Compare the2023 Lexus LSVS 2023 BMW 530e

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus LS have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 530e doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Lexus LS are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 530e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The LS offers an optional Panoramic View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 530e only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the LS and the 530e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the LS 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 530e. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the 530e ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in overall reliability. BMW is ranked 12th.

The LS 500h’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 66 more horsepower (354 vs. 288) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (350 vs. 310) than the 530e’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The LS 500’s standard 3.4 turbo V6 produces 128 more horsepower (416 vs. 288) and 132 lbs.-ft. more torque (442 vs. 310) than the 530e’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the LS 500 3.4 turbo V6 is faster than the BMW 530e:

On the EPA test cycle the LS 500h AWD gets better fuel mileage than the 530e xDrive running its gasoline engine (22 city/29 hwy vs. 22 city/28 hwy).

The LS’ standard fuel tank has 9.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 530e (21.7 vs. 12.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The LS Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 10.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the 530e (22.2 vs. 12.1 gallons).

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lexus LS, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the 530e.

The LS 500h has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 530e doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the LS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the 530e:

The LS stops much shorter than the 530e:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the LS can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. Run-flat tires aren’t available on some tire packages on the 530e.

The LS F-Sport offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The 530e doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The LS has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The LS’ height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The 530e doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the LS’ wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the 530e (123 inches vs. 117.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the LS is 1.1 inches wider in the front than the track on the 530e.

The LS 500 F Sport handles at .88 G’s, while the 530e pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The LS 500 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 530e (25.7 seconds @ .73 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the LS’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the 530e’s (36.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The LS AWD’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the 530e xDrive’s (39.4 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

The LS uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 530e doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the LS a Mid-size car, while the 530e is rated a Compact.

The LS has .1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the 530e.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the LS’ available rear seats recline. The 530e’s rear seats don’t recline.

The LS has a much larger trunk than the 530e (17 vs. 10 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The LS offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 530e doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the LS has standard extendable sun visors. The 530e doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The LS has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The 530e doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The LS has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 530e.

Both the LS and the 530e offer optional massaging front seats. The LS also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the 530e.

The LS offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The 530e doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The LS will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the LS will retain 40.94% to 41.36% of its original price after five years, while the 530e only retains 38.72% to 38.88%.