Why, yes, that is a hot, fast, and YELLOW Lexus RC300 you see! If you read my reviews and watch my YouTube videos, you know that I usually cover pretty practical cars and SUVs (and the occasional luxury SUV like the Lexus LX600). And I’ll go ahead and admit that the Lexus RC300 probably doesn’t fall into that category. But sometimes you have to break the mold and have a little fun.
As I was looking for cars to review this summer, I thought about what I might be driving on July 29th. That’s my anniversary. It was my husband that taught me to explore and embrace my passion for cars and I wanted to surprise him with a fun, fast car for us to drive for our anniversary.
My original plan was to book a romantic B&B on the water. We pack our overnight bags and head off in our fancy Lexus RC300 feeling more like adults than we have in years. But if you’ve been married for a long time, you know how it goes. You have an idea. The idea never comes to fruition and you end up saying, “You wanna go out to eat tonight?”
So we did. We got dressed up, took off in the Lexus for a lovely dinner, and then came right home. But it at least gave us a taste – a taste of what that dual-income, no kids life might be like (that used to be us) or what lies ahead for us as empty nesters (just a few short years away).
What the Rest of the Week in the Lexus RC300 Looked Like
When I wasn’t playing grown up, I was being decidedly UN-grown up. Because when you’re looking for someone to impress with a Flare Yellow car, you can skip the spouse and go straight to the kids.
My niece and nephew are visiting from China and they decided to come stay with me for a few days. Even if you’re an empty nester, it’s good to note that this sports car does have a back seat. You can fit four in this car, but it might not be comfortably.
While my son sat up front with me, I had to inform him that he needed to pull the seat forward to provide a little more leg room in the back. Take note, tall people should definitely ride up front!
But it’s nice to have a back seat for last minute guests or to impress a few 12 year olds boys that you’re taking home from a bonfire (ask me how I know). Or, and more practically speaking, it’s a great place to throw your way too big purse while you’re driving.
And speaking of driving, what I loved about the Lexus RC300 is that it’s the type of car that makes driving fun. In fact, on one particular day, I was having a day. To clear my head, I decided I just needed to get behind the wheel and drive.
Yes, I punched the accelerator. Yes, I looked for the curvy roads. And yes, I ended up at the local Humane Society looking at pets I don’t need. Because if I’m in a bad mood, a good drive and cute pets always make me feel better.
In case I haven’t drilled it into you’re head, I’m a firm believe in Adopt, Don’t Shop.
Let’s Talk About Driving the Lexus RC300
Now that you’ve seen all of the things I crammed into a semi-typical week, let’s take a moment to talk about the car itself.
I’ve already touched on the back seat. It’s there if you need it. But don’t make this your family sedan. It’s ideal for one or two people. Surprisingly, the trunk is quite large though. So if you are planning a couples getaway, you won’t have any problem fitting your suitcases or golf clubs in the back. And if skiing is your thing, you can even fold the rear seat flat for a passthrough from the trunk to the car interior.
On the inside, you’ll find comfortable leather seats (more on that in a minute) and a pretty straightforward interior. There’s an 10.3″ color display along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Because I’m short, I sat a little low and the bottom of the screen was cut off for me.
You’ll also see an analog clock, simple climate controls, and a kickass premium Mark Levinson sound system. This car is meant to have the windows down with the music blasting. If you’re looking for attention, that is. Which I was.
But the reason you want this car is for the driving experience.
With the F SPORT package, you mostly get appearance upgrades like the 19″ alloy wheels. But you also get the bolstered F SPORT seats that are “designed to hold you through even the most aggressive turns.” There’s one thing this car does well… H-A-N-D-L-I-N-G.
With the additional performance upgrades likeTORSEN Limited-slip rear differential, F SPORT calipers, and adaptive variable suspension, to say I had fun on curvy roads in this car would be an understatement. Your seats are positioned just over the center of gravity in the vehicle and it handles like a beast. That almost makes up for the one thing that disappointed me in the RC300. And that’s the horsepower.
While it’s a super fun car to drive and it’s not technically a sports car (it’s a luxury coupe), it looks like a sports car so I wanted it to act like a sports car. With 241hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, it felt a little underpowered even for a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine. But once you get going, the handling and zippiness are on point.
If you’re looking for your next DINK or empty nester car, take a look at the Lexus RC300 (F SPORT, please!) or if you have the need for speed, check out its cousin, the RC350.
This Lexus RC300 F SPORT has an MSRP of $47,860 and after adding in the all-weather package, the triple beam LED headlamps (which look amazing but are really hard to photograph), the navigation/audio package, the paint upgrade, and the performance upgrades, the total price for the car I drove was $53,580.
But seeing is believing so check out my video review of the 2019 Lexus RC300 F SPORT.
Video Review of the Lexus RC300 F SPORT
