The RC is offered with three different engines—a turbo four-cylinder and two non-turbo V-6s. Perhaps its best and most notable strength, however, is that it’s able to give its occupants a plush ride and a comfortable cabin with space for two.
Driver-assistance features—such as automated emergency braking and adaptive cruise control—are standard. In this year model, the RC receives a slight freshening look enhanced through the front and rear bumpers, revised front and rear lighting elements, a few new wheel designs, and tweaked exterior mirrors. Inside, a new analog dash clock, a revised ignition switch button, improved cupholders, and a console-mounted knee pad for the driver creates what passes smoothly as a more luxurious cabin.
Lexus further tweaked the suspension as well as the power steering and the turbo four-cylinder logic in order to help improve performance. Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa integration are now both standards, as is Lexus’s Enform Remote app which can also be paired with a smartwatch.
The optional Premium package now includes memory settings to keep driver details in its database, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, wipers draped with rain-sensors, heated and ventilated front seats, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. Entry-level RC models gather power from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 241 horsepower and mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic.
Rear-wheel drive is this model’s only setup and you will thus have to contend with that. Over the years, Lexus has largely done well to live up to its name.
The good thing is that consumers can feel this wealth of experience and creativity boiling down to them.
