RC-F optional equiptment

Linas.P · August 10, 2017

RC-F comes quite well equipped standard, but I am just wondering if anyone can comment on difference between option equipment?

Obviously, say sunroof is pretty common sense thing and everybody knows what to expect. But what about say Torque Vectoring vs standard Torsen LSD - is there any benefits or trade-offs between these options?

Next one up is ACC/PCS.. for me it seems it should be standard equipment considering car already has BSM, AHB and RCTA. Does it work well... I consider that I need this (give me everything... ) but would I really miss it? I guess it less of an issue for weekend toy, but if car is used for commuting then probably worth considering?

I am yet to see RC-F without ML... but I guess that is as well self explanatory. One extremely funny thing I discovered is that you can only have TVD with ML .... what is relation here (probably quite late to make a joke of this).

What is RC-F owners opinion- which options are must have and why?

rayaans · August 11, 2017

19 hours ago, Linas.P said:

RC-F comes quite well equipped standard, but I am just wondering if anyone can comment on difference between option equipment?

Obviously, say sunroof is pretty common sense thing and everybody knows what to expect. But what about say Torque Vectoring vs standard Torsen LSD - is there any benefits or trade-offs between these options?

Next one up is ACC/PCS.. for me it seems it should be standard equipment considering car already has BSM, AHB and RCTA. Does it work well... I consider that I need this (give me everything... ) but would I really miss it? I guess it less of an issue for weekend toy, but if car is used for commuting then probably worth considering?

I am yet to see RC-F without ML... but I guess that is as well self explanatory. One extremely funny thing I discovered is that you can only have TVD with ML .... what is relation here (probably quite late to make a joke of this).

What is RC-F owners opinion- which options are must have and why?

Torque vectoring - you can certainly feel the difference but in day to day driving, its probably not an option you want to tick as the standard LSD is fine for UK roads. Its expensive at nearly £4k too.

ACC/PCS- Id expect this to be standard on the facelift. It works well but can get confused sometimes (quite rare)

Dont know the relationship between TVD and ML - doesn't make sense to me either.

Linas.P · August 11, 2017

I am looking at used cars and there are almost no difference between TVD and standard Torsen, so it is more like lottery - whenever the car in right colour combo is available with TVD or not. But you right.... it is £4500 on new car because it can only be chosen with ML:

Both sunroof and ACC/PCS seems to be rare options and if you want used car with both is like looking for unicorns..

ColinBarber · August 11, 2017

no technical reason, just up-sell marketing.

Linas.P · August 11, 2017

You completely right, but I just tough it is potentially quite annoying... I doubt anyone would buy RC-F without ML anyway, but when you have forced to select it then it works like:

Can really deter some potential buyers.. I would find it more responsible to say bundle it with forged wheels and pretend "that they were balanced to work with TVD" or something.

For me it kind of doesn't matter as neither TVD not ML comes as additional cost on used car.

Martin F · August 11, 2017

I have only ever seen one car advertised without the ML, and I was quite surprised because I thought it was a standard fitment\default option.

With regards the TVD I would agree that it probably doesn't have a great impact during day to day driving (assuming you're not pushing it everywhere you go) but the cost of this as an option vs. the £18k plus for the diff as a spare part seems it will make cars with a TVD more sought after in the future.

When i was looking for mine I had the choice of a base car with only ML, about 10k less mileage and in very good condition, or a car with all options (including the light grey leather which i like as lifts the interior) and about 10k more miles and not such perfect condition. I went for the fully optioned car as I like my toys, don't do a massive annual mileage and i hope will be more desirable come resale time.

August 11, 2017

I had a choice between blue cars one was tvd with grey interior and one without tvd and black interior. I went with black interior. I don't care for radar cruise control and it's annoying to radar detector. The BSM is ace, especially as visibility isn't the best.

The ML is simply awesome. A must have.

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Linas.P · August 11, 2017

@Martin F - I agree I am yet to find one without ML... That is one of very good reasons to get RC-F over RC300h, because to find RC300h with ML is as difficult as to find RC-F without one. It seems like you have all the toys - I would make same choice as well, for me it is better to have more toys that theoretically less used car.

In terms of TVD I heard very good things about it, but I understand one would need to push car very hard to be able to tell the difference.

In terms of ACC/PCS I am really not sure, it probably depends if I would use the car as daily (that is I get RC-F at all). But I have other idea as well - get bike for daily commute (something like BMW 1000RR) and use car only for weekends, in which case ACC/PCS becomes redundant.

Again this is remote decision.

ColinBarber · August 11, 2017

1 hour ago, Comedian said:

The ML is simply awesome. A must have.

Have you spent time with the standard system? That could be almost as good.

NemesisUK · August 11, 2017

Surely the best audio in the RC-F must be the engine and exhaust? I hardly ever listen to the radio/CD in my AMG, the supercharger/engine and exhaust were the greatest symphony possible...

Linas.P · August 11, 2017

2 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Have you spent time with the standard system? That could be almost as good.

By standard you mean "Lexus Premium", because RC-F does not get the real "standard" 6 speakers poverty level system which is so "proudly" fitted RC300h/200t by default.

@NemesisUK - that is true, unless you are stuck in traffic for 30 minutes everyday and making your engine sing would be "excessive" by any standards.

August 12, 2017

13 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Have you spent time with the standard system? That could be almost as good.

Not in the RC-F but I had a 13 speaker pioneer system in previous IS which I thought was amazing. The ML is a step up though. A £1000 better? Probably not to be fair. But on a used buy may as well try and pick it up.

I don't disagree with you and standard is probably more than sufficient. I'm just impressed by the ML.

Big Rat · August 12, 2017

13 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Surely the best audio in the RC-F must be the engine and exhaust? I hardly ever listen to the radio/CD in my AMG, the supercharger/engine and exhaust were the greatest symphony possible...

@NemesisUK Peter Whereas now...............

Ah the sound of silence to ageing ears 🤗

🐀

NemesisUK · August 12, 2017

Ooo! I lurv that pink colour do Lexus do a shade similar? Would match my eyes this morning

rayaans · August 12, 2017

On a side note, worth remembering that if P/Xing the car - the options are worth maybe £1k more in total. Lexus dealers really don't offer a higher price for more options

However, they do see it as a profit maker i.e. they'll give you a similiar P/X price to a base model but when it comes to listing the car on their website, will mark up the price considerably compared to a base model.

NemesisUK · August 12, 2017

Options never add value to a car, they add saleability

rayaans · August 12, 2017

8 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Options never add value to a car, they add saleability

If that were true, they'd all be the same price!

They add to dealer profits, that what it is!

MNMJ · August 13, 2017

I think they all have ML sound, but I think here are two levels of ML. I think mine has the basic one. As you can tell, I'm not really a music nerd and don't really care. What I can say is that the system I have does a great job of playing The Dambusters and 633 Squadron whilst blasting down the autobahn at 177mph on a dawn raid.

I'm also not a driving god, so I suspect all the TVD stuff would be lost on me. It handles and goes perfectly well as standard. I had all the radar cruise stuff on my IS-F and used it once, so I have no problem without it

As for buying, anyone who specs their own brand new RC-F would be a loony, or have some trust fund to cover the depreciation. Therefore, as Martin F said, you are left with trade-offs of price, kit, mileage and condition when looking for a used one. I think I found a real bargain so put in an immediate bid when I saw it. I had constrained myself to go for Blue as a first choice, then Red, but would not want any other colour (cue abuse from the monochrome groupies), so the kit level was immaterial. (cue more abuse and gender stereotyping about girls choosing a car by colour over kit)

August 13, 2017

The brochure says ML is optional. I suspect a lot of rc-f were first in the hands of the public after been dealer management cars for 12 months.

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rayaans · August 13, 2017

3 hours ago, Comedian said:

The brochure says ML is optional. I suspect a lot of rc-f were first in the hands of the public after been dealer management cars for 12 months.

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Yes the ML is optional

The majority were demos, press vehicles or pre-reg. They had significant trouble in the first year shifting them due to the Top Gear review and hence, significant discounts were given after the 1st year on these vehicles.

wendle · August 13, 2017

unfortunately if everyone listened to Lexus reviews made by Top gear we wouldn't buy any model.

Rabbers · August 13, 2017

I never realized before reading this thread that no version of the RC300h sold in the U.K. gets the 10-speaker Pioneer audio system even

as an optional, which is odd since I believe it is available just about everywhere else and is normally standard on the F-Sport. It crosses

my mind that this might be a ploy to get customers to stretch for an ML, but I would have serious doubts about it being successful.

rayaans · August 13, 2017

9 minutes ago, Rabbers said:

I never realized before reading this thread that no version of the RC300h sold in the U.K. gets the 10-speaker Pioneer audio system even

as an optional, which is odd since I believe it is available just about everywhere else and is normally standard on the F-Sport. It crosses

my mind that this might be a ploy to get customers to stretch for an ML, but I would have serious doubts about it being successful.

The 12 speaker Pioneer system comes as a package called Premium Nav

The ML is an option.

NemesisUK · August 13, 2017

The 10 speaker Premium Nav comes as an option on the RC300h, the Mark Levinson 17 speaker sound system is only available as part pf the Premium Nav system. There's also an option of Lexus Nav system that comes with the standard 7 speaker sound system.

The 17 speaker ML + Premium Nav system is only standard on the RC300h Premier model. The 6 Speaker/1CD, Lexus Media Display , DAB, Rotary Remote Touch Controller is standard on the Sport and Luxury models