2023 Lexus RC Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Lexus RC gets a long-awaited update to its infotainment system for 2023, addressing the major flaw of the luxury coupe's prior model years.

The 2023 Lexus RC is a handsome luxury coupe that boasts an upscale cabin and a long list of standard tech and safety features.

What’s New for the 2023 Lexus RC

The Lexus RC last received a styling update in 2018. For 2023, it gains an updated infotainment system, which (until now) has been one of the RC’s greatest areas of consternation.

Design

The RC is offered as a four-seat coupe with 18-inch alloy wheels. Buyers can also select 19-inch alloy wheels. The F Sport package adds unique 19-inch wheels, as well as more aggressive, performance-inspired details.

Powertrain

The Lexus RC 300 has a somewhat unique powertrain lineup. The base RC 300 features a 241-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder. The all-wheel drive (AWD) version features a 260-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. The RC 350 also uses a 3.5-liter V6. It makes 311 horsepower whether you select rear-wheel drive (RWD) or AWD. RWD versions of the RC use an eight-speed automatic transmission, and AWD setups use a six-speed automatic. The F Sport models add an adaptive suspension system for sharper cornering.

The RC 300 returns fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 31 highway, and 25 combined. The RC 350 returns 20 mpg city, 28 highway, and 23 combined. Both AWD cars return 9 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined. The Lexus RC requires premium fuel.

Interior

Standard features on the Lexus RC 300 include power-adjustable front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Moving up to the RC 300 AWD adds heated front seats. Optional features include ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a power sunroof, and a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The F Sport models receive sport bucket seats.

The trunk provides 10.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and the rear bench folds down, providing added cargo space.

Technology

The biggest update for the 2023 Lexus RC is its touchscreen infotainment system. The base setup is an 8-inch screen. It is available with a 10.3-inch screen. Both can also be operated via the touchpad in the center console, and both provide support for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa.

The 2023 RC comes with a Wi-Fi hotspot, two USB ports, and a 10-speaker stereo. You can also get it with a 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system.

Safety

Standard driver-assistance features on the RC include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The RC can also be had with rain-sensing wipers and front and rear parking sensors.

Pricing

At the time of this writing, the 2023 Lexus RC has a base MSRP of $45,820 for the RC 300. The RC 300 F Sport starts at $50,440, the RC 350 starts at $48,750, and the RC 350 F Sport starts at $53,730. The Lexus RC is backed by a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.