I am sure you have seen this article already for the luxury sedan ratings. GS430 came in 3rd out of 5 or 6. 1st went to the BMW 540i and 2nd to the Audi A6. We did beat the Infiniti Q45, but that isn't too much to be proud of.

What the magazine pretty much said over and over again is that our GS430 is only a good car with the stock 16" rims and wheels as tested, but could have been better with the 17" upgrade.

Why wouldn't Lexus provide a test car with the 17" Upgrade Wheel Package, when Car & Track is testing out a fully loaded BMW 540 with a sports package, which happened to also place 1st. The 540 Sport would probably still beat the Lexus in handling, but at least we would be closer and rate higher with the 17" tire package.

Also not to bust on anyone's ride, but the 16" stock rims on a GS430, just looks out of place, too small, not right.

This is a large mistake by Lexus by not providing a car with options that can compete with the rest.

But either way, all the car magazines have a preference for German automobiles, that is why you will always see the BMW & AUDI at the top. BMW must really have a lot of subsciptions to the magazines. Too bad, these magazines, never really factor in reliability, just immediate, short term testing. Now BMW reliability is another topic that could go on for days........

 

Why Lexus doesn't offer the option of a sport suspension is beyond me... especially in a car that was originally marketed as a 'fire breather' performance wise.
I didn't read the article, but I'm sure the 540 was a stick, which also makes it more difficult for the GS to compete.

 

That article was really biased towards Lexus. To be an even competition, I believe the GS430 should have the 17" wheels PLUS the l-tuned package. Then it would be a fair race. The reason for not putting that in is beyond my understanding

 

Is there such a magazine? I thought it was Road & Track and Car & Driver. What am I missing here?

 

he means Car and Driver

 

Sorry guys, you've got it wrong.

The bias in magazines isn't toward Germany, it's toward enthusiast cars that drive great. The luxury and 'gizmos' come second. They've given much praise and awards to Japanese and of course American performance cars over the years too.

And the 540i is easily the best driving car out of that bunch, even if the GS had 17's.

Second thing - you keep saying the magazines should have had a GS with 17's L-Tuned, etc., but they use what the car company's give 'em. L-Tuned is not a standard factory package and not even widely known which I assume is why Lexus doesn't give one to a magazine, but I have no doubt that Lexus is listening to all this and reading the magazines, so they will likely get more aggressive at some point. There was talk about a GS 'Sport' a while back.

So it's not really the magazines - it's about Lexus. I assume the cars are selling well, so Lexus doesn't want to just change the car's image too much without consideration.

 

Not sure if you're responding to my post, but I said best *driving* (meaning fun driving, not just cruising), not just *riding*. Yes, the GS with 16s gives a nice cushioned ride like most people expect a Lexus to, and yes, that would be more comfortable than a 540i, but certainly not more capable.

I think L-tuned was only announced last year, so it hasn't been 2 years yet, but anyway, if your dealer had L-Tuned cars on display, maybe they didn't sell well and that's why Lexus isn't pushing it more.

BMW has spent decades pushing the performance image. Lexus just started doing this 4 years ago with the GS400 and now more explicitly with the IS300.

 

has anyone wrote WWW.CLUBLEXUS.COM on a big poster paper and mail it to Lexus Headquarter?

 

my dealer also had a few l-tuned gs430's on the lot. but that's not the way they come from the factory. it's a dealer installed package. (flame suit on)we really need to stop bashing bmw's, especially 540's. with l-tune or without, 540's will still out handle the gs. that's just the way lexus wants it to be.
(flame suit off) as for those car magazines i still don't understand why the bimmer always gets the top spot based on handling only when they get beat in all the other catagories

until lexus desides they want to step up the handling part, (flame suit on) the 540 will still be the most fun car to drive, maybe that's why they always win those comparisons.

 

ZZ,

those are some valid points.

but i remember some ex-540 owners(3 of them, i think) who now drive the gs4s all claimed that to outhandle the 540s, all you need is thicker sway bars on the gs. w/lowering, the gs will def outhandle the 540.

just what i read in the past

will

 

The comparisons with the GS are always centered the category of 'sport sedans', not 'midsize luxury cars' for example, so, again, they don't care much about luxury or comfort. And the 540i is certainly not a 'cheap' looking car. I think the interior is pretty nice. Stereo and nav blow though.

 

Mr. Horse, I kind of mixed up the 2 and it's CAR & DRIVER! Sorry about that.

 

ZZ, I'd have to agree with you that Lexus is just not sure if they want to make sports sedan. At least BMW give you an option of a Sports Package as other luxury brands do too. That is clear cut and to the point. L-Tuned to me is not available in my area, so that can't be taken into account. L-Tuned still seems aftermarket to me, so what I am left with is upgrading to the 17" tires and putting on a rear spoiler that really won't do anything for me.

 

I second that!!!!!!

Recently I've been playing with the DSP features and it's kinda cool, but only if you're listening to classical and I sure's hell don't listen to it at all. Although I could see most 540i owners (being older than I) listening to classical with the right DSP setting and getting a concert like experience. But is it worth that extra $$$?

BTW, don't let the sports package fool you into thinking it's sportscar like handling.

 

apperently you don't own a lexus why are you coming here to kiss their @SS????? no offence but I'm just curious