£23,284
£18,480
£79,990
£26,990
With certain types of car, there are often obvious choices, and then less expected ones. If you’re looking for a premium coupe, the obvious choices are the German trio of the Audi A5, BMW 4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe. The Lexus RC is one of the less expected ones.
Launched in 2016, the RC has been offered as a sensible hybrid, a sporty four-cylinder, and even a rip-snorting V8 performance model, and it’s played each part with aplomb. There are more engaging cars in the class and faster ones too, but the brand’s reputation for reliability and excellent dealer service play into its strengths as a used buy just as much as a new one.
If the A5, 4 Series and C-Class Coupe are the default buys for most people in the coupe class, then the same applies to their performance variants as an alternative to the RC F - the Audi RS5, BMW M4, and Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe are all excellent alternatives to the RC F. If you want something a little more compact, the Porsche Cayman, Audi TT, and Toyota Supra are also worth a look.
Cars from Lexus tend to be very easy to recommend from a rational perspective and less easy from a more emotional one. The Japanese brand has an enviable reputation for reliability and longevity, so even if you’re reading these words in the 2040s we’d be pretty confident in saying the RC’s the coupe that’ll cause you the least trouble. Lexus has nailed the dealer service experience too.
Likewise, while the RC’s interior is an acquired taste, with a slightly busy design and one of the more frustrating infotainment interfaces you’ll find (its touchpad in the centre console isn’t nearly as intuitive as a touchscreen or BMW’s iDrive controller), it’s comfortable, comprehensively equipped, and impeccably built.
These characteristics, plus the RC’s unique design, will be more than enough to please some people, particularly combined with smooth powertrains (with petrol and petrol hybrid options) and a relaxed ride quality. Others may be deterred by the fact the RC isn’t quite as agile, precise or engaging to drive as some of its German rivals, while some will always prefer a diesel engine to the RC’s hybrid setup when it comes to maximising economy.
There is one RC that really stands out though: the RC F. This uses a naturally-aspirated 5-litre V8, and it’s one of the most characterful petrol engines around. It sounds glorious and even if it doesn’t have the turbocharged shove of a BMW M4, it has way more character.
The Audi A5, BMW 4 Series, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe are the main cars you might consider over an RC, each being better to drive, if offering more fleeting appeal than the no-doubt long-lived Lexus. If you don’t need four-seat practicality, more focused sports cars like the Toyota Supra and Porsche Cayman may tempt you away, too.
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For most buyers, most of the time, the RC 300h makes the most sense. It proved much more popular when new than the RC 200t - probably on account of its improved economy and reduced tax burden, despite not being quite as quick - and it offers a smooth driving experience that suits the RC’s less sporty drive than some of its rivals. Standard specification is more than up to the job too, though F Sport trim was predictably popular so you’ll find a lot of used models in this spec.
There’s always the RC F, of course, which is a very different proposition - more like choosing an M3 over a 320d. It’s not the quickest or sharpest performance coupe but that naturally-aspirated, high-revving V8 is reason enough to choose it if you’ve got the means to buy, fuel and insure it.
Lexus RC 200t: A 2-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine served as the entry point to the RC range until 2016. It made 244PS through an eight-speed automatic transmission, allowing for 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds and 38.7mpg combined.
Lexus RC 300h: The 2.5-litre hybrid powertrain was the mainstay of the range until it went off sale in 2021. Combined output of the engine and electric motor was 223PS (through an electronic continuously variable automatic), with 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds, and WLTP economy of up to 45.5mpg.
Lexus RC F: The RC F uses the same 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 you’ll find in other Lexus performance models. It makes 464PS in its latest iteration, for 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds and 23.9mpg.
The RC was on sale in its various forms between 2016 and 2021, while the high-performance RC F is still available new from stock as we write this in early 2024. Lexus shook up the range in 2018 with a facelift, which also saw the old and slightly confusing trim level hierarchy replaced by something a little simpler - and it’s this simplified lineup we’re covering below.
The Lexus RC was the well-equipped entry level model. Standard kit included 18-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, and an infotainment setup with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Lexus RC F Sport took some cues from the V8-engined RC F, and wore 19-inch alloys, a mesh grille, and inside, sports seats, sports pedals, and a sports steering wheel, as well as adaptive suspension. For 2018-on models you also got orange-painted brake calipers and LED headlights.
The Lexus RC Takumi was more luxury-focused, and included a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system a heated steering wheel, safety features including Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a sunroof, and a card key.
The Lexus RC F is most notable visually for its more prominent cooling ducts on the exterior, with wider intakes in the bumper and a bulge and air vent in the bonnet, plus vents behind the front wheel arches. Wheels are 19-inch forged alloy items, brakes are by Brembo, and there’s a torque vectoring differential. Other equipment is equivalent to the F Sport and Takumi.
The Lexus RC’s dimensions are:
Length: 4695mm (RC F 4710mm)
Width: 1840mm (without mirrors, RC F 1845mm), 2069mm (with mirrors, RC F 2070mm)
Height: 1395mm (RC F 1390mm)
The Lexus RC’s boot size is:
340 litres (RC F 366 litres)
Models registered since April 2017 attract a flat rate of VED or ‘road tax’ according to their powertrain and initial price. Almost all RCs had a starting price of more than £40,000 so are subject to a surcharge on top of the normal tax rate, meaning a bill of £570 per year for the 200t and RC F, and £10 less for the 300h. This applies only from the second to sixth years of registration, so earlier models will already have dropped to a lower rate of £180 (or £170 for the hybrid).
For the later models covered in the trims list above, the standard and F-Sport versions of the RC 300h fall into group 31 for insurance, while the same engine in Takumi trim is group 32. Earlier 200t versions actually start in group 40, while the RC F begins in group 45. This compares with the group 26 starting point of an Audi A5 in 190PS diesel form, while an RS5 goes from groups 42-47.