The push towards providing more efficient and less resource-wasting vehicles has led to big V8s and the like being replaced with smaller four and six-cylinder engines instead, which is a bit of a shame. While more efficient, and sometimes more powerful pound for pound, smaller engines can’t quite match the smoothness of a proper old-school V8. In a good twist of fate, depreciation has led to older models with such engines being amazingly affordable in 2026, especially compared to what they retailed for in their prime.
The Lexus LS 600h is a perfect example of this, with the Japanese hero standing out as a bargain hybrid V8 sedan that promises smoothness, but isn’t absolutely horrendous on fuel by the same measure.
Lexus’ Range-Topping Sedan Has Plenty Of Grunt
2013 Lexus LS 600h L painted in brown from the sideLexus
The LS 600h was the top of the Lexus tree before its eventual replacement in 2016, the car twinning a large V8 engine with a single electric motor. Not only did the motor help to take some work away from the engine during the acceleration process, saving fuel as a result, but it also helped boost the level of power and torque at the driver’s disposal. The V8 was a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated unit, which could produce a handy 438 hp when combined with the electric motor arrangement.
2013-2016 Lexus LS 600h L
Engine
5.0L NA V8 with hybrid
Transmission
CVT
Power
438 hp (combined)
Torque
388 lb-ft (combined)
0-60 mph
5.5 seconds
Average Used Value
$28,773
Built to be as relaxing to drive as it was to ride in as a passenger, the complex powerplant’s power was channeled to the wheels via an electronically controlled hybrid transmission. To ensure that traction and drivability were as good as possible, the engine’s grunt was shared between all four wheels. The LS 600h wasn’t built for speed, but its powertrain afforded it the go-faster juice needed for it to blast past the 60 mph benchmark in just 5.5 seconds, which is quicker than many sports cars on the market. Who said luxury meant taking it low and slow.
The Hybrid System Ensures The Big Lexus Isn’t Desperately Poor On Fuel
2013 Lexus LS 600h L painted in brown with tan interiorLexus
For the US market, Lexus elected to only offer the L version of the LS 600h, which is a longer wheelbase version that provides extra cabin space over and above the standard model. The larger model was thus even heavier, with the car tipping the scales at a hefty 5,115 lbs. When twinned with a thirsty NA V8, you’d expect it to drink fuel like an alcoholic attacks a free bar. Well, while not exactly a Prius, the system allows the LS 600h a combined MPG of 20, as opposed to a likely mid-teens figure had it not been equipped with a hybrid setup.
Now, this isn’t great versus its period non-hybrid rivals, which were utilizing turbocharged V8 units at the time. Despite not using any form of electric power for assistance, the 2015 Audi A8 L’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 provided the car with a strong 22 MPG average. Still, the Lexus’ hybrid setup at least meant its fuel economy was competitive with its forced induction-using competitors, rather than being left in their dust.
The LS 600h Is Insanely Cheap
2013 Lexus LS 600h L painted in brown with tan interiorLexus
We reckon you’d be better off opting for the 2013–2016 LS 600h, since it offers various updates over the older equivalents that make it worth having. Aside from the more modern styling, it also has a 50% stiffer chassis that improves its responsiveness on the road and interior refinement, as well as a revised suspension layout to the same end. They’re still very cheap though, with the average used value sitting at around $28,800.
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This places it well below the average price of a new car in the US, which currently stands at around $50k. All the final four model years of the LS 600h are priced at a similar level, with the main differential between the available vehicles being the mileage covered. For the most part, you’ll need to spend north of $30k to get a specimen with less than 90,000 miles on the odometer, while sub-$30k will secure you a vehicle with north of 100,000 miles on the clock.
The LS 600h Is Worth A Fraction Of What It Once Was
2016 Lexus LS600h leather seats frontLexus
Whichever you ultimately go for, a used LS 600h L is amazing value when compared to its original MSRP. A final-year 2016 machine would have set you back $120,440 before you’d considered any options, which is the equivalent of nearly $170,000 in today’s money. Going off the original value, you can save over 76% by buying one now, despite the latest vehicles only being a decade old.
The LS600h Is Reliable, But Expensive To Fix If It Does Go Wrong
2013 Lexus LS 600h L painted in brown with tan interiorLexus
In terms of actually running such a large and powerful luxury sedan, opting for a Lexus is usually the best way to go if you want to try to limit running costs as much as possible. The Japanese brand builds its cars with impeccable quality and dependable mechanical componentry, and the LS 600h is no different. There are few car-specific problems that have been reported over the years, but when well-maintained, very little tends to go wrong with them.
A good example of the LS 600h’s potential is a pre-facelift 2010 car, which managed to cover 365,000 miles and still looked and felt like a car with a sixth of that mileage when it was sold in early 2025 via Pistonheads.
Various owners from the Club Lexus forum backed up this sentiment, with most tending to single out random issues that could happen on any car as the only problems they’d experienced. That said, when a problem does strike, they’re usually damn expensive to put right. Take the hybrid battery, for example. An OEM component will set you back around $6,000, while a decent aftermarket component can be had for closer to $3k, though without the same level of guaranteed quality.
Then we come to the air suspension, which can easily eclipse the $5k mark should it need a full revision. Even if just one airbag needs replacing within the system, you’ll be looking at well over $1,000. That V8 isn’t the cheapest to service either, so expect around another $1,000 to award it a full service. RepairPal estimates you’ll need to spend around $564 a year to keep an LS 600h running sweet, which is impressively cheap for such a large, complicated and powerful luxury sedan.
The LS 600h’s Cabin Compares Well To Modern Offerings
2013 Lexus LS 600h L painted in brown with tan interiorLexus
Despite being a decade or so old now, the LS 600h lacks nothing compared to a modern luxury sedan when it comes to the creature comforts you’ll be lavished with. Aside from its excellent air suspension system – which only the most expensive luxury sedans are still offered with in 2026 – there’s also the heated leather steering wheel that is a great asset during the winter.
Then you have the heated and cooled front and rear leather seats, which can be moved around using electricity. Alongside these, high-end wood trim and carpet elevate the cabin well above any entry-level luxury vehicle.
A refreshing electric moonroof is also included as standard, as is an infrared-boosted climate control system. The car is able to use an infrared sensor to measure the temperature of those in the rear seats, and then alter the temperature on the fly to ensure they’re as comfortable as possible.
There’s even an electric sunshade and power-opening trunk, neither of which you’d get on a brand-new BMW 3-Series that would cost you $50k. Find a car with the optional pre-collision package, and you’ll get a load of safety systems that you’ll generally find as standard on modern luxury vehicles.
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It may be over a decade old, but the LS 600h’s ultra-plush cockpit still holds up today, especially compared to cheaper luxury models that’ll set you back around double what this used sedan will. The good news keeps adding up.
Lexus Has Moved Away From The Hybrid V8 Space
2018 Lexus LS 500 Gray Front Angled View DrivingLexus
Ultimately, the hybrid V8 market struggled to find much steam, and largely died out in the late 2010s. Lexus realized that its NA V8 simply wasn’t efficient enough to cut it for future versions of its models, and that if it was going to build cars that needed to be efficient, a turbocharged engine would be the way to go.
As a result, the LS 500h used a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid powertrain, while the LS 500 used a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 which provided a similar level of power but was considerably more fuel efficient. The presence of the hybrid system helped smooth out the inherent turbo lag of the engine nicely, meaning achieving excellent smoothness wasn’t a problem.
The thing with hybrids is that they’re most useful at slower speeds, as the engine takes care of pretty much all the work when cruising at higher speeds. Therefore, the thirsty NA V8 uses even more fuel than it normally would, as it also has to deal with the extra weight of the hybrid system. Lexus, and other brands like Audi, found that a turbocharged V6 provided much greater efficiency in these situations.
The hybrid V8 is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance in 2026, but usually in performance-focused machines as opposed to ones geared purely towards the luxury sector. Given the advancement in engine technology, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the V8s popularity continue to gather steam in the coming years.
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For now, a used LS 600h provides an affordable and reliable gateway into hybrid V8 ownership. It may be worth less than $30k these days, but drive it, and you’ll forget that you’re not cruising around in a $100k+ machine.
Sources: Club Lexus Forum, Lexus, Pistonheads, RepairPal.
