Text by Tom Appel
2024 Lexus LC 500 Convertible
Specs
Class: Premium Sporty/Performance Car
Color: Copper Crest
Seating Capacity: 4
Miles driven: 187
Real-world fuel economy: 19.8 mpg
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | C+ |
| Power and Performance | A- |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | B |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | B+ |
| Tall Guy | B- |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 471-hp 5.0-liter |
| Engine Type | V8 |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | RWD |
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 15/25/18 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas
Base price: $105,200 (not including $1150 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: White & Blue Interior ($1900), Bespoke Build Package ($5500), Dark Chrome Exterior Trim ($650), gloss-black wheels ($40), Head-up Display ($900), Mark Levinson-brand audio system ($1220), special paint ($550), carbon-fiber door scuff plates ($600)
Price as tested: $117,755
Pros and Cons
The great: Dramatic, exotic-car styling; beautifully trimmed cabin; robust acceleration
The good: Quick-operating convertible top; throaty exhaust note
The not so good: Rear visibility (especially top-up), not really exotic
Review
Philosophically, there is probably no vehicle in the Lexus lineup truer to the brand’s core mission than the LC. While the LC, offered as both a coupe and a convertible, looks like a Ferrari, it features a functional, emergency-use rear seat, it’s relatively easy to get in and out of, and an oil change won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Also, the LC is a Lexus, which means that the cabin is well appointed, the build quality top tier, and the drivetrain refined. And while all that may sound a little rational and mature, keep in mind that the LC is also a great looking car that is rewarding to drive, and sure to earn you plenty of compliments.
Competition
And while a Ferrari, the least expensive of which has a starting price more than two and a half times higher than the LC, is faster and more-nimble than the Lexus, very few drivers will ever explore the limits of their car’s performance. For most folks, a Ferrari is a complicated, expensive commitment, requiring lots of maintenance, expensive insurance, and regular appointments with a chiropractor. While the LC is, as noted above, a Lexus. A great-looking Lexus.
Prices and Trim Levels
For 2024, the Lexus LC is offered in coupe and convertible form. Power comes from a conventionally-aspirated (no turbos) 5.0-liter V8 rated at 471 horsepower. Also offered is a hybrid variant of the coupe, which features a 3.4-liter V6 good for 354 horsepower. The V8 models are mated to a 10-speed automatic, while the hybrids feature a CVT-automatic.
Here’s a breakdown of the 2024 Lexus Lineup:
- LC 500 Coupe ($99,800)
- LC 500h Coupe ($103,100)
- LC 500 Convertible ($106,350)
- LC 500 Inspiration Series Coupe ($116,700)
- LC 500 Inspiration Series Convertible ($121,900)
The limited-edition Inspiration Series cars feature a limited-slip differential and performance-oriented rear suspension dampers. Lexus promises to build just 125 Inspiration Series models, and will offer them only in Surge Satin White with a blue interior.
Options
Also new for 2024 is the Bespoke Build program, which allows for buyer customization of things including convertible-top color, and a number of other trim elements.
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2024 Lexus LC 500 Convertible in Copper Crest featuring the Bespoke Build option. All told, our test car came to $117,755 including destination charge.
Design
If you drive an LC for a week, you will be approached by strangers who feel they need to tell you how beautiful your car looks. And, based on our count, at least one-in-five of those folks will ask if your car is a Ferrari. Also of interest to random folks in parking lots is the new-for-2024 Copper Crest color. We think we captured the color nicely in the images accompanying this review. Please take some time to enjoy them.
Cabin
The LC cabin does not immediately present a sporty. Instead, the leather lined interior reminds us more of a lounge, with large, accommodating seats, endless yards of high-end materials lining the dash and doors, and a perky two-tone motif that keeps things light.
Room and Comfort
As notde earlier, the LC’s large doors and generously-sized seats help to make this premium Lexus roadster easy to enter and exit. And, even with the top up, there’s plenty of headroom for taller front-seat occupants. Though limited, the LC’s rear-seat accommodations are not desperate, and will suffice for smaller folks in a pinch.
And, speaking of space, the LC’s trunk—though not generously sized, is an actual trunk, and not compromised in capacity by the roof’s deployment as on many convertibles.
Connectivity
New for 2024 is an updated infotainment system, inclusive of a larger touchscreen, and modern interface graphics. We found the system to work just fine, and appreciate the bright display which does not wash out, even in direct sunlight.
Power and Performance
Underway the LC feels more Lexus than super car, which is not to say that this exotic-looking convertible isn’t fun to drive. There’s plenty of power available from the LC’s big V8, and the engine pairs well with the 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine sounds great too, in a more natural way than many performance-oriented cars do these days.
Ride and Handling
Handling is excellent, too, though we’d appreciate firmer feeling brakes. That said, the LC provides excellent steering feel, and nice control in corners and on sweeping on-ramps. Unlike a truly exotic car, the LC feels more competent than truly athletic, and is best considered a grand touring car rather than a sports car. And as such, the LC 500 shines.
Fuel Economy
It seems a moot point discussing the fuel economy of a $100,000-plus sporty convertible, but the LC surprised us with its thrift. Driven aggressively for a week, our test car returned nearly 20 mpg, which is impressive given this Lexus’ power and heft. Of course, predictably, the LC does require pricey premium-grade gasoline.
Value
Here’s the deal, if you are in the position to reward yourself for a career well spent, but think something along the lines of a Ferrari or Lamborghini is just too much of a commitment, think seriously about the Lexus LC, in either coupe of convertible form.
The Lexus is delightfully exotic looking, but is, by comparison to the aforementioned Italians, affordable to own and operate, any may prove to hold its resale value better as well. If there is space in your garage for a cool third car, and your accountant gives the nod, we say go for it.
Listen to the Car Stuff Podcast
2024 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Pictures
Click below for enlarged images
Lexus LC: Best Automotive Designs (Pictures and Impressions)
