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Used Car Expert Rating

Lexus LC

Expert Rating

Used car score:

49
%
E

This model is no longer on sale or in production, so it doesn't have a New Car Expert Rating score.

Expert Rating report card

Media Rating:

74
%
B

Safety Rating:

-

Eco Rating:

43
%
E

Reliability Rating:

-

Running Costs:

17
%
E

How are our Expert Rating scores calculated?

Expert Rating

Used car score:

49
%
E

This model is no longer on sale or in production, so it doesn't have a New Car Expert Rating score.

Expert Rating report card

Media Rating:

74
%
B

Safety Rating:

-

Eco Rating:

43
%
E

Reliability Rating:

-

Running Costs:

17
%
E

Summary

On sale from 2017 to 2024, the Lexus LC certainly made headlines. Top Gear described the coupe as “the most outrageous thing to come from the maker of posh Toyotas since the LFA supercar in 2010.”

The LC was launched as a 2+2 coupe, very mildly refreshed in 2020 with a convertible joining the range at the same time.

There were two powertrain options for the coupé – the LC 500, as its name suggests, boasted a 5.0-litre V8 of 464hp. Being a Lexus, the other option had to be a hybrid, and the LC 500h mated a 3.5-litre petrol engine to an electric motor for 359hp. Naturally, this car was slower to 62mph, taking five seconds compared to the 4.7 seconds of the V8. The convertible was only available with the petrol V8.

The Lexus LC was designed for those who wanted something different to the standard-bearing Porsche 911, though reviewers believed it rivalled everything from the BMW 8 Series to the Aston Martin DB11.

Reviewers were unanimously positive about the 5.0-litre LC 500, with Evo describing it as “a fantastic coupe”. The hybrid earned mixed reviews, however – Evo, once again, describing it as “not inherently bad, but more a calmer GT cruiser”.  Top Gear called the hybrid “clever but flawed” whereas the V8 offered lots of character and performance, with a much more effective automatic gearbox.

Testers also preferred the LC 500 V8’s handling, saying that the additional weight of the hybrid model, especially in top spec Luxury trim, made it more cumbersome in corners.

The interior layout also earned praise – despite having very many buttons and switches. Reviewers liked the way the driver’s surroundings were laid out, but added that the rear seats were effectively nothing more than luggage racks.

As of March 2026, the Lexus LC holds a Used Car Expert Rating of E, with a score of 49%. It gets good media review scores, but its ownership costs are inevitably high.

Lexus LC highlights

  • V8 offers exciting performance and handling
  • Suspension upgrades improve ride
  • Hybrid’s clever gearbox better than plain CVT
  • Hybrid good for urban stop-start drives
  • Complex interior well executed

Lexus LC lowlights

  • Indecisive auto gearbox on V8
  • Hybrid can’t match V8 for performance
  • Hybrid weight affects handling
  • Lots of interior buttons
  • Back seats only good for luggage storage

Key specifications

Body style: Large 2+2 coupé and convertible
Engines: petrol, petrol-electric hybrid
Price: From £98,960 on-road

Launched: Summer 2017
Last updated: Autumn 2020
Update due: TBA

Media reviews

Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Auto Trader

Car

Car Keys

Carbuyer

Carwow

Eurekar

Evo

Honest John

Motors

Parkers

The Sunday Times

The Telegraph

Top Gear

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

No safety rating

The Lexus LC was not assessed by Euro NCAP during its production life.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Lexus LC was not assessed by Green NCAP during its production life.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of March 2026, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Lexus LC to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the LC, we’ll publish the score here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumptionAverageScore
Petrol models24 mpgE
Hybrid models35 mpgD
CO₂ outputAverageScoreVariationScore
Petrol models265 g/kmE
Hybrid models184 g/kmD
Insurance groupAverageScoreVariationScore
All models49E
Service and maintenanceCostScore
Year 1£533E
Year 2£1,217E
Year 3£1,826E
Year 4£2,106E
Year 5£2,644E
Overall£8,326E

Unsurprisingly, the Lexus LC is not just an expensive car to buy but also an expensive car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Fuel consumption for the 5.0-litre LC 500 is among the worst new cars in the UK, while the hybrid LC 500h is not massively better. Obviously, road tax will also be high as CO2 emissions are very much linked to fuel consumption.

Insurance and servicing costs will also be very high, which is not surprising for a £100K sports car.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Lexus LC has received

2021

  • UK Car of the Year Awards – Best Open Top Car
  • Women’s World Car of the Year Awards – Best Luxury Car
  • Carwow Awards – Best Convertible

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Lexus LC, you might also be interested in these alternatives

Aston Martin DB11 | Bentley Continental GT | Bentley GT Convertible | BMW 8 Series | Jaguar F-Type | McLaren GT | Mercedes-AMG GT | Polestar 1 | Porsche 911

More news, reviews and information about the Lexus LC at The Car Expert

Everything you need to know about Lexus

Everything you need to know about Lexus

Lexus announces pricing for updated LC models

Lexus announces pricing for updated LC models

Lexus LC upgraded for more comfort

Lexus LC upgraded for more comfort

Lexus LC Convertible heading for showrooms

Lexus LC Convertible heading for showrooms

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The Lexus LC earns wide praise as a coupe bordering supercar territory, though for the full effect the hybrid cannot compete with the V8.Lexus LC