Lexus RC F

[Cobra]

Hi guys.

This afternoon I will drive one of these vehicles, which I'm excited about having the opportunity to do so, I must admit. It's a 2015 MY with approximately 13K on the odometer.

I was wondering if anyone else has driven one and what their experiences/opinions are? I've only ever driven one Lexus, a 2011 IS 250 which I found to be a surprisingly good vehicle.

I will check back a bit later and impart with my own report on how I found it to be. From the reports I've read it's rated fairly well, although it's said to struggle keeping pace with the force inducted Euros.

[Polyal]

Skid pics or ban

[Sioso]

Only Lexus I've driven was a 2011 IS250 also.
From what I've read the RC-F appears to be carrying a bit extra weight compared to the other 2wd Euro competitors.
Apparently makes a great sound though.

[Patty]

Originally Posted by Sioso

Only Lexus I've driven was a 2011 IS250 also.
From what I've read the RC-F appears to be carrying a bit extra weight compared to the other 2wd Euro competitors.
Apparently makes a great sound though.

Heard the same thing.. Sounds good, looks goodish, but heavy car and doesn't come close to comparing against its Euro rivals. If you are wanting a v8 2 door RWD coupe, look at second hand M3's

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Patty

Heard the same thing.. Sounds good, looks goodish, but heavy car and doesn't come close to comparing against its Euro rivals. If you are wanting a v8 2 door RWD coupe, look at second hand M3's

Or a brand new mustang, which you probably cant get to next year...

[lucas2]

Apparently they're a good bit of kit. A little heavy and possibly expensive at $90-120k compared to similar rivals for the performance. I'd be saving a bit of money and looking at the BMW M2, HSV GTS/Clubsport or go for a used C63/ M3 or GTR.

I just looked on Carsales and C63's with 10-40,000kms can be had in the $80-110k range. GTR's seem to hold their value a little more.

[Cobra]

So, I got behind the wheel of this Japanese muscle car for an approximately 90 minute fang through the hills. Anyone who's at all familiar with Adelaide will know that there's some amazing roads through the Adelaide Hills, and this arvo being no exception, I had a real blast!

As I slid into the cockpit, my first impressions were "it's pretty bland and basic". I wasn't wowed by anything I saw inside sans for a few nice pieces of suede trim. The seats however were fantastic, both in style and their support.

You can definitely see that it's a Toyota inside, albeit a nicer Toyota. I've never been a fan of Toyota interiors, they've always struck me as being very cheap; this is coming from the perspective of a long time Falcon owner.

The tran shifter with its perforated leather handle was especially uninspiring - it looked like an aftermarket gear knob you could buy from Autobarn in the late '90s. The steering wheel was a highlight for me, though. It was chunky and felt good in hand.

The GPS system was also a let down. Compared to an Audi Q5 (the best GPS system I've seen) it was about two generations behind. Equally, there wasn't a touch screen to speak of as the screen was recessed a fair way back into the dash.

The instrument cluster was great. There was a regular analogue dial for the speedo, but the tacho gets an LFA style digital guage. Everything else was well laid out and the big plus for me was that the odometer was constantly displayed; a bug bear of mine with many modern Euros!

Over all, whilst I wouldn't say that my experience behind the wheel was bad, or even unsatisfactory - I would however describe it as disappointing given the MSRP of these vehicles and their intended competition; high-end European sport coupes.

Interior: 5/10

After a few seconds to digest, I pressed the starter button and brought the bent-eight to life! It cranked over with that delightful noise that only a V8 can emit. At idle it's as smooth and as quiet as an engine you'll find anywhere.

Slide the shifter into 'D' and take off, a gentlee feathering of the throttle and the big coupe took off with minimal fuss. I wasn't yet ready to give her some curry as I hadn't yet left the confines of suburbia. A few traffic light stops and a few blips of the throttle when leaving the lights was necessary to guage the responsiveness of the throttle.

Check! Throttle response was as reasonable as one could expect from a modern fly-by-wire setup. What did leave my wanting for more, though, was low down punch. So, while the throttle response was very reasonable, the performance down low was a little... doughy.

After about 15 minutes I had reached the South Eastern Freeway, en route to Eagle on the Hill where my trek through the Adelaide Hills would begin. I left the last set of lights and took off, stability control switched off, with a reasonable amount of throttle input.

Even with ESC switched off, the torque vectoring diff wouldn't allow for rear wheel slip. Probably just as well, considering the roads were a tad damp. Still, I don't like electronic encumberances impeding me from my agenda. But more on that a bit later.

As my exit towards Eagle on the Hill was fast approaching, I found myself in need of getting in front of truck which was plodding along at around 60km/h up the hill. I mashed the throttle for the first time and let five litres, 7000 revolutions per minute and 350 kilowatts convince me of its on-paper prowess.

"Nice!" was the first and only adjective that came to mind. Once again I wasn't wowed, but having said that I couldn't possibly fault something which most certainly delivered on the two former, and quite possibly on the latter - although necessarily discernable it was not!

The roar from the engine is very typically quad cam V8. It was smooth and refined, with a nice note. The exhaust was too quiet, though, and the intake noise was non-existent. It need a nice free flowing airbox and a full system to untap its potential.

With no 'Dynamic' mode like you'd find in R-line Audis, especially at idle the engine is almost mute. At least you know that the engine note isn't fake, nor are you left wondering whether the engine note is artificially derived via being plummed back through the speakers.

To mine, I just feel as though it could have been done slightly better. Think Aston Marton V8 Vantage and you'll know what I mean.

Engine: 7/10

As I exited the Freeway and started to carve through some of South Australia's best driving roads, I quickly realised that this is a very capable vehicle when being pushed. The suspension is firm, yet isn't what I'd describe as 'bone jarring', either. This thing just felt planted on the road, with ample grip to boot.

One thing that can't be understated is just how heavy this thing feels. It's the opposite to an MX-5 which isn't itself necessarily a bad thing, but if you're looking for something more comparatively nimble you'd better look at a Lotus.

The brakes are how I'd expect them to be for a vehicle of this one's stature. The calipers provide a massive visual presence nestled inside the rim, whilst their performance delivered - time and again. I worked them pretty hard and even with the Lexus' considerable heft I was unable to get them to fade.

As I toggled through the drive modes I figured that 'Sport +' was the sportiest of the sport modes. As you'd expext, in Sport mode the gear changes are firmer and less frequent - especially when fanging through the twisties where gear changes would be postponed until absolutely necessary.

Dynamics: 7/10

Over all the RC F was a fun and enjoyable car to drive. It's a Japanese muscle car in all its glory. The problem is though, is that it's too refined to be a muscle car, yet not quite as dynamically capable as its Euro competition.

The RC F seems to be stuck in no-mans land. It could almost be as dynamically adept as the Euros if it weren't for the fact that it's hefty kerb weight has blunted its performance just a little too much, yet it has all the ingredients to be a bona fide modern day muscle car if it were slightly less muzzled.

This kind of rigid dichotomy combined with the edgy and super-agressive styling, sees the RC F as a unique, if not confusing vehicle. It doesn't quite seem to nail anything, yet certainly doesn't fail in anything, either.

It's no world beater, and for its price I wouldn't buy it as I just don't see the value, but it's still an enjoyable car which a lot of fun can be derived from, especially when driven on roads where it does its best work; windy roads!

Verdict: 6.5/10

[asagaai]

great write up Cobra

[Express]

Originally Posted by Cobra

It's no world beater, and for its price I wouldn't buy it as I just don't see the value, but it's still an enjoyable car which a lot of fun can be derived from, especially when driven on roads where it does its best work; windy roads!

Verdict: 6.5/10

Would you buy one of its Euro competitors and if so which and why?

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by Express

Would you buy one of its Euro competitors and if so which and why?

I'd have an RS5 any day over this. It was quicker, quattro AWD, handled marginally better, sounded heaps better in 'Dynamic' mode and felt a class above in the interior.

Audi's MMI system is miles ahead of anything the Japs produce and considering the RS5 is effectively a generation behind this car, it still feels a generation ahead inside.

I will drive a 2015 BMW M4 7-Speed next week, so that will be interesting comparison to this. I'm not holding out much hope for the RC F keeping up in any measurable way.

[ford71V8]

Gee the interior does look crappy doesn't it

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Gee the interior does look crappy doesn't it

Yes. An almost 14 year old BA Falcon puts it to shame.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Cobra

I'd have an RS5 any day over this. It was quicker, quattro AWD, handled marginally better, sounded heaps better in 'Dynamic' mode and felt a class above in the interior.

Audi's MMI system is miles ahead of anything the Japs produce and considering the RS5 is effectively a generation behind this car, it still feels a generation ahead inside.

I will drive a 2015 BMW M4 7-Speed next week, so that will be interesting comparison to this. I'm not holding out much hope for the RC F keeping up in any measurable way.

RS5 is class above in interior presentation and RCF is worse than BA. RS5 is about the same as BA interior wise? :-)

[Pedro]

Thanks for the informative write-up Cobra.
I drove an Audi A7 twin turbo V 6 diesel from the Gold Coast up to Brisbane yesterday. In a nutshell, it had some mumbo and has a low growling exhaust note when you get up it but I found the engine switching off and restarting each time you stop to be annoying, rear vision is somewhat limited when reversing, and the seat was uncomfortably hard on the back.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Cobra

Yes. An almost 14 year old BA Falcon puts it to shame.

Horrible interior, like an 80s interior with new color scheme and plastics. The new Corolla interior looks way more ergonomic.

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by Pedro

Thanks for the informative write-up Cobra.
I drove an Audi A7 twin turbo V 6 diesel from the Gold Coast up to Brisbane yesterday. In a nutshell, it had some mumbo and has a low growling exhaust note when you get up it but I found the engine switching off and restarting each time you stop to be annoying, rear vision is somewhat limited when reversing, and the seat was uncomfortably hard on the back.

There is a button to disable the engine stop/start function but unfortunately it reverts back to its default setting every time the ignition cycles.

[Express]

Lexus GS F road test review


Japanese luxury brand's high-performance sedan is better than its on-paper specs suggest



Cameron McGavin
14 June, 2016











Lexus is a brand that's built its reputation on sensible concepts like luxury, quality, refinement and hybrid technology but it's not without its wilder moments. To wit the IS F of 2008, the LFA supercar of 2010 and last year's RC F coupe.

Now another single-minded Lexus has joined that list, the GS F, which takes the company's mid-sized GS sedan as a base and then sprinkles on a little madness via a hopped-up V8, more muscular exterior treatment and myriad other performance-minded advances.

On paper, that makes it a rival for European hyper V8s like Audi's RS6, BMW's M5, Jaguar's XFR and Mercedes-Benz's E63. True to the form of its maker, though, it asks for rather less coin.


What do you get?

The GS F doesn't threaten HSV products for sheer affordability but its $148,800 plus-on-roads starter gives it a substantial price advantage over its European competitors, which either approach or bust through the $200k barrier and keep going.

You do get a little less engine than today's most hard-core V8 four-doors – a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 that develops 351kW of power compared to the 400kW-plus that is now readily available forced-induction or bigger capacity alternatives (or, in the case of HSVs, both).

There are no such questions about its level of kit. All four outboard seats and the steering wheel are heated. The infotainment system has sat-nav, digital radio, a great-sounding 835W Mark Levinson sound system and various apps that can be accessed with compatible smartphones, plus a big 12.3-inch high-definition screen. A colour head-up display, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry/start, power rear sunshade, power sunroof and 19-inch alloy wheels are some of the other standard features.

The safety artillery, meanwhile, includes 10 airbags, stability control, a reversing camera and a generous swag of upmarket driver aids (autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-departure/blindspot warnings, lane-keeping assist).

There's also a 'high-grade' GS F that replaces the 'base' model's Alcantara seat trim with a semi-aniline/leather combo and throws in front seat ventilation as well. It starts from $151,700.

Both GS Fs are covered by a four-year/100,000km warranty and you also get four years roadside assist. Lexus doesn't offer fixed-price servicing but the first service (12 months/15,000km) is free.


What's inside?

Aggressive looking sports seats, unique instruments (largely digitally rendered), unique dash trims (carbon fibre on our test car) and liberal lashings of Alcantara (it's even on the dashtop, to reduce reflections) endow the GS F cabin with a properly sporty ambience.

High-quality materials and spotless build mean it feels expensive like a $150k car should, even if some obviously Toyota-derived switchgear and harder, less flash plastics in out-of-the-way places stop it a short of matching equivalent Audis for sheer attention to detail.

There's plenty of space for bigger bods up front, and the seats and steering column are power adjustable. The sports seats look racy but aren't as thinly padded as some similar numbers, so deliver a good dose of comfort with their hip-hugging support.

Rear occupants get plenty of leg space, a pampering bench, air vents, seat warmers and, in the fold-down armrest, their own climate/stereo controls. The boot, power operated like almost everything else, measures a decent 520 litres and has a ski port and underfloor storage.

The latter, though, comes at the cost of a spare tyre (instead, you get a repair/inflation kit) and the rear backrest has no split-fold function, so carrying longer, wider objects isn't really on. Tight foot space and, for taller occupants, less-than-generous headroom mean the back seat isn't quite as good as it could be.

The infotainment system has all the right features and a crisply legible 12.3-inch screen but also asks you to grapple with Lexus' Remote Touch joystick to access its charms – it's much fiddlier and more attention-draining than rivals that use a simple turn-wheel setup.


Under the bonnet

So the GS F might not be carrying the biggest or most powerful stick in the class but it's hardly limp-wristed.

The 5.0-litre V8 is sweet and willing, using tricks like titanium valves to rev to a lofty 7300rpm, and strong enough to whip the Lexus from standstill to 100km/h in a claimed 4.6 seconds. The surge it delivers from 4000rpm-odd through to its rev limit is deliciously potent and the deep, rich V8 bellow it trumpets when being worked hard is a treat for the ears.

The mandatory eight-speed auto unobtrusively harnesses the V8's solid low-rev reserves in relaxed driving and responds decisively when you ask it to. It has nicely positive steering wheel paddle shifters for when you want to grab it by the scruff of the neck and four drive modes (eco, normal, sport and sport+) allow you to fine-tune the drivetrain responses to the scenario. A torque-vectoring differential with three modes (standard, track, slalom) gives you similar flexibility in how you want it to put the power to the ground.

Unsurprisingly, the GS F puts away its share of unleaded. Lexus claims an unremarkable 11.3L/100km rating – BMW's 412kW M5 manages 9.9L/100km – and owners can expect high-teens returns in hard driving or the urban grind, where it has no auto stop/start system to call on. Suffice to say, it prefers premium 98 RON brew.

Things are less gloomy on the highway, where it's possible to squeak into the sub-10s. That on-the-cruise thrift contributed to our reasonable urban/highway test average of 12.6L/100km.


On the road

The switchable aspects of the GS F don't extend to its suspension, so a single setup must balance the opposing needs of ride comfort and cornering control.

Some compromise is evident in the ride, which thumps over sharp-edged bumps and is somewhat fidgety and restless on poor surfaces.

Still, if the Lexus never truly rides like a luxury car, it's never harsh or uncomfortable. Or noisy, though the big tyres occasionally make their presence felt on the coarsest of coarse-chip.

More significantly given its sporting ambitions, the GS F serves up plenty of driving entertainment. The steering is quick, nicely weighted and usefully transparent, and the Lexus responds keenly when asking it to boogie into a bend. The Brembo brakes are strong, the tyres deliver serious roadholding and it has a predictable, surefooted balance.

All up, some good, clean driving fun, even if it's too big and beefy (1825-1865kg) to be truly pin-sharp in tighter stuff, and a little too stiff-legged to maintain its poise on the craggiest of craggy tarmac.


Verdict

The GS F is in some ways sold short by its on-paper credentials. It's not the most powerful V8 sedan on the block, the quickest, the thriftiest, the sharpest handling or the cheapest.

And it has niggles, namely the lack of a fuel-saving auto stop/start feature, one-size-fits-all ride quality, tight rear foot space, lack of a split-fold back seat and the dreaded Remote Touch joystick.

But the GS F is also a case of a car being more than the sum of its parts. It mightn't be a boundary breaker or a flawless jewel but its potency, booming soundtrack and all-round driving proficiency make for an engaging and quite likeable sports-sedan experience. Its solid value, quality, safety and ownership credentials mean there really aren't any serious pitfalls to spoil the fun.



Lexus GS F price and specifications

How much? From $148,800 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 351kW at 7100rpm

Torque: 530Nm at 4800rpm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

ANCAP rating: Not yet rated

Fuel use: 11.3L/100km



Drive Rating

Value: 7/10

Performance: 8/10

Economy: 2/10

Safety: 9/10

Handling: 8/10

Comfort: 8/10

Connectivity: 7/10

Space: 8/10

Servicing costs: 6/10

Resale value: 6/10

Overall rating: 7/10



The competition

Audi RS6

BMW M5

HSV Senator

Mercedes-Benz E63

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...14-gpiekt.html