The new RC 200t is not your mother’s Lexus. It pretty much destroys the stereotype of a soft, floaty, luxury vehicle designed more for comfort than performance.
The RC 200t is first of all a great-looking sport coupe, with classic long hood, short rear deck proportions slightly reminiscent of the Jaguar XK, with a spindle grill and LED lighting. The interior is a high-tech habitat with rich leather, a large screen for controls, and easy-to-use buttons. The front seats are comfortable, heated and cooled, and very well bolstered for aggressive driving. The rear seat is somewhat of an afterthought, as in most coupes, but an adult could sit back there for a short time. The trunk is surprisingly large for a coupe, but with a small opening that can be expanded by folding the rear seat backs.
Modern features such as adaptive windshield wipers that stop when the car is stopped, a blind spot monitor, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors are welcome components. Additional amenities include a steering wheel that automatically lifts up and out of the way when you turn off the ignition and a front seat that electrically slides forward to allow entry into the rear seat.
Power emanates from a 241-horsepower, turbo-charged, 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine and is conveyed through an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Shifts are smooth, and in sport mode the transmission holds the gears long enough to allow for some pretty spirited acceleration. Unfortunately, no manual transmission is offered. There are three driving dynamic options: Eco, sport and sport plus. In Eco, performance was only so-so, with a bit of turbo lag on acceleration, but in sport mode, things really tightened up, with very quick acceleration and almost no turbo lag. However, every time you start the car, it defaults back to Eco mode, probably to meet gas mileage requirements, so you have to remember to switch it to sport each time if you want to maximize driving fun.
Fortunately, most of the other optional goodies, such as the cooled seats and parking assist, stayed on or off, depending on how they were set when the engine was previously stopped. The car I drove had the F sport package, which tightened up the suspension and steering to create a really good handling car with plenty of feedback. It stayed flat in hard cornering and hugged the road nicely, creating a really sporty, fun, driving experience. It’s an excellent cross between a true sports car and a GT cruiser. My only real complaint is the interface with the screen that determines audio, navigation, and a variety of other driver controls. It is not a touchscreen, but rather works by touchpad between the seats, similar to the touchpad on a laptop computer. I found it a bit difficult to be precise with the controller. My millennial son, who’s much more adept on a laptop, confirmed my reservations. That said, I did improve a bit over time, so it may just be something one has to get used to and master.
You’ve got to hand it to Lexus. For years they’ve kind of been the Japanese Cadillac, making big, comfortable highway cruisers. But like Cadillac, Lexus seems to have discovered performance.
technicals 〉〉RC 200t coupe f sport
price:
> base: $41,000, including delivery
> as driven with options, $50,350
gas mileage:
> 22 city
> 32 highway
drive train:
> front engine; rear-wheel drive
> 2.0-liter, in-line twin-scroll, turbo-charged, 4-cylinder engine
> 241 horsepower
> 8-speed automatic transmission
Robert Paster (robertpaster.com) is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planning and probate.
