View Photos of the 2019 Lexus LS500h Hybrid

It's essentially two transmissions bolted together in series that Lexus claims gives the impression of a 10-speed automatic from behind the wheel. Lexus also says that the addition of the fixed-ratio box helps combat the typical CVT feeling in which engine speed is completely decoupled from vehicle speed.

We disagree. And our experience in the LS500h makes us once again question the choice of a CVT in a luxury car. From a standstill, modest accelerator input moves the LS on pure electric power—something Lexus claims it can achieve at speeds up to 80 mph in ideal conditions. The handoff to the gas engine usually comes at no more than 15 mph, and that's when the LS begins to feel decidedly, well, busy.

In its Normal drive mode (there are also Eco, Sport S, and Sport S+ settings), the V-6 feels noticeably disconnected from the wheels as the LS's electronic brain determines the most efficient engine speed required for the requested acceleration.

The result doesn't align with the mission of an LS. Too frequently, the V-6 fires and is immediately laboring at a speed out of proportion with driver input. It's uncouth. It's noticeable. And it makes noises that are both obvious and out of place in a luxury carmaker's headlining equipment. It's especially misplaced in a Lexus, a brand that built its luxury reputation with reticent, velvety sedans.

We didn't hold our breath waiting for the 5115-pound sedan to meander its way to 60 mph, yet it matched Lexus's claim of 5.4 seconds. All-wheel drive—a $3220 upcharge—helped make it easy, though with that kind of mass it seems likely that the rear-drive version would find the grip to at least match that number.

You'll never imagine the fun the 206.1-inch-long LS produces on the skidpad, or on any road that turns, for that matter. Though its ride—on air springs—is a perfectly measured experience, bending it enthusiastically into a corner is not unlike trying to nail an apex in a space shuttle.

Who cares, really? Buying an LS for its handling is like buying a Peterbilt for commuting. But if its performance isn't magic, and its powertrain obviates its luxury pretensions, then this thing is about fuel economy, right? Right? Before you deploy a Smug Alert, consider this: The LS averaged 19 mpg in our hands versus the EPA's 26-mpg combined estimate. It also consumed a gallon of fuel every 30 miles in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, 1 mpg off the EPA's highway rating.

Perhaps the LS hybrid's biggest obstacle is self-inflicted. Lexus starts this electron-wielding heavyweight at $84,055, and our test car, equipped with the $1500 height-adjusting air suspension, a $2800 active-safety package, and a cochlea-stroking 2400-watt Mark Levinson audio system, twists the dealer knife with a $97,495 ask.

That's in the ballpark with both a Mercedes S450 4Matic and a BMW 7-series 740e xDrive plug-in hybrid, both of which match or exceed the LS500h's performance and fuel economy while offering a richer luxury experience. So, yes, there are a few bumps in this Lexus's road to the future. Possibly they'll be most easily avoided in a German sedan.