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I’ve been reading the RC First Generation forum to understand peoples’ driving impressions of the RC350 F-Sport. To date, everyone seems to be focused on how the car looks rather than on how it drives. My husband and I currently own a 1997 Lexus ES300 (comfortable, but not much fun to drive) and a 2009 Honda S2000 (great fun, but not comfortable). We are thinking of changing cars to have more fun on trips, and are trying to decide between a “single car” solution (the RC350 F-Sport) or a “two car solution” (our ES300 and a 2015 Corvette Stingray Z51).
We aren’t looking for a track car, but we want a car with an exciting drive train that is fun in the curves, yet comfortable enough to travel distances. I’d appreciate hearing about your driving impressions of the RC350 F-Sport, especially in comparison to the C7 Corvette (if you’ve had a chance to drive one) in terms of driving fun and comfort.
I have both. By far the C7 is more fun to drive. The RC350 is more luxurious and comfortable. Having said that, the Vette is plenty comfortable and can be taken on road trips no problem. There is actually quite a bit of storage in the hatch for luggage. If your main criteria is the driving experience no question the C7 is the better option. The RC350 would be a better choice as a daily driver that could be used for the occasional backroad spirited drive.
The are two completely different cars. I use the RC as my daily driver and the C7 as my weekend fun car.
Wouldn't the price of the Z51 Stingray be closer in price and performance of the RCF?
If you need a set of "temporary" back seats and practicality is important, then the RCF is for you. For sheer fun factor, I would go for the Z51 with manual. I think both would require a 2 car solution since both aren't the most practical when carrying passengers or stuff.
Apples to oranges in my opinion. The RCF would be a more comparable car to the Corvette. As it is now, there is a considerable power difference between the regular RC and Vette (at least on paper- I haven't driven either).
The Chevy is also going to attract A LOT of attention from the authorities and other drivers. All the ones I've heard are loud and being driven aggressively (because of all that power). Some people are okay with attracting attention, others want to blend in and cruise.
sajonf, your cars are beautiful! Thank you so much for your reply. Because you own both cars, your feedback is particularly helpful. Just a couple of questions: 1) Is the Corvette’s passenger legroom sufficient for my 5’11” (32” inseam) husband to be comfortable for trips, and 2) Which car (RC350 or C7 Z51) has the better sound system? We may eventually end up with both the RC350 and Corvette, but for now our focus is to have a fun travel car.
When I posted my question, I was aware that the RC350 F-Sport and Z51 C7 are not directly comparable. The reason for this is that the “one car” scenario appeals if we can find a more practical car that’s also fun to drive on curvy roads. The “two car” scenario makes sense if it is impossible to find a practical car that is fun enough. Regarding the C7 Z51 vs the RC-F, we favor the C7 Z51 for three reasons: the weight of the Corvette is possibly 600 pounds lighter than the RC-F (better handling); the Corvette has significantly greater torque (especially at low RPM); the Corvette coupe has a removable roof which means we don’t completely lose the outdoor experience of our S2000.
The main negatives for the Corvette are the forward and over-the-shoulder lack of visibility (due to the low seating position) and the lack of passenger legroom (my husband and I take turns driving and he finds the legroom tight because of his 5’11” height and 32” inseam). If anyone has both a Z51 Corvette and a RC-F, I would be very interested in driving impressions on the two cars.
you can drive the RC a heck of a lot more as a DD than a vette. No doubt the vette will crush the RC on the track but the RC will crush the vette in DD
sajonf, your cars are beautiful! Thank you so much for your reply. Because you own both cars, your feedback is particularly helpful. Just a couple of questions: 1) Is the Corvette’s passenger legroom sufficient for my 5’11” (32” inseam) husband to be comfortable for trips, and 2) Which car (RC350 or C7 Z51) has the better sound system? We may eventually end up with both the RC350 and Corvette, but for now our focus is to have a fun travel car.
The Corvette's passenger legroom is more than enough. I am 6"0 (have no idea what my inseam is ) and I am perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat. The transmission is in the rear of the car so the center area where the "torque tube" resides is pretty narrow. I would suggest hitting a local dealer and having him sit in one.
I would have to say the Lexus has the better sound system (I have the non ML) but not by much. My C7 has the 10 speaker Bose Surround system and it's pretty good. I had a C6 with a Bose system and it was horrible. They have come a long way with the C7. If you listen to CDs though you will be disappointed as it does not have a CD player.
I would agree that the C7 is much harder to see out of from the rear and blind spots. If you set the side mirrors properly it is manageable. The large mirrors and blind spot indicator system on the Lexus are very helpful.
I think you would be happy with either scenario you are considering as they are both great cars for different reasons. I would suggest both of you spending a Saturday test driving each car thoroughly and see which one pulls at your heart strings the most
The Corvette's passenger legroom is more than enough. I am 6"0 (have no idea what my inseam is ) and I am perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat. The transmission is in the rear of the car so the center area where the "torque tube" resides is pretty narrow. I would suggest hitting a local dealer and having him sit in one.
I would have to say the Lexus has the better sound system (I have the non ML) but not by much. My C7 has the 10 speaker Bose Surround system and it's pretty good. I had a C6 with a Bose system and it was horrible. They have come a long way with the C7. If you listen to CDs though you will be disappointed as it does not have a CD player.
I would agree that the C7 is much harder to see out of from the rear and blind spots. If you set the side mirrors properly it is manageable. The large mirrors and blind spot indicator system on the Lexus are very helpful.
I think you would be happy with either scenario you are considering as they are both great cars for different reasons. I would suggest both of you spending a Saturday test driving each car thoroughly and see which one pulls at your heart strings the most
Interesting thoughts...we were considering the C7-Z51 package before settling on the RC350. Having owned a C6 with slightly less hp than the C7, the C7 is of course much more powerful than the RC but having said that, the F Sport package has some likeness to the Z51 package and both have the 8 speed autos. I feel the RC will not attract the undesired attention the C7 will. In the end we decided to save about 20K and try the Lexus brand. We are exceptionally happy with our F Sport to date and are not looking back!
Interesting thoughts...we were considering the C7-Z51 package before settling on the RC350. Having owned a C6 with slightly less hp than the C7, the C7 is of course much more powerful than the RC but having said that, the F Sport package has some likeness to the Z51 package and both have the 8 speed autos. I feel the RC will not attract the undesired attention the C7 will. In the end we decided to save about 20K and try the Lexus brand. We are exceptionally happy with our F Sport to date and are not looking back!
Thanks for the feedback! We've had our current Lexus for 18 years and experienced excellent reliability and great customer service. I'm sure you'll enjoy your Lexus.
For us, a new car would be a travel car not a daily driver so the practicality issues are less important than fun and comfort. However, I agree with you about not wanting undesired attention. At the same time, the C7 Z51 seems like more of a "special car." It's a dilemma which has us flipping back and forth between the RC350 F-Sport and C7 Z51.
If you need to DD a Vette, just make sure to check the Magnetic Ride option. The RC and Vette are comparable in MSRP if you are considering the F-sport but I would think that the Vette would be the better choice since it basically ditches the child rear seats for luggage space.
We had a S2000 for 13 years. It was, and is, a great car. Our daughter is enjoying it now.
We have a C7, convertible, Z-51, 7 speed & mag ride. We just took delivery of a RC-F.
We find both to be very comfortable and fast. They both handle very very well. Both greatly exceed my abilities.
I am 5'11 and can ride comfortably in the C7 passenger seat although I wouldn't mind more leg room.
I find rearward vision in both to be limited(C7 top up). The head rests, both front & rear, limit me in the RC-F. The blind spot monitors really help in traffic.
They are very different vehicles. We greatly enjoy both of them.
I really do not like the tires on either of them. They chatter in tight turns when cold. The C7 hydroplaned on me during reasonable driving. The rear of the RC-F kicked out the other evening.....cold &tires?, road surface?, HP?
We have traveled in the C7. It has been a pleasure. We haven't travel far in the RC-F yet but expect it will be great too.
The RC-F has more luggage capacity. The C7 gets better gas mileage.
I think I prefer the RC-F for a daily driver. For a trip? I think it depends on the trip.
If you have any specific questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them........or at least offer my opinion.
12-08-14, 05:43 PM
RC350 F-Sport or C7 Corvette Z51 Stingray?
) and I am perfectly comfortable in the passenger seat. The transmission is in the rear of the car so the center area where the "torque tube" resides is pretty narrow. I would suggest hitting a local dealer and having him sit in one.
