3 MSF

I looked long and hard at the Macan, visiting the dealer, reading the literature and looking at all the on-line reviews. I'd have had one but as soon as you started putting anything in them (Pan roof, hi-fi etc.) the price went through the roof! From a value proposition perspective, and the aftersales relationship / experience which is second to none, the Lexus wins hands down in my opinion.

Nice but it will always look dirty. That's one of the reasons I ordered sonic titanium ; you can't see the fine coating of dust / water splashes from day to day driving. Mine's 'filthy', but it doesn't need a wash yet!

No Mark Levinson either...

2 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Screw the RC-F Im more interested in the RX you have in your profile pic! :P

I thought you might be!

Incredibly quiet - a significant step up from the previous model which I was a fan of anyway.

For a couple of weeks after letting the RC-F go (sad occasion) it felt like something was missing from my life, then I realised what it was... petrol station visits!!

Very pleased with it so far. I'm a sucker for the ML sound system, but then it is a bit special...

If you can get a good price on one of these then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. They even drive better - definitely flatter through corners, and with the 'customise' setting you can muck about with the throttle mapping, steering and suspension characteristics, which is nice.

That would be about par for the course at around 30% in the first year with VAT at 20% plus all the other first year taxes and delivery charges.

My M4 lost £17k in only 4 months, and that was only thanks to Lexus offering me £4k above the best price a BMW dealer would be willing to stump up.

It's an expensive game, of that there is no doubt my friends...

15 minutes ago, Martin F said:

Errrrr they keep tumbling.....

http://usedcars.lexus.co.uk/used-RC-F/RC-F/5.0/Birmingham/4186991-605465651-1607039.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

Mind you some of the details in the advert are a little suspicious, 1 speed autobox and hybrid. !

Errrrr... that's not an RC-F .

I purchased the above car 2 months ago. I just cannot get used to it. the suspension is so bad. its supposed to be superior because its air suspension but in fact its terrible. I supposedly upgraded from an RX400H but I consider that I down graded.

any advice / solutions please anyone ?

Did you test drive it before making the purchase? I had one and found it to be relatively firm, but not enough to be a problem. You should get your dealer to check it out if you have any issue :)

It would be inappropriate for me to disclose... let's just say the package and associated numbers work very nicely thank you... 😉

I've gone for an interior colour I've not had before, but with the full panoramic sunroof there's so much light coming in that the black interior looks great, although I did like the cream, but wasn't quite sure about the brown, and having seen the black in the flesh with the contrasting white stitching, more than happy to go with that, and probably very easy to maintain.

Exterior wise, I know your not a fan but the Sonic Titanium, especially in contrast with the black, absolutely seals the deal. The beauty of the colour is that it also 'hides' fine dust as it builds up on the car, something the darker colours aren't so good at doing, so hopefully a bit less washing required too (even though there's a free wash and vac club at Lexus every Saturday morning if you wish to take advantage of the free service; I'm usually playing golf!)

Only outstanding item in my mind is do I fit a Tracker or not? Doesn't seem to influence insurance premiums with this vehicle, and meant in the nicest possible way, who's going to nick one of these? Would be interested in your thoughts...

Congratulations on your order. I've also placed an order, Mica Blue with Noble Brown interior.

It is the near to perfect car for my needs. I drove it at a manufacure sponsored event and I loved it. I have also driven the competition. Being objective , the Cayenne is better in every respect, but it's also a lot more expensive. Regarding X5, XC90 etc it's subjective, so entirely upto the individual purchasing it.

Btw, why give up the RCF so early? Are you the same person discussing the RC-F on Pistonheads? Now that's another forum with "special" opinions.

Nice choice sir; that will look very nice I'm sure.

I agree - this isn't about 'conformity'. I don't care what others think, but I am interested in their opinions (most of the time...) so the RX wasn't a difficult decision to make (I've had two of the previous versions interspersed with an Alpina B3s Biturbo and a CLA45 AMG. My other half loves the comfort and serenity afforded by the RX, but I like to 'drive', so we alternate between drive and luxury as it seems to prevent long term ear-ache!)

Although I've not had the RCF long, I've had it longer than my previous 2 vehicles (M4 / AMG) and I'd have kept it longer, but the RX spec and colour we like is on the boat now, and with a first year service and a £495.00 VED bill right behind it for the RCF just around the corner (and the guys at Lexus offering me more for it than others would have you believe as well as a few integral and 'very nice thank you' sweetners...) irrespective of offers and discounts, the deal is right for us, and she's over the moon (serious brownie points boys!) so why wouldn't you? :winky:

The saddest thing is a function of the state of our roads and traffic conjestion; my average speed in a vehicle capable of so much more is only 28mph! I only drive a short distance to work, and rarely use the motorway, affording me an average fuel consumption of 19mpg, so looking at the cost of fuel, VED and insurance, getting a new RX will provide me with an immediate £2,300.00 (approx) annual saving = 1 week in Barbados, so job's a good'un!

Well - contrary to those readers of Autocar who just don't get it, I placed my order today. Stunning in the flesh, with some beautiful craftsmanship and finishing touches throughout, mine's on the boat and will be with me mid-Feb.

I'll be sad to see the RCF go, but then I was sad to see the M4, M3, ISF, Alpina B3s, GS and all the others go, but so many cars, so little time!

What next; LF-CC?? Who knows...

Just before I go, a very big shout-out for the Lexus team in Derby (Sian, Nick, Stuart, Scott et al) - burst tyre on New Year's Eve left me without transport over New Year, needing a tyre that will take until Friday this week to receive and fit. Thanks to the team who never fail to exceed my expectations, they gave me an NX for the week to keep me going! That's the Lexus ownership experience right there; thanks again guys :D.

Happy and safe, incident-free New Year to you all!

Probably the pedestrian detection system talking to the ahb

On a side note, £3k discount going on these already provided you buy a showroom model. They only have delivery miles on them lol

Really? Dealer told me import numbers capped with limited number of units for sale per dealership, so high residuals almost guaranteed...

Sales talk??

Dealer mentioned that, if someone walks in front of the car while full beam is switched on, the lights will individually and automatically switch to low beam so as to not dazzle that person... little things...

Well I'd expect it to considering it has auto high beams

?? Those systems are triggered by light from on-coming traffic, vehicle tail lights, street lighting or similar sources using camera technology; I think it's probably the radar cruise system talking to the lighting system on the new configuration that enables the dip function when someone walks by... just my guess :winky:

Didn't listen to it but dealer said it would be pretty good anyway. Pioneer unit he said.

Some pics from the dealership visit yesterday. The dark wood trim looks beautiful... One little interesting fact if you weren't aware, you can now set the height that you want the tailgate to open up to, which is great if you have an up and over garage door, or park in low ceiling car parks :)

Click on images for larger view:

Hate that colour though. Remind's me of the old beige Lexus you see around lol

Better than white though ;)

Nah don't like it. Looks super dull. The white stands out. I'm surprised there's no azure blue or red available

Hmm seen as though I'm out of the country, could someone check the spec on the White/Red F Sport's the dealer have? They seem to have a pan roof but I can't tell whether they have ML and HUD.

Might just grab a demo model in a few months as I know it's going to depreciate like a falling rock

Had a look at the F Sport demo yesterday. You'll get the panoramic roof and the HUD, but I'm afraid there's no Mark Levinson, and with the new configuration I have to say it's a shame because in the Premier demo it sounded absolutely amazing with the demo disc.

A few pics from the dealership visit coming up soon...

New demo RX450h Premier in Sonic T / black arrived at Lexus Hedge End/Southampton.

Love it.

Just been to Lexus Derby. All dealerships have the same launch cars, so Lexus obviously agree with you, as do I. Doesn't look 'beige' at all to me - needs to be seen in the flesh :winky:.

Dont get me wrong, im not saying the RC-F is awful or anything - its very good - but I feel it could still be a lot better than it is at the moment.

I think the engineers definitely learnt from the RC-F and made the GS-F better as a result. The gearbox feels different, its much more eager and shifts almost instantly.

Now we just have to wait for an RC-F mid-cycle refresh to see if they address some of the issues.

I agree; if there's one thing that frustrates me from time-to-time it's the gear shift speed. At higher revs in Sport + it doesn't cause any problems, but not quite so 'slick' in other modes / conditions. A software up-grade for slicker shifts? I'd pay for that. In my opinion that's one key area in which the M4 DCT trumps the RCF :(. Thankfully, it more than makes up for it as a complete package :D.

Have to say I loved my IS-F for many reasons, but the RC-F is in a different league.

It's funny - they say 'you never know what you've got 'til it's gone' - maybe those who wished they'd experienced the IS-F and didn't have the fortune to do so are kind of missing it now and the appeal is a function of it no longer being available, and the fact that the world has learned alot about the IS-F over time that has challenged many an opinion, and in a positive way more often than not.

Every purchase is a value proposition, with pros and cons to deliberate over.

I'm not really sure what you're getting at; you now mention the 'insane' C63 AMG, but first reviews state clearly that this is a vehicle almost unhandleable in the wet - "it will have you in the bushes with the faintest of prods" - Top Gear only 3 days ago. Another car that can't get the power down as it's torque delivery ISN'T linear - it peaks very quickly and stays there (in the bushes with the M4, no doubt). Don't get me wrong - I'd love a go in one, in the right conditions...

I'm very much looking forward to driving the near-perfect GS-F now though; I'll give you my thoughts for what they're worth soon after... :)

...and as it's the subject matter of the thread, it will be interesting to see what 'hit' the GS-F takes after a few months of limited (exclusive?) sales.

Let's see if it's worse than the BMW M4 and its £22k in 4 months...

In reality, the RC-F is a fantastic car with a host of different driving capabilities and characters all available at the simple turn of a dial. From a sonorous howling banshee to a relaxed, yet quiet, sporty luxury cruiser all in one package, with 835 watts of premium sounds on tap to help you further enjoy the experience if you can tear your ears away from that glorious engine note. :winky:

So to the 'elephant' in the room, why does the overweight RC-F beat the BMW M4 and Porsche Cayman GT4 amongst others in recent sprint tests? What is one of the key factors that enables this? The downward force and torque delivery rate required to ensure that the coefficient of friction isn't readily exceeded with the Michelin Pilot Sport tyres developed on the RC-F? Weight. Mass. Yes - its weight is one of the key factors making it able to get the traction on and the power down. You could put paving slabs in the boot of the M4 like folk used to do with their Ford Capris, but then the power to weight ratio becomes significantly in favour of the Lexus, and again it would be off into the distance with the M4 in tow and its balance all skewed. Smart engineering then, Lexus.

Having owned both from new, I can say through experience well in excess of a day, and through various weather and temperature conditions that the RC-F is the greater feat of engineering when comparing the two; a great all-round package. I'm yet to hear of anyone who owns an RC-F complaining about theirs yet, and surely they would be best placed to do so if it was at all necessary? Go figure... :D

I sometimes wonder where on earth some of these comments come from. It may be that I'm an experienced automotive engineer with body structure design in the portfolio, and having had the pleasure of working with Lexus design and Manufacturing Engineers in the Motomachi Plant in Toyota City for some time, to hear comments like 'they did a half-arsed job' is just completely disrespectful to the team over there (who put out the LFA not so long ago...). Tooling-cost savings on a 'lower-volume' run product like the RCF alone would probably have been reason enough to develop the hybrid chassis option whilst introducing the newer welding technologies that the GS-F will now benefit from. Toyota = Evolution, not revolution.

Secondly, why would you even consider spending £65K on an RC-F when you can get one a week old for £45k?? Get one with the TVD whilst they're apparently giving them away and you'll have a real handler right there.

And how much of an issue is the weight in your daily driver?? Not a problem in my hands, and similar to the GS-F in weight I believe (which apparently has no problems with weight)?

Two doors may also be a preference on a number of points including styling amongst others, especially if you don't have to ferry kids around and want something that looks really good (looks far better than the four-door configuration in my humble opinion.)

Many of the comments appear to be a mash-up of all the 'faults' the sponsored media churn-out whilst looking for a story, but my comments are based on a real ownership experience; I think your short-changing what is an excellent piece of engineering here, but then with all due respect it depends on what your own personal values and expectations are.

Check-out some of the more recent on-line videos where the story is changing. There's a bit more love now for the RC-F and it's ability to get the power down where and when it really matters; I don't think many RC-Fs will be spending that much time on a race-track - surely you'd by a Cayman GT-4 or similar if that's what you were after.

A couple of points:

1. I have a blue one, and they are definitely faster! :D (Lovin' that red colour too - beautiful AND a bargain my friend!)

2. What's the issue with the depreciation? I had a pretty much fully loaded £67,000 BMW M4, purchased last November, and after 4 months (and a few issues with it...) the best price I could get was £50,000 (thank you Lexus), and most others were offering nearer £45k; that's a potential hit of £22,000 in 4 months!!

Depreciation is only really an issue if you're looking to sell your vehicle early doors - but I've had so many people comment about how beautiful the RC-F is, and how fantastic it sounds, I've never had a car that still put a grin on my face after 8 months of ownership every time I sat in it (see BMW M4, which lasted only 4 months...), and I'm looking forward to driving it home from work tonight. Simple answer; make it a 'keeper' and the depreciation won't be an issue - it suddenly becomes a value proposition, and a motor you can be really very proud to own. Compared with the 'opposition', I believe the price I paid for this exclusive vehicle wasn't excessive, and I'm very confident that it'll still be purring beautifully in 10 years time (for whoever owns it!)

3. The paintwork issue puzzles me. I don't have any minor scratches or swirls on mine at all, and I was told it has a 'self-healing' clear-coat lacquer that fuses with the UV light from the sun's rays(!?) I'm not sure, but whatever it has, mine looks great, and maybe the red one had healed nicely by the time it was collected from the dealership after being left out in the sun for a few days... :hocus-pokus:

Mark.

Guys,

I had HUD on my last RX and a full-colour-jobby with rev-counter etc. in the M4, but I have to say I don't really miss it personally. Would be a shame for it not to be there, but it wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. I have to say the F-Sport in white looks the mutts-nuts; HUD or not it's high on the shopping list! :hohoho: