About the rear seat questions, sorry didn't pay attention to all the details but since you asked and I was going back anyway to take pics I will pay real close attention to this for you. It look as if the seats where non-adjustable because I didn't see any controls, but don't quote me on that. I will go back as I said and really look. I plan to go back Saturday morning.

That will come on Feb 10th.

What year goes with this Feb 10th. 2004 or 2005? Are you implying your dealer will have the GS around this time? I was told at the auto show that the GS will not hit dealer ships until next Spring, Spring of 2005. Another whole year before anyone drives it.

 

That's they day I'm planning on hitting the Chicago autoshow to check this thing out in person.

 

Okay have fun, make sure you check out the Audi A8l with the W-12. Sweetest luxury car coming out that doesn't cost more than $200,000

 

Audi A8 is HHHOOOOTTTTT

 

This is in reply to above.
I can't believe it? Rear seat room is the SAME???

WTF Lexus? I mean, the current GS only had a couple of problems
1) Rear seat legroom
2) needs all wheel drive availability

Every dealer I"ve ever been to has agreed with me on both issues. They say it all the time, so do most owners I know. So, now what? 2 more inches of wheelbase and what! Lexus gives the back seat NOTHING? WTF are you thinking Lexus?
come one, we don't need 43 inches back there like a huge luxo-barge but how about 2 more inches or even one !!!!

I'm really P.O. about this assuming it is true-- I suspect it is because when I look at the car profile, I see a smaller door overall and I think it may in fact really be same or smaller? I don't WANT a reason to get the new 2005 Audi A6, I really don't , but now I don't know what I will do, because even the current Audi is bigger back there I believe.

Please, someone post some pics, get inside that thing, and see what the rear is like. Thanks

 

Again, Lexus aimed for the middle and hit a bullseye in the MIDDLE-- nothing about this car makes me think innovative design OUTSIDE, inside is typical luxury-- nice, fine, but come on Lexus, WOW me, will ya?

This car is nice, but where is the WOW-- the bmw 5 looks better sometimes ( I personally am not one of those who hates everything BMW makes now -- Ithink 5 is nice, 7 is amazing, except for trunk, which I suspect will be fixed by 2005 or 2006-- 7's ride, luxury level, etc is wonderful-- iDRIVE sucks though)-- at least 5 gets IDRIVE 2.

Anyway, the LF-S??? well, I don't know what it is or what it iwll be?

Not the new Lexus IS for goodness sake. nice try autospies, but that car is 12 inches shorter and is narrower than the LF-S. Maybe a study of the new 2006 ?? LS hmm doubt it, because the wheelbase isn't long enough and rear quarters are clearly too short. In short, the LF-S seems to translate into nothing.

 

Anecdotal evidence isn't all that impressive, but I have never met anyone (dealer or otherwise) who thought the GS needed more rear seat legroom. Anytime I've had someone riding in the back they've complimented the spaciousness of it!

Also, I'm not an auto expert but I thought wheelbase referred to the distance between wheels from left to right, not front to back. In any case, I'd like to see more TRUNK space in the GS before rear seat legroom. THERE'S something worth complaining about!

 

in that video on edmunds... it says the 2 inches of wheelbase gives passengers more room (saying this as it is showing the back seat...)

 

Actually I'll second that I wouldve liked more rear leg room as well. Contrary to your experience, I have never had anyone compliment the spaciousness of the rear seat, but I also have not had people normally complain about it either. I suppose it was neither great nor unbearable, but could use some. \

On the same note, yes...The trunk needed work as well.

 

Firstly, I'm a little surprised by the comment about rear leg room. It was a little tight, not spacious in my opinion (assuming you had a front passenger, and me driving (I'm 5'10 1/2")-- it was not spacious at all. The seats and the leather there are VERY comfortable, absolutely, but legroom being spacious-- not a chance.

Track refers to the distance from the Right to Left Wheels)

Wheelbase refers to the distance from the middle of the front wheels to the middle of the rear wheels.

2 inches more, and them showing the video, hmm, we'll see........ I want to see pictures AND get actual Specs, then I"ll believe it. Because right now the door opening and window appear slightly smaller to my eye.

Anectodal evidence may be subject to debate but I'm giving you MY experience knowing some owners of the car and visiting 4 dealerships in my area over the years-- honest dealers I spoke to say they wished the back was bigger and say that everyone was hoping that the new design would address this and Lexus would have listened.

The trunk I felt was OK, needed another 1 or 2 inches of cubic feet and bigger opening.
Looks like the opening is the same (small) so here's hoping for at least 1 more cubic foot????

I love the interior, though, there seems to be :

1) no electric control for lumbar support
2) question of controls behind stick -- ECT /Snow, ECT-power-- not sure what those buttons are for.

Any news please forward it here.

 

Thanks for straightening me out on track vs. wheelbase.

I'm 5'11" with long legs, so I push the driver's seat all the way back as far as it will go. Granted if we only have one rear seat passenger they sit behind my wife, but I've had guys the same size as me sitting right behind me with no complaints. Maybe I got the only GS430L Lexus ever produced!

 

More rear leg room means either longer wheelbase and less trunk room, or longer wheelbase and longer vehicle which probably means worse handling.

Maybe I'm in the minority in NOT wanting the GS to get bigger. I'm 6'3" with long legs and I fit fine in the driver's seat. Sure if I want someone reasonably tall to sit behind me I have to move forward, but no biggie. Rare I have 4 in the car and certainly not long distance.

Looks like I'm going to be in no rush to switch vehicles, and certainly not to the new GS.

 

Besides the reported two inch wheelbase stretch, seems I read somewhere that the total length is increasing by only half an inch.

 

i thought lenght didnt increase at all

 

I think they done that by getting rid of the rear bumper bulge. The space between the edge of the rear bumper and trunk door has reduced. I wonder if the reason for the increase in wheelbase is to get a better F/R weight distribution. The cabin looks like it has been moved back a few inches.

Chu...