Lexus LC 500h Review

Personally – I see the Lexus LC 500h almost as a rolling concept car that somehow made it through to production. I mean just look at it… it’s on another level. The LC has been out for years now, but it still feels unreal that it even exists. It’s truly a testament to Toyota/Lexus design & innovation… a work of art.

The interior of the Bespoke Build Lexus LC…

Feels like entering the lobby of the nicest new resort, restaurant, or art gallery… built by some world-renown architect. And for the Lexus LC, architecture just seems almost like a more fitting word than ‘car design’. Lexus is almost going broader than automotive. I’m stumbling for the right words here… but honestly… Lexus kind of takes car design to a different place/level with the LC (see Lexus designer sketch on napkin). I just wish the LC was a little more… unruly.

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this particular LC 500h (hybrid) model…

Hybrids have their place in this time & place. But the LC 500h is only running a normally aspirated V6, compared to the V8 of the non-hybrid models. Therefore it’s much more well-mannered than its provocative appearance might suggest. With the Lexus LC 500h, it feels like you’re lightly cruising on a cloud, just floating along soothingly. Put the hammer down, and with a 4.7-second 0-60, it’s not slow by any means… but you do get a definite sense of simulated shifts & exhaust notes. Yes, the 500h has a CVT transmission.

It’s a country club coupe that’s appropriately padded around the edges. And personally – I’d like to see a Lexus LC that could make a C7 Vette scramble. That’s what I mean by ‘unruly’. We drove the V8 LC a few years ago, and while it had more muscle than the hybrid, it still felt quite civilized.

We all know that Lexus makes an extremely well-composed vehicle.

But I’d like to see a little more heat (think… GR) in a few key models like the LC. The Lexus F models go to 7 or 8 across the board, when Lexus needs to be cranking them to 11 unapologetically. Lexus designs are stunning. They just need to channel a little more of their inner 80’s metal & break a few more rules. Of course that’s my very personalized, individualized opinion lol. But I think by unleashing themselves a bit, Lexus could be an absolute predator amongst the luxury/performance brands. Add in their already-successful IMSA motorsports program, and you give Toyota/Lexus enthusiasts a real reason & justification to be a diehard fan!

I will say this in closing, to kind of contradict myself…

My wife absolutely fell in love with the Lexus LC 500h hybrid. Like… she basically stole it from me & won’t stop talking about it still. She loved everything that it was… and didn’t care what it wasn’t. And the feeling of the LC has not faded for her. I’m using my wife as a general metaphor here. But that’s the impressive thing about what Lexus has done with the LC, broad scope.

The Lexus LC gives you a sense that you’re in something truly unique & exotic (especially true in the Bespoke Build). And it exposes people to a more passionate, thrilling, and sexy side of the automotive landscape. A vacation from SUVs & crossovers & carpool lines. Where driving is not just distracted dead time… but an actual craved refueling/reenergizing experience. So if Lexus can bring that experience to more people, whether it’s through an LC or an IS… they’re killing it. Just sayin’ though, the option for a ‘Z06’ LC is not something I would complain about lol.