Lexus LM 2023 Review

At launch, there are three 2023 Lexus LM variants available, all hybrids, with entry pricing for the seven-seat Lexus LM 350h 2WD Sports Luxury kicking off from $160,888 plus on-road costs.

The all-wheel drive version of the Lexus LM 350h Sports Luxury adds a $5000 premium at $165,888 plus ORCs, while the top-spec four-seater Lexus LM 500h AWD Ultra Luxury climbs to an asking price of $220,888 plus ORCs.

Of course, the Japanese luxury brand already has a limousine in its range, the Lexus LS flagship sedan that’s priced from $194,595 plus ORCs. There’s also the new Lexus LX flagship SUV (from $151,561) with three seating layouts accommodating four, five or seven occupants.

The LM throws another option into the mix, aligning more closely with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and EQV (from $157,450). Volvo is also thinking along similar lines with its new EM90, which is not yet confirmed for Australia.

While the 2023 Lexus LM’s price tag doesn’t bring the kudos of a European badge, its equipment list is long and lofty. Some of which you won’t notice from the second or third row.

The LM 350h rides on 19-inch alloy wheels and features LEDs for the headlights, tail-lights, fog lights and side mirror indicators. Blacked-out pillars give a sleek finish to the LM’s exterior, with Lexus’ trademark – in this instance huge – spindle grille the absolute showstopper.

Inside, things calm down somewhat. The leather-accented upholstery works nicely with a full leather steering wheel. Ambient lighting and quad-zone climate control are just the beginning…

The driver enjoys eight-way electric-adjust seats with four-way lumbar support, two-way head restraint adjustment and memory function – fit for purpose.

The front passenger gets four-way electric seat adjustment with two-way lumbar support and headrest adjust. Both benefit from heated and ventilated seating.

A retractable side-step aids access to the second and third rows, where there’s acoustic privacy glass as well as two fixed glass sunroofs with independent electric sun shades as well as side window shades.

The seven-seater cabin has a 2+2+3 layout, with the second row comprising two reclining captain’s chairs with six-way power adjustment, heating, ventilation and massage function.

There’s a rear climate concierge, stowable worktables and, across the cabin, no fewer than nine cup holders and four coat hooks.

In the LM 500h Ultra Luxury, the third row of seating is deleted, making way for a super-luxurious space that also features a glass wall to separate you from the driver – among other things.

We’ll cover the multimedia highlights below.

The Lexus LM range offers four paint colours as standard: Sonic Quartz, Titanium, Graphite Black and Scarlet Crimson, paired with either Black or Solis white interior.

The Lexus LM is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with service intervals at 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first). Capped-price servicing is set at $695 per service for the first five years.

The high-voltage battery is also covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, plus an additional five years (up to a total of 10 years/unlimited) subject to an annual hybrid system health check.

Yet to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP, the 2023 Lexus LM features high levels of active and passive safety equipment as standard, including a blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert and intelligent park assist.

The Lexus Safety Sense+ suite features autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist detection, intersection collision avoidance support, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and lane departure warning, automatic high beam assist and road sign recognition.

A driver and front passenger airbag, two front side airbags and dual curtain airbags take the airbag count to six in total.

It’s a tough call whether the driver or second-row passengers get the best deal in the 2023 Lexus LM 350h.

Judge on per-inch joy, it’s the driver. For overall comfort and gadgetry, it’s the second-row occupants.

Up front you’ll find a 14-inch touch-screen display that features satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM/DAB radio and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system.

The 12.3-inch instrumentation panel combines with a full-colour head-up display for all manner of information the driver might need.

There are seven USB-C points, a 12-volt charge outlet, two HDMI input points, a 220V/100W AC outlet, wireless smartphone charger and ‘Hey Lexus’ voice recognition.

And then there’s the second row’s assortment of tech and treats, which include a 14-inch rear seat entertainment system privy to all of the technology the driver has and more.

Hand-held iPhone-style controllers are your access point to important seat massage, heating and ventilation settings, ambient lighting as well as smartphone connectivity.

It’s easy to get carried away pressing every button within reach (as I did), but it doesn’t take too long to realise your time is actually best spent, well, relaxing. Unless you’re on a deadline, in which case you can use the stowable table in your centre arm rest to press on with work.

Starting with the entry-level 2023 Lexus LM 350h, you’ll find a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain that generates a maximum 184kW and 239Nm from 4300-4500rpm.

It drives either the front or all four wheels (depending on the variant) through an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).

The Lexus LM 500h brings a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid unit for a combined output of 273kW and 550Nm from 2000-3000rpm. It sends power to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Official fuel consumption figures see the 2023 Lexus LM 350h 2WD deliver a claimed combined-cycle economy figure of 5.5L/100km.

The AWD version is slightly thirstier at 5.6L/100km, while the flagship LM 500h returns 6.6L/100km.

Following a longer stint behind the wheel of the LM we’ll be able to report more accurately on the real-world fuel economy.

As strange as it may seem, this launch event for the 2023 Lexus LM was not really about driving. It was about the Lexus experience, a door-to-door luxury pampering that you too could have as a Lexus owner and Platinum Encore member.

The LM will also soon be part of the ‘on-demand’ fleet whereby owners can swap into an alternative Lexus vehicle when you need something sportier perhaps, or in the case of the Lexus LM, something larger. Platinum members can redeem up to four trips of up to eight days each over a three-year membership period.

Briefly on the topic of driving though… according to our chauffeur, it’s effortless and incredibly comfortable. And for the very short stint that this writer piloted the LM 350h, I concur.

The LM handles with incredible ease and offers a good sense of feedback through the steering wheel. The large glasshouse offers great forward vision and technology has you covered for the rearward view. It’s ergonomically pleasing and very comfortable to pilot.

Notwithstanding the LM’s vast proportions, it’s easy to manoeuvre and, for all its heft, the 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid powertrain feels like a suitable match.

Our driver praised the new digital rear-view mirror, which provides a view of the traffic behind without peering at the passengers in rows two or three.

Indeed, in the 500h it would be a necessity if the privacy partition is at play.

In a word: spacious. The kind that a full-skirted Met Gala gown demands. But the 2023 Lexus LM is also comfortable and tech-savvy.

In the driver’s seat you’re enveloped in a modern and tactile cockpit – woodgrain, high-gloss plastics, chrome-look surfaces and leather accents combine for a prestige finish.

Travelling in the seven-seat configuration, the Lexus LM provided more than enough space for an overnight stay on the Mornington Peninsula. Jackalope Hote, no less, a fitting Lexus Encore partner destination.

The airline-like rear seat controls offer incredible adjustability and comfort. I was able to recline – 63 degrees in fact – for a truly relaxing time playing with the iPhone-like controller to select a suitable massage function and play music.

The third row offers respectable space for additional passengers, or fold the seats away for extra luggage space. Speaking of which, with all three rows engaged the LM can load 110 litres of cargo. With just the second row in use that expands to 1191 litres.

The two-row-only configuration of the LM 500h has a 752-litre capacity. And that’s not making use of any of the vast space at your feet.

If your driver needs a new whip, then the answer is yes. The 2023 Lexus LM convincingly wears the ‘luxury mover’ moniker and provides an entertaining, indulgent and versatile alternative to other forms of large-scale transport in the range – whether chauffeur-driven or not – as provided by the LS sedan and LX SUV.

The LM’s looks are polarising, its footprint imposing but, importantly, its luxury credentials are solid.

Make of it what you will. Pick me up any day, Lexus.

2023 Lexus LM 350h AWD Sports Luxury at a glance:
Price: $165,888 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 140kW/239Nm (electric motor: 40kW/121Nm)
Combined output: 184kW
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic
Fuel: 5.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 125g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested