Compare the2023 Lexus LSVS 2023 Maserati Ghibli

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Maserati Ghibli doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The LS’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ghibli doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Lexus LS has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The LS has standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The LS has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Ghibli doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the LS and Ghibli have rear cross-traffic warning, but the LS has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ghibli’s Rear Cross Path doesn’t automatically brake.

The LS’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the LS and the Ghibli have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Warranty

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

The LS’ corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Ghibli’s (6/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

There are over 2 times as many Lexus dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the LS’ warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the LS’ reliability 20 points higher than the Ghibli.

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 Maserati vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 98 more problems per 100 vehicles, Maserati is rated below average.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the LS gets better mileage than the Ghibli:

			MPG
LS
	RWD	500 3.4 turbo V6	18 city/29 hwy
	AWD	500h 3.5 V6 Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
		500 3.4 turbo V6	17 city/27 hwy
Ghibli
	RWD	Modena 3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
		GT 3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
		3.8 turbo V8	13 city/20 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo V6	17 city/25 hwy

The LS can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for .6 miles. The Ghibli can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the LS 500h’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The LS Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ghibli (22.2 vs. 21.1 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus LS higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Maserati Ghibli (1 to 3). This means the LS produces up to 47 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ghibli every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 Ghibli.

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 Ghibli doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the LS 500 F Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Ghibli:

	LS 500 F Sport	Ghibli Modena	Ghibli Trofeo
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	14.2 inches	15 inches
Rear Rotors	14.1 inches	13.6 inches	13.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

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. The Ghibli doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

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 Ghibli 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 Ghibli doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the LS’ wheelbase is 5 inches longer than on the Ghibli (123 inches vs. 118 inches).

For better maneuverability, the LS’ turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Ghibli’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

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

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the LS 500 AWD is quieter than the Ghibli Modena Q4:

	LS	Ghibli
At idle	38 dB	56 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	78 dB
70 MPH Cruising	65 dB	70 dB

Passenger Space

The LS has 3.3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room and 5.7 inches more rear legroom than the Ghibli.

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

Cargo Capacity

With its sedan body style, valet key and remote trunk release lockout, the LS offers cargo security. The Ghibli’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Ghibli, the LS has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle and climate settings and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The LS offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ghibli doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the LS the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Lexus service department.) The driver of the Ghibli can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The LS’ LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Ghibli’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

Consumer Reports rated the LS’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Ghibli’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Ghibli doesn’t offer extendable visors.

A power rear sunshade is standard in the LS and power rear side window sunshades are optional to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Ghibli doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Ghibli doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

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

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 Ghibli doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

The Lexus LS outsold the Maserati Ghibli by 61% during 2022.

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