Doug Deane

Yes, the car is in first gear when you go into the Manual mode when you're stationary. It's just that I wish it was easier to go back to Automatic mode while you're rolling. It requires too much finagling and too much time spent with your eyes not on the road. BTW, I had a '91 special edition Miata in British racing green with a 5 speed manual. I put a polished stainless steel roll bar on it, tuned exhaust and better tires. I LOVED that car. Maybe there's another one in my future. 🙂

Great info about Zaino, Dave. Does it clean pretty well, too? If so, I'll definitely order some. Yes, downshifting is fun, it's almost like you're driving a sports car. My only beef with the shifting setup is that it seems a little too difficult to get back to the Automatic mode once you're in Manual and the car is at speed. If you put it in Manual after you've started rolling, it's surprising to find that the tranny is in fifth gear, and you're only going 30 MPH. The engine management system in the LC500 is definitely skewed toward low RPM/high gas mileage. I've found that using the paddles, and putting the car in either of the two Sport modes will drain your gas tank. Probably getting 10-12 MPG in Sport + using an aggressive shifting point. But it's fun!!!

Cowboy, Congratulations on your purchase, it's a beautiful, high-performing car. I've owned mine for about 18 months, and am enjoying it greatly. I'm guessing that most purchasers are doing absolutely nothing because their cars are on an extended maintenance program. Mine is, and I haven't lifted a finger, but I have some advice for you. But first, answers to your questions: * Tires cannot be rotated. Like a Corvette or other high performance cars, the tires are unique to the corner that they're on. I have the alignment checked every 5K miles and it has come up needing adjustments 2 out of the four or so times it's been at the dealer. An OOA corner will chew up an expensive tire quickly, and it's not covered by the warranty. * I'm not changing filters, and doubt anyone else on this list is. I could be wrong about that and would love to hear from someone who IS. I changed my oil at 500 miles and 1,000 miles because I believe that's what you should do for a new car. Get's the metal deposits out of the crankcase. You'll have to pay for the extra changes, but it's totally worth it, IMO. * I'm brand loyal to Mother's. I use "Instant Detailer" on carbon fiber, and it's awesome. So, if you read past threads, you might have seen my post about the run flats. They totally suck. They greatly affect handling and acceleration because they are heavy and don't transmit road feedback. And if you get a flat, you're pretty much screwed. You cannot patch them, just replace. I've gotten a flat and it cost me $600. Never again. As soon as these tires are worn out, or as soon as I get another flat, I'll buy "regular" Pilot Sports for it. Who needs a spare when you have Lexus towing service or AAA??? I like to tinker, so I'll likely replace the wheels studs and nuts with titanium items, I'm going to do a benchmark dyno run on it as soon as the pandemic has eased up, and I'll give strong consideration to lighter wheels. Possibly even go down an inch on the wheels to lower the center of gravity. Use the paddles in the Manual mode, as often as you can. That will keep your shifting chops intact, and it will keep you focused on your revs and your shift points. I'm not that aggressive. When decelerating I downshift at 3,000 RPM, and in most gears, that puts you back to 4,000. When I'm accelerating I use a 5,000 RPM shift point if I'm just goofing around, 6,000 RPM if I'm trying to pass another car in a hurry. I've been on the rev limiter a few times, no harm no foul. First gear is pretty useless. Last thing, the LC 500 is not a sports car. It's what it claims it is, which is a two seat luxury grand touring car. I traded my Lotus Evora 410 in for my LC 500 because I didn't want to be tempted to race anymore. Been there, done that, no upside, way too much downside. The LC 500 is too heavy to throw around in the twisties. Don't be tempted to try it, because the suspension can't deal with the weight and the steering is vague. But if you thought that you were getting a gorgeous car that will attract its fair share of attention, which you'll rarely see another one of on the road, which is fast enough to be exciting, and which has Lexus reliability, then you hit the jackpot, my friend. Enjoy! Doug D.

Dave, Thanks for your message, Turo has interested me for a while. The thing about an LC that isn't obvious is that it's NOT a sports car, though it looks like one. It, more or less, looks like a Japanese Corvette, but the performance isn't in the same ballpark because of its weight. My LC weighs 400 pounds more than a stock Mustang(!). I dearly miss the handling of my Evora 410, but I'm not Mr. Racerboy anymore, and I find that the LC is a perfect compromise (for me) between performance and luxury. The LC will play well in the 55+ crowd who still want to spice their lives up a bit. But all that said, I'm still looking for ways of upping the ante a little bit, so I'll get those run flats changed out and I'll have my local speed shop dyno tune it for me. If I can knock a couple of tenths off its 0-60 time, and improve road feedback through the front suspension, I'll be a happy boy. Thanks again for your message! Doug

Thanks for your reply, Dave! I was hoping for better handling, better acceleration because the tires are lighter, and easier repairs. Sounds like that's what I'll get. I'll skip the tire repair equipment and spend it on AAA towing service, instead. I appreciate your feedback. Best, Doug

I live in a rural area and I just had my first problem with the LC 500 run flats. That is to say, I picked up a nail which the tire pressure sensor alerted me to, and gave my Lexus dealer a call. The tires cannot be patched from the inside, they MUST BE REPLACED. So, this nail is going to cost me $500. The wheels are 21" and in combination with the run-flat tires, the LC 500 feels like it's in way over its head on anything but a perfectly straight road. I really like my car, and I know that it's never going to be a Lotus, but replacing the tires seems like a reasonable way to reduce rotating weight, and increase handling and road feedback. Has anybody out there with an LC 500 replaced their run-flats with Pilot Sports?