Audi RS5 vs Lexus RC
What's the difference?

Audi RS5

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2021 price

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Lexus RC

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2020 price

View pricing & specs

Aston Martin Vanquish

Lamborghini Aventador

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2021 Audi RS5

2020 Lexus RC

By Andrew Chesterton

By Justin Hilliard

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Twin Turbo V6, 2.9L

V6, 3.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

9.4L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Potent engine
Supermodel looks
Premium and polished interior

Striking exterior design
Feels rather luxurious
Unrivalled value for money

Dislikes

Tight rear seat in Coupe
Gearbox can feel fidgety at speed

Infuriating multimedia system
Token second row of seats
Not very fuel efficient

2021 Audi RS5 Summary

Audi's A5 Coupe and Sportback have always been good looking cars. Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but seriously, just look at one and tell me it's not handsome.

Happily, the just-updated RS5 doesn't just build on the looks of its more sedate sibling, but on the performance, too, adding near-supercar speed to those supermodel looks.

Sounds like a pretty good match, right? Let's find out, shall we?

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2020 Lexus RC Summary

If it wasn’t for this review appearing on your screen right now, would you have even remembered the Lexus RC was a thing?

At the time of writing, the RC is actually the fifth most popular model in its sports car segment. Yep, only the two-door versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, and BMW 4 Series and Z4 sell better.

So, why is the RC seemingly invisible? But more importantly, does it deserve to be? Let’s test the RC 350 F Sport to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Audi RS5 2020 Lexus RC

Verdict

Good looking, good to drive, and good to simply sit in, the Audi RS5 range ticks plenty of premium boxes. Whether you can live with the practicality pitfalls of the Coupe is up to you, but if you can't, might I suggest taking a wander over to our RS4 Avant review?

Verdict

If you’re a buyer that thinks with their head, the RC 350 F Sport is the obvious choice when compared to its direct rivals.

After all, it looks great (at least to these eyes), feels luxurious in more ways than one, and is unrivalled when considering value-for-money.

But, if you think with your heart instead, it’s clear it is isn’t on the same level dynamically and therefore doesn’t feel as sporty to drive as its name suggests.

So, don’t let its sports car classification fool you, the RC 350 F Sport is more of a grand tourer, or a comfortable cruiser, to be precise, and an underrated one at that.

Audi RS5 vs Lexus RC What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi RS5 vs Lexus RC
What's the difference?