2017 Lexus RC

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absolutely! AUTO REVIEW | By Steve Kursar –

The all-new 2017 Lexus RC is an absolute stunner.  It’s built off the same platform as the Lexus IS, but you would be hard pressed to see that at a glance. It combines all of the new Lexus design language with an aggressive front fascia, sleek lines and long body. This is a coupe to behold. But the new Lexus RC turns out to be a lot tamer than it appears. That’s not a bad thing if your need for speed is less important than looks, reliability and quality.  It’s bad, meaner alter-ego, the RC F, is as advertised, “all power, no mercy.”

Lexus built their brand on reliability and craftsmanship at time when other luxury brands were falling short on those two categories.  And while they are now one of the top luxury brands in the US, they have never been able to compete head-to-head with the German brands for performance and handling.  Now, that never seemed to bother the folks at Lexus, because they were selling loads and loads of cars to American drivers.  But now that the German brands have taken over as the top luxury brands in the US, Lexus wants performance to be one of their hallmarks as well.

The 2017 Lexus RC should be a big step in that direction.  Certainly from a design standpoint, it can compete with any performance car on the road.  And, of course, the interior quality is superb and very Lexus-like.  The seats hold the driver tight just as a real sports car should.  The nav screen controller has been replaced with a touchpad that may put off some, but it works very well once you get used to it.  It’s a neat innovation.

With an MSRP of $42,790, the base rear-wheel drive RC comes with 306 hp, 3.5 liter V6 engine that delivers EPA estimated fuel economy numbers of 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.  There’s an all-wheel drive variant that gets slightly lower fuel economy numbers.

But if you want the RC that can live up to excitement that you get from an Audi crossbred with a Corvette, then the RC F is just your cup of strong tea. With a starting MSRP $64,165, the RC F has a roaring 467 hp, 5.0 liter V8 that can get you from 0-60 in under 4.5 seconds. Once you test drive it, you realize it’s the only Lexus RC that matters.