Daily Slideshow: MT's Thoughts on the 2018 AWD LS F Sport

The Quote

Full disclosure: Motor Trend didn’t like 2018 LS 500 F Sport AWD, but not for any reasons that have to do with the car, not really. Also by way of disclosure, this is Club Lexus so it’s within the realm of possibility that we may be a little biased, and possibly a little defensive when it comes to the world’s best-built cars. So let’s hear the folks at MT out and see what we can make of their criticisms.

A review needs a hook, and MT found theirs in a reference to a line from a Spielberg flick. Though they didn't quote it, the line, From Jurassic Park, goes something like, "They were so busy thinking if they could make it that they didn't stop to think if they should make it." You've probably seen the meme with the actual quote displayed over an image of Jeff Goldblum. So the premise seems to be that Lexus built the LS 500 F Sport just to show that they could. Or maybe MT meant to imply that the F Sport is like a dinosaur that must be stopped from taking over the Earth. Whatever it was, the line stuck with them over a full week of testing this ". . . "unnatural monster of a performance sedan." 

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

The Attribrution

Motor Trend believes they "might be partly to blame" for the "hard-edged sport sedan" nature of the current generation of LS. They go on to note that BMW "seems to be veering away from" this very type of thing. What does this mean? Maybe it means Lexus should have listened to them earlier or should copy BMW a little more closely if they really want to be held in the same esteem by these journos. 

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Spindle Swipe

MT also feel that they might have had something to do with the impetus behind the spindle grille. They note that it came about, "After years of incessantly tarring Lexus with a beige-and-boring brush." They posit that "F-Sport variants of everything" with stiffer suspensions and styling changes were needed to keep pace with the "facial aggression" of the almighty spindle.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Grandfather Clause

Before talking about the F Sport's attributes could commence, MT noted that, in their opinion, the company lacks a connection to a historically successful racing tuner or organization. We would argue that Toyota, having either won or produced engines for cars that have won just about every racing championship there is, would count. In their words: "But without any historical connection to an AMG, Quattro, Alpina, or M Sport brand and the racing history they represent—not to mention the institutional memory held by their motorsport engineers—the F Sport idea comes off as forced and a touch inauthentic on this large sedan." MT lists the Jaguar XJR, BMW Alpina B7, Mercedes-AMG S63, as competitors to the not-from-Germany-or-England Lexus.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Winning

Prices for those cars range from $123,395 for the Jag up to $148,495 for the AMG-Benz. Motor Trend says that the LS 500 F Sport, starting at $85,215, "doesn’t compete with those cars at all on price." Yes, that is correct. It buries them, dominates them, and definitively trounces them on price.

They chalk the lower price of the Lexus, a brand known for being less pricey than its European competitors, up to having two fewer cylinders, ". . . LS F Sport buyers need to understand that they are not getting one of those aforementioned super sedans at a $38,180–$63,680 discount." Those are two very expensive cylinders.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Actual Review

Once talk about the performance of the F Sport ensued, MT pointed out that the model shares its 416hp twin-turbo V6 with all other non-hybrid LS 500 models. As expected, this means that acceleration numbers turned in by the F Sport lag significantly behind those of the twin-turbo V8 Euro sedans specials that cost $40K more. The Euro specials achieved 60mph in anywhere from 3.4 to 4.3 seconds, while Lexus buyers will have to make do with 5.2 second 0-60mph times—still quite impressive for a large, heavy, fuel-efficient luxury sedan.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Handling

Lateral acceleration numbers around MT's figure-eight track were also somewhat slower than those of the Euro specials. The reviewer complimented the F Sport's smooth and supple ride when set to Normal or Comfort, but felt the ride on Sport+ mode was unacceptably harsh. They posited that the Sport setting was designed to be noticeable as much as for performance reasons, and felt it would have been possible and preferable for the damping to limit body roll while also staying supple. They also hate that you have to twist the knob to set the system to Sport each time you restart the car since it won't default to that mode.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

More about Ride

Motor Trend did point out that adaptive variable air suspension is available as a $1,500 option on RWD F Sports, though not on the AWD version they drove and had their LS 500 been so-equipped it might have more favorably impressed them with its improved manners.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

Conclusions

MT's review ended with an opinion: ". . . Lexus’s heart is in tuning cars for continuous creamy smoothness, not occasional athleticism," and a question that looped back to Jurassic Park: "I know I could pay $6,000 extra for an F-Sport LS, but should I?"

Our conclusion ends with a question as well. Do you want a world-class sedan? Would you spend a little more to upgrade your sedan with sportier styling, extra suspension settings and interior touches, more exclusivity, and a higher resale value? If your answers to the previous two questions are yes, would you also be willing to pay 30 percent or more under Euro special prices for a higher quality product? Then welcome to Club Lexus.

>>Join the conversation about the 2018 AWD LS 500 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus Forum.

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