2020 Lexus LC 500h: This Is the Good Life

Do you ever slide into the driver’s seat of a car and sigh in satisfaction? The 2020 Lexus LC 500h might just do that for you. With a throaty purr, this elegant Lexus hybrid is not only sporty but fuel-conscious, logging an impressive 27 city/ 25 highway mpg. We drove it from Austin to Fort Worth – roughly a 3-hour drive – and back home with less than one-third of a tank of gas. Can your sports car do that?

This is no family car but it’s perfect for date night, so park one in your garage and rev it up to savor the plush ride and stellar standard features like LED lights, automatic high-beam control, heated/auto-dimming mirrors, keyless entry/ignition, ambient interior lighting, a power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, heated/ventilated power-adjustable front seats, driver-seat memory settings, and leather-upholstered front seats.

Take a look at the technology offerings on the Lexus LC 500h, and you’ll find dual USB ports, a 10.3-inch central display, a navigation system, and a 12-speaker audio system with satellite radio. Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility were added to the in 2019, as well as in-car Wi-Fi.

Let’s talk about the music potential. While the Lexus LC 500h comes with a 12-speaker premium audio system, we highly recommend the upgrade to the 13-speaker Mark Levinson. Delivering 915 watts, this is a no-joke carnival for your senses. Go ahead and wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care… as long as the vehicle is parked, of course.

Lexus doesn’t skimp on safety either, including safety features like forward collision warning with automatic braking and lane departure warning/intervention.

Few luxury sports cars offer a hybrid powertrain, and the LC 500h is a notch above.

The starting price on a 2020 Lexus LC 500 is $92,950 and $97,460 for the hybrid Lexus LC 500h. Worth it.

DRIVE AND HANDLING:

What we love about the Lexus LC 500h is the instant torque – or VROOM – off the line. It can reach 60 mph from a standstill in 4.7 seconds, if you’re into that, and the acceleration and shifting is smooth as silk.

Lexus engineers built the LC 500h with an advanced hybrid powertrain—a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with two motor-generators for a total of 354 horsepower. And the 10-speed transmission feels great when you need to get going.

SAFETY:

Lexus says: “Lexus Safety System+ 2.01 is designed to help protect drivers, passengers, people in other vehicles on the road, pedestrians and cyclists from harm. This latest generation of Lexus Safety System+ represents the next milestone in a long history of creating advancements and innovations in safety that help prevent crashes and protect people.”

Highlights:

Pre-collision system with pedestrian detection,
Lane departure alert with lane keep assist
All-speed dynamic radar cruise control
Intelligent high beams

EXTERIOR COLORS:

Ultra White, Liquid Platinum, Atomic Silver, Smoky Granite Mica, Caviar, Infrared, Nightfall Mica, Obsidian, and Flare Yellow

INTERIOR OPTIONS:

Black leather, red leather, and toasted caramel leather are standard, with bespoke white available with the convenience package for an additional $1,000.

FEATURES WE LOVE:

The list of standard features goes on and on
Takes the curves like it’s on rails
Luxurious leather seating in the front
Feels like a luxury car should: smooth and hassle free

OPTIONS A LA CARTE:

Head-up display
Mark Levinson stereo
All-weather package: heated steering wheel and windshield de-icer
Convenience package: front and rear parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
Touring package: Alcantara headliner, upgraded leather upholstery and superior Mark Levinson audio system
Sport package adds special front sport seats, and if you upgrade to the next level, the Performance package adds to that a carbon-fiber roof, adaptive rear spoiler*, active rear steering, carbon-fiber kick plates, an Italian-made Alcantara headliner, and more.

*What’s an adaptive rear spoiler, anyway? When you drive at speeds of 50 mph or more, the rear wing reduces lift and balances the downforce or enhanced handling and control. When you slow down to 25 mph or less, the wing folds itself back in. Why drive when you can fly?

IMPROVEMENT POTENTIAL:

If we could change one thing about the LC 500, it would be the touchpad. Universally, the touchpad and infotainment system seem to be a sore spot, because it can be frustrating to use. Adding Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa voice commands should help now that those features are standard.
The trunk is teeny, but big enough for a suitcase and computer bag as long as you don’t mind sharing luggage, ‘cause that’s all that’s going to fit. You could, however, use the back seat for bags since the leg room is quite limited anyway.