2017 Lexus RC 200t Review

Held back by middling performance and frustrating user interfaces, the 2017 Lexus RC 200t falls well short of the benchmark set by many of its rivals. Yes, it's comfortable, stylish and fuel-efficient, but you'd be better served by other luxury sport coupes.

Also, controlling the navigation and entertainment features through the Remote Touchpad is an exercise in frustration. Further hurting the RC's chances of becoming a top pick is the lack of storage and cargo space. If all you're after is a stylish and comfortable luxury coupe, the RC 200t may satisfy. But overall we think other luxury sport coupes will deliver a better all-around experience.

The 2017 Lexus RC 200t is a luxury sport coupe that represents the base model for the RC lineup that continues with the RC 300 and RC 350 models. Standard features are mostly identical among these variants, with the engine the most significant difference. The RC 200t is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (241 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque) paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

Standard feature highlights include 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, power front seats, premium vinyl upholstery and a 60/40-split folding rear seat, Bluetooth connectivity, a 7-inch center display, voice controls and a 10-speaker sound system with satellite radio. Also standard is Lexus Enform Service Connect, which provides access to vehicle status and maintenance alerts via a smartphone app.

A number of options packages are offered, although availability can vary depending on where you live. The Premium package adds heated and ventilated front seats, auto-dimming side mirrors and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Luxury package includes those items plus automatic wipers, perforated leather upholstery, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and driver-seat memory settings. The All-Weather package offers headlight washers, windshield wiper de-icer, water-repellent front door windows and a supplementary electric cabin heater.

The Navigation package adds a console-mounted touchpad controller, a navigation system, upgraded voice controls and smartphone app integration (including Destination Search, Yelp, Pandora and iHeartRadio). The Navigation/Mark Levinson package adds a 17-speaker surround-sound audio system.

The F Sport package pads on appearance items such as a mesh grille and a unique front fascia along with substantive bits including 19-inch wheels with summer tires, adaptive sport-tuned suspension dampers, upgraded front brake pads and sport front seats. F Sport models also get perforated leather upholstery and trim, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, driver-seat memory settings and a special instrument cluster.

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions, although trim levels share many aspects. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the 2015 Lexus RC 350 Coupe with the F Sport package (3.5L V6 | 8-speed automatic | RWD). Note that although we have not yet evaluated the Lexus RC 200t that uses a smaller and less powerful engine than the RC 350, our findings here are broadly applicable to the RC 200t. Since this test was conducted, the RC has received only minor revisions.