One of the most frustrating things about being a car enthusiast is that, even when the cars we couldn't afford new depreciate to the point that we could probably buy them, it's hard to justify doing so, knowing how much they'll cost to maintain. Sure, you could probably find a way to put a used 911 in your garage, but can you keep it on the road? The Lexus LC 500 is different, though. It's a gorgeous grand tourer that's actually reliable and should make an excellent pre-owned purchase. If only they weren't so resistant to depreciation, thanks to everyone else noticing that, too.
And yet, if you look around the country, you'll notice used LC 500s are no longer quite as pricey as they have been in the past. They may have generally avoided depreciating like rocks, but they're still depreciating. In fact, they've depreciated to the point that you can even find a few for less than $50,000. Is that still a whole lot of money? Absolutely. But technically, the few sub-$50,000 LC 500s currently listed for sale do cost less than the average transaction price of a new car. Hooray!
And while you probably shouldn't spend that kind of money on a car unless you make at least $150,000 a year, someone who's motivated to own an LC 500 could probably make it work on a lot less. Would a fiduciary recommend you buy a car that costs half your annual salary? Probably not. But what do they know? Life can't be all instant Ramen, used Priuses and Walmart-brand clothes. You deserve to live a little, and just think how happy you'd be if you got to drive a used LC 500 every single day. Is your happiness not worth something, too?
Lexus
Now, I won't pretend that every single used Lexus LC 500 now costs less than $50,000. Depending on how picky you are and how willing you are to travel, you may need a budget closer to $65,000 or higher to get what you really want. And if you have your heart set on a convertible, be prepared to spend at least $75,000 and probably a good bit more. That said, it isn't like I found only a single coupe listed for $49,999.99. There are actually several LC 500s with clean titles and prices listed in the high-$40,000 range.
For example, here's a white 2018 Lexus LC 500 with just under 95,000 miles on it in Rhode Island for $49,980. On some cars, that would be a lot of miles, but I guarantee that LC 500 is just starting to break in. Would it be more exciting with different paint and a different color interior? Sure, but you don't get to be picky when you're shopping for the least expensive LC 500s in the country. It also appears to be a much better deal than this nearly identical example in San Diego that's listed at $49,955 but has nearly 115,000 miles on it.
If you don't mind the fact that there aren't any photos yet, there's also a 124,000-mile LC 500 in St. Louis that undercuts both of those with a list price of $47,995. Allegedly, it's white over black, which I suspect a lot of people will prefer, even if it isn't quite as good a deal. Alternatively, you could swap the naturally aspirated V8 for a hybrid V6 and pick up this Nightfall Micah-over-beige 2018 LC 500h in Florida with a mere 71,181 miles on it for $46,299. Personally, I'd pay extra and accept the worse gas mileage for the V8, but the hybrid is still an LC and definitely still counts.
That doesn't exactly give you a ton of options, but at the same time, there's a good chance you don't live too terribly far from one of those four. If you really wanted, you could make it work. At least as long as you're OK with a white car or a hybrid. However, if we keep spreading the rumor that used LC 500s are icky and gross, I bet we can get those prices down even further.
