2022 lexus rc 300 3.5l v6 awd coupe

1. Home
2. Lexus
3. RC

Michael Simari|Car and Driver

Overview

If you aren't careful, the 2022 Lexus RC's looks will con you into thinking it's a sporty muscle coupe with canyon-carving abilities, but behind its athletic façade it's really a big softie. You can choose from a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally-aspirated V-6, but no matter the engine the RC is best suited for comfortable commutes and boulevard cruises. The interior is comfortable and spacious—at least for the driver and front passenger—and the Lexus's plush cabin environs feel appropriately luxurious. A host of standard and optional infotainment and driver-assistance tech is available too, but nothing about the RC is cutting edge.

Where This Vehicle Ranks

What's New for 2022?

Lexus's sports coupe is wholly unchanged for 2022 and it rolls right into the new year with no notable changes to report.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

The RC is an interesting car because it looks inherently sporty; however, it fails to live up to that illusion. That makes us question stepping up to the more powerful RC350, either with or without the F Sport package. Those looking for luxury and performance from a two-door coupe should consider one of its competitors, such as the Audi A5, the BMW 4-series, or the Infiniti Q60. Instead, we'd stick with the entry-level RC300 that has all the style of the RC350 for less money. Those who want all-wheel drive can have it for about $2700 more. We'd also opt for the Premium package that adds heated and ventilated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, and more. The individual options we like are the 19-inch wheels, parking sensors, sunroof, heated steering wheel, and the upgraded LED headlights.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The RC300 is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder making 241 horsepower and mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is its only setup. We found the automatic to be a good match for the turbo four, but the engine isn't up to the task of pulling the RC around with any alacrity. Lexus offers two versions of its V-6 to address the lack of power. Under the hood of the all-wheel-drive RC300, the V-6 makes 260 horsepower and pairs with a six-speed automatic. The range-topping RC350 gets a 311-hp V-6 that teams up with the eight-speed automatic (RWD only) or the six-speed (AWD only). In our testing, we've found this engine to be velvety smooth with linear power delivery, but it's still not as gutsy as its rivals. While it managed a 5.6-second run from zero to 60 mph, the BMW 440i coupe we tested did the deed in 4.4 seconds. Ride comfort is where the RC succeeds—and it does so with honors. Upgrading to larger wheels with lower profile tires, as featured on the RC350 F Sport we tested, does put a sharper edge on the ride, but it is never harsh. The RC is not as eager as tauter coupes when it comes to enthusiastic driving, but there's still some room to play. The steering wheel transmits a good amount of road feeling, and there's enough feedback to let you know when the front tires are losing their grip on the pavement.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Fuel-economy ratings for all of the RC's available engines are unremarkable and are outperformed by most rivals, with the most efficient model—the rear-wheel drive RC300—earning ratings of 21 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. The turbocharged four-cylinder's real-world performance on our highway fuel-economy test route turned out to be a disappointing 29 mpg; in our testing, many higher-powered rivals either matched or surged past their highway estimates. In fact, the more powerful RC350 F Sport we tested exactly matched the results of the turbo four. For more information about the RC's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The RC's well-made interior is stylish, comfortable, and spacious, but only for front-seat passengers. Its wild exterior styling also comes with an interior drawback: big blind spots. The front seats in our RC350 F Sport test vehicle were supportive, well cushioned, and wrapped in supple leather. All RC models come with dual-zone automatic climate control adjusted by touch-sensitive slider controls that are surprisingly intuitive and easy to use. Cargo space is limited in the RC, so if you're looking to take a long road trip, you'd better pack light. While the RC's trunk swallowed four of our carry-on cases, it managed to add only an additional five with both of its rear seats folded. Small-item storage throughout the cabin isn't particularly voluminous, but the Lexus's rivals don't offer much, either.

Infotainment and Connectivity

All RC models come with a 7.0-inch infotainment display set inside the multi-level dashboard. The system is controlled by a knob and a series of buttons on the center console. When equipped with one of the two optional navigation packages, the system swaps the rotating knob for a laptop-style touchpad that is frustrating to use because of its imprecision. Onboard Wi-Fi with 4G LTE, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa integration are all standard, but you can't get Android Auto.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The 2022 RC has a smorgasbord of standard driver-assistance technology. For more information about the RC's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-keeping assist and lane-departure warning
• Standard adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Lexus provides a longer powertrain warranty than most of its rivals, but the rest of the RC's coverage is average. A year's worth of complimentary scheduled maintenance is nice, but the BMW 4-series offers three years of coverage.

• Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 6 years or 70,000 miles
• Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for 1 year or 10,000 miles

Specifications

Specifications

2022 Lexus RC350 F Sport AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $52,555/$59,995
Options: Mark Levinson audio package with navigation, $2725; LED headlamps, $1160; power moonroof, $1100; Infrared paint; $595; park assist, $500; illuminated door sills, $450; rear spoiler, $410; heated steering wheel, $150; door edge guards, $140; carpet trunk mat, $120; rear bumper applique, $90

ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 211 in3, 3456 cm3
Power: 311 hp @ 6600 rpm
Torque: 280 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm

TRANSMISSION
6-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 14.0-in vented disc/12.7-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Turanza EL450
235/40R-19 92V M+S

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.5 in
Length: 185.0 in
Width: 72.4 in
Height: 55.1 in
Passenger Volume: 82 ft3
Trunk Volume: 10 ft3
Curb Weight: 3986 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.1 sec @ 100 mph
130 mph: 26.6 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.3 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 132 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 162 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.86 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 19 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22/19/26 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

More Features and Specs

This content is imported from Third party. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Is the Lexus RC 300 fast?

Is the Lexus RC coupe a good car?

Is Lexus RC fast?

Is the Lexus RC 300 a V6?