5 Things We “HATE” (and LOVE) About the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible (ClubLexus Review!!!)
The Lexus LC 500 Convertible blends amazing looks and a wonderful engine in a heavy car with few compromises. Is it right for you?
Sitting down to organize my thoughts about the 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible, I’m reminded by how divisive the car was on our editorial team. Overall, everyone agreed that it’s a gorgeous drop-top with styling that may resonate for years to come, but the new LC’s flaws presented themselves almost as much as its successes. For most of my teammates, that means a cool convertible with too many compromises for a $112,000 MSRP.
As such, I wanted to set up our official ClubLexus review to reflect this sense of debate. For every big pro, we noted a noticeable con. For everything we love, there is something to “hate.”
To be clear, I very much enjoyed my week with the LC 500 Convertible. It’s a lot of fun to drive and could make a perfect sporty daily commuter or weekend toy for the right customer. That said, for folks with families or anyone looking for an actual sports car, there are probably better options.
With this established, let’s first define the LC 500 Convertible’s feature set, and then talk about the top five things we “hate” (and love) about it.
LC 500 Features & Specs
The Lexus LC 500 Convertible carries over many of the specs and features from the coupe iteration launched in 2018. The only engine option is a 471hp 32-valve dual-overhead-cam 5.0L V8 mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with select-shift manual paddles. In our testing, this was good for 5.3 seconds on the way to 60, but our loaner’s 21″ Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires seem a little on the worn side. Plus, this convertible weighs a hefty 4,500 pounds, which is the same as my 1992 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon.
The coupe’s hybrid drivetrain option is not available because the convertible top’s mechanicals sit in the same spot where the hybrid coupe’s batteries live. This layout severely limits trunk space to the size of a few backpacks or about six bags of groceries tipped on their sides.
Lexus outfits the LC’s interior space with a swath of luxurious leather surfaces, including the Recaro-esque driver and passenger seats, which are heated and cooled. Coupe owners may notice the less fussy door panels in the convertible, which instead feature stitched, flowing lines. The LC 500 is technically a four-seater, but the rear seats are unusable even for children when adults are in the front. During our time, we used the LC 500 as a roadster, with either two adults up front, or one child in the passenger rear with the front seat pushed all the way forward.
The LC 500 also boasts adaptive magnetic ride and engine tuning modes, including ECO, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+. You can also turn traction control off with the touch of a button. And there’s an active exhaust, but its volume appears tied more to pedal position than the other settings. More pedal, more screaming V8 that sounds a bit European in the upper rev range.
While the physical buttons inside the LC’s cabin are wonderful to touch — including an honest to God volume button and hidden convertible-top controls — the heart of the LC 500’s operations are tucked into an infotainment system that offers no touchscreen capabilities. Sure, you can plug in your Apple or Android phone for full connectivity, but scrolling through various menus requires using a console-mounted trackpad that feels like it was swapped out of an aging laptop computer.
Overall, the LC 500 is packed with all the features and luxury one would expect for a six-figure convertible grand-tourer, but not all of these elements work cohesively. (Full video review above as well!)
Without further ado, let’s dive into everything we love and “hate” about this convertible over the next few pages…
