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Buying 2015 RCF - Please help w/ questions.

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Old 12-07-17, 11:25 PM
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Dave83
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Default Buying 2015 RCF - Please help w/ questions.

Hey guys, I have been wanting an RC-F for quite a while, and now I have the opportunity to get one here in Cali. I have some questions, please help me out:

The car is / has: USB w/ red interior. It has the nav, backup, ML and parking sensors.

1) How can I figure out if it comes with the dynamic cruise control? is there a button or specific package? This is not a lexus dealer so they don't really know the car much.

2) The car is a 2015 with 14k miles (1 owner). Very well taken care of, looks and drives amazing. No scratches or any visible damage. The car will be out of warranty in March 2019, should I be concerned? I plan on keeping the car for 3 years and drive it about 20 miles a day, spiritedly but no street racing.

I took it for a short test drive and I was blown away by the power. I have driven 911's tesla p90D's and F-types. I don't know if it's my bias but I think this car is on a different league. Is it worth buying? have you regret buying yours? I'm getting it for under $50k. What do you think about the color? Does it get boring? I think it looks stunning, my wife thinks it looks ugly af.

LA is a busy city and I'm concerned about dumb people scratching / dinging the car at parking lots... what to do about that? XD

P.S.: I'm coming from a Mercedes GLK350, I need more power!

Thanks!

Last edited by Dave83; 12-07-17 at 11:29 PM.
Old 12-08-17, 04:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Dave83
Hey guys, I have been wanting an RC-F for quite a while, and now I have the opportunity to get one here in Cali. I have some questions, please help me out:

The car is / has: USB w/ red interior. It has the nav, backup, ML and parking sensors.

1) How can I figure out if it comes with the dynamic cruise control? is there a button or specific package? This is not a lexus dealer so they don't really know the car much.

2) The car is a 2015 with 14k miles (1 owner). Very well taken care of, looks and drives amazing. No scratches or any visible damage. The car will be out of warranty in March 2019, should I be concerned? I plan on keeping the car for 3 years and drive it about 20 miles a day, spiritedly but no street racing.

I took it for a short test drive and I was blown away by the power. I have driven 911's tesla p90D's and F-types. I don't know if it's my bias but I think this car is on a different league. Is it worth buying? have you regret buying yours? I'm getting it for under $50k. What do you think about the color? Does it get boring? I think it looks stunning, my wife thinks it looks ugly af.

LA is a busy city and I'm concerned about dumb people scratching / dinging the car at parking lots... what to do about that? XD

P.S.: I'm coming from a Mercedes GLK350, I need more power!

Thanks!
1. http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/do...f/OM24653U.pdf page 20.
2. I think it was driver bias if you felt it was better/faster than than 911 or F types, also could be due to the engine sound of a V8. Still absolutely worth buying, but at the right price for a used '15. Color looks good and the red interior always turns heads when you open the door.
3. If worried about scratching and dinging invest in a dashcam that operates with motion sensors and power bank. It can help with a lot of other stuff (accidents, evidence, etc.) as well as mitigate stupid people from doing stupid things since they will know they're being recorded.
Old 12-08-17, 06:32 AM
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lexusrus
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Congrats on getting a RCF! (Almost there). 😀😀😀😀

The USB with red interior is AMAZING!!! I have an Ultra White with black interior.

I have all options minus the CF/TVD/Performance Package.
I think PCS/Dynamic Cruise Control as an option in 2015 in the US is available, but rare. See pic. The button on the right lower steering wheel is the dynamic cruise control (not my RCF as my RCF does not have PCS)


One thing "different" about this NA V8 is that the torque comes in at "high revs" in the 6500 and up. Once you rev up to 4000+ (in Sports+), you will hear the engine comes to life (although piped in engine sound from the engine bay) where the secondary air intake opens up. So if you are more used to "turbos" where the torque comes in at low to mid rev range or a more "linear torque curve" as in some of the straight 6 cylinders/some V8's, then you will just have to get use to this different animal. Yes, an animal it IS!!

SINCE you are buying from a NON-Lexus dealership, you NEED to take it to a Lexus dealership (or at the minimum a well versed Indy shop who really knows about the newer Lexus lineups, especially the V8 Full F series). At the Lexus dealership ask them to do a pre inspection check. They will point out anything needing attention in writing PLUS give you a print out of any outstanding recalls AND TSB's AND it's service history (if done at Lexus/Toyota dealerships).

I'm always on HEIGHTENED ALERT about buying a low mileage "nice car". Question in my mind is "What happened that made the first owner ditch this VERY NICE CAR?". True gems are out there. I picked up my 2015 RCF at the end of October 2015 as a CPO Lexus at a Lexus dealership with some 18xx miles (yes one thousand eight hundred some miles) in show room condition. As it turned out some 80+ years old lady had bought it only to return back in some three months later complaining about the stiff ride giving her low back pain. She traded in for another brand new LS460. IT was only after I signed all the paperwork I was shown the paperwork from the prior owner (the salesman just wanted me to know he was not all BS). I guess since the dealership made a killing on TWO prior sales on that lady, they can let the RCF go below market to me (IDK? OR maybe bc the RCF had past the magic 90 day mark after its return on it's lot for sale the second time go around?).

BTW, if you get that RCF as a CPO from a Lexus dealership, you will have UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY for "6 years total from the date first put into service by the first owner, so it's 4 + 2 = 6) versus the standard OEM Lexus factory warranty of 4 years/48k miles. A lot of times a Lexus dealership will not put a "questionable" Lexus on its lot to sell bc they don't want to risk a customer complaining that they sold them a "bad Lexus". To get "L/Certified" rating, there are some "standards" they have to follow and it's all "spelled out" for them to follow. I realize it is not 100%, but it's better than nothing. Another "brand" of car dealership or an independent dealership will NOT hesitate to make a buck or two bc they are not accountable to anyone but themselves.

As for DA (dumbA$$) people scratching and ding your/my car, it is an unavoidable event in big cities. In small towns/protected environment (guarded private parking), then it's all OK. But still A$$H0les looming EVERYWHERE.

THE USB (and the Candy Apple Red and ULTRA WHITE) are my top three favorite colors!!!

I think you can do better than $50k, considering it's from a non Lexus dealership with no UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY (vs an L/Certified Lexus RCF from a Lexus dealership). It used to be EASY NEGOTIATIONS some 9+ months ago either used or new RCF to get more discounts. I don't know about now since the inventory is dindwling? IDK. I would think you can get a 2015 L Certified RCF from a Lexus dealership with similar mileage/condition/equipment for low to mid $40's?

Good luck.



.

​​​​


Originally Posted by Dave83
Hey guys, I have been wanting an RC-F for quite a while, and now I have the opportunity to get one here in Cali. I have some questions, please help me out:

The car is / has: USB w/ red interior. It has the nav, backup, ML and parking sensors.

1) How can I figure out if it comes with the dynamic cruise control? is there a button or specific package? This is not a lexus dealer so they don't really know the car much.

2) The car is a 2015 with 14k miles (1 owner). Very well taken care of, looks and drives amazing. No scratches or any visible damage. The car will be out of warranty in March 2019, should I be concerned? I plan on keeping the car for 3 years and drive it about 20 miles a day, spiritedly but no street racing.

I took it for a short test drive and I was blown away by the power. I have driven 911's tesla p90D's and F-types. I don't know if it's my bias but I think this car is on a different league. Is it worth buying? have you regret buying yours? I'm getting it for under $50k. What do you think about the color? Does it get boring? I think it looks stunning, my wife thinks it looks ugly af.

LA is a busy city and I'm concerned about dumb people scratching / dinging the car at parking lots... what to do about that? XD

P.S.: I'm coming from a Mercedes GLK350, I need more power!

Thanks!
Old 12-08-17, 07:12 AM
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Dave83
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Thanks for the replies. I guess it was the engine sound that tricked me, i know the 911 is faster and lighter, but the rcf felt very good and powerful when in sport+.

dealer is mclaren/maserati , its likely that the guy went for something $$$.

There is very little rc-f inventory under $50k around, and i dont want a huge payment. If I could negociate to $45k would that be considered a good deal?

I have about 2 weeks to decide. There are other options like audi s3/s4. Those are nice too, but not special.
Old 12-08-17, 07:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Dave83
Thanks for the replies. I guess it was the engine sound that tricked me, i know the 911 is faster and lighter, but the rcf felt very good and powerful when in sport+.

dealer is mclaren/maserati , its likely that the guy went for something $$$.

There is very little rc-f inventory under $50k around, and i dont want a huge payment. If I could negociate to $45k would that be considered a good deal?

I have about 2 weeks to decide. There are other options like audi s3/s4. Those are nice too, but not special.
lexus of santa Monica had NGP w/red interior a week or so ago. It was L certified w/38k miles loaded. Asking 44k. Im not sure If it' still for sale. I'm looking for one myself. Well I'm debating I'd I want a rc200t or rcf.. yeah yeah I know two different cars but I already have a high hp car so the mpg's would be nice!! Lol

if It was me unless you need a rcf asap or willing to travel I'd hold off for a CPO car. They don' sell fast from what I've seen. 45k is high IMO for a non CPO car. If I was gonna spend 45k I'd want that first free services plus unlimited mileage warranty even if car had say 25-30k miles vs non cpo with 15k miles

Last edited by dblambo85; 12-08-17 at 08:00 AM.
Old 12-08-17, 08:05 AM
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It's a supply and demand thing and VERY dependent on your location too. For example, there is a guy on CL in MN trying to sell his molten pearl ? (orange) RCF. I remembered the last time I saw on here , CL, he had lowered multiple times his asking price. Still no takers. It's in storage now bc in MN it is not a good idea to drive around in a rear drive high powered sports car in the winter. His does not have ML and has the regular halogen headlights. These two absolute will kill the deal for me bc there are plenty of others out there with.

Yes, the triple LED headlights is VERY COOL AND MUST HAVE!!!

If you like the car, then go for it. But make sure to have a pre-purchase inspection by a Lexus dealership (cost around $250 or so). You can ask the dealership to pay all of it if you buy the car or if you don't buy the car due to an adverse finding by the Lexus dealership. Get all this in writing. Now, going in after you have NEGOTIATED a fair price both parties can agree on and then ask about this. If the car checks out at the Lexus dealership, there is really no reason why you should not buy it, right? But if the Lexus dealership found something odd (and you can still live with), then you can use whatever the Lexus dealership found as leverage for more discounts, follow me? On the rare chance the Lexus dealership found something horrible, like back half of the car came from a donor RCF or flood damage or whatever........ obviously you need to run away from this deal and send the bill to the selling dealer, right?

Audi is just different.......I'm not sure if Audi's are all that reliable, especially with its "oil starving turbos/SC".

After you get your RCF......you must go check out the Borla exhaust. I recently bought a Borla and it is AMAZING!!! Sure there are others even more Amazing, like the Novel, but at 8X+ the cost of a Borla.

Go for the RCF!!


Originally Posted by Dave83
Thanks for the replies. I guess it was the engine sound that tricked me, i know the 911 is faster and lighter, but the rcf felt very good and powerful when in sport+.

dealer is mclaren/maserati , its likely that the guy went for something $$$.

There is very little rc-f inventory under $50k around, and i dont want a huge payment. If I could negociate to $45k would that be considered a good deal?

I have about 2 weeks to decide. There are other options like audi s3/s4. Those are nice too, but not special.
Old 12-08-17, 10:47 AM
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I have all of the options so I can give my take on each one of the items based on my personal experiece

Triple LED - Awesome looking, great illumination. Must have
Radar guided cruise control - Used it a few times. but I don't like cruise control in general so I can live without it
ML Premium stereo - Awesome sound. Great option to have, but not a must have
Intuitive parking assist - Absolutely a must have. A car as wide as RCF really needs intuitive parking assist to avoid any objects around you.
Lane departure alert - Nice item, but not a must have
Blind spot monitoring - This might be standard, but if you set your mirrors correctly, it is not really a must.
Cross traffic alerts - Absolutely a must have. I had a big huge truck once parked next to me and backing out in heavy traffic, it really was a huge help.
TVD/Carbon performance package - Nice to have. TVD in 'track' mode makes the back end very lively. Car really wants to turn the nose in hard. However, the standard LSD is good enough for most spirited driving.
Old 12-08-17, 02:34 PM
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Thank you all for your answers. The car has what's important to me, ML, LED, red seats =D and nav. I guess I can live without radar cruise control.

Once I'm ready to move forward, I'll tell them that I want lexus to inspect the car. I drove it and in all honesty, this 1 owner car looks and drive like a new car, very amazing feeling.

I guess I could go for a testdrive, but how different is it from a RC350 / 200t?

The lexus nav interface stinks to be honest. My 2015 mercedes is extremely easy and user friendly, I don't understand why lexus went this path.
Old 12-08-17, 03:30 PM
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No comparison to the other models of the RC line up. I've test driven the other RC models before I decided to go for the RCF. You should try it just to satisfy your curiosity. Don't get me wrong, both are nice looking fun cars. But the RCF just takes the "fun factor" to a much high level.

Since you currently have a MB. It's like between a "regular MB and the FULL AMG (not just AMG Sport)". Night and day difference. In the past I've had the regular version of the MB SLK and the SLK55 AMG both at the same time (his and her MB for us at the time). We sold the regular SLK a few years ago, but kept the SLK55 AMG. It's just not the same.

BTW, the engines on both the AMG and our RCF are "HAND BUILT". On the the AMG the guy signs his name to it and there is a placard with his signature on top of the engine. Don't know why Lexus didn't follow on this?




Originally Posted by Dave83
Thank you all for your answers. The car has what's important to me, ML, LED, red seats =D and nav. I guess I can live without radar cruise control.

Once I'm ready to move forward, I'll tell them that I want lexus to inspect the car. I drove it and in all honesty, this 1 owner car looks and drive like a new car, very amazing feeling.

I guess I could go for a testdrive, but how different is it from a RC350 / 200t?

The lexus nav interface stinks to be honest. My 2015 mercedes is extremely easy and user friendly, I don't understand why lexus went this path.

Last edited by lexusrus; 12-08-17 at 03:37 PM.
Old 12-08-17, 11:01 PM
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Originally Posted by konichiwa3
BTW, the engines on both the AMG and our RCF are "HAND BUILT". On the the AMG the guy signs his name to it and there is a placard with his signature on top of the engine. Don't know why Lexus didn't follow on this?
Really?! I didn't know that about the RCF engines. I owned an AMG and was really cool seeing the signature on the hand built engine. Also remember watching a documentary where they followed the one engine builder from start to finish building an AMG engine, cool stuff. And yes you are right, Lexus dropped the ball by not highlighting the "one man one engine" like mercedes does for their AMG but again hand built doesn't mean it's built by one engine builder. Oh well ........ still very interesting, considering Japanese car manufacturing is traditionally heavy on automation.[/QUOTE]
Old 12-09-17, 12:57 PM
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Looking further into "hand built RC F engine" in the Lexus RCF revealed that the "important parts are assembled by a human.

Please see the following video (Amazing USB RCF!!!)

Lexus really should borrow the AMG concept of one machine one man.





Originally Posted by konichiwa3
Really?! I didn't know that about the RCF engines. I owned an AMG and was really cool seeing the signature on the hand built engine. Also remember watching a documentary where they followed the one engine builder from start to finish building an AMG engine, cool stuff. And yes you are right, Lexus dropped the ball by not highlighting the "one man one engine" like mercedes does for their AMG but again hand built doesn't mean it's built by one engine builder. Oh well ........ still very interesting, considering Japanese car manufacturing is traditionally heavy on automation.
[/QUOTE]
Old 12-09-17, 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by lexusrus
Looking further into "hand built RC F engine" in the Lexus RCF revealed that the "important parts are assembled by a human.

Please see the following video (Amazing USB RCF!!!)

Lexus really should borrow the AMG concept of one machine one man.

https://youtu.be/pdRbSrsPyk4



A great idea, but highly unlikely given the Lexus/Toyota/Kaizen mentality they have about efficiency.
Great video btw.
Old 12-10-17, 06:18 PM
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You can try a clear bra to help minimize any front end damage. I'd recommend a full front end if you do a lot of highway driving. You'll have protection on the side mirrors, front bumper, headlights, hood, and fenders.

Not cheap but worth it if you're concerned about your paint.
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Old 12-11-17, 09:27 AM
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This right here. For added protection, some 3M Pro Series installers offer an optional Service Agreement that guarantees against paint damage.
Let me know if I can help point you to a qualified installer.
-Jason

Originally Posted by ToyotaJon
You can try a clear bra to help minimize any front end damage. I'd recommend a full front end if you do a lot of highway driving. You'll have protection on the side mirrors, front bumper, headlights, hood, and fenders.

Not cheap but worth it if you're concerned about your paint.
Old 12-11-17, 11:14 AM
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Originally Posted by AeroTect
This right here. For added protection, some 3M Pro Series installers offer an optional Service Agreement that guarantees against paint damage.
Let me know if I can help point you to a qualified installer.
-Jason
I would attest to this.

While parking my RCF, somehow the intuit parking assist was turned off. I got too close to the concrete pillar on my driver's side in my underground parking garage. While looking to the right corner and relying on the sensor to tell me about the left side(as it was shut off), I scraped my left rear view mirror against the pillar. I lost my mind for a few second before I got myself together and decided to pull the car back out. I got out and checked the mirror and it was still perfect. Essentially, the clear tape had protected the paint and the mirror from any type of scrapes from the concrete pillar. It is a must have on expensive cars.
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