The 2013 Lexus LS Is Coming July 30 - What SHOULD It Have To Take Down The S-Class, 7-Series, A8, Panamera, Etc.?

Mainstream will never consider this as the top dog of the class even if it ends up superior to the rest. "it doesn't have 'soul'", "it doesn't have a rich heritage", or other stupid crap like that. Comment above mine kind of illustrates the condescension towards the LS...

Well Lexus has it self to blame for that. Although it does have some halo cars (LFA - an engineering exercise that is widely regarded but hugely overpriced, and the IS-F which is an alternative but not better than the M3), it is generally a car for older people who don't really want driving dynamics and want reliability. Which is fine but they want a younger demographic. They are improving. The hybrid stuff hasn't matured enough.

Lexus has nothing to prove but they consistently demonstrate that they have a product that the rest of the world doesn't want - except for the US.

Lexus only put this car out to steal market share...

@Aaron... you are kidding me right?

Only Americans are dumb enough to like Lexus.

it's not superior in any substantive way....the LS is not tops in acceleration, power, handling, ride, technology, styling or any other meaningful characteristic. it's does everything quite well and at a great value price relative to it's much more expensive competitors.

WOW!!! I must have really hurt your feelings? Let it go. LOL!!!

they're raising the base MSRP by more than 10%?? that's shocking.

...We should expect what Lexus has been since day one and that is the Pursuit of Perfection. However, just give them products more plenty more power and excellent road dynamics and the loyal and new comers will keep Lexus on top where they belong.

I double there will be a boost in power. The design will still be conservative, nothing fancy like some of their drawing for the LS, unfortunately.

Sportiness? naa this is purely a large luxury sedan, like the none sport S and 7 series. The F sport will ahhh have some firm suspension but to me I will still take it over the S, 7, or A8 any day any time, simply because it's a way way better built car, mechanically, quality, reliability, and comfort.

If I want a large sport sedan then we're talking the likes of AMG S models, the S8, etc... and the LS doesn't have something to complete with these.

Somebody need to get a clue in life...

The 2007 LS460 crushed the seven series (most buybacks in BMW history) and the overpriced S-class that started building Lexus interiors.

Lexus interiors are a joke. Terrible messed-up design and overrated materials. When I sit in a Lexus I feel like I am in a Toyota Avalon...

This year is just a re-fresh not a RE-DESIGN....

we know. sad for a model that's already 6 years old.

the S-class coming next years is a TOTALLY new car, NOT a facelift like the LS that's been around since 2006 (without any noteworthy revisions).

Mercedes, its actually a shame that you even compare an S-class to a Lexus LS, night and day, Mercedes, the standard bearer, Lexus, well, its a Lexus...

It doesn't need much. It is already a superb car, it is simply at the end of its life cycle so demand for it is low.

it's lifecycle going on and on...this is hardly a new car. more like a new grille.

the LS 'taking down' any of those cars is unlikely bordered on outright funny. the LS 'taking down' the panamera is hysterical beyond belief. who wrote such a stupid headline? have you actually DRIVEN these cars?

agreed! hilarious...

Unfortunately for many owners of luxury German cars, reliability has been their downfall that has let Lexus take market share away. I do not find anything appealing in the S-class that would outweigh its historically lousy reliability record. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a sensor go off in your $100k car that may mean another trip to the dealer. All the interiors of this class of vehicles are impressive, all ride a drive nice. The reality is that when one speaks to a service manager at one of these German car dealers, they all will tell you in confidence to buy a Lexus next time.

reality check: the S-class is one of the most reliable cars on the planet. how many 20 year old lexus do you see on the road? LOTS of 25-year-old 80s S-class rolling around.

PRICE has allowed lexus to move lots of sheetmetal. if the LS started at $95,000 like the S550 instead of $67,000, who would choose the LS? in EXACTLY what ways does the LS surpass the S-class? please.

david999... how old are you? because what you just said shows that you have the mental capacity of a 10 year old, if that...

enthusiastsx11... absolutely agree... if you believe your car is superior, you can demand a premium and set the price higher (after all, if your car is superior, then people would buy the car regardless of price and lets face is, Toyota is a business, looking to make profits). I mean, while we are at it, Toyota fans seem to believe in their products so much, why even make a car in a "class"? Just make your own segment, then you will become a standard bearer which everyone strides to become... Its exactly what they did with the HS250 and what a success... oh wait, they discontinued that... nvm...

"Reality check: the S-class is one of the most reliable cars on the planet. how many 20 year old lexus do you see on the road? LOTS of 25-year-old 80s S-class rolling around.enthusiastx11"

That's because MB in the 80's didn't have all these electronic gremlins that keeps malfunctioning like the MB cars from 90's and up. The worst years for Mercedes were the 90's when they bought Chrysler their reliability sank into an all time low. BMW is by far far the worst in reliability. The Ultimate Driving Machine my ass, thats if it can stay on the road without breaking down, more like the Ultimate Unreliable Machine.

The only German Brand that are reliable is Porsche, where they are serious about their cars performing right.
Lexus came and changed the ways German built their interiors, the same way Honda NSX changed the ways Ferrari produced its car in making them more reliable.

However I must give credit where it is due, and Mercedes has worked hard to regain the quality it once had, since they offloaded Chrysler, but have still ways to go. German cars mechanicals are well engineered but as far as their electronics is concerned they suck big time.

As far as Build Quality & RELIABILITY

1) Lexus
2) Porsche
3) Audi & Mercedes are tied (Note that Audi's do have the best interiors bar none)
4) BMW

Also to those people who say MB BMW have heritage soul and been around for 100 yrs is BS!!!!! After 100 years you would think they would learn how to build a reliable car, until that happens it will mean NOTHING unless the car you build is reliable.

I find these German cars way too overrated and overpriced!!! Not to mention their Overpriced Options this and that , that should come standard in cars costing 95K and up, example want a Bang & Olufsen sound system add another $5000k. Save your $5000 and go read what owners of the new 2013 Mercedes SL class say and how they regret getting that option because the sound is no greater then the base sound system.

Also sick and tired of hearing the same crap about how well the German cars handle, yes they handle better then a Lexus, but be my guest go and drive and see how the German car handles on your American highways and roads you'll have Smokey up your ass giving you speeding ticket.

Besides the majority of people who buy these cars MB, BMW, Audi's, Panamera cars exceed the max imum speed limit we have on our North American highway and roads. The drivers that own all of these brands are not your typical drivers who would kick the shit out of their cars or take them to tracks.

The only way anyone here could truely appreciate these German cars handling, is if we drive them on the Autobahn. In North America we will never know what these cars are capable because our laws and highways don't allow it.

The perfect German car would be a joint venture German mechanical engineering with Japanese electronic engineering and those cars would be more reliable. End of my Rant

Great post Johnel!

In my post above i meant to say NEVER exceed in the 3rd last paragraph. Seriously we need an edit button here.

I love German cars but the fact of the matter is Lexus needs to do nothing to beat the Germans..
the people who buy the LS460, buy it for a reason, the LOVE the car. It is extremely comfortable, very luxurious interior and reliable. A car in this class needs nothing more.
I work with many attorneys who have the ls460 and can afford bmw, audi, benz and the last thing they care about is alpina/ amg rims or performance.

Maybe if the Lexless LS flies and produces 53 MPG on regular gas. Then and only then might it compete with the Beemer and the Merc.

I CANT WAIT!