Dollars and Sense

After our run up and down to Squamish and that bit of damp backroad blasting, our two vehicles returned fuel economy figures that were within a thimbleful of each other. That’s not particularly surprising – both V6s are very close in displacement, and both are mated to six-speed transmissions and all-wheel-drive systems. Official ratings for the RC 350 are 12.6 L/100 km city and 9.1 L/100 km highway; the ATS is rated at 12.8 and 8.9. Even in these times of relatively cheap fuel, an additional point in favour of the ATS is that it does not require premium.

Consumption is too close to call, but price tag is not. Equipped as it was with the hefty $7,200 Executive package, our RC was $5,000 more than the Cadillac, essentially a 10-percent gap. Still, features like adaptive cruise control and a 17-speaker audio system don’t quite qualify as essentials, and navigation-equipped versions of both vehicles are extremely close in price, each hovering right around $55K.

Neither is really good value for money, not unless measured against the German competition, where optional add-ons can send prices skyrocketing. Both will also likely be leased rather than purchased by the majority of owners, somewhat eroding the Lexus’s inherent resale advantage. I also feel like the extreme visual violence of the RC will mean it won’t be the used-car-lot champ that the RX crossovers are.

The Cadillac is the better deal, but as expensive as it is in this trim, the RC is more demonstrably a better buy than a BMW or Mercedes to its intended target audience. The guy who’s been driving an RX for ten years will walk into the showroom and like the RC better than a 4 Series. The ATS will be a tougher sale, and require strong incentives and cash on the hood to move.

Conclusion

This is one of those not-infrequent occasions where the car we both preferred does not finish first. The ATS is so dynamically superior to the RC, that were this a test of sports cars, it’d be a slam-dunk victory. No contest – if you like to drive, Cadillac is selling the car you want.

However, these aren’t stripped-down enthusiast machines, they’re loaded-up, high-feature expressions of style. Competence is expected, of course, but the weighting of performance is less important than the way the whole works together. That’s particularly true of these two, which aren’t intended to woo away the buyer who’s looking at an M-Sport 428i with a stick shift, but rather to provide a sporty-looking machine to a perhaps-older buyer. All-wheel drive for competence, premium leather appointments, lots of available tech – these are supposed to drive nicely, but it doesn’t matter which one’s got the better Nürburgring time.

As such, the Lexus is the champ despite being divisive on styling, and slightly lackadaisical to drive. It’s comfortable, it’s smoother, it feels better constructed inside. With the ATS, I feel like I would be recommending a lower trim variant, not defending its dynamic superiority versus tech and interior quirks.

The RC is the car Lexus decided it needed before yet another crossover, an expressive two-door to show their brand had a sense of style and fun. It’s not the better car to drive, but we feel that it’ll fill its target market’s needs better.

Warranty:
4 years/80,000 km; 6 years/110,000 km powertrain; 6 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 4 years/unlimited distance roadside assistance

Pricing: 2015 Lexus RC350
Base Price:$54,000
Options: Executive Package (17-speaker audio, lane-departure alert, radar cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, LED headlamps) – $7200
Destination: $1995
A/C Tax: $100
Price as Tested: $63,295

Warranty:
4 years/80,000 km; 6 years/110,000 km powertrain; 6 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 6 years/110,000 km roadside assistance

Pricing: 2015 Cadillac ATS4 Coupe
Base Price:$52,795
Options:  18” polished wheels – $630; Cadillac CUE infotainment and navigation – $1105; sunroof – $1395 – total $3130
Destination: $1,800
A/C Tax: $100
Price as Tested: $57,795

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