Independent Reviews of Lexus New and Used Cars

Sometimes, first impressions count and we'd wager that this car, parked alongside a comparable BMW, Mercedes or Audi coupe, would be seen by most as the classier, more up-market proposition. That'll matter to potential coupe customers, as will the fact that this car is not only good looking but also beautifully built, agreeably rapid, lavishly equipped and everyday-usable. Of course, the fact that it's a little larger and a little heavier than its rivals has an effect in the form of ultimate handling prowess. An RC isn't quite as agile to chuck around as coupe versions of the BMW 4 Series, the Audi A5 and the Mercedes C-Class would be. Nor is it quite as frugal in terms of up-front fuel and CO2 emission stats. Does that matter? We think probably not. The business buyers being targeted here don't want to drive like Fernando Alonso. And the hybrid version of this car that almost all of them will choose easily makes up for any slight efficiency shortfall with Benefit-in-Kind taxation savings that are hard to ignore. And in summary? Well ultimately, this is not only a more interesting, individualistic choice in this segment, but arguably a rather clever one. A certain kind of buyer will like this RC very much. And we can understand why.

The Lexus LC Convertible offers the potential for a fresh direction for this premium Japanese brand. Jonathan Crouch reports.

The Lexus UX positions Lexus optimally in the compact part of the mid-sized premium brand SUV sector. Jonathan Crouch drives it

With the UX 300e, Lexus finally enters the full-EV segment. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

In summary, if you're in the market for an executive sports saloon of this kind, we'd urge you to look beyond the press reports and make your own mind up about this GS F. Let's be clear: if somebody took us to the Nurburgring and made us choose between this Lexus and, say, an M3 or a Mercedes C63, we'd pick the German option without a second thought. But if we had to drive the model in question every day for a year, there's no way we'd go with the Teutonic choices - something we never thought we have said before we tried this Lexus. It's old school in feel but new wave in execution. And there has to be room in the market for that combination.