Driven: 2024 Lexus LC 500h
car reviews | hybrid | lexus
The Lexus LC 500 and LC 500h share one of the most beautiful automotive designs of the last decade. We’ve driven the V8 coupe and convertible, but this is the first time we’ve spent a meaningful amount of time with the V6 hybrid. While it’s a hair slower, the LC 500h is every bit as showstopping and offers better fuel efficiency, making it a fantastic grand tourer.
Slathered in shiny Atomic Silver paint, the curvaceous sports coupe looks like it's made from liquid metal. The overall look is sleek, dynamic, and lavish. It rolls on 21-inch 10-spoke forged alloy wheels with a gloss black and machined finish. Those are wrapped in grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 5S tires. A 113-inch long wheelbase and 52/48 front-to-rear weight distribution help keep the coupe planted and balanced. As with the other Lexus LC models we've tested, it handles with greater precision and predictability than other rear-wheel-drive cars.
The LC 500h gets its motivation from a 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine along with a duo of electric motors, which work together to produce 354 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque. The hybrid drivetrain uses a unique multistage transmission that combines a 4-speed automatic with a continuously variable transmission. Gear-shifting action from the paddles is represented on the display like a 10-speed automatic. The powertrain pushes the 4420-pound coupe from 0-to-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. That's only 3-tenths slower than the 471 horsepower V8 model. Since it's a hybrid, it sips fuel like few other sports cars. It's EPA-rated 26 MPG in the city, 33 MPG on the highway, and 29 MPG combined. Thanks to a huge 22.2-gallon fuel tank, it'll go an astounding 732.6 miles between highway fill-ups - or 643.8 miles in mixed city/highway driving.
Thanks to a multilink adaptive variable suspension, ride quality is exceptional. It offers the best feedback in Sport+ mode and absorbs shocks well in Comfort mode. Sport+ mode is particularly satisfying when coming into a corner at speed, keeping you in the power band as long as possible before it thinks about upshifting. Its power steering offers surgical precision, and its performance disc brakes provide excellent stopping power.
With a body width of 75.6 inches, the LC 500h is sure-footed, and its broad haunches speak to its substance and sportiness. Its stacked quad exhaust tips are nicely integrated into its bumper. However, they don't produce the deep growl of the LC 500's 5-liter V8. To help with downforce, it has an active rear wing that automatically deploys at speeds over 50 mph.
This personalized Lexus Bespoke Build car came outfitted with a stunning white and blue interior with exquisite semi-aniline leather seats and trim, accented with sculpted blue microsuede on the door panels. Even the floor mats match. This elegant nautical color scheme conjured images of cruising in a multi-million-dollar yacht. Adding to the luxury is a 13-speaker Mark Levinson Reference audio system that is still the best-sounding audio system you can get in any car today. It cranks out clean, audiophile-quality sound that makes you feel like you're in the studio alongside your favorite musicians.
The front seats are comfortable and supportive, offering bolstering that is more attuned to canyon carving than track days. The seats offer plenty of adjustments, as well as both heat and cooling. As a 2+2 coupe, the LC 500h does have a back seat, but the lack of legroom means you're more likely to toss bags back there than passengers. If the front seat riders have short legs, you might be able to put little kids back there, but this is no family hauler.
Lexus has finally rid the world of its counterintuitive puck and trackpad controls and gone all-in on a touchscreen. Backing the 12.3-inch display is the recently released Lexus/Toyota Multimedia Interface, which is modern, responsive, and full-featured. In addition to cloud-based navigation that automatically updates, it can connect wirelessly to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Unfortunately, there's no wireless charger, and the only places to store a phone while driving are inside the armrest or in a small, hard-to-reach mesh pouch for the front seat passenger. There's also just a single cupholder, so the driver and passenger must duke it out over that. We wonder why they didn't add a cupholder where the trackpad used to live. Instead, there's just a leather pad covering that spot. There's also a crisp panoramic view camera system that helps you avoid scratching paint and curbing the wheels on your 6-figure car.
The LC 500 and LC 500h are gorgeous, luxurious, and distinctive cars that are sure to turn heads. While we miss the beefy exhaust note and more direct-feeling acceleration of the V8 model, there's no question the V6 hybrid is a better car for road trips - it'll go 200 more miles between fill-ups and burns less fossil fuel. Plus, the hybrid has a slightly better weight distribution than the V8. The two models look identical, though the hybrid costs $3300 more than the V8. The base price for the 2024 Lexus LC 500h is $101,000. Our test car had a total sticker price of $109,705, which includes the upgraded audio system, Bespoke Build Package, white and blue interior, and automatic rear wing.
