mimic the 10-speed automatic that the non-hybrid LS uses. All-wheel drive is standard on the hybrid.

While some electrification is about improving performance, in the case of the LS 500h, it's more about economy. There's actually less power overall — 354 horsepower in total — and 0-60 mph takes 5.2 seconds. However, Lexus and the EPA estimate 22 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. In my own, mixed testing I saw almost 26 mpg.

That's a small uptick over the regular LS 500. In RWD form, the non-hybrid LS is rated for 18 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. The AWD version sees those numbers dip to 17 mpg, 27 mpg, and 21 mpg, respectively.

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The other advantage to the hybrid is the standard air suspension. While all LS models get adaptive suspension and electronically-controlled shocks, only the electrified sedan has air springs too. Firmness is adjusted depending on the current drive mode, with an easily-twiddled knob for changing that on the side of the instrument cluster.

Most of the time, you'll probably want to stick to the Normal or Comfort modes. The LS' pillowy ride quality, along with the hybrid's smooth and relaxed power delivery, make for a superlative cruiser. Bumps and ruts are problems for other people to concern themselves with, while the hushed cabin (with active noise cancellation standard) is perfect either for soft conversation, or enjoying the 23-speaker Mark Levinson audio system that's standard on the hybrid.

Switching to Sport S or Sport S+ isn't quite so successful. The LS firms up nicely, and body roll is dealt with surprisingly well for a car with a nearly 5,100 pound curb weight, but the drivetrain doesn't enjoy being pushed harder. Lexus' V6 whines in an unlovely way, and the exceedingly complex transmission never delivers on linearity of power like simpler systems do in rival sedans.

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There's an EV mode, activated with a button by the driver's left knee, but electric-only range is minimal. Alongside it is a button to lock the air suspension in the higher ride height position.

Studding the LS' grille, flanks, and rear bumper are various new sensors, to give the big sedan a 360-degree view of the road around it. They're in part to power Lexus Teammate, including Advanced Drive, a hands-free Level 2 highway driving system.

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Like with GM's Super Cruise and Ford's BlueCruise, Advanced Drive uses attention-monitoring cameras and pre-mapped highways to allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel when adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping are active. It's not to be confused with autonomous driving, mind. The human at the wheel is always in charge, and look away from the road for more than around four seconds and the Lexus will protest angrily for you to grab the controls again, but it can be a boon on long road trips.

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Unlike rival systems, which can change lane for you — and even do so automatically when traffic ahead is slower — Lexus Advanced Drive is single lane only, for now. Once you're on a mapped, compatible stretch of highway, a notification pops up on the driver's display; tap a steering wheel button, and the current speed is locked in and the LS begins to steer itself.

It takes about six seconds from activation to being able to take your hands off the wheel. A dynamic graphic of the road ahead — on both the digital cluster and the head-up display — shows the lane and traffic alongside and in front. It'll also indicate cones, such as from a closed lane, but not automatically change speed if you enter a slower section of highway.

Befitting the Lexus' stately intentions, Advanced Drive is a smooth and measured driver: think chauffeur, rather than racer. There's very little lane ping-ponging, and pace adjustments avoid jerks and jolts. While there can be a fair amount going on in the display while the system is active, the Lexus announces activation, deactivation, and other events out loud.

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If you enter a destination in the native navigation system, you'll also get lane positioning suggestions. At the moment, Lexus says, there's around 145,000 miles of limited-access U.S. highway that Advanced Drive will activate on. That's behind Ford and GM's mapped domains.

You can't really fault the cosseting experience during those hands-free highway jaunts, mind. Lexus' cabin is airy and spacious, even if the hybrid only comes with the smaller moonroof and — unlike the non-electrified LS versions — can't be had with the optional panoramic glass roof. The standard heated and ventilated seats get a Climate Concierge upgrade in the 500h, too, automatically adjusting cabin and seat temperature according to conditions and occupants.

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The six-figure difference between the standard and hybrid versions of the LS start to stack up once you get inside. The LS 500h adds wood trim to its heated leather-wrapped steering wheel; puts leather and wood on the doors and center console; and quilted semi-aniline leather on the 28-way power-adjustable front massage seats and the 18-way reclining rear seats.

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The latter are controlled via a 7-inch touchscreen in the center armrest, which also handles audio and climate. Sadly, the hybrid can't be had with the most lavish rear recliner with ottoman and shiatsu massage; that's an exclusive package on the regular LS 500. All the same, front or back, there's no bad seat in the Lexus.

The rear touchscreen's graphics look a little old-school, but the LS' standard 12.3-inch front touchscreen has received a similar upgrade to other recent Lexus models. Gone (and not at all missed) is the old touchpad, with Toyota/Lexus' far improved infotainment system now running the show. There's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, at least a 10-inch head-up display (the hybrid gets a 24-inch version), and Lexus scatters six USB ports around the cabin.

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Much like the exterior, the interior of the LS feels fairly restrained at this point. That's mainly because rivals have leaned into vast, numerous displays; a discotheque's worth of ambient lighting; and the sort of trim materials palette that might give Liberace pause.

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On the active safety side, Lexus includes blind spot warnings with rear cross-traffic alerts, adaptive cruise with lane-tracing assist, and pre-collision detection with pedestrian detection as standard. The hybrid LS throws in lane-change assist for the hands-on adaptive cruise control and front cross-traffic alerts with intersection support; they're optional on most other non-hybrid trims.

There's something charmingly old-school about the Lexus LS. These days, it feels like cars can't just be one thing: an SUV also has to be a coupe; a sedan also has to be a sports car. While the LS 500h may have sport modes you can switch to, frankly the Lexus doesn't feel particularly enthusiastic about the prospect, and neither did I behind the wheel.

Instead, it's a reminder of why the original LS impressed all the way back in 1989. Solid, focused, and quietly confident, with an embrace of technology that doesn't stray into shouting about it. No, there aren't really any gimmicks that might momentarily wow a passenger, but that's because the LS plays the long game.

With the addition of hands-free highway driving and the user-friendly new infotainment system, that reserved refinement feels renewed. The LS still occupies a niche within a niche, and there's no denying that the LS 500h AWD has a hefty price tag when you can get a BMW 750e from $107K. If the commonplace interpretation of modern luxury leaves you cold, though, Lexus' alternative might just do the trick.