This is no longer a first impression poll.

Do you like it or not?

 

Good poll. At first I was like uhhh, but there will be one in my hands......

 

I'm currently not interested. I believe there will be other designs I will find more compelling. Or I may just declare that I'm old and get a new LS at some point.

 

Initially, I felt it was a bit on the unispiring side, but now that I've had time to look at it and peruse the lines, I do like the overall design--very elegant and sporty. Count me on for a "yeah".

 

umm i kinda start liking it now, it looks very futuristic to me and as long as they can just tweak the front and back just " a bit" it will b a nice car though.

 

Its nice but I like the aggressive styling of the 2nd. gen. better. As for the interior I like but would like to see more options like carbon fiber or more wood on the radio. Wished they would have followed the SC430 theme with the dash. All in all really nice car but I will probaly get something else and keep the "WICKED" Lex.

 

I like it.

Many people look at it and go "nah, not for me", but fail to realize that this is only in stock form.

There are tons of people on this forum who go above and beyond while modifying their cars, and I think that the new GS has incredible potential for mods. I can just picture it with a sublte kit, wheels, a drop, and a stylish spoiler.

 

Front end looks like it belongs on a celica or some toyota, not a mid-sized lexus. Very cheap looking, and uninspiring. Rear end looks good, and the one interior shot that I saw makes me think they took a step back in that department as well.

 

I was hoping for something more controversial/dramatic wrt styling and more "wicked" wrt performance but time will tell. They may tweak the look and the final performance numbers are TBD. I do like the styling better than the BMW 5 (can't get over that trunk line) and MB E (yawn) and those are the primary competitors for me. I also strongly believe that the quality and long term reliabilty of the Lexus will be better than those (I am long time Toyota customer).

In a perfect world, I will be able to order one from the factory with L-tuned suspension, offset wheels, and other L-tuned bits. A TRD S/C V8 option would be nice as well. Just because they said "4.3L V8" does not meany it can't be something more down the road. Whatever it is, hopefully the performance will be up to snuff wrt the 545 and E500.

I've never understood why Toyota spends so much in racing (F1 for example) and yet has NOTHING exciting (in the US market at least) to leverage it. Can anyone explain this?

Likes:
Toyota/Lexus reliabilty, cost of ownership, and customer service (I'll give up performance for this)
styling vs. competitors - looks "dropped" out of the box
beefy exhaust tips
6 spd tran
looks like it should have more rear seat room (for boys growing like weeds)
adaptive headlights

Dislikes:
styling too conservative - too much like Accord/Maxima/G35 - not enough like my 98 GS
no wheel mounted shift controls (have on my 98 GS400 and it makes a lot of sense)
black side-body molding (better make color keyed like they did on S4)
chrome headlight surrounds
not enough wood high enough to see (a problem w/ my 98 but worse in the 06)

Hopes:
Performance >/= 545 and E500
factory sport option w/ offset wheel and sport suspension
kick-**** factory-option stereo

 

I think I'll pass on this one... Totally not what I expected at all. The last thing I want to deal with is spending over 50K and be mistaken for a Maxima... No thanks! If the final version has some major changes, I may change my mind....

On the other hand, I think Infinity has taken some pretty risky designs as of late, which is a good sign that they want to be different. Hopefully in 2 years, their quality will be compared to Lexus. Crossing my fingers!!!!

 

http://www.dealerrater.com/gallery/xl/100_0729.jpg

A little disappointed now. Looks cheasy nothing like the LS or SC dashes.

http://www.dealerrater.com/gallery/xl/100_0719.jpg

To close to a Maxima. I really liked the fact that the 2nd. gen. didn't look like any other car coming or going.

http://www.dealerrater.com/gallery/xl/100_0722.jpg

Sort of a bubble? Looks like a Accord here with a big a$$ grille.

http://www.dealerrater.com/gallery/xl/100_0755.jpg

Sits lower yes! and has 4 settings for active suspension, cool. We really needed this.

Don't get me wrong guys love the Lex. Just didn't capture me enough to hurry up and get rid of the current model. I am in a position where I was going to buy a new car soon. I waited to see what the new "Bubble" looked like instead of getting the SC430. Now I think I am going to get the SC430 if I stay with Lexus or just go to another manufacture. Still have mad love for it, I guess we where all expecting so much I don't think any car would live up to our expectations giving how long we had to wait to catch a look.

 

I will reserve judgement until I see the final version in person whether I like it. But I doubt I will like it enough to consider buying it. I have nothing against an evolutionary design but I think they are too conservative with it. The Fuga/next M45 looks more exiting to me both exterior & interior, and if the next LS looks anything similar to the LFS concept, it should have more flair than this GS.

 

I think I'll hang onto mine a bit more!! The styling does not grab me at this point. Maybe it'll grow on me.....

 

Exactly what I am thinking. It actually does not matter to me that much if I saw it in person. Even if I like it more, it cannot be that far off. I think the 2nd gen looks good in person and in pics. It was the pics that got me to the dealership and seeing it in person sealed the deal. As it is right now, I probably won't switch.

The Fuga looks great though. I was a little disappointed at the live pics from (I think) the Tokyo auto show but it still looks good. I would have liked to get updated technology (electronics, gadgets, tranny, ...) but I think I will continue to mod my 2nd gen.

Now I will say I like it enough to buy the Hybrid. I prefer the 2nd gen but the 3rd gen is not hideous. The Hybrid technology and its advantages are too compelling to pass up, especially with the Toyota quality.

 

OK. I said some ugly things. I was rash. Such things happen when expectations run high and then the reality is a bit anticlimatic.

My second thoughts: some very nice detailing in the interior and there is more grace to the exterior lines than I was originally willing to concede. Azz end is still awkward (note to T/L: just because Chris Bangle is chief designer at BMW DOESN'T mean his styling should be emulated - especially those godawful rear ends) to me. I think I'm going to have to see this in the metal.

I hope I like it better with time since I'll be in the market again in 3 years or so. So I've got some time to wait. Or maybe I'll just join with bitkahuna, get an LS, and step from the car to my walker.................