Lexus LC (2017-2024) - Interior, design and technology
Build quality is strong, but design is a mixed bag – from the minimalist door panels to the ergonomic mess that is the dashboard
Just so you know, this is an older review of the 2017-2024 Lexus LC. If you are interested in information about the latest Lexus models, please follow the link provided.
There’s a throwback to the Lexus LFA supercar inside the LC. The large dial in the centre of the instrument binnacle will slide sideways to reveal another screen that controls some of the vehicle settings and provides more driving data. It’s a neat touch and a bit of showmanship, but sadly the rest of the interior is something of a mixed bag.
On the positive side, real craftsmanship is evident throughout the cabin, and nowhere more so than on the sweeping door panels, with what appears like a floating aluminium handle – a minimalist delight.
Sadly, though, the dash and steering wheel are an ergonomic mess, with buttons littered about like popcorn on a cinema floor. For example, you’ll either leave the lane departure warning on or, more likely, off – so why stick a button controlling it on the steering wheel?
And the horns sticking out of the instrument binnacle with controls for the driving modes on one side and the traction control on the other look like the designers forgot to include a few more buttons elsewhere. Lexus would do well to benchmark BMW’s iDrive system for vehicle and infotainment controls.
Used - available now
2018 Mercedes
C-Class Estate
49,382 milesAutomaticDiesel2.1L
Cash £18,260
2023 Mercedes
EQC
35,697 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £26,200
2023 Tesla
New Model Y
44,336 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £23,920
2021 BMW
X4
35,517 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £26,920That said, the quality is exceptional, and the seats are really comfy, whether you go for luxury spec, with material that flows over the seat shoulders like Superman’s cape, or the grippier seats in Sport and Sport+ models.
And, whichever model you choose, there’ll be plenty of technology on board to make life easier and to pamper you – as you’d expect in a luxury GT.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Audiophiles have long headed to Lexus for a great in-car experience, and the LC should be no different, with the 13-speaker system from high-end hi-fi specialists Mark Levinson. The system has been specially tuned for the LC and is the first to feature Clari-Fi – technology that boosts compressed audio files like those stored on smartphones almost back to their uncompressed state.
If you don’t opt for the Mark Levinson system (which is standard on the Limited Edition model, and optional on the rest of the range), there’s a bespoke Pioneer surround sound system for you to feast your ears on.
Although you don’t get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, there’s still lots of functionality and a large 10.3-inch screen. But the Lexus’s infotainment is infuriating. The touchpad is one of the worst on the market; it’s borderline unusable on the move and has far too many steps for each action. Other systems, notably BMW’s iDrive, do it much better.
