spwolf

well they can fudge half of those things... for instance, when in the lifetime did audi have better ergonomics than lexus? never.

but again, i think review was very positive to GS overall, so there is really no need to complain.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

A very nice and thorough review. The drivers stated the premium version handling autocross very well and both the base and F-sports version feeling tighter and sharper than the 535i. In my opinion the new GS DOES feel better than my 2011 BMW 535i that I sold due to quality issues and ride/handling feel.

http://drivencarreviews.com/2011/12/...-video-review/

rogers2

Being a database admin I love to look at numbers and statistics. From the pdf I see why the Audi won; deep down I truly feel Lexus could have done a better job with the new GS. Why half *** a car in anything if you know the car hasn't been selling well for years. On looks alone I'll take the Audi. Every time I see those lights I turn my head.
I still think the 3rd generation GS looks better than 4th generation. But I give Lexus kudos for stepping out the box.
One thing for sure we do know about the new GS is that it's a lot funnier to drive. This is a step in the right direction.

spwolf

what did they half *** exactly? they also didnt test F-Sport.

rogers2

I think they half *** the power train, small little luxury features, the 4gs need fog lights bad. IMO I just feel they could have done better. Look at the torque on that Audi. I don't want nitpick b/c they did keep the weight down and improve the trunk space. But the problem is that the GS should have blown this Audi out the water. Make people who purchase a 5 series or E class feel silly that they could have gotten a better car at Lexus.

Still today people still remember how shock they were when Lexus introduce the GS400.
Oh well just my opinion.

Blackraven

Hehe features seem okay and quite a lot imho. As for the front fog lights, overseas versions of the F-sport WILL NOT have front fog lamps..............but surprisingly Japan-market F-sport units have them. I don't know how much a mod job will costs (to install the front fog lamps as well as necessary circuitry and wiring modifications).

However, you are right about the need for a V8 engine. As neat as the 2GR engine is, it still does not have the low end torque that the 3rd gen GS460 had. Hence, I hope that Lexus is working on an 8-cylinder version (possibly in the form of a GS-F with 500 hp minimum).

Anyways, 4th gen GS is officially launching in my country probably by next week (I've seen the first three units arrive here few weeks ago). Hope to review one personally in the coming months

js619858

I hate Fog Lights!

rogers2

Really! I love when i'm walking towards my car and i click the key/button to turn on the fog lights and head lights.

spwolf

i think GS F-Sport looks a lot more menacing without those...

funny enough, A6 didnt have foglights in the comparo in C&D while GS did... nobody mentioned that, lol.

GS69

2013 Lexus GS 350 1st Impressions

In their quest to have the new 2013 Lexus GS 350 sedan inextricably linked with all that's sublime and passionate, the company couldn't have chosen a better setting for its launch than a drive along the Monterey coastline ending in an exhilarating afternoon at Laguna Seca Raceway.

Lexus's new 2013 GS offers a surprisingly engaging performance that rivals that of its German competitors. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com)

Lexus has typically found favour with the quietly well-off, whose good fortune provides luxurious insulation from life's disturbances. Which has rather aptly described the character of their vehicles as well.

But when it comes to the luxury performance sedan segment, the Japanese automaker has failed to ignite the sort of passion necessary to compete against the Germans. With the latest iteration of the GS sedan, Lexus aims to change the perception they've traditionally held of well-crafted, yet ultimately soulless vehicles.

Lexus sums up their new direction with the Japanese phrase "Waku Doki," which loosely translates into "heart-pumping adrenaline rush." Certainly, the claim to a newfound passion and inspired performance started out on the right foot with the sublime LFA supercar. The defining characteristics of the LFA's design language have obviously influenced the new GS – starting with the signature "spindle grille" that has become the new face of Lexus.

Sharp and aggressive, it becomes the focal point from which the rest of the car takes shape. New headlamps with L-shaped LED running lights flank the distinctive grille, and its deep body is saved from slab-sidedness by chiselled character lines culminating in a sharply squared off posterior.

Sharp and aggressive, the grille becomes the focal point from which the rest of the car takes shape. (Photo: Lexus)

They've always had a reputation for finely-crafted, high-tech interiors, but the cabin of the GS is impressive even by Lexus standards. Plush 18-way adjustable leather seats are infinitely comfortable for long trips, with adjustable bolstering for sporty driving. Rear passengers are equally cosseted, with plenty of legroom, heated seats and HVAC controls. A gigantic 12.3” split display screen dominates the instrument panel, relaying everything from entertainment and navigation info, to Lexus's new "Night View," a new infra-red enhanced night vision system.

Lexus always had a reputation for finely-crafted, high-tech interiors, but the cabin of the GS is impressive even by Lexus standards. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com)

Also impressive – if a bit creepy – is the new "Fatigue Detection" system, an infrared camera built into the steering column that detects signs of distraction in the driver's eyes, and sounding an audible warning. As expected, the level of acoustic hush is on par with the average bank vault, and doors shut with a muffled, authoritative thud.

Although the GS comes in three models – the $51,900 GS 350 RWD, the $54,900 GS 350 AWD and the range-topping $64,650 hybrid GS 450h, there's a bewildering array of available packages that can very quickly send the sticker price soaring. These include the $1,900 Navigation Package, the $5,850 Luxury Package (which includes navigation), the $8,850 Technology Package (which includes Nav and Luxury groups), the $13,950 Technology Plus Package (including Nav, Lux and Tech) and the $4,800 F-Sport Package (which includes navigation).

The V8 has gone by the wayside; instead, all models are powered by a 3.5L V6. In the GS 350, the 306 hp and 277 lb-ft mill is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, while the GS 450h hybrid boasts a reworked Atkinson cycle 6-pot with an output of 286 hp and 254 lb-ft, matched to an ECVT transmission. Horsepower is bumped up to a combined 338 with the 200-hp electric drive motor.

The sculpted body is formed with high strength steel for extra rigidity – but the biggest transformation is in the re-engineered suspension. During a session at Laguna Seca where we were encouraged to compare the GS to competitors Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series, the Lexus acquitted itself surprisingly well – out-handling the Mercedes and proving itself the equal of the sporty Bimmer.

The sculpted body is formed with high strength steel for extra rigidity. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com)

Although Lexus has generally drawn criticism for its rubbery steering, the GS feels sharp, and precise with the fat, grippy wheel in hand. It still falls short of the BMW in the feedback department however; communication could be better.

Driving enthusiasts can opt for the F-Sport package which includes adaptive dampers, bigger brakes, re-mapped throttle response, variable ratio steering – and in the RWD model – Dynamic Rear Wheel Steering, in which the rear wheels get 2 degrees of manoeuvrability, greatly reducing the amount of steering input needed. Visual cues include a more aggressive grille and 19” gunmetal grey rims.

Flying down the straight of Laguna Seca and into the infamous "Corkscrew" hairpin, the Lexus GS felt tight, responsive and displayed not a bit of body roll. Nice too, is the sound of the exhaust that's been piped into the cabin at high speed.

For a brand that's traditionally been equated with driver disconnect, Lexus's new 2013 GS offers a surprisingly engaging performance that rivals that of its German competitors.

The GS comes in three models – the $51,900 GS 350 RWD, the $54,900 GS 350 AWD and the range-topping $64,650 hybrid GS 450h. (Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com)

js619858

I think the first thing I would do is tint and new WHEELS! Those wheels don't fit the look at all! The 4GS is suppose to be aggressive but the wheels make the car boring!

LeslieRC

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...o/#more-421056

Please excuse if this has already been posted here...

natnut

Wow. What a terribly written article. I read both part1 and part 2 of the review and basically they kept rabbiting on about :

1) BMW/MB having more street cred as a GOOD reason to to stay with the Germans while
2) admitting that the GS350 thrashed both Germans on the handling circuit
3) claiming that the 535/E350 were practically the same price as a similarly optioned GS350 (I don't live in the US but here in Singapore a 535i is 20% more expensive than a similarly optioned GS350 )
4) conveniently ignoring the Vbox tested empirical figures of the GS350's 5.5sec 0-60 and somehow coming up with a 0-60 of 6.4 sec--I wonder what was their testing procedure--they didn't mention it.
5) they claim that E-class and 5 series are a lot more spacious interiorly than the GS350 when Batman, our resident F10 550i owner has even admitted that the GS350 has similar spaciousness to his F10 5 series.

My thoughts :

i) Aren't the street cred of the 5/E built on their supposedly superior Germanic handling which in their own article, they admitted the GS has beaten the Germans at their own handling game? So doesn't that mean that the GS has taken over the "street cred" crown?

ii) They seem to be making a lot of sweeping claims that ClubLexus forum members have refuted from personal experience : I remember reading at least 2 current and former F10 5 series owners who have priced similarly optioned cars and found the 4GS significantly cheaper PLUS they have not found the F10 more spacious than the 4Gs as claimed in this article.

iii) They seem to shy away from comparing the E350/535i with the GS350 in detail(all three cars were there for back to back testing/impressions) but insist on comparing the GS350 to the lower segment Volvo/Hyundai/Infiniti and making a big deal of how much better value the Volvo/Hyundai/Infiniti are compared to the GS while keeping deathly silent about the price differential between the 5/E vs the GS other than making unbacked up statements that the price difference is insignificant.Note that the Volvo/Infiniti/Hyundai were not present but they insisted on doing the comparison based on their distant memory of the aforementioned cars.

That blog is miss-named : it shouldn't be called thetruthaboutcars, it should be called the theliesaboutlexusGS
. They can't even be brave enough to say they subjectively dislike the GS--I would respect that but to spin half-truths and unbackable claims and use that as a faux-objective case against choosing the 4GS over the 5/E in the face of objective handling data and well publicised pricing data.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Finally saw a 4GS on the road.
I thought the side and rear looked better than seeing the car sitting still in the showroom. Sort of bland but definitely the look of a quality car. Just as I was thinking it was kinda nice, I then saw an ES350 and realized the similarity. That is something I do not like at all.
The color was a type of green. Not my taste but the darkness made it look alright.
I didn't see the front so I didn't have the opportunity to get the full flavor on the road.

I was walking toward my car when I saw it. After I passed it I looked over at my car.
Sorry guys, I just don't see how you all think it looks better than the 3GS.

I'm not the kind of person who blinds himself to reality to feel better about my car. No way I think the 3GS is the worlds greatest. Actually, I am not even a sedan fan. Sometimes I feel stupid for buying the car. But I do like it and think it is stylish....more stylish than the 4.

Mr. Burns

It's a more emotional design.