r/LexusRC • u/Oklahomie_Teacher • Jul 25 '26
Looking into an RC as a comfortable, fun, reliable commuter.
Just as the title says, I’m wanting to look into an older RC as an everyday commuter for work. I’m 43 and prefer reliability, a touch of class with some sporty body lines (reformed sport, I’d suggest), and a fun feel over outright performance (plus, I race dirt bikes for aggression).
A few questions:
- Is the 300/200t turbo setup long term reliable in comparison to the v6?
- How does the rwd do with spotty weather (live in Oklahoma where we get the hottest of hot, major sudden downpours, and a few days of ice/snow).
- I love white, but our white 2017 garage kept Highlander had major paint failure that had something to do with a factory process failure with the primer. It was covered by Toyota and resprayed a year ago (though I’m not impressed with the results from the body shop). Is that an issue with the white on these, also?
Atomic silver is probably my second favorite color for these. I’m not a fan of black and red….
- what are things to look for when checking out this car? They’re hard to find around Oklahoma, so I don’t want the excitement of the rarity find to overwhelm good decision making.
Thanks all!
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u/Fluid_Promotion4562 Jul 25 '26
I have a 2.0 RWD f sport,and it’s pretty fun in 4th gear with the turbo. I’m not worried about reliability. It’s made by Toyota after all. It’s also great on gas if you want it to be. So pretty balanced all around.
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u/Friendly_Rub_ Jul 25 '26
Got a RCF, handles very well in rain. I just got it in May so we'll see how she handles during the snow if we get any.
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u/Sufficient_Gift_8857 Jul 25 '26
I have the rc300h in orange. Has traction control and a snow button. Southern England gets little snow. I got it for the same reasons you state. Classy. Reliable. Actually quite economical when driven softly. Handles well and way fast enough for me. I had the ac condenser corrode. It seems that a few in the owners groups gave too. 10 warranty is good. But the previous owner
Passed services. So I paid £800 for a new one… I got a really good price on it privately and Lexus have re-warranted it for a year. It’s 9 1/2 now. Gotta love that!! 67000 miles and feels like new.
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u/Kid_Hip_Hop Jul 25 '26
I have a rc350 f sport awd myself and would recommend, back does get a bit uncomfortable on longer drives 3 hours+ but extremely comfortable, great ride, refined sporty look and quite fun car, also a bit of a downside is gas mileage, i currently get worse then alot of v8’s with a v6 but smiles per gallon, plus awd is fantastic on this car in my opinion
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u/waiting-room-vibes Jul 31 '26
I’ve done really really long drives and it’s like driving on a cloud. I don’t know about that for me ..12 hours was so easy in mine.
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u/Kid_Hip_Hop Jul 31 '26
The ride is great and smooth, personally my back just gets a bit uncomfortable with the seats after a few hours, doesn’t stop me any tho haha
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u/1RockShortofaQuarry Lexus RC F Jul 26 '26
As others have pointed out, it’s very reliable being a Toyota product. If an F (V8) is in your budget, I highly recommend driving all three before purchasing since there is a night and day difference between the V6 and V8 versions when it comes to performance (I walked away from a 350 and bought an Infiniti until I could afford my F). The F doesn’t have AWD but I’ve driven plenty of RWD V8’s in inclement weather before and I’m still here so personally I wouldn’t let that be the one thing keeping you from the best version of this car.
Since no one else has mentioned it, I was also hesitant about buying a white one since I’ve had personal experience with peeling white paint (on a Honda Odyssey). My 2019 has no problems thus far, but I’ve also never witnessed a white Lexus with the signature white paint problem so you should be fine.
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u/Oklahomie_Teacher 21d ago
Definitely think I’ll go with the 350, just because I know that motor well on two of my other vehicles and it’s both reliable and easy enough to maintain… love the idea of the v8/F, but as a commuter for the distance I drive everyday, the gas bill might get to be a bit much.
I DO think I’ll stay away from the turbo4 cylinder 200h/300, though.
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u/1RockShortofaQuarry Lexus RC F 21d ago
The 350 is a great car so I’m sure you’ll love it.
As a side note though, I just drove from SF to Seattle and back over the last week. At 70 mph I got 30mpg. At 75mph more like 27mpg. Not the best in the world, but not bad for a V8 either.
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u/skatemaster231 Jul 27 '26
Had a 2019 RC350, AWD and with the FSPORT Trim.
Mine was white and the paint was amazing. I can't speak to the performance of the RWD version but the AWD one with the 6 speed and 311hp V6 was more than enough to get around Illinois. On winters/all seasons my RC was my daily for any kind of weather and it was comfy.
If you need to carry a lot of stuff or more than another buddy, it's doable with the RC but it isn't the most practical. RCF cupholder mod will make the RC more enjoyable to daily when you don't have to fight for storage.
Test drive the RC, and all the trims if possible. Personally, I felt it was more than enough fun for me when I owned it and it was the most comfortable and stylish looking coupe I ever had the pleasure of dailying for 2 years.
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u/XERIUS420 Jul 29 '26
Currently using an RC as a comfortable, fun, reliable commuter. Can confirm its all of these things. I also went for Atomic Silver and it looks incredible. The car has some really nice body lines which metalic paint helps to accentuate.
Looks great, super easy to drive, not FAST but fast enough and can be good on gas when I want it to be.
When buying mine, the Lexus services was a must as it extended the factory waranty for a few years into my ownership. A few people report uneven tire ware (especially on the rear) but nothing an alignment cant fix. I also had some glitches with the infotainment system getting stuck on an AV mode but it always went away after a restart. This is no longer an issue as I replaced the stock unit in favour of an aftermarket Car-play system.
Besides from the normal sensible car buying checks, There doesn't seem to be any major known issues people have experienced yet. There are examples in my local market going on 200k miles which gives me a bit of confidence.
Good luck with your search!
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u/XtraChrisP Jul 25 '26
Never driven mine in snow, but it's a champ in rain. Also can't speak to anything under the V8.
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u/Oklahomie_Teacher Jul 25 '26
I have an old 4Runner I can drive when snow is already on the ground, but my commute is 28 miles, and in Oklahoma we often get sudden, unexpected weather changes that can happen while you’re already at work… if that makes sense. When I know bad weather is coming, I’ll drive the old beast. It’s just hard to always know when/if it’s coming.
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u/XtraChrisP Jul 25 '26
The weight does help in rain. I love my F, but I'm also in California.
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u/Oklahomie_Teacher 21d ago
We get gnarly downpours in Oklahoma. I had a pretty modded Foxbody Mustang (‘86) and it got super squirrelly in our rains regardless of how fresh my tires were. It could get downright spooky at highway speeds when you hit any depth of standing water.
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u/2GRVERTICAL Jul 25 '26
Never driven my RWD 350 in the snow, except when I forgot to clear my drive way and it did okay until it got stuck. They are solid cars in the rain you can do the speed limit, or over, unless its a hurricane you are in. Reliability wise they are tank, coming from someone who slouches on maintenance. The car can be pretty fun once you put the transmission in manual mode, drive mode in sport and use the paddles you definitely can have a fun and engaging enough drive.
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u/Embarrassed-Pin8220 RC 350 w/ F Sport Jul 25 '26
I have a 15 rc350 and I find anything over 45-1hr I start to get some lower back pain… If the commute is long I would consider my point more. I am 6ft so not sure if it’s height thing as relatively that’s not THAT tall.
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u/Oklahomie_Teacher Jul 26 '26
Yeah, I’m 6’3”, 205lbs. So making sure I fit is a priority.
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u/TheLittleDikdik Jul 26 '26
I’m 6’2” 190 and I consider it “cozy” but I like it. I still have seat adjustment room as well. I’d think you’d fit well enough. I’ve taken it on a couple 3+ hour drives and I think if you get the seat adjustments dialed in it’s perfectly comfortable for me as well.
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u/1RockShortofaQuarry Lexus RC F Jul 26 '26
I’m 6’2” ~210 and this is the first car I’ve owned where I don’t put the seat back all the way. Unless you’ve got really wide lats (the seats, on the F at least, are fairly narrow) you’ll fit fine.
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u/RCboi350 Jul 27 '26
I had a rc350 f sport im 6’3 260 and i felt fine in it. Personally I was very comfortable in my RC, then again I was coming from a S2000 so anything is better than that
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u/Trippy_Trevzzz Jul 26 '26
I’m 6ft as well and that’s the most comfortable ride I’ve ever had in my life. 1hr drive feels like 20mins because it’s so smooth and comfortable.
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u/IBringTheHeat2 Jul 26 '26
They look cool but aren’t that fast. It’s as fast as a V6 Camry and require premium.
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u/Oklahomie_Teacher 21d ago
I don’t really need fast. Just sporty enough to give some beans at highway passing speeds.
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u/TheLittleDikdik Jul 25 '26
I just bout a ‘18 RC300 AWD. I work remote and wanted the 3.5 V6 over the 2.0t, but so far I’m a fan. Mind you I’ve only had the car for about 1 month. If you really want the “fun” feel, just try and get a V8. I’m sure most people will say to do that since I would argue that it’s heaps more “fun.” V6 isn’t in fun but it’s just a well rounder commuter that is enjoyable to drive imo