Hi guys I have a 2009 ISF and love the car in almost every way, except, the ride is harsh for the street where it only goes. So looking for a change, and intrigued by the RCF. However I tested one and it felt heavy and slow. It may have been in comfort mode, I didn't check and need to test drive again. What is it like in Sport+? Anyone move to an RCF from an ISF? What are the first mods you did? Thanks

 

I am an RCF (with carbon/TVD package) owner in Calgary. Did not own an ISF, but I have driven one a couple of years back. You must be in ECO mode in the RCF because the power is cut back seriously in ECO mode or it had under inflated tires since with proper inflation, the suspension, chassis feel very stiff. In Sport+ mode, the RCF feels very snappy as the throttle response becomes extremely sharp. It is so hyper alert that my wife thought it Is a light car. LOL The VGRS steering becomes very tight and heavy. In manual mode with Sport+, you will get more of the engine/induction noise piped into the cabin. If you pick 2017+, the AVS will become stiffer as well, but from what I have heard, in the stiffest mode, it is not stiffer than the 2015, 2016 model, but it gives the suspension more dynamic ability to change the dampening based on the road conditions.

I think the interior technology and luxury, the edgy design and the higher revving V8 engine (and the sound) really made it a no brainer for me over an ISF. RCF is also incredibly rare in Calgary on the road.

You can watch this ISF owner reviewing the RCF


Turn on caption

 

agree with 05rollaxrs. the tech gadgets , interior material and refinement was worth it alone.

i came from a 2009 ISF to RCF. RCF has longer gears, tops at 70 second gear where as the ISF was barely at 60mph in second gear. First RCF felt kind of sluggish but second RCF with the torsen LSD felt very nice to me. yes sport plus makes a difference. the RCF is so much quieter inside the cabin, worth the car being a little heavier than the loud interior m3 sedan. regardless the RCF is a faster car than the ISF. i love my RCF , its just great sounding reliable 2 seater from lexus thats very quick on the streets.

 

Power wise I think the RCF is just a little faster than a stock ISF. Weight is heavy but you really don't feel it, it feels lighter than it is except on sharp turns going really fast then you can tell. Now as for the test drive I'll be the the one to tell you that the first time I drove it I thought it was slow too but then I realized that I was mainly driving in Normal mode. Sport + makes a huge difference. Huge difference. It shifts faster and at a higher rev. Also when you brake it downshifts for aggressive engine braking as well. I suggest you go test drive it again and drive it sport + mode.

 

Hi guys thanks for the replies. I will definitely give it another try in sport+. A 2017 would not be in my budget so do you think in confort it would ride alot softer than my ISF? What colour RCF do you guys own? On a different note, I am older guy and litres/100 K doesnt mean much to me, and I can relate more to MPG. I beleive you can switch the units so it will display imperial and MPG, can you guys in Canada confirm this? Thanks

 

Came from a 2008 IS-F. Test drove my first RC-F, which was apparently in ECO mode, and was overly underwhelmed. Did another test drive in Sport+ and loved it. I've since owned two RC-Fs (TVD and non-TVD). Kept the TVD model and added the Joe-Z exhaust. VERY pleased. Despite its alleged weight issues, the RC-F is fast enough for just about anyone and anything you meet on the streets...

 

The gears are identical on the two vehicles. The tires are different. That's all.

 

If 2017 is out of your budget, the 2015 and 2016 do not come with adjustable suspension. It will feel stiff in daily driving especially if the roads are not that good, but nothing overbearing or jarring. My wife perfectly likes the ride of my non-AVS 2015 RCF.


I had been hunting for RCFs for over 2 years. They come up quite a bit on autotrader, but there are only two versions available north of the border. Mine is ultra rare carbon package/TVD in Molten Pearl. Keep in mind, those wheels in the picture are only exclusive to the carbon package. The standard LSD model comes with the other type of wheels (10 spoke polished wheels).




It is fully digital gauge cluster. I am sure you can do that. Have not checked my user manual, but I think it should be easy to do.

 

What's MPG? Come on! If it's empty refill it. I'm pretty sure you can't change it at least the us models.

Regarding the ride. Should be more liveable than the ISF. I have a 2015 and I daily drive iit. Didn't they improve the ride quality in the later models?

 

That is a wild colour!

 

Not necessarily. Here in the states those wheels are available with the premium package.

 

Mine? If so, yeah it does attract a lot of unwanted attention on the road. LOL

That is why I prefaced it with "North of the border". There are only two variants available. Both have all of the options including ML sound system, heated steering, radar cruise control, LDA assist, cross traffic etc. Only difference is LSD and 10 spoke wheels vs Carbon fibre/TVD and the 20 split spoke wheels.

This is a random picture of a "standard" model sold here

 

Yes 05RollaXRS I was referring to your car. Hey on a different topic what do you use for speed monitoring counter measures against radar/lidar? Alberta is alot more intense than BC...

 

No, not yet. Just am very careful. Though, my RCF is hibernating till April, I have never been pulled over by a cop in 6 years (2012). It is quite the attention magnet, but have not got me into trouble. I have a baby seat in the back and 95% of the time my wife and daughter are with me so the only thing I ever do is downshift to third gear merging on the on-ramp and let the engine howl to redline and then I usually let off or maybe take off and redline in 1st and 2nd gear and then let off. RCF gears are quite a bit longer due to higher redline. 1st goes to 85 km/h and second tops out at 113 km/h. Third goes to nearly 170 km/h.

I have had from Honda Civics to Subaru STi, Honda CBR 600 bike to BMW 335s trying to have a go at me, but I usually laugh it off with my wife. The car feels so special even when you are going 4/10ths.

If you are in the market for an RCF and are OK with the non-AVS 2015 then this is a great deal. It has the carbon/TVD package. Only 20,000 km in Vancouver. The liquid platinum color is also amazing.

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/lexus/rc%20f/vancouver/british%20columbia/5_36297229_20171120141858224/?showcpo=ShowCpo&orup=5_6_6&pc=V5H%203Z7&sprx=100

Here is another one with 27,000 km in blue. Also has a carbon/TVD package.

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/lexus/rc%20f/langley/british%20columbia/5_36448773_20060918162202741/?showcpo=ShowCpo&ursrc=hl&orup=4_6_6&pc=V5H%203Z7&sprx=100

 

Thanks, I saw those on auto trader. What mods have you guys done? I have the joez cat back on my isf and takeda intake, front lip and rear diffuser...