2022 Lexus LC Coupe

With the state the world is in, luxury grand tourers can't be high on anyone's agenda, but if you're looking for a good one, look no further: the Lexus LC Coupe is better than ever. Now in its fourth year of production, the LC Coupe has received an updated chassis and suspension system for some sharper handling dynamics and retains the stunning looks it is so well known for. Even when competing with natural beauties such as the Porsche 911 and BMW 8 Series Coupe, a better-looking car is hard to find. Its 5.0-liter V8 engine pushes out 471 horsepower and its soundtrack is not muffled by forced induction. The Lexus also drives beautifully and is packed with tech. It may not be the fastest or most dynamic coupe at the price, but the LC panders to the senses like few others.

The Lexus LC Coupe is one of the most stunning cars to come out of the Lexus stable, period. This grand tourer features a shapely body design with mind-bending angles at every corner. We think it looks fantastic. Standard exterior features for 2022 include premium triple-beam LED headlamps, a glass roof and sunshade, and 20-inch staggered split-10-spoke alloy wheels with a Dark Silver and machined finish wrapped in run-flat summer tires. Optional extras include a carbon fiber roof and an active rear wing.

The Lexus LC Coupe is classified as a luxury grand tourer and measures 187.4 inches in length. Width and height dimensions come in at 75.6 inches (without mirrors) and 53 inches, respectively. The LC Coupe rolls on a 113-inch wheelbase and tips the scale at 4,340 pounds or 4,420 lbs for the hybrid LC 500h. The LC Coupe is slightly shorter than German rivals such as the BMW 8 Series Coupe (191.2 inches) and the Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe (190.6 inches) but is visibly wider, giving it a more planted look.

There are nine exterior paint colors to choose from, all of which highlight the stunning curves of the LC Coupe's exterior design. The basics are covered with colors such as Ultra White ($500), Atomic Silver, and Caviar Black, but we appreciate more exotic shades such as Smoky Granite Mica, Infrared ($595), Flare Yellow ($595), Nightfall Mica, Cadmium Orange ($595), and our personal favorite, Nori Green Pearl.

Lexus has proven that it knows how to build an excellent sports car. Its range of F-badged machines has shown that the luxury automaker has what it takes to take the fight to BMW's M range and the Mercedes-AMG stable. Unfortunately, the Lexus LC Coupe falls short of those lofty accomplishments, but there's still a silver lining. This luxury coupe does an excellent job at being a grand tourer, and even though it's hiding a 471-hp 5.0-liter V8 under the hood, the LC Coupe is more at home cruising down the highway than attacking corners and drag racing Subarus down the main road. Lexus does, however, offer the LC Coupe with some pretty hardcore features such as a carbon fiber roof, a limited-slip differential, and a speed-activated rear wing. In a straight line, the rear-wheel-drive LC will hit 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 168 mph. A less powerful LC 500h hybrid is available with a 3.5-liter V6 and takes an extra three-tenths to reach 60.

The engine under the long, sweeping hood of the LC Coupe is a special one: this naturally-aspirated beast is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 featuring quad cams, four valves per cylinder, and a power output of 471 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 pm. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed electronically controlled Direct-Shift transmission. For more eco-conscious buyers, you can go for the LC 500h hybrid with a 3.5-liter V6 and an electric motor that makes a combined 354 hp.

The LC Coupe doesn't feel as rapid as some of its competitors, but that naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 makes a glorious noise and gets the car up to speed with pleasurable ease. In town, there is more than enough torque to get it from standstill to the speed limit in the blink of an eye, but the LC Coupe is at its happiest when cruising along the highway or on backroads, where it whispers along, ready to pounce once the loud pedal is mashed. The ten-speed automatic transmission is quick to shift and responsive enough but won't win any prizes on the track.

The Lexus LC Coupe doesn't pretend to be a track-day hero, and one glance at its dimensions should already tell you that this car is more of a cruiser than an all-out sports car. That being said, the LC Coupe is no land yacht either, and for 2022, Lexus has spent some time improving the chassis and suspension setup to enhance driver involvement and general response and feedback. The LC Coupe is deliciously comfortable on city streets and soaks up bumps despite its large 20- or 21-inch wheels. Steering is responsive, if a bit muted, and the general feeling is that of a car with more athletic ability than your average premium sedan. The improvements made to the 2022 model year are noticeable, especially when pushing through a set of corners: there is minimal body roll, and the car feels agile, despite its reasonably hefty curb weight. The Dynamic Handling package adds numerous upgrades and dynamic features such as active rear steering, a limited-slip differential, and variable gear-ratio steering, making the LC Coupe that tiny bit sharper, but in all honesty, the base chassis does just fine.

With a big V8 under the hood and a big ol' booty to haul around, the Lexus LC Coupe was never destined to be a fuel-sipping eco-warrior. This luxury grand tourer will manage 16/25/19 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles, which isn't terrible, but out in the real world, the sound of that V8 will lead most drivers to bury the loud pedal more than once on an average outing, sinking those economy figures even further into the red zone. The LC Coupe is fitted with a 21.7-gallon fuel tank, giving it an average range of 412 miles in mixed conditions.

The more efficient LC Hybrid, which we review in full separately, attains a far superior 26/34/29 mpg but trades the soulful V8 for a less brawny V6.

If you thought the exterior of the Lexus LC Coupe was stylish, wait until you see the cabin. This top-of-the-line Lexus offers an interior space that feels beautifully crafted, provides a near-perfect driving position, good visibility, excellent build quality, and a ton of tech. We think it's one of the best in its class. The front seats provide great support, and sport bucket seats are also offered; the general layout of the dashboard seems as futuristic as the exterior design, and everything is within easy reach of the driver. Unfortunately, the interior doesn't offer much in terms of small-item storage, but that is a minor complaint. Every model comes outfitted with magnesium paddle shifters, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a 10.3-inch LCD color display.

The Inspiration Series model comes with Black and Dark Rose semi-aniline leather upholstery and Dark Rose front seatbelts. It also gets a sporty Alcantara headliner.

The LC Coupe will seat four adults, the front in regal style, and those in the rear with little care for their comfort. That's why it's more of a 2+2 seater than a four-seater coupe. The eight-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats are highly supportive and can be upgraded to even more sporty versions. Still, we'd stick with the standard units as they provide the best balance between support and comfort. The rear seats are naturally not as supportive. Headroom in the front is adequate for the average adult, but the sloping rear roofline offers only 32.2 inches of headroom at the back, making it a tight squeeze for taller passengers. Legroom is good in the front, but with only 32.5 inches in the back, adults will start complaining an hour into a trip. Forward visibility is good but beware of large blind spots on either side of the LC Coupe.

The interior of the LC Coupe is on another level. The build quality is excellent, and the choice of materials is top-class. The LC Coupe will appeal to a more mature crowd as it lacks fashionable materials such as carbon fiber and Alcantara in base form and instead relies on timeless classics such as leather and metallic trim. In base form, the LC Coupe is offered with Toasted Caramel leather seats and Satin Metallic trim or Black leather with the same trim. Circuit Red leather is available optionally. Optional material and trim options include Circuit Red trim. The available Touring Package adds semi-aniline leather seats and an Alcantara headliner. Finally, opting for the Sport Package adds sports seats with Alcantara inserts.

Long road trips might be the LC Coupe's strong suit, but unfortunately, you will have to pack light. The 2022 Lexus LC Coupe's trunk is limited to only 5.4 cubic feet of space, and there's even more bad news: the rear seats are non-reclinable. With only 5.4 cubes to work with, you can get a couple of weekend bags in the back or enough groceries for a decent family meal. The LC 500h hybrid has an even tinier 4.7-cube trunk. As for going on extended road trips, we'd suggest taking a single passenger along and using the rear seats for extra storage space. Inside the cabin, it doesn't get much better: there's a center console storage bin, a few cup holders, and a glove box, but not much else.

The LC Coupe is one of the crown jewels of Lexus' 2022 lineup and, as such, is packed with a ton of standard features. Step inside the beautifully-appointed cabin, and you'll be greeted with dual-zone climate control with a climate concierge, eight-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, remote engine start, Wi-Fi connectivity, SmartAccess with push-button start/stop, and an illuminated entry system. Standard driver assistance tech includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with lane keep assist, all-speed dynamic radar cruise control, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. Naturally, a rearview camera is standard too. Optional extras include Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking, a head-up display, and a heated leather steering wheel.

Unfortunately, the infotainment system in the LC Coupe will leave you feeling confused and frustrated. It all boils down to the annoyingly bad touchpad controller that is unintuitive and slow to respond to inputs. Lexus makes up for this with standard navigation, a sizeable 10.3-inch LCD color screen, dynamic voice command, and destination assist. Other standard features include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Alexa compatibility, Bluetooth streaming, a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, and a 12-speaker sound system. A Mark Levinson 13-speaker, 915-watt surround sound system is also available, made standard on the LC 500 Inspiration Series. We can only hope Lexus upgrades the LC to the new-gen infotainment seen in the LX sometime soon.

Lexus is well known for building ultra-reliable cars, and the 2022 Lexus LC Coupe is one of them. The 2022 LC is recall-free, as was the 2021 iteration. The 2021 model sports a quality and reliability rating of 86 out of 100 from J.D. Power. Lexus backs the LC Coupe with a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, a six-year/70,000-mile drivetrain warranty, complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first year or 10,000 miles, six years of corrosion cover, and a four-year roadside assistance plan.

The Lexus is a low-volume luxury grand tourer, which means it will, in all likelihood, never be crash-tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA. Fear not, however, because Lexus has a sterling reputation when it comes to safety. For example, the smaller RC Coupe attained only Good scores for every crashworthiness test it was subjected to by the IIHS.

Every LC Coupe comes stuffed with the latest and greatest in active driver assistance features and traditional passive safety equipment and systems. Standard safety features include eight airbags (including driver and front passenger knee and side airbags), triple-beam LED headlights, ABS braking, a rearview camera, and traction and stability control. Standard driver assistance features include a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with lane keep assist, dynamic radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and intelligent high beams. Optional extras include intuitive parking assist with auto braking and a head-up display.

The LC Coupe isn't a new car; it has been around for four years now, yet it remains one of the most striking sports coupes on the road. Its bold styling makes competitors like the Porsche 911 look plain boring, and its focus on quality puts it ahead of many rivals, even German ones. Lexus has made an effort to make the 2022 LC Coupe drive better thanks to some chassis and suspension tuning, and it has paid off. The LC Coupe goes better than ever before, and although it will never come close to offering the same type of driving pleasure as a 911, we're impressed with its ability. That naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 makes up for the terrible infotainment system, and the general level of comfort and convenience is almost unparalleled. It looks good, drives well, sounds good, and will last you a million miles. What more do you want?

Driving a space-aged V8 Lexus coupe was never going to be a cheap exercise. For 2022, Lexus will ask $93,150 of your finest dollars to pilot the LC Coupe. This price does not include tax, registration, and a destination fee of $1,075. The limited LC 500 Inspiration Series costs $104,500, and the LC 500h hybrid slots between these two with an MSRP of $99,150. The BMW M850i xDrive is the superior performer but costs $99,900, and an entry-level Porsche 911 will set you back $101,200.

There are two trims on offer for 2022: base LC 500 and LC 500 Inspiration Series. Regardless of this choice, the 2022 Lexus LC Coupe is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 471 hp and sends its power to the rear wheels via a ten-speed automatic transmission.

The exterior features triple-beam LED headlights, a range of 20-inch and 21-inch wheel options, and a glass roof with an integrated sunshade. The interior offers standard features such as eight-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, remote engine start, dual-zone climate control, remote engine start, Wi-Fi connectivity, SmartAccess with push-button start/stop, and an illuminated entry system. The 10.3-inch infotainment screen incorporates Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Alexa compatibility, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth streaming, and a 12-speaker sound system. Standard driver assistance features include all-speed dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with lane keep assist, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.

An available Inspiration Series model additionally gets Black and Dark Rose semi-aniline leather seats, an Inspiration Series serialized badge, a head-up display, and a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

Despite its impressive resume of features, the LC Coupe is offered with numerous optional packages that further enhance the overall experience of this premium grand tourer. The $2,540 Touring Package adds features such as semi-aniline leather-trimmed front seats, an Alcantara headliner, a Mark-Levinson 13-speaker sound system, intuitive parking assist, a heated steering wheel, and a windshield wiper de-icer. The $5,010 Sport Package brings the heat with a Torsen limited-slip rear differential and Yamaha rear performance damper, 21-inch gloss black alloys with run-flat summer tires, sport bucket seats with Alcantara inserts, and performance brake pads. The Dynamic Handling Package is impressive and contains features such as active rear steering, variable gear-ratio steering with vehicle dynamics, a speed-activated rear wing, carbon fiber door scuff plates, and a carbon-fiber roof, all for $9,570.

There's only a single primary trim to choose from - excluding the limited-edition Inspiration Series and separately reviewed LC 500h hybrid - and it's a pretty good one, so we would suggest keeping the additional options to a minimum and enjoy the car for what it is. If we were buying, we'd go for one in Atomic Silver and add the $2,540 Touring Package, which adds nice-to-haves such as semi-aniline leather seats, an Alcantara headliner, a 13-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, and intuitive parking assist.

The RC F is a performance-minded executive coupe powered by the same 5.0-liter V8 engine as found in the LC Coupe. In RC F guise, it produces 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The RC F is quicker than its larger LC sibling and can do the 0-60 mph sprint in only 4.2 seconds. On the road, it's the more involving car to drive but also prefers to be treated as a fast GT car instead of an all-out sports coupe. The interior isn't as flamboyant as that of the LC Coupe's, but you still get a stylish layout, good quality materials, and a long feature list. One significant benefit of the RC F is the fact that it sports nearly double the trunk space of the LC Coupe at 10.1 cubic feet. It also costs significantly less. Get the LC Coupe if you love the styling. For the rest, the RC F is our choice.

The Lexus LC Hybrid is the eco-friendly version of the LC family (your other option is the guzzling 5.0-liter V8) and is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with two electric motors. This setup delivers 354 hp to the rear wheels via a CVT transmission. The 0-60 mph sprint takes 4.7 seconds, and the top speed is set at 155 mph. Not only is the Hybrid almost as quick as its gas counterpart, but it will manage 26/34/29 mpg city/highway/combined. Coupled with a large gas tank, the Hybrid offers a stunning range of 644 miles. We'd recommend the Hybrid if you're into long-distance traveling, but we would personally miss the grumble of that V8 engine too much.