Selling an RC F

k80 · December 3, 2022

Extremely sad... but reality check means I can't afford to run it... no surprises there really. I do feel a bit of a fool but gotta look forward. Numbers on a spreadsheet feel different in reality, lesson learnt, the hard way, as ever! I love this car but I have not been able to enjoy it, just stressed all the time about my financials. If I had more space and some savings I would have a bought myself a runner to save costs but ultimately not an option 😞

All details in the ad! Let me know if you have any questions if you do happen to be interested.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202212032241846

DAW · December 3, 2022

Really sorry to hear that but completely understandable if the stress is ruining the experience for you.

Good luck selling the car - I do love the car in that colour.

Hopefully things will improve at some point soon 🤞🏻🤞🏻 & given the build quality of these cars, you will be able to return in future 👍🏻

Jgtcracer · December 3, 2022

Hope you get a quick sale. Fuel has dropped a bit recently, just hope there is a buyer out there for it.

k80 · December 3, 2022

Thanks for the support, very tough decision. Got a viewer already day one who seems serious and lots of interest. So I rose the price a bit. Still want to keep it though 😅

Jgtcracer · December 4, 2022

8 hours ago, k80 said:

Thanks for the support, very tough decision. Got a viewer already day one who seems serious and lots of interest. So I rose the price a bit. Still want to keep it though 😅

If it’s any comfort I can’t imagine anyone finds running an F-car particularly easy at the moment compared to a ‘normal’ car. It’s probably one of the cheaper cars in its class but doesn’t make it any easier when it’s 23mpg.

DAW · December 4, 2022

15 hours ago, k80 said:

Thanks for the support, very tough decision. Got a viewer already day one who seems serious and lots of interest. So I rose the price a bit. Still want to keep it though 😅

Glad at least the selling side is going well👍🏻

Marlinleg · December 4, 2022

k80 at least you are doing the right thing you've got your priority's right. If it's any consolation people my age on this site are retired and we're working in better Financial Times myself no debit or Mortgage for 20 yrs. k80 better times will come. you know you've done the right thing 👏👏👏👏👏 take Phil

hockeyedwards · December 4, 2022

Times are tough and realistically isn't going to slow any time soon. If you can give yourself some peace and sleep better, then it is the right decision. At least you aren't digging yourself into a financial hole just to uphold an 'image'.

Always a shame when head and heart conflict, but maybe down the line when things settle, the opportunity will come around for you to own again. Plenty of members have gone and returned.

Best of luck with the sale and some easing of your woes!

k80 · December 5, 2022

Thank you all for being so super, it actually means a lot as it has been such a difficult decision. Yesterday I was convinced I would not sell it 😂. But I've got a lot of interest so now I am just determined to get the best price for it so I can feel good about this more than bad. Thanks again, will update the post when it's gone. Perhaps in the future I'll go for a Solar Flare one, definitely would own this car again without a question of a doubt!!!

Jgtcracer · December 5, 2022

1 hour ago, k80 said:

Perhaps in the future I'll go for a Solar Flare one, definitely would own this car again without a question of a doubt!!!

Funnily enough, recent government surveys found that solar flare owners are statistically 100% more likely to have great taste, more friends and be more successful than any other colour in the RCF range!

Jokes aside, good luck with the sale.

BillNick · December 5, 2022

On 12/3/2022 at 10:08 PM, k80 said:

Thanks for the support, very tough decision. Got a viewer already day one who seems serious and lots of interest. So I rose the price a bit. Still want to keep it though 😅

I did think it was a little cheap initially - good move.

Good luck with the sale, hopefully we will see you back again some time.

Rob RCF · December 6, 2022

Sorry to hear you're having to sell so soon. I'm well aware of how situations can change and sometimes you need to make the "sensible" choice. It sucks, but it will pay off in the long run.

Btw, I'm glad you raised the price as the original listing seemed far too cheap for an RCF.

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · January 2, 2023

I bought this car 😮.

Ive gone from a manual transmission mk7.5 Golf R to this & while I like the RCF im struggling with the transmission a bit, seems a bit disconnected from my inputs with the throttle. Although i think I need to give it more time to get used to it & find the best way to drive it, im intrigued by the A'pexi throttle controller, sounds like it could be a really good improvement.

Jgtcracer · January 2, 2023

28 minutes ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

I bought this car 😮.

Ive gone from a manual transmission mk7.5 Golf R to this & while I like the RCF im struggling with the transmission a bit, seems a bit disconnected from my inputs with the throttle. Although i think I need to give it more time to get used to it & find the best way to drive it, im intrigued by the A'pexi throttle controller, sounds like it could be a really good improvement.

Just give it a bit of time, it’s quite a change from a turbo manual so driving style will no doubt need to adapt. In which way are you disappointed?

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · January 2, 2023

It feels like im not in control of the power delivery, I press the accelerator, theres a pause while It decides to kick down a gear & then either I didnt press enough & it doesnt really accelerate much or I overcooked it & it takes off more than I thought or I feel it struggling for grip. Every movement of the pedal in a manual is in sync with the output of the engine, I feel a real disconnect with this. I think I might try just always using manual mode.

The only other automatic ive had was a mk4 supra twin turbo, mainly because manuals were so rare. It dont remember having such issues with that, but it was only a 4 speed.

Jgtcracer · January 2, 2023

The kickdown mode on the pedal is going to make it do that I guess so it’s going to feel like that, particularly at lower speeds. The gearbox character will also change depending on the drive mode you are in. It will feel lazy in Eco and eager in sport+. I’d suggest sticking with it in auto and playing with the modes to find a setting you like when cruising around. Manual is good but is designed for booting it around.

Think of the RCF as a GT car with manual for spirited driving. It gets compared to a BMW M4 but in reality is a more comfortable cruiser with loads of power than sports car.

hockeyedwards · January 2, 2023

@RadicalCoupe-Fuji Welcome to F-club!

Manual turbo to NA 8spd auto are very different indeed!

SS/SS+ with manual mode = solution 😆, if I'm wafting about then usually auto and normal, but anything remotely spirited, into manual mode and SS/SS+

Few people have used the Apexi throttle controller with success, give the car and yourself some time and then you can decide if required 🙂

Rob RCF · January 2, 2023

2 hours ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

It feels like im not in control of the power delivery, I press the accelerator, theres a pause while It decides to kick down a gear & then either I didnt press enough & it doesnt really accelerate much or I overcooked it & it takes off more than I thought or I feel it struggling for grip. Every movement of the pedal in a manual is in sync with the output of the engine, I feel a real disconnect with this. I think I might try just always using manual mode.

The only other automatic ive had was a mk4 supra twin turbo, mainly because manuals were so rare. It dont remember having such issues with that, but it was only a 4 speed.

Firstly congrats on your purchase and welcome.

I went from a Seat Leon with the DSG to my RCF and I can definitely relate. With the DSG you could just stamp your foot down, it would downshift to the lowest possible gear almost instantly and off you go. With the RCF you stamp your foot down, wait 1-2 seconds while it goes "uhhhh", then when you think you've finally got some power it's only in third, then if you keep your foot planted it will eventually drop into second. This whole process seems to take almost like 3+ seconds at times, it's awful. Often by the time it's finally downshifted, it's too late and you have to let off, which makes for quite a frustrating experience.

I do have a few suggestions though as it's certainly not all bad, you may just need to reframe how you approach the car. Firstly, when you're just driving around normally you have to appreciate how smooth the shifts are, it's almost imperceptible. The RCF has its roots as a luxury car, and you can tell. If you can appreciate this it makes the car better. If you don't care about smoothness or luxury and just want rawness all the time, then it might not be the best car for you.

Secondly understand the transmission's "learning" behaviour which basically just means it will try to switch into the correct programming depending on how you're currently driving. So if you're driving around normally using smaller throttle inputs the trans will be in "lazy mode" which keeps you in a high gear and keeps everything very smooth. It will also have a hard time reacting to any sudden big inputs. Start driving a bit more spiritedly and you'll notice the transmission change to a more aggressive program where it holds lower gears and is more keen to downshift. If you drive normally again, it will go back into "lazy mode" after 5-10 seconds.

Frustratingly, there are some exceptions to this. I've had times where I've been cruising along at 40mph in 7th just in normal mode, have planted my foot down and the trans dropped straight into 2nd gear and gave me a swift burst of acceleration. I wish the car did this all the time, but sadly it doesn't and I'm still not quite sure why. It might depend on temperature, what gear you're currently in, or how quickly you press the pedal.

Thirdly use Sport mode more. If I want to drive a little spiritedly (normal for me, but not full hooligan) I almost always use Sport mode. I just find it gives a nice balance between Normal and the full Sport S+. It also sounds a little nicer as you don't have the fake engine noise.

Fourth, and this is probably fairly obvious, but if you really want to drive the car properly you almost always want to be in manual mode. Manual mode is great, as long as you're doing mostly sequential shifting the response is almost instant and you get a nice shove in your back with each upshift and a very nice blip on high-rpm downshifts. All the above problems disappear when you're in manual mode. You can also hold gears all the way to the limiter, unlike the auto modes which seem to upshift a few hundred rpm early.

One last thing is the trans is usually at its worst when it's cold. The transmission needs to get up to temp for the fluid to expand to the right volume and reach the right viscosity and for the clutches to warm up, it will also constantly shortshift and auto-upshift when cold. You might also want to get the trans fluid drained and refilled if it hasn't been done yet. Even though it's a "lifetime" fluid there are still benefits to changing it every 50k/5yr.

Although I think the transmission is the worst part of the car, it does have its redeeming factors. It does the smooth stuff when you want it, it also can be quite extreme when you're in the mood. My main problem with it is actually the gear ratios, just too long and spaced out in the lower gears.

Edit - One more thing since you mentioned feeling disconnected, if you want to feel as connected to the car as possible, you want manual mode, sport S+ and then if you press the traction control button you will go into Expert mode which turns off traction control and lets you spin the wheels and even get the car a bit sideways. This gets you most of the way there, but there's also "Expert Dark" which is where you instead hold down the button for 3 seconds, this turns off traction and stability control. Whenever I'm in this mode the car just feels that bit sharper, even the throttle response seems a touch better. Obviously use at your own risk, especially in the wet or with cold tyres.

BTCC_ Racer · January 2, 2023

From a ISF owners experience changing the gearbox fluid and gearbox software reset made the transmission better and faster. However I wasnt unimpressed with it before hand but everything just improved a notch.

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · January 2, 2023

Only got it a couple of days ago, back to work tomorrow so will do some miles in it, im sure it will just take some getting used to.

mr2lad · January 2, 2023

2 hours ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

Only got it a couple of days ago, back to work tomorrow so will do some miles in it, im sure it will just take some getting used to.

Ive the apexi throttle control on mine and im more than pleased with its functions, wouldn’t be without it 👍🏻

MNMJ · January 5, 2023

I was leant an IS-F for two days when I was first thinking of buying one. I was coming from an Impreza STi with a turbo and manual 'box. On the first day I decided the gearbox was so poor that I would go and look elsewhere. Luckily I took it up to North Wales the next day and played with various settings and fell in love with the package.

12+ years later I'm still enjoying driving in manual / sport mode when the urge takes me and then eco / auto mode when I want to cruise

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · January 10, 2023

Update - Been enjoying the car, playing with the drive modes, getting used to it. Best thing I learnt for the RCF is ignore the MPG meter, just drive how you like.

Unfortunately after 5 days of owning it, the wind blew the TV antenna off the roof of my house & debris landed on the roof of the RCF, 1 bad & 3 minor dents & scrapes. £600 bodyshop bill coming up.

Jgtcracer · January 10, 2023

2 hours ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

Update - Been enjoying the car, playing with the drive modes, getting used to it. Best thing I learnt for the RCF is ignore the MPG meter, just drive how you like.

Unfortunately after 5 days of owning it, the wind blew the TV antenna off the roof of my house & debris landed on the roof of the RCF, 1 bad & 3 minor dents & scrapes. £600 bodyshop bill coming up.

Fuel is getting cheaper, just go wild.

Its the tyres that kill me!