Discussion
Quick one, I am seriously tempted by an RCF but totally unsure of how usable the rear seats are ... we have a 3yr old and her car seat would need to be used in the rear.
Does anyone have experience of the rears in these, seems difficult to judge from pics online.
My alternative is a GSF but these are obviously substantially bigger and more 5series-ish
Does anyone have experience of the rears in these, seems difficult to judge from pics online.
My alternative is a GSF but these are obviously substantially bigger and more 5series-ish
I have done lots of miles in the RCF....great car, but not without its flaws.
Attention - It gets lots of attention. Its relatively rare and looks imposing on the road and when parked up. Its also VERY loud on cold start up and fairly loud around town. This could be good or bad...
Engine - Magic. Sounds glorious above 3500rpm and pulls really hard in its last 2000rpm. However, its relative lack of torque, long gearing (75-80mph 2nd gear and 110mph 3rd gear) and fat arse make it flat as a pancake down low. If you get caught napping or your revs drop down to 2/3k then the performance can be disappointing. If you are willing to rev it hard and use the gears it sounds fantastic and really motors on, sticks to the tail of a 6.2 C63.
Gearbox - Weak link. Its pretty naff compared to the ZF8 speed you see in a lot of cars. It will hold onto the red line, but its not lightning quick so you have to get used to shifting slightly early in manual mode to avoid the limiter. In auto mode its ok, but as the car needs to rev you sometimes find the box dropping too many cogs. e.g squeeze the throttle to make a gap on the motorway and as its not massively torque'y it will drop 2gears and smash you into the gap at 100mph!
Handling - Weight is this cars worst enemy. Its big and fat at 1800kg and you can feel it when pushing on. The weight does make the car feel solid on fast A roads though, but push the car hard in tight B roads and the front will wash out pretty quickly. Its also pretty STIFF, be prepared to hang on tight on bumpy roads. Traction surprisingly good in the dry, no launch control - but if you hook it up and limit the wheel spin it scrambles away nicely.
Interior - is lovely. Seats are comfy. Stereo is fantastic. Each element of infotainment system functions well, but its a nightmare to navigate using the controller. Sat Nav not great. Miles behind Audi MMI or BMW iDrive.
Rear - 2 Seats only, very tight for adults. You can fix a child seat in without too much trouble (slide seat forward, climb in the back and fix it in). My 2.5yr old has done many journeys, HOWEVER the problem is getting them in and strapping them up. The doors are massive and the seat is quite far back from the pillar. I normally fold the passenger seat forward and stand her up on the floor and let her climb into her seat. I then hop into the back lean on the back of the front seat and strap her up!! Whilst its possible its not something I would want to do on a daily basis, plus its a nightmare in a tight car park as the doors are so large. The back seats are also right on the rear axle (which is stiff remember), so its a very bumpy ride in the back.
Economy - Drive it hard and be prepared to spend half your week at the fuel station. You can drain a tank in less than 200miles, or stretch to 300 if you take it easy. Long journeys into Europe at fast cruising can see 25-28 mpg. But nipping around town will see late teens...
Reliability - Bomb proof so far. 30,000miles and not a foot wrong. Great Lexus customer service.
Overall a bloody good car, fast and feels almost exotic compared to an M3. But approach it as more of a GT car, if you want to grab it by the scruff and rally it around everyday you will find it disappointing as the weight just dulls everything a bit. If I had the cash Id love to buy one and strip away 300kg - it would be an animal.
Good luck.
Attention - It gets lots of attention. Its relatively rare and looks imposing on the road and when parked up. Its also VERY loud on cold start up and fairly loud around town. This could be good or bad...
Engine - Magic. Sounds glorious above 3500rpm and pulls really hard in its last 2000rpm. However, its relative lack of torque, long gearing (75-80mph 2nd gear and 110mph 3rd gear) and fat arse make it flat as a pancake down low. If you get caught napping or your revs drop down to 2/3k then the performance can be disappointing. If you are willing to rev it hard and use the gears it sounds fantastic and really motors on, sticks to the tail of a 6.2 C63.
Gearbox - Weak link. Its pretty naff compared to the ZF8 speed you see in a lot of cars. It will hold onto the red line, but its not lightning quick so you have to get used to shifting slightly early in manual mode to avoid the limiter. In auto mode its ok, but as the car needs to rev you sometimes find the box dropping too many cogs. e.g squeeze the throttle to make a gap on the motorway and as its not massively torque'y it will drop 2gears and smash you into the gap at 100mph!
Handling - Weight is this cars worst enemy. Its big and fat at 1800kg and you can feel it when pushing on. The weight does make the car feel solid on fast A roads though, but push the car hard in tight B roads and the front will wash out pretty quickly. Its also pretty STIFF, be prepared to hang on tight on bumpy roads. Traction surprisingly good in the dry, no launch control - but if you hook it up and limit the wheel spin it scrambles away nicely.
Interior - is lovely. Seats are comfy. Stereo is fantastic. Each element of infotainment system functions well, but its a nightmare to navigate using the controller. Sat Nav not great. Miles behind Audi MMI or BMW iDrive.
Rear - 2 Seats only, very tight for adults. You can fix a child seat in without too much trouble (slide seat forward, climb in the back and fix it in). My 2.5yr old has done many journeys, HOWEVER the problem is getting them in and strapping them up. The doors are massive and the seat is quite far back from the pillar. I normally fold the passenger seat forward and stand her up on the floor and let her climb into her seat. I then hop into the back lean on the back of the front seat and strap her up!! Whilst its possible its not something I would want to do on a daily basis, plus its a nightmare in a tight car park as the doors are so large. The back seats are also right on the rear axle (which is stiff remember), so its a very bumpy ride in the back.
Economy - Drive it hard and be prepared to spend half your week at the fuel station. You can drain a tank in less than 200miles, or stretch to 300 if you take it easy. Long journeys into Europe at fast cruising can see 25-28 mpg. But nipping around town will see late teens...
Reliability - Bomb proof so far. 30,000miles and not a foot wrong. Great Lexus customer service.
Overall a bloody good car, fast and feels almost exotic compared to an M3. But approach it as more of a GT car, if you want to grab it by the scruff and rally it around everyday you will find it disappointing as the weight just dulls everything a bit. If I had the cash Id love to buy one and strip away 300kg - it would be an animal.
Good luck.
That’s an amazing synopsis ... thank you and exactly like I was expecting. Might not be suitable then as we will have either my wife’s TT or this for family duties ... the GSF may be the way forward.
There isn’t a Lexus dealer close that has one unfortunately although I am in South Yorkshire next week so may get the chance to have a look then and go from there
Thank you muchly, it’s massivey appreciated
There isn’t a Lexus dealer close that has one unfortunately although I am in South Yorkshire next week so may get the chance to have a look then and go from there
Thank you muchly, it’s massivey appreciated
alorotom said:
That’s an amazing synopsis ... thank you and exactly like I was expecting. Might not be suitable then as we will have either my wife’s TT or this for family duties ... the GSF may be the way forward.
There isn’t a Lexus dealer close that has one unfortunately although I am in South Yorkshire next week so may get the chance to have a look then and go from there
Thank you muchly, it’s massivey appreciated
No worries...There isn’t a Lexus dealer close that has one unfortunately although I am in South Yorkshire next week so may get the chance to have a look then and go from there
Thank you muchly, it’s massivey appreciated
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