2013 Lexus LS
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Here are pictures of the regular, non sport model.
Again, mostly new lights, bumpers and grille.
By next year, when the all new S class is out, pretty much all the competition to this car will be newer.
None of these others will offer a slightly revised 6 year old design for the price.
I am sure the LS is a very nice car. But when you don’t have the cachet of a BMW, Mercedes or even an Audi, you should be doing something really special.
Somehow, they don’t seem to be getting the point….
Seriously? Lexus doesn't have the cache? It took less than 20 years for them to establish themselves as a quality luxury marque able to compete with the big boys. Ever heard of the LS400?
The LS400 was the car which sent all the other luxury car manufacturers majorly back to the drawing boards. If it wasnt for Lexus coming along the BMWs, Mercs, Audis and the Cadillacs of the world would still be the rattly old barges as they were back then.
I agree with Vince in light of the fact that the upcoming LS a refresh and not an all new vehicle.
Plus with that predator looking face of a grill on their flagship car appears to take it down a notch.
Not impressed.
I actually prefer the look of this car over the BMW 7 and Mercedes S class. It has more of a refined modern look to it and Im sure the interior will be completely revised to look similar to their new GS and ES interiors. And if you think about it a lot of manufacturers are "redesigning" cars this way now, where they create a new interior, design new bumpers and lights but leave the main greenhouse the same. Look at the 3 series,the profile view looks very similar bc everything between the A pillar and the C pillar stayed the same so if your criticizing Toyota for doing that, you should be criticizing BMW too.
The Kia below looks more exciting.
The only people I see driving a Lexus are older people and moms. They are very fine cars but mainly appeal to the Buick and Lincoln crowd.
Most of their customers are graduating from Toyota. Let's face it, they consider a car more of an appliance. They should call the Camry, or any of their cars, the Toyota Invisible. Noone will notice it.
Lexus shook up the luxury car market in the late 80s and early 90s. But it never has been considered on the same level as the German brands. Today, Lexus is hardly a luxury brand at all, since most of what they sell are just economy cars or rebadged Toyota SUVs. Aside from the LFA, which is about as desirable to most exotic car buyers as a Pinto wagon, the LS is the only real luxury car they offer. And it's completely outmatched.
MCK is partially correct.. many manufacturers are revising their front and rear ends and only slightly altering the main vehicle (doors, greenhouse, etc) while calling them a whole new generation.. Mercedes C, Mazda 5 and upcoming 6 are all good examples of this. However, those cars actually manage to look different from the predecessor because they do it very cleverly.. unfortunately, this Lexus is clearly a fascia job, and a subtle one at that. Seems all the smoke and mirrors of the teaser photo were just that!
@ July 29, 2012 5:45 PM
LOL.
They forced Lincoln and Cadillac to step up their game, they didn't do anything to chance BMW or Mercedes.
@ July 29, 2012 9:48 PM
Wrong.
The GX, LX, and somewhat the ES are badge jobs, the rest are pure Lexus models.
You might want to do some research.
Not that the 7 series looks any more interesting. In any event, most of the average Joes are impressed with this class of cars because they cannot afford them. If you have lots of money the last thing you want is to get in your car and zip around town like a brainless teanager.
The good news is that this will keep the resale values low. My brother just got a used one because it was cheaper than getting a new accord. And the greenhouse & side view are pretty much the same as this "refreshed" model. Obviously it doesn't have the Cache of my BMW; but as long as a 4-year old Lexus keeps losing value faster than a "real" luxury can, who cares–they make a great bargan for a 3rd car for the kids!
O contrair 6:59am: "If you have lots of money the last thing you want is to get in your car and zip around town like a brainless teanager." When you make your first million we'll see if that's still your opinion, or if you if you decide instead, to have some fun with that new Bimmer–LIKE I DID! As for the Lexus Brand– I never considered it. Lexus today is where Lincoln & Cadillac & Chrysler were 15 years ago- d u l l …
car looked like a copy of a mercedes when it came out waaaay back. Looks weak, agressive grill has no place on a pseudo luxury brand….yuk!!!!
a large major dust pan of a grille. You want to see a grille done right, look at the Maserati Granturismo, this is crap!
enough Vince about a defunct luxury wanna be. Toyota is knee deep in lawsuits for hiding recall safety info. show us a good brand please.
The sheet metal is somewhat surprisingly "unsurprising". But I think they are trying to establishh the styling consistency, sticking to the new "X" grille from now on. Like it or not, I think it is a good thing to stick to something they believe in, rather than changing everything on every model change. I think it is a perception thing that no one ever complains BMW's kidney grilles that they have been using for decades.
Also, the interior is 100% redesigned that nothing is re-used from the current LS.
As other intelligent readers here have already pointed out, the LS made history of this segment of the market and changed the rules of game. Otherwise, MB and Beamer would still look and drive like the one people drove in the 70's.
Not to mention another game changer is due to a model change… beware, 3 series.
lexus puts up with all the penny-profit is/es/gs/rx/gx just to sellout their yearly inventories of ls's every year. every year.
Anon 6:59,
No, the 7 series is an ugly whale. But it has curb presence and a distinct style theme. To luxury car buyers, There is a reason that BMW fans are enthusiasts about performance, and Toyota fans prattle constantly about quality. If you want a dose of performance with your luxury car, you buy a BMW. If you want quality with your luxury car, and you believe that they still offer quality cars, you reluctantly buy a Lexus.
And just so you know, older (or younger) people with lots of money don't want to necessarily act old or drive an old persons car.
All banter and speculation aside, I'd be curious to see what the sales numbers are for the LS and its competitors. I have a feeling they are pretty strong….
-Lexus sold 9568 units of the LS last year.
-BMW sold 11 299 of the 7 series.
-Mercedes sold 12 258 units of the S Class
-Jaguar only sold 5235 units of the KJ.
-Audi sold 5700 A8s.
So, as boring as it may be, the LS isn't doing that bad…
O contrair 6:59am: " When you make your first million we'll see if that's still your opinion,
First of al, it is Au Contraire, furthermore and most importantly how is that Dodge Neon treating you these days….?
No, the 7 series is an ugly whale. But it has curb presence and a distinct style theme. To luxury car buyers, There is a reason that BMW fans are enthusiasts about performance.."
I keep hearing about performance enthusiasts and all I see
is older people driving the 7 series going 65 mph.
July 31, 2012 4:44 AM
Spelpingg was never my forte. I stand corrected. I've owned a LOT of Dodges and have great respect for the brand… but never owned a neon. My brother had a neon and an Acrua and said the neon was roomier, faster, quieter, and just plain more fun. I have to take his word for it. The reason you've never SEEN us middle-agers rip around in our BMW's is because we're smart enough not to get CAUGHT speeding. But don't kid yourself–it's pretty hard to drive a Bimmer daily and still resist the urge to go from 0 to 90 in the course of an on ramp. Or to take a round-a-bout at 45MPH in the middle of the night when no one's around. I may be old, but I'm not dead! And when I die, you can bury me in a Lexus (A Toyota seems to be a natural as a casket–for so many reasons!–lol)
Most of you come off as upscale and classy as a common box of Publix wine. I will say, however, it is mildly entertaining to read what the vapid dittoheads have to say once and a while.
Most of you come off as upscale and classy as a common box of Publix wine
Now that we know where you shop and what kind of wine you drink, do you have to say anything about the LS?
"I keep hearing about performance enthusiasts and all I see is older people driving the 7 series going 65 mph."
In most areas, older people are generally the ones buying $100k- plus cars. The 7 series that I see are usually driven like a bat outta hell. I'm not saying that that means they're "performance enthusiasts." That just makes them douchebags. As for Lexus owners, they just have given up, and are just trying to get through the day as uneventfully as possible.
The LS may be sized and marketed to compete with the 7, A8, KJ, S, even Chrysler 300SRT. But price wise, the LS competes with the E,A6, 5-series, Infinity M and smaller Jag. How do it's sales numbers compare with those in its PRICE range?