It is a nearly ultimate boulevardier, its sophisticated technology and innovative hardware concealed from the driver by a façade of impeccable quality and subtle design. Lexus itself doesn’t tout the LS in any form as a quintessential sports sedan, and it’s not as focused as is the latest GS the LS doesn't need to be. ![]() What it doesn't offer is an increase in power the package mostly improves driving feel and provides better body control. ![]() The F Sport also features a sound generator that increases engine noise in the cabin under hard acceleration. The cabin has brushed aluminum in place of the other cars' wood trim, and the pedals are finished in the metal stuff, too. The F Sport gets special treatments inside and out, including a mesh grille, front fascia with brake-cooling ducts, and diffuser-look piece at the rear the wheels are forged and 19 inches in diameter. We flogged the car over insanely convoluted roads in the mountains around California’s Silicon Valley and found it to be surprisingly maneuverable for its size and mass. In sport-plus mode, the power assist is reduced, and the sense of control and fluidity is increased. The most noticeable nuance is in steering feel. We spent most of our time in the all-wheel-drive version of the F Sport-it’s also available with rear-drive-and found the differences among the modes to be fairly subtle, like the difference between Bud and Bud Light. In the base LS460, the system can be set to eco, normal, and sport modes air-suspension models add sport-plus and comfort modes. The same computational processes adjust the steering effort and engine and throttle responses according to driver settings. There are two suspension systems, one sprung by coils and one by air, each of which is directed by myriad sensors and processors. The top-of-the-line car, the LS600hL hybrid, uses a longer-stroke version of the V-8 that expands displacement to 5.0 liters and boosts output to 389 hp that car drives through a continuously variable transmission. Across most of the line, internal combustion is performed by a slightly more powerful, 4.6-liter V-8 that cranks out 386 hp (360 in AWD models) and is backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission. There are seven flavors of the LS, variously formed from among two wheelbases, rear- or all-wheel drive, a new F Sport model, and a hybrid model. Combined with the reworked rear end, the new look takes the LS from applesauce to something near aggressive. The sedan’s imposing yet unadorned exterior is largely the same as before but for one significant change: The subtle, trapezoidal grille has been replaced by the corporate zigzaggy “spindle” maw that looks as if it were ready to eat people, animals, and casseroles. Like the previous version, the 2013 LS conforms to the Lexus philosophy of inconspicuous consumption. Tested: 2019 Lexus LS500h Prompts Many Questions.
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