Is the Lexus LC 500 the best new car you can buy?

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The Lexus LC 500 is the finest car on sale. 

Sophisticated from a standstill, an absolute grace at cruise, and unapologetically brash when its 5.0L V8 is called upon, the LC 500 — and particularly its Convertible twin — reflects a rare purity of focus. This isn’t a product to fill a segment: it’s an expression of automotive excellence. 

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This shouldn’t be news, of course; read my past words, our words, really any automotive journalist’s words on the LC, and you’ll find a steady consensus: update the trackpad infotainment, and it’ll be the perfect grand tourer. 

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Well, that touchscreen update is finally on the horizon, so now more than ever, it’s time for a reminder: stop sleeping on the Lexus LC 500. 

In fairness, it’s hard to fault anyone for overlooking the LC. For all the car’s excellence and all the heft of its investment in the model, Lexus has made an extraordinarily poor effort of marketing its flagship machine. Though a fortunate few can be found gracing Canadian roads, it usually takes an in-person encounter to remember that the model even exists. 

That’s a crying shame, because the Lexus LC 500 stands among — indeed, atop — the finest cruisers of this generation. Thoughtfully assembled around that magnificent naturally aspirated V8, the LC 500 quietly over-delivers on everything that grand-touring competitors like Jaguar so unashamedly over-promise. 

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What power it?

Much of the LC 500’s character rumbles from its standard 5.0L naturally aspirated V8. This hearty block feeds 471 horsepower and 399 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a smooth but quick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission. 

As should be expected of an engine shared with the muscular Lexus RC F coupe and IS 500 sedan, this 2UR-GSE engine can belt a rowdy tune through its dynamic exhaust —but it will also tiptoe entirely unassumingly. 

Ginger throttle inputs pull just enough of a rumble to cue the power that it so reservedly holds, but without shouting obnoxiously through the neighbourhood. With exhaust valves relaxed below ~5,000 rpm, it’s a mature expression of might, an atypically effective duality of character. 

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Then you can hoon. Get it up to temperature, and the LC 500 will let you bounce against the limiter to spectators’ uproarious amazement, even when in park. Loaded upshifts snap sharply when revved out to the 7,300-rpm redline; manually paddled downshifts likewise bark their feedback through the twin exhaust pipes. 

For its part, the 10-speed automatic transmission responds surprisingly quickly. The LC 500’s  torque converter locks promptly once underway and operation is smooth, never prompting any particular longing for a DCT. Disable traction control, and the Performance pack’s limited-slip differential will ensure that every exhaust decibel is matched by another of tire squeal.

Comfort and convenience

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Well before all the childish drama, the LC makes its first important impression when settling into its seats. Low but easy to enter, upgraded leather-Alcantara sport buckets support firmly and evenly, cradling passengers with a deep, parabolic hug with distinctly pleasant shoulder support. Other cabin comforts are as expected: heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats, and so on. Also noteworthy here is the standard 965-watt Mark Levinson audio, which skips the reverb novelties of its German competitors but provides strong, straightforward playback without distortion. 

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In the case of the convertible, these comforts are compounded by the most effective open-top climate control I’ve encountered. Dash- and neck vents cocoon passengers even in 30-degree humidity, though drivers will want to deploy the wind deflector across the rear seats for maximum isolation. 

It bears noting that the convertible is the correct way to order this car: whereas the coupe may feel tightly sporting with the opaque carbon roof, dropping the soft top opens the cabin and accents beautiful details such as the twisting lower A pillars. Specified with a contrasting roof (we suggest Infrared metallic paint over Caramel), the LC’s lines fall with a grace and intentionality that even Mercedes-Benz can’t seem to match. 

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Once underway, the Lexus LC rides with a grace seldom seen this side of the old-money marques. Adaptive damping and split upper front wishbones isolate bumps and imperfections in silence, running even across pockmarked and undulated surfaces without upset. Sport-focused drivers will note more pitch and roll than in a BMW 8 Series, but the LC plunges into turns competently and pulls out with that V8’s raucous mechanical applause. 

Unsprung weight is managed by forged aluminum control arms and wheels. Within that setup, split upper front links and cast towers surprise at first inspection, while one of the lower links’ near-helical profiles evoke the same appreciative emotions as a glimpse of the artistic aluminum lowers supporting the original Honda NSX.

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Comfortable yet capable, the LC thus isolates occupants from the humdrum unpleasantness of driving, yet stands ready to immerse passengers in its most pleasurable sensations at a moment’s notice. 

Canadian pricing

The 2024 Lexus LC 500 Coupe lists for a Canadian MSRP of $113,100 with the 5.0L V8, or $130,300 for the LC 500h hybrid V6. The Performance Package steps the price a further $14,900 for 2024.

The 2024 Lexus LC 500 Convertible is priced from $130,400, and is only available with the V8. This is the one that you want. 

Lexus LC 500 competitors

The LC 500 is a 2+2 grand tourer, but the limited utility of its and most +2s’ rear seats blurs the lines with the two-seater sports-tourer segment.  

Even against more overtly ‘sporting’ touring competitors like the Jaguar F-Type R, the rarer LC 500 makes a more sophisticated impression and delivers a more tangible sense of quality. 

The BMW M850i is dull by comparison, feeling comparatively robotic in its power delivery at pace and unremarkable for a V8 in normal driving — despite its V8 fuel consumption. 

The new Mercedes-Benz SL offers significantly greater performance figures, but lacks the LC’s distinctiveness and won’t get out the door for under a quarter-million. 

Pros

✔ Excellent ride quality

✔ Strong value versus competitors

✔ Great V8 powertrain for fast or slow driving

Cons

✘ Outgoing 2017-2023 infotainment is clumsy

✘ V8 models can be thirsty

✘ I had to give it back