RE: Lexus LC500: Driven
Discussion
I have had a decent long test drive in one of these things and absolutely loved it. My fully speced car was just under £90K.
Things to love, the engine is a peach that really loves to be worked hard and has a soundtrack to die for. The gearbox is good as long as you use it in manual mode using the paddles. The interior has the kind of quality you would expect in a car costing twice as much.
As for the ride, well I found it very acceptable, maybe with more seat time I might come to the same conclusion as the reviewer but during my time I felt this is the car you could do some major miles in.
The one thing I cant get my head around is how they have managed to make it so heavy at nearly two tonnes, thankfully you don't feel the weight in the day to day driving, this I suspect would be different on a track.
In conclusion, I would buy one if in the market for this type of car, go for the metallic red with the tan leather interior and remove the front plate and you won't go far wrong, it has major presence and looks
Things to love, the engine is a peach that really loves to be worked hard and has a soundtrack to die for. The gearbox is good as long as you use it in manual mode using the paddles. The interior has the kind of quality you would expect in a car costing twice as much.
As for the ride, well I found it very acceptable, maybe with more seat time I might come to the same conclusion as the reviewer but during my time I felt this is the car you could do some major miles in.
The one thing I cant get my head around is how they have managed to make it so heavy at nearly two tonnes, thankfully you don't feel the weight in the day to day driving, this I suspect would be different on a track.
In conclusion, I would buy one if in the market for this type of car, go for the metallic red with the tan leather interior and remove the front plate and you won't go far wrong, it has major presence and looks
I was at my local Lexus dealer to view an RCF (a great example of Lexus depreciation) as two LC's were delivered. 
what an awesome looking car these are!
Probably wouldn't buy brand new, but, if I do get a 2 year old RCF this time round, a two year old LC could well be the future replacement!
what an awesome looking car these are!Probably wouldn't buy brand new, but, if I do get a 2 year old RCF this time round, a two year old LC could well be the future replacement!
I can see myself in one in 2-3 years time, I drove one at the launch, the ride was acceptable to me and I just don't get the problem with the infotainment, it is the same as my GS-F which only takes a couple of days to get your head around, its simple and easy to use, the LC500 looks incredible, very desirable car.
It seems a bit confused as to what it's trying to be. As much as a love high revving naturally aspirated engines in light sports cars, I'm not convinced it's the right choice for something weighing two tonnes. 240bhp/tonne is hardly going to set the world alight at the top end and 200lbft/tonne certainly isn't when not using the revs.
article says said:
drive smoothly and briskly, and the transmission will shift seamlessly around you - drive erratically, or request full power when it's idling in its latter gears,and there will be a lot of downshifting and fuss before anything truly gratifying happens.
So, do I understand correctly:
If i drive it normally as in every day real life it works perfectly.
If I have an imaginary situation of driving like an idiot (erratically) or an imaginary situation of using full power of 487bhp at 7,100rpm (wonder how is this exactly possible in real life unless on a racing track? but in this case it wouldn't be idling in latter gears, would it?) and then it is not a very good car.
Is it just me or it actually sounds a bit overstretched?
EDIT: sat in it during Goodwood FOS - what a great place to sit in
I have had my LC500h for about a month now and I totally disagree with the comments on the ride quality. I had a BMW 640 previously and the ride quality is far better in the Lexus than the 6 series. I have driven both the V8 and the hybrid and I preferred the hybrid. In the real world it is quicker than the V8 as it has got more low down torque. You can't drive everywhere on public roads at 7,000 rpm!
Also, it seems as though most motoring journalists are jumping on the bandwagon and criticising the infotainment system. It isn't perfect nut it is nowhere near as bad as they say. I got used to it after a few days.
Finally, it doesn't look like anything else on the road and the car gets a lot of compliments. There are never going to be that many about but that is part of the appeal.
I think this is a very unfair review.
Also, it seems as though most motoring journalists are jumping on the bandwagon and criticising the infotainment system. It isn't perfect nut it is nowhere near as bad as they say. I got used to it after a few days.
Finally, it doesn't look like anything else on the road and the car gets a lot of compliments. There are never going to be that many about but that is part of the appeal.
I think this is a very unfair review.
If this was a BMW or Merc there would be no niggles in the review. Still typical badge sobery happening as this is a major step up from the RCF and reviews in American are way more positive than the ones coming out of the UK. Like to see BMW have a go at a new design they have the same nose since 1970 credit to Lexus for being brave again.
Jules640 said:
I have had my LC500h for about a month now and I totally disagree with the comments on the ride quality. I had a BMW 640 previously and the ride quality is far better in the Lexus than the 6 series. I have driven both the V8 and the hybrid and I preferred the hybrid. In the real world it is quicker than the V8 as it has got more low down torque. You can't drive everywhere on public roads at 7,000 rpm!
Also, it seems as though most motoring journalists are jumping on the bandwagon and criticising the infotainment system. It isn't perfect nut it is nowhere near as bad as they say. I got used to it after a few days.
Finally, it doesn't look like anything else on the road and the car gets a lot of compliments. There are never going to be that many about but that is part of the appeal.
I think this is a very unfair review.
Yes this exactly this is the first review I've read criticising the ride quality were in many I've read the ride was one of its plus points. Also, it seems as though most motoring journalists are jumping on the bandwagon and criticising the infotainment system. It isn't perfect nut it is nowhere near as bad as they say. I got used to it after a few days.
Finally, it doesn't look like anything else on the road and the car gets a lot of compliments. There are never going to be that many about but that is part of the appeal.
I think this is a very unfair review.
I've owned and drove many a Lexus and have been shocked how good all round they were compared to the average to poor reviews they generally get spanning from the early 90's.
Edited by dufunk on Thursday 26th October 15:00
monzaxjr said:
A deposit would have been placed on the top end one of these had the ride not been bone shatteringly bad and the gearbox a bit of a duffer. The gearbox I could have lived with but the ride is far from acceptable for a car of this type.
I am really not sure where these ride quailty complaints are coming from. I drove the car on various road surfaces using the various modes and felt the car did ride well for a GT. Plus it was on pilot supersportsThere are numerous video reviews online and I can't remember seeing one that complained about the ride quality, here are a couple:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giIP0XdT7SA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZSQUeC5vvs
I took a V8 LC500 Sport + demo out for an hour.
The ride was fine, good even. Firm and compliant and not at all crashy.
I found it nimble and agile too despite its weight; I suspect that if you pushed it to 9/10 or 10/10; it would get out of shape.
The engine is a peach, and it sounds wonderful. Authentic, loud and charracterful; without the synthetic farts and bangs many modern performance/sports cars are afflicted with.
In general sensible push on driving, it's lovely.
And best of all, it's not German.
I loved it.
The ride was fine, good even. Firm and compliant and not at all crashy.
I found it nimble and agile too despite its weight; I suspect that if you pushed it to 9/10 or 10/10; it would get out of shape.
The engine is a peach, and it sounds wonderful. Authentic, loud and charracterful; without the synthetic farts and bangs many modern performance/sports cars are afflicted with.
In general sensible push on driving, it's lovely.
And best of all, it's not German.
I loved it.
king tonnes? Am I the only one that thinks this, along with every other Lexus in the range bar the hybrid hatch looks appalling? The styling does not work for me one bit, the stupid extra lamp sections, horrible grille and angular lines.
I get it that Lexus are trying to stay on point with the brand styling, but to my eyes they have got it completely wrong. To be fair, not many seem to get styling right these days, probably Volvo and Mazda are the two OEM's that do it best with their current range, all imho of course.
I get it that Lexus are trying to stay on point with the brand styling, but to my eyes they have got it completely wrong. To be fair, not many seem to get styling right these days, probably Volvo and Mazda are the two OEM's that do it best with their current range, all imho of course.
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