This Month's Car & Track Article - GS430
08-10-01, 03:12 AM
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Car & Driver Article - GS430 (3rd Place)
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........
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........
Last edited by lexguynj; 08-10-01 at 04:40 PM.
08-10-01, 04:47 AM
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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.
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.
08-10-01, 06:54 AM
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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 
08-10-01, 07:26 AM
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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.
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.
08-10-01, 11:24 AM
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Re: LTune
Originally posted by whitediamond
as far as the 540 being the best riding car. It may have a good compromise between ride/handling but on just ride I totally disagree, I have been in too many to know the difference. A GS with 16's easily rides better and even with the 17's it ride is on par. Now if you want to go to handling, the 540 does have nice balance even though it does exhibit a great deal of body roll.
as far as the 540 being the best riding car. It may have a good compromise between ride/handling but on just ride I totally disagree, I have been in too many to know the difference. A GS with 16's easily rides better and even with the 17's it ride is on par. Now if you want to go to handling, the 540 does have nice balance even though it does exhibit a great deal of body roll.
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.
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08-10-01, 02:12 PM
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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.
(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.
08-10-01, 02:18 PM
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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
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
08-10-01, 02:42 PM
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Originally posted by zz231
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
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
08-10-01, 04:40 PM
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Re: CAR & TRACK??
Originally posted by MrHorse
Is there such a magazine? I thought it was Road & Track and Car & Driver. What am I missing here?
Is there such a magazine? I thought it was Road & Track and Car & Driver. What am I missing here?
08-11-01, 01:36 PM
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Originally posted by zz231
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.
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.
08-11-01, 05:58 PM
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Originally posted by bitkahuna
Stereo and nav blow though.
Stereo and nav blow though.
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.
