2018 LC 500h: Lexus Perfects its Polarizing Design Language
So close to flawless, and so far from what buyers deserve.
The Lexus LC 500h is a car that I have been desperate to drive for years. Since the original LC-LH concept was announced, I possessed a longing deep inside me that bordered on painful. The kind of want that fills the hearts of young lovers passing notes in class. Just as those young flings of the heart tend to end in pain and disappointment, so too did my week-long excursion with the 2018 Lexus LC 500h.
But first, let’s talk about what I loved, enjoyed, and now miss about the latest coupe from Lexus.
It all starts with the looks. Lexus has finally perfected its polarizing design language, and the LC 500h stands like a piece of modern sculpture in the concrete prison of our modern world. The angles are weapon-like in their sharpness, but they give way to rounded curves and organic shapes. Like great mountains, the LC looks as though it was softened and smoothed by the rains and winds of the earth.
The LC 500 also harkens back to the last flagship coupe from the company’s history, the LFA. The triangular LED headlight assembly reminds us of the distinctive tri-outlet exhaust of the LFA, and the air intake sandwiched between the hood and the top of the grille returns as well.
Follow the lines down the sides, over those massive rear hips, and stare into the taillights of the LC. In a move of utter design genius, the LC features two-way mirrored glass rear lenses, creating an infinite-image of L-shaped light in the darkness. It feels like a vision towards the future, and it evokes a sense of the exotic and exciting.
‘The LC 500h stands like a piece of modern sculpture in the
concrete prison of our modern world.’
Open the door and you are greeted with even more sculpture. The door panel is a combination of sweeping lines and metallic protrusions. The passenger door in particular, with its deeply extended handle, looks magnificent. The whole creation feels organic, luxurious, and sporty in a way no Lexus has before. And it only gets better as the sun retreats behind the horizon.
At night, the LED lighting hidden behind the upper chrome design accent of the door enhances the effect dramatically. The shallow wave-cuts in the Alcantara darken with shadow, and seem endlessly deep. The glow of the white light reflecting off the burgundy fills the cabin with a lambency that feels dream-like in its softness. Even the exterior looks more provocative in the harshness of the streetlamps. The Caviar black paint of this car reflects every passing headlight and sidewalk lamp, covering the car in a galaxy of reflections and light flares.
‘The passenger door in particular, with its deeply extended handle, looks magnificent. The whole creation feels organic, luxurious, and sporty in a way no Lexus has before.
This is when the LC 500h is at its absolute best. Like any good Lexus, the LC 500h cocoons its occupants in a chamber of serenity and style, preventing the acerbity of the outside world from reaching you. The potholes feel smaller, the thrum of the city is quieter, and the troubles of the day seem to melt away as the miles disappear behind you. Rolling around town into the latest hours of the night, as the bars start closing and the city prepares to start anew when the sun rises, the LC 500h is a machine that is hard to rival.
But the LC 500h needs to be more than elegance and comfort. That long hood, thick steering wheel, and menacing stance are all hallmarks of a performance car. And this is where the sheen of brilliance gives way to vapidity.
The LC 500h is powered by a 3.5L V6 engine coupled to a small battery bank and some electric motors. The “h” stands for hybrid, and it diminishes the quality of the LC more than you would expect. It starts with the power output. With just 354 horsepower on tap, the LC feels underpowered. Lexus claims a 0-60 sprint is possible in just 4.7 seconds, which is a very respectable statistic, but it just doesn’t feel that quick. Much of that comes down to the weight. Despite a heavy reliance on composite materials and lightweight metals, the LC 500h weighs a portly 4,435 pounds.
Of course, as a hybrid, most buyers understand they are trading that performance for fuel economy, but sadly that doesn’t seem to be the case in my testing. Lexus claims the LC 500h will do 35 mpg on the highway, with city and combined ratings coming in at 26 and 30 mpg respectively. During my time though, I averaged around 28 mpg in total. Telling someone your $100,000 sports coupe gets 28 mpg sounds pretty good, but when you say your 350 hp hybrid gets 28 mpg, it sounds far less impressive.
And that brings us neatly to the biggest problem for the LC 500h. The existence of the standard V8-powered LC 500. That car has 120 more horsepower, weighs 100-plus pounds less, and comes with a slightly smaller price tag. You get the same amazing looks, but immensely more performance and you even save a few dollars on the front end. When you see the two cars side by side on the dealer lot, there is no logical reason to choose the hybrid.
Telling someone your $100,000 sports coupe gets 28 mpg sounds pretty good, but when you say your 350 hp hybrid gets 28 mpg, it sounds far less impressive.
It really is a shame. The driving dynamics of the LC 500h are actually pretty good. The chassis balance is solid, steering feel is light but precise, and the brakes are phenomenal. Even the 10-speed automatic transmission is decent, with quick and nearly imperceptible shifts, although its logic could use a little work. This is the flagship of the Lexus lineup and provided the perfect opportunity to create something truly amazing, and it would have been easy.
This leads us to the biggest question I couldn’t stop asking myself: Why in the hell does this car not have a plug on it? Lexus doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid yet, despite having one on offer for Toyota. Lexus, a brand that built its legacy on innovation and quality, didn’t put the latest and best technology it possesses into its most expensive car. Why?
A small plug-in hybrid arrangement would dramatically benefit the Lexus LC 500h. A small range battery of just 15 miles or so would allow many Americans to drive to work without using a drop of fuel. They could charge while at work or while in town, and then make it home again. My daily commute runs around 22 miles. If the LC 500h had a battery range of 15 miles, it would effectively turn my 28 mpg into about 85 mpg. At that point, the LC 500h would become one of the most interesting cars in the segment by a massive margin.
Another option to fix the LC 500h would be a touch more horsepower. The Chevrolet Corvette has 460 horsepower and is rated for 29 mpg on the highway. I see no reason why the impressive engineering teams at Lexus couldn’t push the LC 500h’s hybrid system to 400 horsepower while maintaining nearly identical fuel economy numbers. Again, with more performance to close to the gap the V8 car, my tested 28 mpg average becomes less of an issue.
After hundreds of miles, I was irreparably torn. The 2018 Lexus LC 500h is so close to being the best car Lexus has ever created, but it falls short. For an MSRP of just over $101,000 buyers should expect more, and Lexus should have delivered more. Just like the RC vs IS comparison I did earlier, if the drivetrain doesn’t fit the car, it just doesn’t feel fulfilling to drive.
For now, if you want to buy a Lexus LC, skip the hybrid and get the V8. You’ll be much happier. Just make sure you take at least one late night drive through town, you won’t regret it.
