Like the car for what it is and NOT what it should be. Lexus RC-F is trying to be itself, it doesnt NEED a turbocharged engine or less weight. It has an amazing V8 sound, build quality and design.
I absolutely love this as a daily road car. I was incredibly hesitant at first, but after owning it for a few months, it's a sensational car. It's not a common car either which makes it pretty special.
Sorry for replying 2 years later, but do you still own the RCF? How's the insurance costs, the maintenance, or any sudden problems? I own an IS350, and it's been dead reliable so far!
@@antwontwontwon2378 I am incredibly happy I bought it. I've got 100k miles on it now (bought it at 60k miles). It's one of the best cars I've ever owned. Plenty of trunk space, insurance is about $200/month, fuel consumption is around 25 mpg if I don't drive like a maniac, and they're pretty rare to find on the road. I've had zero issues with it except for the A/C compressor going out. Otherwise it's been absolutely reliable. My car is tuned, has long tube headers, full exhaust, suspension, etc. (basically full bolt on). I paid $48,500 back in 2021 with a lot of the parts already on it. You can probably find a stock one for 38k. It's totally worth the money.
I like these kind of reviews where the presenter sounds like he's actually reviewing the car. There's just so many other channels that sound like every car they drive is the new best car ever. Maybe I'm just strange but it's just nice to hear stuff like this.
"And OHHHH MYYYY how the gearbox just SHIFTS so beaUTIFULLY and it wants tO GLIIIIIDE around EACH an' EVERY CORNer. [Car company] has done a woNDERFul job of just bringing that spECIAL [car company] FLAVOR to this maCHINE." - Randy Pobst, Motor Trend Test Driver, as well as every other fanatical car reviewer ever. It's like, shut up. Should I buy this or an M4.
***** Hey bro , around big willow the m4 and the rcf are pretty much equal so its your choice man , you will not see alot of RCF and selling the rcf will be easier and you are gonna stand out with this car for sure :)
The Curious Noob Thats the greatest thing about Chris.... IMO, The BEST reviewer by FAR out there...... He actually knows his stuff and will give you the bees knees on whats what.........
I have had one for 4 years now and I absolutely love mine. The RC-F is so comfortable and peaceful inside on long journeys and it doesn't squeak and rattle at all even now.
I've had mine for a year now, and that really is the beauty of this car. It's quiet, comfy and refined when you're just driving around or in traffic. Then it roars and takes off when you plant it. Plus, I'm not deathly afraid of owning it outside of warranty and it's super easy to do maintenance. Can't ask for anything better out of a daily drive.
That's what I really like about it, the m4 is more problomatic, more expensive to maintain, and doesn't sound as good, who cares if it's a few tenth of a second slower or if it's not well set up for track use
I would have one of these over the German competitors. I love the styling, and love the interior more. Its hard to go wrong with the Japanese reliability too.
Richard Loots **Eye roll** This isn't 10 years ago. German quality is just overrated now. There is nothing about it that makes it any better than Japanese luxury. Better yet, German quality isn't overrated, Japanese quality is *under*rated. It is just as good now. Also, Engine reliability is even better.
Carlitos Ramos i work as an electronic engineer with these cars on daily basis and a Lexus 2015 is still no match ....build quality from BMW , Audi or Porsche is way better than Lexus ...but if you think it isnt , thats youre choice ... no probs , just my experience as a engineer working on a daily basis with these cars ....
No one takes there car to track and no one drives like you Chris and plus you want everything sideways. I have driven M4 and it is very harsh drive unless you put it on comfort mode only then you can relax a bit. BMW was made only to put smile on hard core drivers like Chris. Honestly this Lexus looks fantastic heavy or not I will buy this car soon.
Azhar Zahra why would you buy $70K car (M4 or RCF or AMG or whatever), which is relatively small, not very economical, harsh etc., versus well-equipped MB E class or 5 series or lexus ES/GS - if not to drive it like Chris?
Its nice to see someone who is truly honest with themselves. As if anyone on here can actually drive at a level to push beyond this cars capabilities. I can almost guarantee that anyone complaining about the lexus not being track capable hasn't even been on a race track.
That’s how you justify that except I do take my c63 to track, not the best tool for that but I am so excited every time I go. Even for spirited driving I would still pick m4 over RCF
99.99% of these type of cars; M3, M4, RS4, RS5, C63 etc will NEVER EVER see a race track but yet we have this curious thing where we still use the track as a bench mark to decide whether or not a car is any good. Like Chris said I think this car will be a real 'grower'. It looks fresh and different to the almost clone like Teutons.
I'm just infinitely bored of these track oriented reviews and people wanking over how good a M4 does on track. 99% of owners of these cars don't care about lap times, just the experience
I think it "seems not that fast" because of the lack of torque compared to M4, but in reality, the RCF isn't really that much slower on the track. That magazine that starts with an "M" and ends with "Trend" tested both cars around Streets of Willow, and the RCF was only .3 of a second slower, despite lower torque and more weight. The BMW was dynotested at 450whp, which means the car is underrated (as it usually is with german cars) so power wise, both cars are similar, yet the RCF somehow could keep up. About weight, there's no other way to put it: the RCF is heavy, but not that much heavier than C63 and RS5. When the C63 came out, it was considered too heavy, but turned out to be pretty great. I hope we'll get a comparison video between all the coupes on rough british roads.
Torque does that, it makes the car feel faster, because it pulls sooner. It also makes it more usable and easy to take on. When you feel the lack of torque is when pulling out of a corner in a high gear or overtaking. when you're drag testing a car, you'll essentially have it on it's peak torque/power band, but that's not real world driving.
On a track it doesn't make such a big difference, because you're in the peak of the powerband anyway. On the road, torque makes a massive difference. M3/4 would pull harder from low revs in 5th gear than Lexus would in 3rd. Try overtaking someone in a high torque engine and then compare it with a low torque high reving one.
hey Chris, I don't think 99% of buyers for this car will ever take it to a track. even the BMW, merc or audi. These are mostly stop and go traffic and the occasional opening on the highway.
I always enjoy how Chris explains how the car is compared to other cars in its class. Because really there has to be a bench mark for a car like this and when doing so he can compare and contrast all the vehicles in this class. This videos compared to the others on RU-vid on their opinions on this car. I got to say, Chris job well done like always. Cheers!
How many Lexus owners would you see trashing their cars on the track??? The track did not give justice to this car. I'd say overall this car would kick BMW in terms of reliability and everyday driving enjoyment.
This is exactly why the RCF is on my shopping list for my next car and the M4 is very much not. Round a track it's the M4 all day, but I never understood why people buy cars based on track reviews, only 1/100 of them will ever see a track beyond the car park and for daily use the Lexus is just better.
I will definitely go with the Lexus. I tried both m4 and RCF. I need a car for everyday driving that gives me pleasure everytime i go to work and comeback. I had the M4 for 3 days and the RCF for 3 days. For what i expect the RCF is a better car. A BMW owner.
Lexus probably over-engineered and over-built it. Great for Lexus legendary bombproof reliability (I reckon it'd be a hard car to break) but you obviously pay for that with the weight increase and dynamics that are a notch down. Personally, I love it though.
and somehow having superior quality is a bad thing..... enjoy your time with the mechanic "programed" "maintenance" schedule while we pass you by enjoying the quality that a true premium car is requited above everything else to have.
Bro i love everyting toyota makes.no other auto cum nears.and rcf weights just ok dnt wnt it to fly off road.dats d problem with bmw benz all other papper cars .toyota lexus king fuck dat guy review.he keep talking abt german.german over price junks
I discounted the RCF for so long and just Lexus F cars and 500's because of no manual and weight. But as I have grown up and can look at cars I want, I have realized how good these cars are (not when priced new though.. sadly). I want a car like this for my road car, and it does an amazing job at that.
you should drive it to know it. This guy’s review is biased. bmw and porsche are the only cars he like, everything else he drives he has all negative things to say about. The more a car went sideways the better in his opinion.
@@BA-ht8bg Have you ever tracked a Porsche or M3? Porsche is hundred leagues above Lexus. M3 is 50 leagues above Lexus. RCF is a grand touring car which can have safe fun at track. It ain’t no Porsche or BMW. I once loved Lexus, but they fell behind in drivers feel and power for how much they charge. RCF is a fun car for the road at a cheap used price. It’s built to last too. Infotainment is atrocious though. Used market is where they will be great to own. As a brand new car with warranty, BMW is a much wiser choice when it comes to performance per dollar. I’m not a BMW neither, but it’s about money and performance for the bang. Chris is in a lot of cars and he tells the truth. You may not like it because you’re biased towards Lexus. I’ve driven them all and can say RCF falls behind competition at its price. Used market is a different story at half price. Lexus cancelled GS cause they knew they couldn’t compete and lost too much money. Next will be RC and LC models. They are great cars, just can’t keep up with competition these days. Still best manufacturer is Porsche. They by far have best build quality with best performance. Prices are high, but resale stays strong.
@@ryanb8736 thank you for taking the time to write your personal opinion. 😂 Porsche’s resell stays strong ?! 😂 😂 did you even buy a car in the last 20 years 😂
@@young48361 😂 yeah sure, 50% depreciating in 5 years is holding value in your opinion. Leagues above for depreciation, unreliability visiting dealer every second week? They are world famous for reliability and resell value 😂 😂
These reviewers, will NEVER admit, that even though the Lexus is not as fast as the most up to date German competitors; it will still be WAY more reliable than the competition, and STILL have enjoyable performance long after the competition has died.
I had and owned a BMW and Mercedes. Drove an Lexus RCF and I am sold. Weight is not an issue. It rocks it handles and looks good. Really there is no comparison between the German vehicles.
no offence, but if Chris was employed on Top Gear as a contract basis, then he would not be in charge of how he can review things... when things go on public television - all the BS comes with it - not to offend particular audiences, not to say specific things (exception is clarkson) etc. Chris is so successful using this avenue of reviewing because he can truly engage in a review which is not limited to what others might say or criticise!
This is why he's the best at what he does. Totally honest reviews, never get the feeling that he's trying to please the different automakers. Thanks Chris, keep the coming
They have been for a few weeks now, since he left /DRIVE. That being said, the videos still cost a lot of money to make, so not blocking ads or supporting him on Patreon is a great way to support the content.
Love this car, love the design. Certainly has massive presence. Not too surprised it isn't as dynamic as the M3/4 and BMW's 30-year development process but I do think the RC-F will develop a lot with a cycle or two.
This is probably one of the first car Lexus makes which 'predator grill' actually looks very coherent with the rest of the design. I like it. Same goes for the engine. The biggest turnoff is that 1850kg mass. I criticized the GT-R R35 for being overweight at ~1780kg when it first arrived. Sorry ~1800kg is NOT a sports car. What Lexus has done is not make a M4 or RS5 competitor but a Mercedes S63 AMG coupe competitor: A long distance comfortable V8 luxury GT.
5.56 Only I meant an S63 AMG coupe: www.google.ca/search?safe=off&biw=1680&bih=916&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=s63+amg+coupe&oq=s63+amg+coupe&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.7442.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.ccynfh...0...1..64.img..0.0.0.n32cGCsuAw8 But the new C63 AMG coupe will also suffice.
CH has such depth and emotion when he speaks and presents. it brings do much feeling and life out of you.. and you wonder how he does this simply by reviewing a car.. a machine.. this man truly should be the face of humanity.. to represent our greatest accomplishments and detest our worst failures and atrocities.
6 years later and you’re spot on. 2015s are going for high 30’s low 40’s and 2018s you can grab for 50ish. They definitely didn’t hold there value which is great for me 😬
Thank you Chris and Neil and team. Your filming and production style has improved so much in just the last year. This isn't a car i'm interested in at all, but I watched it knowing I would just enjoy how you guys presented it. Your touches are so nice, even your credits at the end!
People doesn't have patience to view the whole review and start commenting "not all drives like you". Chris covered both on track and on road very very well. And he put both the goods and can be better things pretty damn well!
So excuse my French but ... Motor trend, Auto car uk, Driven and few other reviewers are prefering slower, heavier Lexus over M3/4 and on the other hand we got Chris who do prefer feel, speed and experience of M3/4, who to trust then? Easy answer for me Chris Harris!
Who do trust? All of them, no one's trying to pull your leg. Chris has always spoken well about the the F80, but that's his opinion, his taste. The same happens with buyers, some prefer the M3, while others will prefer the Lexus. There's different options on the market, to fill everyone's cup of tea.
***** Well you said it, it’s all about personal preferring, that means Chris and I have same taste :) I don’t have anything against Lexus but 1800kg is just too much!
Randy Cockshipes About autocar I agree with you completely. I can’t reason myself why they hate m4 so much, even vs c63amg 507 who is technically not at same level as bmw but then again like grounddskeeper said; There's different options on the market, to fill everyone's cup of tea.
It's interesting Chris says the same about this car as Clarkson did in Top Gear, but in the Motor Trend Channels test it actually performed quite well against the M4....
I would choose this over the German alternatives every time. Its a lovely GT car with legendary Lexus reliability and quality. While the Audis and Mercedes are at the mechanic getting fixed, this will be out cruising the roads. And the sound of that V8 is glorious.
"With all that weight and a lack of torque" Please explain why you like the RS5 so much then? It's even heavier and has even less torque! These high RPM cars are useless on the street...8500rpm, good luck hitting that on your daily commute without getting arrested.
But how amazingly glorious are they when they hit that 8500-9000rpm rev-limiter. Turbo-ed Cars are more practicle thats for sure, but thats not all what cars are about.
Schleberger I assure you, bottom end torque is alot more fun than high RPM HP - especially in a 4200lb coupe with an automatic. It's almost like the engine team didn't talk to the car team @ Toyota...or Audi.
Malicious SRT This is true. But in real Sport cars high revving engines are still king, nothing is sweeter than the sound of the GT3 or the Speciale at 9000rpms.
Malicious SRT Audi's have plenty of high torque turbocharged engines. RS4 and 5 are pretty much the only high revving engines they've put in their cars lately.
derbigpr500 I just thought it was the wrong engine for the 4300lb RS5 - The thing makes similar torque as an American naturally aspirated V6 - even the lesser Audi S5 has more TQ. Great engine no doubt, but they put it in the wrong car.
If this car had a stick, it'd be so much more appealing and interesting. RWD V8 with manuals these days are a rare, wonderful thing. Without even offering a stick in the RCF, I feel like Toyota is totally blindsiding a huge section of the market that they could have otherwise greatly exploited, as well as made me personally so much more interested in this car.
True dat man. Really, in the real world, how often are going to need to change gear in 0.0000003564 seconds (or however long it takes). To a pure car enthusiast, a manual option would seem much more realistic and further engage the the driver.
The problem is emissions. This car already has a naturally aspirated engine which isn't all that polar bear friendly. Couple that to a manual gearbox end you end up with something that will never meet emissions targets.
no and personally Ï would love to see more performance cars with manual gearboxes. i love shifting my own gears. But unfortunately cars these days have to meet various emissions targets. It's for this very reason that many companies like Ferrari and porche are making the inevitable move to turbo's. this also means that we will see less and less stickshifters in the future. Also manual gearboxes are mainly made for purist drivers, and this isn't exactly a purist car (otherwise they would have made it much lighter).
We are missing you Chriss, on youtube. Bought a slow lexus some time ago for my wife. I tend to use it for a daily city duties. It is so much better when it grows on you. No bullshit cars with qualities you find as time goes. Really have to appreciate this machines. LC500 would be me first choice for daily duties if the price would not be a stopper for me.
That damn beep every time you near the limiter! That would drive me nuts on a trackday... I also don't understand how a fairly conventional two-wheel-drive car (which has at least some aluminium in it) can weigh 120kg more than the industrial-strength Nissan GT-R.
There is but 1 car in Japan that features V12: Toyota Century. It is intended for the royal family and top government officials. That engine is as smooth and quiet as any Merc V12. They don't build it on a large scale simply because there is no where to run it.
OK so here's my issue: just because this particular car weighs a shit-ton, why does that have to correlate to the end of the NA era like you say it does? If you're looking for a "purist's" car in this price range, you've still got wonderful cars like the Stingray around.
WreckNRepeat I know it is, but he seemed to state specifically (2:10) that this car's lack of dynamics justifies the retirement of NA sports cars to the history books.
highwaystar1009 All he said there was that this car feels old. Like the end of an old chapter. He never said that this specific car is the ultimate proof that normally aspirated sports cars should stop being made.
Chris Harris on Cars i only watched last half of the video because i spent the first half looking in my room what in Gods name was making that beeping sound. Thanks for the heads up.
If only Clarkson wasn't a knob and did the review for this car properly. Chris is wise and not a speed junkie and appreciates a car for what it was built for. In this case, a RCF being a GT Cruiser and not a track rat.
Squirrel the other gt cruisers also handle on a track at least somewhat. Who wants a car that just understeers and 1.8 tonnes for a 2 seater that’s design is busy and grim looking. This is a car for old farts who know shit all about cars and buy into snob value of paying stupid money for a lexus
@@bumbaclat932 What car do you have? Sounds a bit personal. I have an RCF (2018) and love it! Never considered a BMW although I knew the BMW had better performance. I liked the styling, the comfort and the performance for everyday street driving. I didn't care about the .02 seconds difference between the two cars. Whats wrong with that?
I can see RCF owners crying and hating on Chris :) But he is right, the best part about RCF is that it's not BMW....that's the only reason I would consider one. and just FYI they are in $45k range now for a certified from Lexus dealer....
Most top reviewers avoid downing new cars on the market due to backlash from car companies. Motor Trend will never down a lexus in fear of that. Chris dgaf.
***** If someone wanted a track car they shouldnt even be shopping in BMW/Lexus/Audi/Benz in the first place, FAR better options if you want a track car. My IS350 has seen more track time than 90% of the Ms out there. I would rather buy a very DDable performance car like this rather than buy some trackcore car that you can only use a few times a month.
It's nice to see a review where someone doesn't love the car... Cant blame you Chris for this one. I got to take a run at Monticello this past summer. What a great track
When Harris was driving the new and the old M3 and the old C 63 on the other videos, he loved it and was smiling, and always went on how wonderful the driving experience was. However the RC F has not cheered him up in any aspect of the dynamics, and it is pretty understandable why. The previous IS F was just the same ... A pity, because the styling of this car is absolutely stunning
Kresimir Grbavac not exactly, as soon as sales for the F80 and F82 start to rise the value of E92s will drop as a consequence. You'll end up losing money, its better to wait for that price drop to avoid running into any debt.
Think the RCF is so rare that the tuning companies haven't been able to get their hands on one to tune. Also because they are n/a it's likely they will struggle to find any more power
Exhaust options are plentiful. Honestly the cars just need nicer wheels and a slight adjustment to the alignment specs to get them to be a lot of fun. Not that they are slow to react but personally I like twitchy cars
Another great, anti biased review from an eloquent, talented Chris Harris. A review that is actually useful to some one considering purchasing the car. Thanks Chris and Neil.
I recently read a review of Lexus GS F-Sport and how Motortrend raved about it's lightness, positive steering feel and suspension compliance. A winning recipe IMO. Then Lexus rolls out the RC F and people were expecting the same sort of thing but then are let down due to it weighing too damn much. Lexus could've and should've done a better job.
Wow! I just listened to Chris Harris give sensational commentary, now I am off to school to listen to some teacher on shit that I could care less about...
Lucid, balanced, comprehensive review. Great stuff. Obviously we slightly hate you for swaggering round the planet assessing the hottest new (and old) cars, but you're a talent and for those of us who are tired of the hyperbolic, poorly-scripted BS coming out of BBC Top Gear, it's a refreshing watch! Impressed by the camera work and editing too, especially the soundtrack.
@@kaetos03 driven an m4 a few times which I didnt particularly like The 6.2 c63 amg was good with a terrible gearbox and the newer amg mercs are 🤷. Still didn't notice a lack of torque
This is the problem though, it's always "give them a few more years" so they are forever a few years behind their competitors. This car would have been excellent if it was released a few years ago. But Lexus' competitors are always ahead, which is a real shame.
Capstickk AMG wasn't a competitor to M or RS until about 2008 because the cars weren't that good, now look at them, they're at the top. Lexus could turbocharge or supercharge the engine, it's been proven fruitful (in the TMG TS-650). Let's hope however that Lexus makes a F version of the IS which isn't made out of 3 cars (like the RC) and so doesn't weigh the same as a lexus GS.
Its not trying to compete. Its got power, its reliable and its a great GT car. Great chassis rigidity and will not break on you for years to come. And on the streets of willow at least, the RCF ties with the M4. So really what else would you need.
ForTehNguyen If they have a few more years to further develop the RCF then it will be a proper challenge but right now, its not. Clarkson said it was so bad that he didn't bother letting the stig take it out on track to set a time.
GT Grand touring are track cars .. you can daily drive them, drive long distance, drive at high speed, go shopping, drive a track, it's the all rounded car.
I would suggest the extra 300kg are for comfort purpose and some of it to cover for the increased weight of said comfort, for example bigger brakes and wheels. Would have been nice to hear from Chris if the RCF has a clear advantage in NVH levels and other comfort enhancing devices over its german rivals.
I don't think that the engine is the reason for the weight problem is the engine. The real reson is that the car's platform is a blend of the GS, IS convertible and the current IS. This is probably for rigidity reasons and cost efficiency but results in making the car the fat chick in the gang.
Also the RCF chassis is 50% stiffer than the GS (which beat the 5 series in handling test), and the RC chassis has the best crash test rating in its class where BMW 3/4 and Audi 4/5 got poor and marginal in some crash tests.
Lexus sort of reminds me of Aston Martin in this regard. They keep doing the same thing and maybe adding a gizmo or a gadget, updating the styling, and trying to call it new. Against their competitors they seem irrelevant.
This is just my opinion but, most reviewers verdict about the RC-F is strikingly similar to the Alfa Romeo. All the key words like "Atmospheric", "that noise", "engine feel", "special", "not German", "striking looks", and "it grows on you", it's like something that came out of Alfa Romeo reviews, and at least to me, that's not a coincidence, I think Lexus RC-F has a character, a soul and passion
I was looking forward to this car as well. I like the interior and exterior as well. I prefer NA engines as well, but it is just too heavy. Everything about this car would improve if it lost 200 pounds.
It's a Lexus, and what Lexus does best is..."tame". It has an N/A V8, but doesn't sound as good as a Corvette or a C63. It's comfortable, but not as comfortable as a Cadillac. It's sporty, but not as sporty as a BMW. It's fast, but not as fast as literally anything else in the price range. It's like Lexus is trying to make something that's the best of everything, but they made a platypus instead.
Great job, Neil!! Was worried when I heard the first strains of music, as I've seen vids with music beds that overwhelm the video but this was tastefully done. Thanks-
