Too close for comfort? 4th Gen GS & Hyundai Sonata
#1
Lexus Connoisseur
Thread Starter
#5
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
besides the more expensive exhaust treatment, i actually think the sonata 'rear' looks BETTER, maybe because the top left/right of the back flow more elegantly and softly into the sides whereas the GS looks 'thin' and more boxy there.
and what a joke that people on fb are saying hyundai copied lexus when the sonata came out years before.
i think lexus completely blew it on the exterior of the 4GS. but maybe they took a page from the prior 5 series - like this, it was no looker, but the dynamics were good and it still sold well.
plus no v8, missing features (no trunk closer in u.s., no power folding mirrors), continued extremely limited option selection and even supply... just makes the whole buying experience irritating for those who want what they want!
dynamically though, and on the interior, it's the best GS so far. butta face...
and what a joke that people on fb are saying hyundai copied lexus when the sonata came out years before.
i think lexus completely blew it on the exterior of the 4GS. but maybe they took a page from the prior 5 series - like this, it was no looker, but the dynamics were good and it still sold well.
plus no v8, missing features (no trunk closer in u.s., no power folding mirrors), continued extremely limited option selection and even supply... just makes the whole buying experience irritating for those who want what they want!
dynamically though, and on the interior, it's the best GS so far. butta face...
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
This has been discussed a zillion times, recent thread
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...r-styling.html
We all know Hyundai is very good as copying different styles/brands and merging it into one car. The 4GS rear is simply an evolution of Lexus rear ends with the LED tubes being an evolution of the LS 460 ones.
So we have some similarity in the tailights and that is b/c Lexus was one of the first luxury brands I remember that used their tailights as aerodynamic pieces where they stick out from the body. What Hyundai has done is no different than what we saw with the Nissan Altima/Maxima/G etc all having similarities to the 2/3GS and some people acted like Lexus somehow copied them.
The GS while debuting the new spindle grill is an evolution of design since the first gen in 1993. Today it is very very difficult for 3 box sedans to look different especially with non luxury brands now adding style to their family sedans.
So Lexus bring us a 4 door coupe (crap that will then be called a copy of the CLS )
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...r-styling.html
We all know Hyundai is very good as copying different styles/brands and merging it into one car. The 4GS rear is simply an evolution of Lexus rear ends with the LED tubes being an evolution of the LS 460 ones.
So we have some similarity in the tailights and that is b/c Lexus was one of the first luxury brands I remember that used their tailights as aerodynamic pieces where they stick out from the body. What Hyundai has done is no different than what we saw with the Nissan Altima/Maxima/G etc all having similarities to the 2/3GS and some people acted like Lexus somehow copied them.
The GS while debuting the new spindle grill is an evolution of design since the first gen in 1993. Today it is very very difficult for 3 box sedans to look different especially with non luxury brands now adding style to their family sedans.
So Lexus bring us a 4 door coupe (crap that will then be called a copy of the CLS )
#7
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
besides the more expensive exhaust treatment, i actually think the sonata 'rear' looks BETTER, maybe because the top left/right of the back flow more elegantly and softly into the sides whereas the GS looks 'thin' and more boxy there.
and what a joke that people on fb are saying hyundai copied lexus when the sonata came out years before.
i think lexus completely blew it on the exterior of the 4GS. but maybe they took a page from the prior 5 series - like this, it was no looker, but the dynamics were good and it still sold well.
plus no v8, missing features (no trunk closer in u.s., no power folding mirrors), continued extremely limited option selection and even supply... just makes the whole buying experience irritating for those who want what they want!
dynamically though, and on the interior, it's the best GS so far. butta face...
and what a joke that people on fb are saying hyundai copied lexus when the sonata came out years before.
i think lexus completely blew it on the exterior of the 4GS. but maybe they took a page from the prior 5 series - like this, it was no looker, but the dynamics were good and it still sold well.
plus no v8, missing features (no trunk closer in u.s., no power folding mirrors), continued extremely limited option selection and even supply... just makes the whole buying experience irritating for those who want what they want!
dynamically though, and on the interior, it's the best GS so far. butta face...
1998 has and will not be repeated and I doubt if anyone cares much at Corporate.
Last edited by oohpapi44; 06-05-12 at 06:53 AM.
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#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
The fact of the matter is people are short term memories with design and simply remember the latest thing. The Sonata design is a blend of Mercedes/Lexus so of course its going to resemble both.
Again no different than when the 3GS came out and some people yelled "omg looks like Maxima/Atima/G" when the GS was an evolution of its prior design with new "L-finesse" touches.
So here we are with Hyundai's that look like Lexus. The Genesis coupe clearly copied the G37 coupe. The Veracruz looked like the old RX. The Genesis sedan is a blend of Mercedes/Lexus/Infiniit/BMW.
#9
Lexus Champion
These are two different cars that satisfy their own product segments but they are both superb cars in their own right. If I had money (like a car collector), both of these cars would be included in my selection.
#10
Advanced
I totally agree. And to those who blame BMW's and Audi's series look the same just different in size - well, now Lexus had totally followed that pattern. The new GS totally lost its personality comparing to 2nd and even 3rd generations. Now IS, GS and LS all look so similar especially from a side. On a first glance you can only differentiate them by size...
Last edited by lalexusgs; 06-05-12 at 07:07 AM.
#11
Fact is there is stylistic overlap happening all over the place. It's EXTREMELY hard to come up with a unique, original styling element that won't immediately prove controversial. That's probably why Lexus went for something like the Spindle to help distinguish the new generation of cars. I rather look at the WHOLE car than details because, given that, there's no way in the world I would ever confuse a GS for a Sonata.
I think folks need to relax about claiming rip offs with things like taillights and window trim. Gets tired.
I think folks need to relax about claiming rip offs with things like taillights and window trim. Gets tired.
#13
Racer
I don't know about the hold evolution and copy crap. A car company should be able to change their car design if it looks to similar to a car that's already hit the market.
To me it's not a big deal I will never confuse the two cars.
To me it's not a big deal I will never confuse the two cars.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (3)
The general design of the rear ends of both cars is stereotypically Asian and looks similar to many other Asian sedans. I posted a thread on this a while back, but before Nissan found their current design theme and Honda went ugly, the rear ends of almost every Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, Infiniti, Nissan or Mazda all shared the same basic cues and shapes with the differences lying in execution. Hyundai latched onto this design theme in the last few years as well - trapezoial grill, feline swept back headlights, horizontal tail lights, etc.
I do wish that the rear end of the GS was more distinctive because, as a $50+k luxury car, I think it needs to be discernable at first glance. However, I whole-heartedly disagree with the notion that Lexus copied Hyundai. The rear end of the GS is similar to the IS and LS, but Lexus stll could have done more to make it unique.
I do wish that the rear end of the GS was more distinctive because, as a $50+k luxury car, I think it needs to be discernable at first glance. However, I whole-heartedly disagree with the notion that Lexus copied Hyundai. The rear end of the GS is similar to the IS and LS, but Lexus stll could have done more to make it unique.
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
Fact is there is stylistic overlap happening all over the place. It's EXTREMELY hard to come up with a unique, original styling element that won't immediately prove controversial. That's probably why Lexus went for something like the Spindle to help distinguish the new generation of cars. I rather look at the WHOLE car than details because, given that, there's no way in the world I would ever confuse a GS for a Sonata.
I think folks need to relax about claiming rip offs with things like taillights and window trim. Gets tired.
I think folks need to relax about claiming rip offs with things like taillights and window trim. Gets tired.
I agree with the Spindle 100%. While I might not completely love it and if I was fine with past Lexus styling, Lexus now has made it very very obvious if someone copies the front end of their cars.