I noticed one of my local dealers had a CPO car so I walked on to the lot and located it in one corner. It didn't take long for me to be approached and strike up a good conversation with the salesperson who turned out to be a pretty big enthusiast himself. We both geeked out a little bit about the LC500 and he offered to get the keys and give me a demo of the interior. And wow, what an interior. It feels like I should be wearing a 3 piece suit to operate it or perhaps have the last name of "Bond" and a license to kill? Anyway, I'm sure I don't have to tell you folks how incredible the interior is. It definitely feels like a very special place to spend time and is properly luxurious for this price point. This particular car had the alcantara seat inserts and the seats themselves were wonderful.

And for how much flak Lexus infotainment systems get after about 5-10 minutes with it I was pretty comfortable and could access most everything that I would use on a daily basis. I am a very computer literate person and have a background in IT which perhaps gives me some advantages but even so, I didn't find the infotainment inscrutable or frustrating to use. And of course the Mark Levinson system was very good. No surprise there.

The test drive itself was a mixture of stop and go traffic, interstate and then some curvy side streets with elevation changes. The LC500 excelled in every scenario. It rode well, it sounded great, it shifted smoothly in comfort and was snappy and responsive in sport+ / manual mode. There was a little bit of tire noise at 80mph on the interstate but still well below what I would classify as bothersome. And it surprised me how well it changed direction and could be placed accurately considering how large it is. It drives smaller than the stat sheet would suggest and was a fun and engaging partner. I really, really liked it and am glad the actual driving experience matches the jaw-dropping looks.

Other thoughts? I also test drove an F-Type R right before the LC500 and that was an interesting comparison. Those two cars have more in common than you might think. They both sound great, they both are heavy'ish GT coupes with driver focused cockpits, they both have 5 liter V8 motors and fast shifting automatic transmissions. The main difference was in the presentation and "attitude" if you want to call it that. The LC500 has the far nicer interior and sound system but the F Type feels a little more athletic, has better brake feel and more motor via the supercharger. For about the same amount of money on the pre-owned market I would be hard pressed to tell you which I would take home. Depending on my mood the answer could change on any given day. As a long term ownership prospect the LC500 gets the nod because its a Lexus but for a couple year fling with a really sexy sports car then the F-Type might be the more exciting proposition.

Anyway, great job Lexus on the LC500. I am glad this car exists and later this year (or early next year) when I am seriously in the market for my next sports car I will definitely be giving the LC500 another look. I am very impressed.

 

One thing you don't have the chance to experience during a test drive is the amount of compliments you get, people stopping next to you to take a picture of the car. I even had a gentleman talking on facetime with his wife come up to the me so he could show the car to her. I've had the car for a little over a month now, and I am averaging 12 mpg. Have only driven it in Sport+ manual and with the windows rolled down just to hear the shifts and the downshifts OMG! Stop and go traffic has never been more fun. Before choosing the LC500 I test drove a 2017 Nissan GTR Premium package, and the reason I didn't go with the GTR was because of the outdated infotainment system it still has. Anyways good luck with your future decision. Always welcome in the Lexus community.

 

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. What really stood out to me (other than the interior quality, which was awesome) was just how much fun to drive the LC500 was. That car has some real soul and spirit which is not something that I can always say about Lexus products. If I owned one I am sure I would be driving it exactly the same way - Sport + manual and downshifting at while coming to a stop at every light. What a fun car! It is definitely high on my list right now and even though a new one costs more than I want to spend the lightly used ones are not far out of my budget. We'll see how things look on that front in 2019 when I plan to make my decision.