Why you may want to invest in an LS 500 F Sport (photos)
The next LS 500 sedan will come with an optional F Sport luxury trim. What are the benefits?
1. The F Sport Series: Adding bark to bite
Where Lexus' F Series has been all about amping up the performance on an already-high end brand, the F Sport is all about looks. Even if Lexus owners will applaud the efficiency and reliability of their cars from dusk til dawn, there's no doubt that the elegant design of Lexus and the prestige play at least some way towards justifying the price tag. While standard Lexus models are certainly no pushover in terms of looks, the F Sport's more aggressive flourishes give a Lexus that meaner, performance-oriented look their standard models tend to lack.
It may just be a visual refurbishing, but for a car typically driven in the city, looks may prove relevant more often than top MPH or 0-60 acceleration. Lexus brings the expected quality as always beneath the hood, but the F Sport touches made to the LS 500 luxury sedan are enough to transform a reaction from passerby.
2. Aesthetics are a solid investment
Technology constantly improves with each model year. However, the value of certain cars only seems to appreciate with age. Some of it can be chocked up to historical value and rarity, of course, but the nostalgia people feel for cars tends to stem from how timelessly cool they can look.
While you need not be looking so far ahead into the future to justify purchasing a Lexus, there's some weight behind the idea that the aesthetic boost in quality will be worth the extra dollars. Barring the inherent presence of a Lexus nameplate alone, the F Sport trim makes the LS 500 stand out more from the crowd. In a way, the intricate surfaces and wide spindle grille make this trim feel more quintessentially Lexus than the standard issue.
3. Exclusive handling package
The F Sport trim can be a purely aesthetic overhaul if you so choose. However, the F Sport package offers a potential option to rework the way the LS 500 handles. Variable gear ratio steering and active rear steering aim to give the car a more sporting feel when you're behind the wheel. In addition to steering, the brakes and suspension are reworked as well. This is a perfect choice if you need your Lexus to feel the way it looks.
4. A refurbished interior
If Lexus are the gatekeepers of luxury, the impress that point even further once you peek inside the vehicle. The standard LS 500 didn't earn its "luxury sedan" status for nothing, but the revitalized interior of the F Sport is worth the second look. The sporting emphasis of the F Sport trim is emphasized again on the inside. Custom seating and a limited edition steering wheel lend this version a visible change in contrast to the regular. A subtle aluminum theme and sport-centric instrument cluster help to round out the package. Newcomers to Lexus may not appreciate the differences between the standard and trimmed sedans, but it could be something to mix up your next purchase if you're a longtime Lexus customer and want something a bit different.
5. Hybrid LS 500h options
Hybrids are often said to be the way of the future; unpredictable gas prices and sustainable initiatives make a compelling argument why the pricier hybrid may still be the most cost-efficient option in the long run. Hybrids have nonetheless had a hard time winning people over in the not-to-be-underrated "coolness" factor. With the mean bite that an F Sport trim provides, Lexus hybrids may no longer have that problem.
For help with servicing your car, check out the how-to section of ClubLexus.com.