2019 Lexus LC 500 Review

The 5.0-liter V8 roars up to its 7,000 rpm redline before the transmission cracks off an explosive shift. It's great fun, and linear power delivery makes it easy to modulate. But the acceleration doesn't live up to the sound. Our tested 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds is unexceptional for this class of car.

The brakes are sufficiently strong with linear response, but pedal feel is vague. Under typical circumstances, the brakes are easy to use smoothly. The car stops straight, but the ABS can feel twitchy. Our 60-0 mph braking test results were inconsistent, ranging from a solid 105 feet to a less impressive 111 feet.

The steering is precise and clearly tuned for comfort, not performance. It is weighted appropriately light for a grand tourer and offers little to no feedback. But the on-center stability makes for easy highway cruising.

While the LC 500 is stable when going around turns, it has limited athletic abilities. Tighter roads highlight its substantial weight, and the lack of feedback from other systems doesn't instill confidence. Traction control can be intrusive, cutting power and applying the brakes in a way that could stand to be more refined and transparent.

In most driving conditions, the transmission is an excellent match for the engine. It can add to the fun by holding gears and downshifting smartly. In manual mode, the LC 500's 10-speed automatic responds quickly to paddle shifts.

Our test LC 500 had the optional sport seats. They are well-bolstered but wide enough not to feel confining. The seat cushion is pleasantly supportive. Unfortunately, the seatback is overly firm and lacks height-adjustable lumbar support, reducing comfort on long drives.

The LC 500's suspension is excellent. It easily absorbs larger bumps and smaller imperfections. Even with our test car's 21-inch wheels, the cabin is insulated from rough road surfaces without making the car feel disconnected from the road. The suspension strikes a good balance between sport and comfort.

There is some wind noise at freeway speeds, and depending on the road surface, there can be noticeable tire noise. But around town or on well-kept roads, the LC 500 is pleasantly quiet. At cruising speeds, the engine is silent and only makes noise when you prod the gas pedal.

The automatic climate control operates fine, and automatic seat heating and cooling are a nice touch. Basic temperature adjustments are easy, and there are voice commands for several climate functions. But for full manual control, you need to use the touchpad system, which is an awkward process.

Many controls are frustrating to use. Locating options in the infotainment system with its awkward haptic touchpad interface is one problem. The steering wheel controls take a bit of getting used to since not all of them are intuitively placed or labeled.

Getting in and out of the LC 500 is easier than expected because of a driver's seat that's higher relative to the ground than some competitors' seats. The steering wheel automatically moves out of the way, too. But the long doors mean you'll need plenty of room to open them, and there's a high and wide doorsill to step over.

The seat feels appropriately low and snug inside the car thanks to a sporting position and high beltline and armrests. Taller drivers will want more telescope from the steering wheel, but otherwise the position is comfortable and provides a clear view of the gauges and the road ahead.

The cabin is surprisingly small relative to the LC 500's size, but it isn't out of line for the class. The passenger and driver won't bump elbows. The massive transmission tunnel and small, angled windows mean you have little room to move around in your seat. The rear seat is useless for adults or even taller children.

Visibility out the front and rear is surprisingly good, but the front end of the car is hard to judge because of the hood's slope and round grille. The small side mirrors and thick rear roof pillars mean the rear three-quarter visibility isn't great. Blind-spot monitoring and the rearview camera help a lot.

Overall quality is high, with a few exceptions. Leather, simulated suede, and metal or metal-feeling plastics abound. Everything is assembled to Lexus' standards. But there are a few hard plastics (most notably, a piece of trim on the steering wheel) that feel glaringly out of place.

The door pockets, glovebox and armrest box are all small. The cupholders are poorly placed, too. One is limited by overhanging trim, and the other obstructs the touchpad. The armrest box is the only option for phone storage.

At 5.4 cubic feet worth of space, the LC's trunk is similar to what you get in a Miata. It's small and shallow, and it has a high liftover. The battery is located under a panel in the trunk floor, so there's no extra storage. The trunk also gets quite hot after even relatively short drives.

While there are LATCH points for rear outboard seats, this isn't a car you'll want to use for transporting small children. The rear seating area is too small for bulky car seats, and getting them into the vehicle and installed is a major challenge.

Our car's Mark Levinson system was excellent, but the nav system just isn't up to par. It requires a precise address. Otherwise finding a destination is somewhere between "very involved" and "impossible" unless you call for destination assist.

Bluetooth is excellent, and the ability to browse your phone's content through the Bluetooth connection is nice. Apple CarPlay has been added for 2019, but Android Auto is still missing. Lexus' Enform apps are available, but you only get a limited selection of apps, and not all are preferable to their standard counterparts.

The rearview camera works well, but a surround-view camera system isn't offered. For the most part, adaptive cruise performs as it should but can occasionally overreact.

The native voice controls offer a lot of functionality, and there are spoken and on-screen guides, but results are inconsistent until you use the voice-training program. Frustratingly, if you make a mistake in some processes that are several steps long, you have to start over rather than going back a step.

At the heart of the LC 500 is a potent 5.0-liter V8 engine (471 horsepower, 398 pound-feet of torque). It drives the rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. For 2019, Lexus has reprogrammed the shift logic of the transmission to aid in a smoother driving experience.

Befitting a luxury coupe at this price and performance level, the number of standard features is generous. They include 20-inch wheels, an adjustable suspension, LED exterior lights, automatic high-beam control, heated and auto-dimming mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, ambient interior lighting, a power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats, driver-seat memory settings, and leather-upholstered front seats (simulated leather for the rear seats).

On the tech front, you get a 10.3-inch central display, a navigation system, two USB ports, and a 12-speaker audio system with satellite radio. Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility has been added to the features list for 2019, as have dynamic voice control and in-car Wi-Fi. Notable safety features include a forward collision warning with automatic braking and lane departure warning and intervention.

Although the LC 500 is loaded right out of the box, there are a few options and packages available so you can tailor this grand tourer to your liking. Stand-alone options include 20- and 21-inch wheels, a head-up display, a Torsen limited-slip differential, and a 13-speaker premium Mark Levinson audio system.

For added convenience or style, consider the All-Weather package (heated steering wheel and windshield de-icer), the Convenience package (front and rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert) and the Touring package (a simulated-suede headliner, upgraded leather upholstery and the Mark Levinson audio system).

If high-performance driving is part of your diet, there's the Sport package, which adds front sport seats with simulated-suede inserts. Finally, the Performance package starts with the Sport pack and adds a carbon-fiber roof, an adaptive rear spoiler, an active rear steering system, variable-ratio steering, carbon-fiber kick plates and the simulated-suede headliner.