2018 Lexus RC 300 Review

The 2018 Lexus RC 300 is a comfortable and stylish four-seat luxury coupe. It's a fine companion for both commuting and long-distance driving, and it offers all-wheel drive for enhanced traction in wet or snowy conditions. Beyond that, though, there's not much that we can point to as obvious RC 300 advantages.

Unlike other cars in this class, the RC 300 offers only modest performance. With an estimated 0-60 mph acceleration time of 7.3 seconds, the standard RC 300 with its turbocharged four-cylinder engine lacks pep. The V6-powered, all-wheel-drive RC 300 can do the sprint to 60 mph in a more respectable 6.3 seconds. But at that point you might as well get the even more powerful 311-horsepower RC 350. Whichever powertrain you pick, the RC's handling is dulled by the car's beefy curb weight and its infotainment system disappoints.

The 2018 Lexus RC 300 wins some points for its smooth and quiet road manners. But we think you'll be happier overall with rivals such as the Audi A5, BMW 430i or Mercedes-Benz C300 coupe.

The 2018 Lexus RC 300 is a four-seat luxury sport coupe that's available in two different drivetrain configurations. The RC 300 is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine (241 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque) and drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The all-wheel-drive RC 300 AWD is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (260 hp, 236 lb-ft) connected to a six-speed automatic. The RC 350, an even more powerful V6 version, is reviewed separately.

Standard RC 300 features include 18-inch wheels, LED headlights (with auto high beams), keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, power-adjustable front seats, simulated leather upholstery, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a 7-inch center display, and a 10-speaker sound system with satellite radio. Also standard is adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and mitigation, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, and Lexus Enform communication and remote services.

A number of option 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.

Other options include a navigation system (with a console-mounted touchpad controller, upgraded voice controls, a 10.3-inch display and smartphone app integration with Destination Search, Yelp, Pandora and iHeartRadio) and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system (must be ordered with the navigation system).

The F Sport package fits the RC with 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.

Stand-alone options include a sunroof, upgraded headlights, LED foglights, blind-spot monitoring, a limited-slip differential (F Sport only), and front and rear parking sensors.