2024 Lexus LC Convertible Test Drive Review: The Almost-Perfect GT

we, Lexus LCWith its smooth, sonorous 471-horsepower V8 engine, concept-car-like styling and luxurious, detailed interior, this is arguably the best grand touring car you’ll see on the market in 2024. Lexus has fixed its biggest flaw. -The only thing we complained about.

We managed to get hold of the keys to a V8 Lexus LC Convertible for some blue-sky cruising here in California during the best time of the year. One important thing to remember before you read on is that the Lexus LC is not an outright performance car, so the convertible version should make the LC nearly perfect as a cruising car. But did it live up to expectations?

Exterior: Just as beautiful with the roof closed

Some cars need a roof to make the overall design make sense, but the LC has the right proportions and elements to make the conversion a success: with its long bonnet and doors and low, wide stance, the LC is generating a lot of buzz as essentially a concept car that still looks fresh seven years after it went into production.

To us, this is a gorgeous, timeless car. The roof is a four-layer soft-top design, and each layer provides sound insulation while the soft materials pack down reasonably compactly. This is important because the trunk is already small and you’ll end up using the back seats for luggage. The drop-top LC is dimensionally identical to its coupe sibling but is slightly taller thanks to the retractable roof. It weighs about 200 pounds more than the coupe.

The LC Convertible is the type of car that looks good in almost any paint color — Flare Yellow is especially attention-grabbing — but our tester’s Cloudburst Gray matches the car perfectly and adds to the elegant, classy vibe the automaker has built into the drop-top.

Interior: Modern craftsmanship

Technically, the Lexus LC is a four-seater, because it can carry four people. But there’s absolutely no legroom, so the back seats are pretty much pointless except in an emergency, when a short person has to sit in front of another short person. The best use of the back seats is to put a handbag or laptop bag there to make up for the lack of space in the trunk.

Coupe versions of the Lexus LC already have limited rear-seat headroom and legroom, and it gets even tighter in the convertible, while cargo space also drops from 5.4 cubic feet to less than 3.5 cubic feet in the convertible. That’s easy to see in numbers.

Space issues aside, the LC’s interior is plush and comfortable. The seats aren’t overly padded or overly bolstered, and the overall design and materials used are next-level awesome. The long doors make it easy to get in and out despite the low ride height. There’s good ventilation through the seats, and the convertible version even has vents in the seats that pump warm air into them to keep your neck nice and toasty.

Features and technologies

The car Lexus sent us was a bespoke build, a $5,500 upgrade over the standard model that allows customers to specifically specify the wheels, spoiler, roof, exterior and interior trim and colors. So our tester came with a blue-and-white interior, which adds another $1,900 to the price. It’s a matter of taste, but we like our LC’s interior to be understated in terms of color and let the style and materials speak for themselves. We also don’t need a certificate of authenticity for paying $5,500 for other options.

Still, the LC 500 Convertible comes standard with the following key technologies covering infotainment:

Lexus has fixed the LC’s biggest problem here (aside from the useless back seat, which is a necessary evil in this segment). Gone is the clunky trackpad on the center console that controls the infotainment, replaced by a sturdy metal wheel and click system. The 12.3-inch touchscreen is also responsive and quick to use, and the menus aren’t as intrusive as they used to be. If you don’t want to use the wheel or touchscreen, the Luxus’ voice controls work well enough to avoid the hassle of taking your hands off the wheel for basic controls.

Apple Carplay and Android are standard, naturally, and our test car came with a Mark Levinson sound system, but as a $1,220 upgrade we’re still on the fence about buying it – music lovers won’t be able to judge for themselves until they’ve heard it.

Under the hood: the jewel in the crown

Lexus’ 5.0-liter V8 is simply amazing. If you’re looking for an extremely thunderous engine, this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for smooth, consistent power and a poetry-inducing exhaust note, this is it. It has 471 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, and will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, 0.2 seconds slower than its coupe sibling.

• 2024 Lexus LC Coupe

  Base suggested retail price

  $98,450

  engine

  5.0L V8 gas

  horsepower

  471 horsepower

  0-60 MPH

  4.4 seconds

  maximum speed

  168 miles per hour

Let’s be clear: the LC isn’t thunderous, but it is fast. And the active exhaust delivers an incredibly satisfying, throaty soundtrack for passing maneuvers. Controlling the power is a 10-speed automatic transmission with the option to control it with paddle shifts. It’s seamless and smooth 99.9 percent of the time, with firm, powerful shifts in Sport mode. Of course, power goes to the rear wheels, and the car has a top speed of 168 mph. Fuel economy isn’t great, but what did you expect from a V8? The EPA rates this Japanese open-top engine at 15/25/18 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles.

On the road: wind in your hair

We noticed no difference in interior noise levels between the soft top and the metal roof — and in the LC Convertible, there’s no drawback to that at all with the roof closed — but closing the roof was a bit of a disappointment, as the noise of the air rushing in made conversation difficult, drowning out the sound of the heated seat vents.

Of course, all convertibles have a lot of swirling air, but if you keep to your inner voice, you won’t freeze to death from the wind, even in the middle of winter. Mazda MX-5 With the roof down. We’ve experienced that. But in the LC Convertible, we had the roof up before the sun went down on a warm day. Compared to the older model, which is a much more direct rival. Mercedes Benz SL Noise and turbulence, especially when it comes to noise, improves air flow.

I’ve concluded that the only time I’d ever put the roof down on the LC is when driving slowly, under about 45 mph, or when I want to hear the exhaust, but I love the interior because if you can stand it, the rest of it is a great experience.

The ride quality of the adaptive variable suspension defies the laws of physics, even with 21-inch wheels and summer tires the thickness of two rubber bands. Sports-car enthusiasts will keep complaining about a lack of steering feel, but in reality the steering is quick and direct, and even in Sport mode it’s neither too light nor too heavy, making it artificially weighted. It’s relentlessly fast in a straight line, and then it cruises at any speed you like with absolutely no effort.

The LC isn’t a full-on sports car, but it does have some weight to it before you add a motor to fold the roof down. It’s fun to rip around on back roads, even though the suspension stiffens up in Sport mode. Porsche 911The brakes certainly aren’t as strong, but they’re a joy to take out of corners and hold up well in the corners.

Conclusion: Hmm…

I was hoping the convertible would ride better with the roof down, but it wasn’t appreciated as much as some of the rivals I’ve driven. As a grand tourer, you should be able to drive long distances with the roof down without having to ask your passengers if they’re bothered, but that’s not the case here.

If you’ve got $105,950 to spare and you want a tourer rather than a sports car, the LC Convertible is a contender for the best car money can buy. It’s also cheaper than its competitors, unless you splash out on the Bespoke Build package. We recommend test driving the coupe version first, though, which is cheaper, has a bit more cargo space, and eliminates the frustration of opening the doors at highway speeds.

But that doesn’t stop us from coveting an LC droptop.

source:
Lexus
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fueleconomy.gov
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