2020 Lexus LC500h Hybrid Review
2020 Lexus LC500h Hybrid - Lexus's spectacular LC coupe, which begins at $92,995, is a remarkable accomplishment because it looks and feels as distinctive as well as unique as you might expect an automobile approaching $100K-- or, with alternatives, also cresting that quantity. Beyond its wild designing and also beautifully equipped inside, the 471-hp LC500 we drove previously this year derived a huge quantity of character from the free-revving, normally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 accumulated front. That fact made us somewhat wary as we came close to the topic of this examination, the LC500h hybrid, which costs $4510 even more but has 117 less horse power from its gas-electric drivetrain making use of an Atkinson-cycle 3.5-liter V-6 as well as 2 electrical motors.
2020 Lexus LC500h Hybrid Review
It's not that we cannot value the LC500h's drivetrain, called a Multi-Stage Crossbreed in Lexus-speak. It combines the V-6 with a set of electrical motors via a remarkable transmission that's essentially 2 gearboxes in one. It includes both a two-motor hybrid continuously variable transmission (CVT) as well as an Aisin four-speed automatic to broaden the crossbreed operating array; check out our full explanation of exactly how it functions right here.
When driving, the Multi-Stage Crossbreed system's operation stands out from other Lexus and also Toyota hybrids that utilize the acquainted Hybrid Synergy Drive setup. Because of the one-of-a-kind transmission, there's a feeling of stepped gears moving whenever the gas engine is running, which is preferable to the high-rpm droning we're typically compelled to endure from crossbreeds geared up with CVTs. But the LC500h's power distribution still isn't rather fit for hard driving; also in Sporting activity or Sporting activity+ mode, the "changes" are strangely slurred and also fabricated, keeping the powertrain from really feeling truly receptive and also making for a strange soundtrack. It definitely cannot compare the acoustic thrills of the LC500's V-8 as well as the crisp changes of its traditional 10-speed automatic.
All this crossbreed intricacy amounts to a prodigious curb weight of 4521 pounds for the LC500h, 143 pounds greater than the LC500 and just 62 pounds less than a Honda Odyssey minivan that is almost 16 inches much longer. As expected, this hinders the LC500h's acceleration, with the zero-to-60-mph sprint taking 4.8 secs, 0.2 2nd slower than the LC500, and also the quarter-mile can be found in at 13.6 secs at 103 mph compared with the V-8's 13.0 secs at 112 mph. Neither number is slow-moving, yet one have to think about that entry-level, $110,000 Porsche 911s are kipping down 11.9-second quarter-miles and also 3.4-second runs to 60 miles per hour.
On a brighter note, the way that the LC500h comports itself when the going gets twisty is surprisingly rewarding given its mass. Its responses are crisp and the vehicle aspires to change direction, with sharp turn-in from the nicely heavy guiding. The framework really feels astonishingly rigid and there's simply adequate conformity programmed right into the dampers that the flight is totally civilized, also in the stiffer Sporting activity mode.
All this crossbreed intricacy amounts to a prodigious curb weight of 4521 pounds for the LC500h, 143 pounds greater than the LC500 and just 62 pounds less than a Honda Odyssey minivan that is almost 16 inches much longer. As expected, this hinders the LC500h's acceleration, with the zero-to-60-mph sprint taking 4.8 secs, 0.2 2nd slower than the LC500, and also the quarter-mile can be found in at 13.6 secs at 103 mph compared with the V-8's 13.0 secs at 112 mph. Neither number is slow-moving, yet one have to think about that entry-level, $110,000 Porsche 911s are kipping down 11.9-second quarter-miles and also 3.4-second runs to 60 miles per hour.
2020 Lexus LC500h Hybrid Car Review
Our test cars and truck was geared up with a number of performance-enhancing options, consisting of $1440 for 21-inch wheels covered in Bridgestone Potenza S001L run-flat tires, a $390 limited-slip differential, as well as the $5960 Efficiency bundle that brings a carbon-fiber roof covering, an active back spoiler, rear-wheel steering, as well as variable-ratio guiding. These bonus likely contributed to the LC500h's 0.91 g efficiency on the skidpad and also its 165-foot quit from 70 miles per hour. Once again, nevertheless, those numbers fade next to the base 911, which hit 1.06 g and also 135 feet in the very same metrics.
If the LC500h doesn't show its mettle in terms of straight-out performance, then it must offset that with its gas economic situation, right? Yes and also no. The hybrid's combined/city/highway EPA ratings of 30/26/35 mpg are substantially greater than the V-8's 19/16/26 figures. Although the LC500h's average of 24 mpg in our hands disappointed its EPA combined number, it still beat the 17 mpg we received from the LC500 by a significant margin. We were even more disappointed in the crossbreed's efficiency in our 75-mph freeway examination-- admittedly a circumstance where crossbreeds have the tendency to underperform-- where it achieved 30 mpg, just 1 mpg better compared to the LC500.
If we were investing our $100K on one of these Lexus sports cars, there's no doubt it would certainly be the V-8. While the two LCs share the exact same striking shape, the same impeccably built inside (regrettably including the very same infuriating infotainment system regulated by a picky touchpad), and also the exact same remarkable visibility when traveling, the costlier hybrid provides only a small fuel-economy benefit while compromising way too much of the speed and sound that make the LC such an exceptional piece to start with.
If we were investing our $100K on one of these Lexus sports cars, there's no doubt it would certainly be the V-8. While the two LCs share the exact same striking shape, the same impeccably built inside (regrettably including the very same infuriating infotainment system regulated by a picky touchpad), and also the exact same remarkable visibility when traveling, the costlier hybrid provides only a small fuel-economy benefit while compromising way too much of the speed and sound that make the LC such an exceptional piece to start with.
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