Compare the2024 Lexus LSVS 2023 BMW 5 Series Sedan

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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the LS and the 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the 5 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The battery on the LS is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the LS’ battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The 5 Series Sedan’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 21 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus second in overall reliability. BMW is ranked third.

The LS has more powerful engines than the 5 Series Sedan:

As tested in Motor Trend the LS 500h 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid is faster than the 530i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the LS gets better mileage than the 5 Series Sedan:

The LS can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for .6 miles. The 5 Series Sedan can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The LS’ standard fuel tank has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (21.7 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The LS Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the 5 Series Sedan (22.2 vs. 18 gallons).

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 BMW 5 Series Sedan (3 to 7). This means the LS produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 5 Series Sedan every 15,000 miles.

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 5 Series Sedan.

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 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the LS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the 5 Series Sedan:

The LS stops shorter than the 5 Series Sedan:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the LS has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 5 Series Sedan.

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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan (123 inches vs. 117.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the LS is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 5 Series Sedan.

The LS 500 F Sport handles at .88 G’s, while the 530i pulls only .86 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 530i (25.7 seconds @ .73 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the LS’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan’s (36.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The LS AWD’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the LS’ available rear seats recline. The 5 Series Sedan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The LS has a much larger trunk than the 5 Series Sedan (17 vs. 14 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.

Consumer Reports rated the LS’ headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the 5 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan.

Both the LS and the 5 Series Sedan 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 5 Series Sedan.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Lexus LS has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Wireless charging costs extra on the 5 Series Sedan.

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 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The LS’ optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The 5 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an automated parking system.