Review and Test Drive: 2020 Lexus LS 500 F Sport AWD
INSIDE THE 2020 LEXUS LS 500 F SPORT AWD
As soon as you unlatch the driver’s door, it becomes clear you are in an elevated environment, starting with the hand-folded pleats on the doors.
And that’s before you notice the Circuit Red leather seats with Naguri Aluminum trim. Indeed, the trim flows gracefully across the dash, with real metal and leather everywhere. The Circuit Red may be the only red leather interior I would ever consider for my own personal vehicle: it has the perfect blend of excitement, while remaining understated and subdued, so the Lexus owner won’t tire of it after the first month.
It’s clear that the takumi master craftsmen did not just create a vehicle; rather, with the LS 500 F Sport, they crafted a work of art.
The cavernous space is about on par with its chief rivals, the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes-Benz S Class, as well as the Audi A8, although the auto from Stuttgart has a bit more front headroom, while the Ingolstädter offers a touch more rear headroom. Meanwhile, the Bavarian has more legroom overall as well as a larger trunk.
The driver-centric cockpit is well designed. Buttons and switches are placed where the driver might expect and feel like what one might find in a luxury high-performance automobile. The inclusion of Apple CarPlay, which now takes advantage of the supersized 12.3” LS central information display, was appreciated as it simplified everything from navigation to music selections to basic telephony. (Last year, the LS was the first Lexus to support Apple’s infotainment system.)
Meanwhile, the sound coming from the Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system withthe vehicle’s in-ceiling array speakers (the LS is the only vehicle we know of offering this feature) provided a concert hall-like experience as we sped down the Interstate.