Blackraven

Hmm....question:
Are you a member of the motoring press? Or do you have affiliation with Lexus?

I ask because I can't remember anyone who wants to drive in Singapore to rent such high-end cars over there. Avis and Hertz Singapore would either lend you either a Mitsubishi Grandis or some Proton car.

Oh and a GS250 maybe a little bit inadequate in the performance department. I think anyone can agree with that.

However, in the case of Singapore with stuff like ERP gantries and uber-slow speed limit (i.e. 90 kmh/56mph at Ayer Rajah Expressway), it wouldn't even matter lol :P

That and high COE prices will mean that GS250 will make up majority of GS sales (for Borneo Motors Singapore that is)

P.S.
Hang on, how on earth were you able to drive a Lexus GS250 in Singapore? No rental car company there (AFAIK) offers any Lexus for car rental to begin with. So how were you able to drive one?

vednam

Ooops. I'll clarify. I actually went to Singapore for a seminar. I have an Indian friend in Singapore who has previously owned the old S class, the previous 530i, and the old GS300. He wanted to replace his old GS300 with the new GS250 over there, so I ended up going for a test drive with him at a local dealership. However I found the 2.5 to be much louder and coarser than our 3.5's, and much much louder and coarser than his old GS300 3.0. There is something about the 2.5 that is surprisingly different to the 3.5. I expected the two to be much more similar in refinement, and mainly different in output.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

I had my 2011 BMW 535i xdrive that your friends are considering for only 1 year. Let me be blunt with you, its a boring car overrall and fail to excite. It was heavy, numb, and isolating and I could not stand it after 1 year and sold it for a 2013 Lexus GS350 F-Sport. The GS is livelier, more fluid, and more sharper. It reacts faster and is planted to the road with less choppiness then the BMW with runflats and without run flats. My BMW had wandering in crosswind, turbo lag, vibration from defective rims and tires and could not be resolved with new non-runflats and rims. It was terrible and looked boring. I get more awes and excitement from everyone in regards to driving and riding in my new GS. I love the styling and the interior and will take it again anyday over the BMW . I have 2006 Audi A8L and a 2008 BMW 335xi coupe in my house so I know how a car is suppose to feel and drive and I know that buying the BMW 5 is no better than the Lexus GS.

The styling is excellent and in parking lots people rave and say to me thats a sharp looking car. No issues with the rear as it blends in with my nice spoiler and tints.

Go to motortrend review and see why:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...luxury_sedans/

Lexus GS wins 1 and is labeled the Ultimate Driving Machine
BMW 5 2
Audi A6 3
Infiniti M 4

and Mercedes E class left out because MB declined to use this car as its too poor in dynamics and will instead offer it when they release the referesh.

natnut

Latest video review of the GS350 F-Sport RWD :

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Finally drove the 4GS today.
You guys are right, it drives great. I felt glued to the curves and confident on every road surface I rode on. It doesn't feel as fast as the 3GS but it does produce a more prominent growl. Like it has a cold air intake installed. The engine doesn't have that ticking sound from the direct injection system which is great. It felt buttery smooth too.

The tech is out of sight. I can't believe the GS has so much tech. The interior is very comfortable but I still think the 3GS looks better inside. The car I drove did not have a wood steering wheel (its special order now instead of standard) and the wood paneling was dull and unattractive. But it was a very comfortable and supportive drive. The seats don't grip but I don't want them to. They were supportive. Plenty of leg room and head room.

The exterior looked better to me than it has before but I am no where near a fan yet. I like that it's more aggressive just not this much. If the nose wasn't pushed out like a snout I could like it more. The rear seemed much better than the car I saw in traffic couple weeks ago. Maybe cause it was black and that car I saw in traffic was white, which reveals every nook and cranny.
Some viewpoints actually look attractive. I watched it roll in to pick me up and roll away when the salesman took it back. I spent about an hour with the car and although I appreciate it much more, I am still disappointed Lexus didn't add more style. The latest Hyundai's and Kia's have more style imo.

I'm gonna compare it to a girl I used to know. She was fine. Almost perfect body. The kind that has meat on the bones but not an ounce of fat. Breasts perfectly round and bouncy but no droop. Hips could have been better but she used to be an athlete so they weren't as curvacious as the rest of her. Still nice though. Smart and well dressed. Her only real problem, a nose that spread over half her face. What can you do with that nose!

natnut

Test drive an F-Sport with DRS(dynamic rear steering). There's no finer handling mainstream sports sedan short of a full fledged M5/ISF/M3/S6/S4.

An A6 3.0T with sports package may have more grip but it's has much less communicative steering, would be less fun and it would cost significantly more.

So far I've test driven an Audi A7 3.0T (costing a third more than an F-Sport with DRS), a BMW F30 335i-Sport with basically M-Sport suspension and BMW's version of VGRS steering, a 500hp CLS55 AMG and I still prefer driving the F-Sport above all of them. The only other car with such responsive on-road manners and such synaptic steering was my friend's old school E39 5 series with it's hydraulic steering and even that would be blown away by the F-Sport in the corners.

I believe that DYNAMICALLY, an F-Sport with DRS is as much improvement over a base 4GS as a base 4GS is over a 3GS (in terms of handling).

Regarding the 4GS not feeling as fast as the 3GS, it's a consequence of how planted and composed it's ride and handling is. The 4GS is deceptively fast. Because it's now so stable at high speeds, it feels much slower than it's actually going.

peteharvey

I drove the F Sport a few days ago.
The styling, outside and inside is still a contentious issue, and has been detailed in other threads and posts.
The front is spacious enough, however the rear feels less legroom and less "lateral" knee room than the outgoing model.
This distance between the B-pillars seem narrower, but I did not get a chance to confirm with a laser measuring tape.
The foot room is only a little better, and the head room is a little better, but neither by a great deal.
Be warned, Lexus has made the new rear seats very body hugging, so it makes the rear seem smaller, and the body hugging rear seats can feel a little uncomfortable.
The old 3GS had a conventional "flat" rear seats.
The new 4GS is like a body hugging sports rear seats.
The boot is a little bigger, especially deeper, and quite long and wide, thanks to high rear parcel shelf, and a non-tapering boxy tail end styling.
For most people, a slightly more spacious cabin is more important than a slightly more spacious boot.

The engine is pretty quiet and smooth; not quite as quiet and smooth as the old model, but smooth and quiet enough - and certainly better than the competition.
Incidentally, both the old 3GS300 and the new 4GS350 use engines that are designed more for mid-range and top end torque rather than bottom end torque.
Neither the Lexus direct injection 3.0 or 3.5 are super strong at the bottom.
BMW's 3.0 in-line six, with straighter inlet port for superior breathing, have superior bottom end torque.
Nevertheless, both the GS and 535i claim the same 0-60 times, however the BM feels quicker, but isn't.
The Mercedes 90 degree V6 is just disgusting, really lacking in bottom end torque, being outpaced by the GS & 5, and the Benz 90 degree V6 is loud and coarse.
Btw, Mercedes is ditching their range of 90 degree V6's, for a return to the in-line sixes, in several years time.

Compared to the old 3GS, the new 4GS steering wheel is smaller, with a thicker rim, and nice soft leather, rather than the uncomfortable slippery hard wood of the old model.
The new F Sport steering is certainly sharper than the old model, however it is not super sharp compared to other cars.
The much smaller and lighter IS250 is much sharper in steering than the 4GS.
The even smaller and lighter old 1999-2006 IS200 is even sharper again.
So the new 4GS is sharp, but it is not super sharp by any standards.
Someone who is really keen on handling and dynamics, will purchase a smaller car, like the IS350 F Sport etc.
Obviously, the GS350 F Sport is not designed to compete with the IS350 F Sport.

The F Sport also has a slightly firm ride on the Normal setting. It is firmer than both the E350 and the standard 535i.
However the F Sport isn't too firm at all on the Normal setting.
The Sports setting brings earlier shift points.
While the Sports+ brings both earlier shift points, firmer damper rates, and active parallel rear wheel steering for enhanced stability and reduced fish tailing.
The Sports+ may be too firm, day to day, for some.
Because the F Sport has a slightly firmer suspension rates, it no longer has the "long legged" suspension travel feel of the standard 535i, and particularly the standard luxury E350.

The F Sport has pretty good refinement.
The 19" does have just a little more tire noise on cruising. Not much more tire noise.
The old 3GS on 18" had such a choppy ride; the old model drove very well on 17".
The rigidity and bending stiffness is greatly improved over the 3GS.

The new 4GS has superb equipment levels, and the hi fi is so much more powerful.

Overall, the 4GS F Sport is a good car, let down a bit by style and rear space.
The suspension compromise, ride and handling balance is about right, considering the size and weight of this motor car.
It'd be great if they could harness more bottom end torque out of the 3.5, or alternatively, alter the tuning for more bottom end torque, which is more practical day to day...

natnut

Action-Oriented Sedan With a Predatory Spirit



FULL ARTICLE : Action-Oriented Sedan With a Predatory Spirit

natnut

2013 Lexus GS350 F-Sport

Full Article :


http://www.directshift.com/wordpress...+(Direct+Shift)

tucker21

how on earth did that make it past an editor to final print???
the grammar is atrocious, it reads like it was translated directly from another language.

peteharvey

We just test drove an Audi A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro yesterday.
OMG!
A single test drive is of little value.
A back to back comparison with a competitor on the same day is far more valuable.




On the internet, the new A6 looks terrible, with corrupt lines, and the 4GS looks better.
However, in real life, the A6 is looks bigger and stunningly beautiful; we were caught surprised!
The 4GS has the cheapest looking tail in this class.
The E Class tail isn't so good either.
The A6 is possibly the best looking in this class, from the outside, but you wouldn't know it judging from on-line photographs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GS69

Inside, the cars both smack of sporting luxury, but in very different ways. The Audi feels more traditional, with a grey and brown interior, with use of wood grain on the dash, doors, and tunnel. It has a country lounge feel to it and is quite a relaxed and homey space. Our tester featured the touch pad next to the gear selector, where we could actually write letters with our fingers to spell out our destination in the navigation system. The multimedia screen rising from the dash when we started the car, along with the two Bang & Olufsen speakers up front, felt particularly special.

The GS’s interior was mostly black, with brushed metal trim where the A6 had wood. It feels a bit more sporting, especially with the shine of the metal pedals. Instead of a touchscreen, the Lexus offered a version of the brand’s computer-mouse-like interface, offering feedback and resistance corresponding to what the display was showing and how it was divided. In all, it requires fewer physical buttons that you can accidentally hit with your elbow than the Audi, with most of these controls behind the gear lever. Really, deciding which is superior is a subjective matter; we’ll just say that the Audi offers a richer interface, while that of the Lexus feels more streamlined. Onward to the good part.

The A6 interior looks bigger and airier, with lots of fussy lines.
The 4GS interior is a trifle blander, and cosier.
Neither interiors look particularly stylish.
Indeed, none of the dash from the current crop of E Class and 5 Series are particularly, stylish, simple, clean and tidy, aging gracefully.

The new 4GS has a rectangular ashtray on each side of its rear arm rest, so this minimises lateral knee room available.
The A6's rear seats are also a little lower for greater rear headroom.
However, this lower seating position is accompanied with a lower waistline, and lower front seat, so that the rear passengers can look over the front passenger's shoulders.
The A6 also has a little more rear foot room, and rear knee room.
The flatter rear seats on the A6 also feel more comfortable.
To the 4GS credit, the higher rear seat mount is more comfortable, and while the heavily sculpted rear seats may feel uncomfortable, it is more supportive when the driver is occasionally pulling 0.8g's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GS69

The GS offers sharp response, and, at least on turn-in, it eagerly takes aim at the apex of a corner. The problem, though, comes after that, as it seems to fight against its own weight a bit as it tackles the rest of the turn (despite weighing less than the Audi—we’ll chalk it up to rear-wheel drive). Pushed hard, stability control is quick to chime in and govern the fun (and the speed) that 1 could’ve carried through the curve. At high speeds, the steering can feel a bit twitchy, which hurts stability a bit. Finally, the weight of the tiller feels a bit artificial, and you can feel it trying to predict your moves and boost the wheel accordingly.

The Audi A6 doesn’t have the sharpness in steering as the Lexus, but it feels a bit more willing to rotate on turn-in. Progression through the steering wheel is smooth and easy to work with, and the car doesn’t struggle when pushed into a turn. For mot practical and enthusiastic applications, we’d trade the GS’s synaptic on-center-response for the Audi’s overall more natural, telepathic steering response—one that is good from lock to lock, and not just at certain angles of input.

This may be a bit of a silly comparison.
Indeed, we must be very careful and specific about some of these comparisons.
We must compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges.
It seems that here we have a standard suspension Audi A6 3.0 Supercharged AWD, with a Lexus GS350 F Sport.
This comparison should be between a standard suspension A6 and a standard suspension GS350.
Alternatively, if we use an F Sport, then we should equally use an A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro with both the electronic damper option, and the Sports suspension option.
There seems to be no details in this test regarding suspension specifications?

If we ever compare the 4GS with the E Class or 5 Series, we must make sure we compare apples with apples.
The 4GS comes in two different suspension settings: standard or F Sport.
The E Class comes in many different levels like: Elegance, Avantegarde, E63 AMG etc.
The 5 Series also comes in many different levels like: Sports, M Sports, M5 etc.
Successive versions of the E Class and 5 Series become progressively firmer and firmer, harder and harder, in the suspension department.

Due to lack of availability, we ended up testing an F Sport with rear wheel steering and the works, against a standard A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro.
Firstly, this is an inappropriate test; we must compare apple with apples.
The F Sport is too firm for most people's tastes; the F Sport is only good for enthusiasts.
The F Sport does handle well with more firm suspension control.
However, it rides tiringly.

The A6 is so plush in its ride; there is a world of difference to the F Sport.
The A6 is more plush and softer than the standard GS350 from my memory.
The A6 suspension travel is reasonably long.
The A6's wheelbase is a whopping 3 inches longer than the 4GS, and this shows in the ride.
The tyres on the A6 are quiet.
The A6 had 18" alloys; the F Sport 19" alloys.

Because of its softness, the A6 body control feels looser, however once into a turn, the A6 feels more grippy, with greater roadholding than the F Sport.
From the seat of pants feel, the A6 is softer, and plusher riding than even the standard GS350, but the A6 feels grippier than both the standard GS350 and the firmer F Sport.
Unfortunately, we are not able to test these cars on race tracks against the stop watch.

The A6's plushness of ride, great roadholding, and the effortless refinement on cruising was a bit of a surprise.
The Germans are really catching up to the Japanese on refinement and noise levels.
It wasn't like that many years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GS69

Throttle response in the Audi is very sharp, and acceleration is immediate, especially lower in the rev range. Tap the right pedal, and the motor springs to life, pushing occupants back in their seats. There’s definitely a visceral moment one feels when accelerating through a gear. When it comes time to slow the car down, the brakes are also very responsive, making it easy to shed speed quickly and confidently.

The sound of the A6’s motor is a bit subdued, and it’s hard to hear it in the cabin unless you’re keeping it good and hot. What sounds do come through are very pleasant, exhilarating, and technical sounding. You hear more of the engine than the exhaust, and its voice speaks with precision. Listen closely, and the sound of the supercharger will make the hair on your arms stand up. Combined with that surging physical rush it offers in the lower part of the rev band, and the experience really comes together as a rewarding one, if not quite as sonically rich as it could be.

The GS, on the other hand, sounds more throaty and muscular. It’s a bit bolder about making its voice heard, and it booms heartily when run through the revs. The sound is good for keeping the driver engaged, and for letting him know what is going on under the hood, especially when shifting manually. This motor has presence, and will cause others to turn their heads when they hear it coming.

The nature of the Lexus’s power delivery seems like a natural fit with the noise it generates. It’s not as quick to jump forward from a stop or a crawl, but it has the endurance to wring out every horsepower high into the powerband. High-speed maneuvers are effortless, and passing slower drivers on the highway happens in precious few, very entertaining moments. The trick in driving the GS fast is keeping the revs high. It can feel very average lower in the range, and only really begins to feel fast when the motor is working very hard. The car’s 6 gears felt ample for all types of driving, but shifts were just a smidge slower. Also, after a shift, it takes just a moment for the revs to climb into that peak power area (this, however, is preferable to the confused response that Lexus’s eight-speed gearbox produces in other cars from that brand).

The engines are a world of difference.
The 4GS has a pretty good engine alround, powerful and refined.
The A6 3.0 supercharged is actually a 90 degree V6, cast from a 90 degree V8 die.
However, the 3.0 Supercharger has absolutely bags of bottom end torque; it will absolutely ambush the 4Gs at the bottom end!
Flat out from 0-60, the heavier A6 will actually out-accelerate the 4GS by several tenths of a second.
The 3.0 supercharged makes the 4GS seem slow, by a significant margin.

What is even more surprising about the 3.0 Supercharged is that it is so refined. So smooth, and so quiet. Many years ago, German engines were not like this at all.
It's actually a little quieter than the 4GS, and the 4GS is a little louder than the old 3GS, but the 4GS is by no means loud at all.
I could happily live with the 4GS engine refinement, for noise and harshness.

The only negative feature about the 3.0 Supercharge is the 'turbo-like" power delivery, with an initial flat spot, then a blast in acceleration.
With practise and familiarity, the 4WD in the A6 is more than capable of handling the power surge from the supercharger.

In an ideal world, an ideal engine might be a 4GS naturally aspirated engine with more bottom end torque.
Or a 3.0 Supercharged engine with a more progressive gradual power delivery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GS69

The GS offers very different driving styles, dialed up by the **** below the gear lever. In Sport+ the feeling through the suspension changes dramatically, and a lot of the on-center chatter that was muted in Normal and Eco is telegraphed clearly through the floorboards and the steering wheel. We’re sure the nineteen-inch F-Sport wheels on our tester had a lot to do with it, but no matter how you slice it, you won’t hear us calling this Lexus isolated, at least not when dialed into its sportiest setting.

The Audi, regardless of what drive mode is selected, just isn’t as talkative at the Lexus. You get a sense of what’s going on between tire and tarmac through the suspension, but it takes a bit of concentration to discern it. The steering remains calm and quiet, but you can hear the subtle movements through the chassis when the road surface changes.

That may not matter much in the overall scheme of things, as the A6 feels more planted to the road. While the Lexus’s stance and more artificial-feeling steering feels just a bit wobblier. This is especially true in the corners, where the Audi feels a bit more glued down, and always points where aimed.

The Audi’s transmission handles shifting very rapidly and easily. It’s easy to change 1 or 2 gears via the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. It has eight gears total, which helps for fuel economy (though the two cars were matched at 19/28 miles per gallon, highway/city), but feels unnecessary for performance, as so much power is available down low. Wait it out, then shift, and the tachometer needle lands pretty high in the rev range. It sounds absolutely terrific when this happens under spirited driving, but it robs us of some of the fun offered in the low revs. Oh well. This also means you can shift short, and not be stuck sucking wind.

In either car, when using manual mode, if you slack off a bit, the car will resume control for you, shifting itself at redline regardless of transmission mode. While idiot-proofing the transmission will make less experienced drivers feel more heroic when the tach needle doesn’t bounce off the redline, we prefer a car that only does what we tell it, when we tell it. You won’t find that with either of these offerings.

Like I said before, the A6 had plush suspension.
Electronic dampers, and sports suspension are optional, and not fitted to our test car.
The F Sport tested is firmer than the standard 4GS, too firm for the regular driver, and good only for the enthusiast driver.
We're comparing apples with oranges here.
Having said that, from memory, the A6 is still plusher than the standard 4GS suspension.
From memory, the 4GS suspension is comfortable enough, and well damped with no floatiness at all, where the A6 standard suspension can feel very plush and luxurious, but even a little floaty as a result.
Here, I call it horses for courses - it just depends what type of ride/handling compromise you want.

Btw, unless you have optioned electronic dampers on the A6, the different electronic drive settings are for the gearbox shift points only.
It has no effect on the dampers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GS69

Neither the Audi A6 nor the Lexus GS are what we would call enthusiast cars. They both do a good job, though, of bringing a lot of that sports appeal with them as they bridge the gap between sports sedan and luxury barges. They serve as great ways to get from place to place quickly, and in a way that feels comfortable, classy and slick. Both of these cars serve that purpose especially well.

But since who we are dictates that we’re looking for a car that’s the most entertaining, we feel compelled to call the Audi A6 the superior way to get from one place to another very quickly. A supercharger and all-wheel drive will do that. An all-wheel drive version of the GS is available, but the Audi’s controls simply feel more natural and responsive when pushed toward their limits. We know there are those out there who will feel differently; we think a lot of people are really going to love this GS, and that makes us glad, because it deserves a lot of appreciation as well.

Each car feels very special in its own way. Gaze upon them yet again. We can’t promise that you, gentle reader, will like 1 more than another, that you’ll share our taste in driving style, accommodations, appearance, or appreciate our hell-bent favoring of involvement (the last 1 there being just enough to to tip the scales in the A6’s direction, as far as we’re concerned).

We can promise you, though, that both vehicles are brimming with personality. Get behind the wheel of either 1, and take it for a drive on your favorite roads, be they curvy, wide-open, steep, scenic, fresh, or decaying. Either car will provide you with a unique driving experience you won’t soon forget.

2013 Lexus GS350 F-Sport
Engine: V-6, 3.5 liters, 24v
Output: 306 hp/277 lb-ft
0-60 MPH: 5.7 sec
Top Speed: 142 mph
Weight: 3795 lb
Base Price: $52,590
Price As Tested: $55,869

2012 Audi A6 3.0 TFSI Quattro
Engine: Supercharged V6, 3.0 liters, 24v
Output: 310 hp/325 lb-ft
0-60 MPH: 5.3 sec
Top Speed: 130 mph
Weight: 4045 lb
Base Price: $49,900
Price As Tested: $67,430

These are two very different cars.
It would have been better to compare a standard suspension A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro, against a standard GS350.
Alternatively, an A6 with optional electronic dampers and optional Sports suspension pack, against the GS350 F Sport.

They are both very good cars.

In the metal, the A6 exterior styling is stunning.
It has a little more interior space for tall occupants.
The engine has bags of bottom end torque, and is so refined.
It has a very plush ride, and quiet cruising on the highway.
Around corners, it is soft and loose, but surprisingly adhesive.
The engine refinement, and the cruising refinement is a surprise; as is the roadholding, despite its softness.
Like this windingroad.com concludes, ultimately, the A6, despite its plush suspension, is actually the faster car, especially in the straight line.

The GS has enough interior space for occupants.
Its higher rear seat base mount is a bonus. The 4GS has the highest rear seating position in its class, and the most kidney hugging rear seats too, at that.
The engine is milder and more natural in power delivery.
The standard GS350 has a wonderfully balanced ride/handling package, neither a touch floaty like the A6 above, nor a bit too firm and sporty like the F Sport.
Indeed, it is possible that the A6's plush ride, can cause greater sea sickness than the standard suspension GS350's ride.
The F Sport is firmer for the enthusiast, and has the suspension control.
Despite its flaws, the GS does come on strong with value for money.
Despite its flaws, the GS also does come on strong with reliability and longevity.

Very even Stevens, horses for courses. Neither car delivers a real knockout punch to the other. Take your pick.

My own test drive comparison with friends yielded similar results to the windingroad.com test quoted by GS69 above at http://www.windingroad.com/articles/...gs350-f-sport/, and this in turn was quite similar to the caranddriver.com test at http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test .
The caranddriver.com test, once again, seemed to have used an A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro with standard suspension softness, in comparison to a GS350 F Sport.
In the motortrend.com comparison test at http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...luxury_sedans/, the A6 also ended up with the best objective numbers, which we surprisingly discovered and agree with after our comparison test drive, but the A6 dropped to third place after subjective opinions were put in.
The A6 is a plush soft car, super refined, with surprisingly tremendous bottom end torque, and even more surprisingly limpet-like grip around corners.
Normally, we would have thought such a heavyweight AWD motor car, combined with soft suspension, would float and wallow all over the place, breaking quickly into tire squealing understeer; however, not so.

They are all good cars, but each in different ways.
It is easy to quantify the strengths and weaknesses of each car, but let the final decision belong to the buyer and owner...

natnut

Take a look at the as-tested price : $67,430 for the A6 vs $55,590 for the GS.

The A6 probably came with a fully optioned out Sport suspension and Sport Quattro differential while the GS F-Sport did not have the optional DRS (Dynamic Rear Steer). That alone may even out the difference in handling.

Also, the Car and Driver comparison was a base GS, not an F-Sport. An F-Sport's handling, especially with DRS is substantially superior to even a base 4GS.

And I disagree, an F-Sport suspension is not too harsh. You do realize that there is a normal, Sport and Sport+ mode right? F-Sport in normal mode is practically the same as the base GS (thanks to the adaptive variable suspension in the F-Sport.)

peteharvey

I'm not sure about what type of mechanical specs were optioned for each car from the journalist tests.
However we do know that fully optioning the German cars can end up inflating the price 1.5 times.
All it takes is a bit of luxury equipment here and there, to add $4k to the overall price.
The mechanical spec from the journalist tests are very ambiguous, and pure guessing to this very day, unless someone wants to email those journalists directly, and ask exactly what type of specs were on those test cars?

However, we do know that we ourselves tested a normal suspensioned A6 3.0 Supercharged Quattro on 18" wheels with no electronic dampers nor sports suspension, against a GS350 F Sport with firmer spring rates and roll bars, electronic suspension, 4WS and 19" alloys.
We were surprised.
The A6 had a huge amount of bottom end torque and acceleration; the F Sport just couldn't keep up in the straight line.
And that huge bottom end was delivered with surprising Japanese refinement.
The A6 had a soft ride; even softer and possibly more prone to sea sickness than the normal GS350 suspension - however surprisingly, the A6 had this limpet-like grip.
4WD gave the A6 that ability to transmit huge amounts of torque to the bitumen.
The A6 was a surprise.
Before we tested the A6, we thought it would be too heavy, and that it would break into understeer early.
Historically, in the past, Audi A6's have been too firmly suspended, or occasionally too softly suspended, but more usually too firm; never just right.

The normal and the F Sport GS.
The normal GS has one of the most neutral suspension settings around; a great balance between comfort and performance.
The E350 is floatiest.
The A6 has a little floatiness too.
The 535i has a touch of floatiness.
The normal GS350 is very neutral. For a normal person who wants luxury suspension, most will choose the normal GS.
The F Sport is a little firm, and a fair bit firmer than the A6 in our test; no good for luxury suspension, but it is not designed for luxo - rather for the enthusiast.
The F Sport on top of 19" rims and rear wheel steering RWS, has different spring, damper rates, and roll bars from the base model.
Of course, the E and 5 in particular, are available in half a dozen optional firmer suspension settings, to varying degrees.

It is easy to tell that the F Sport is firmer than the others listed above.
It is also easy to tell that luxo buyers will buy the normal GS suspension, while sports buyers will buy the F Sport.
However, whether the F Sport is too harsh or not, depends on the personal taste of the tester or buyer.
Even for me, the F Sport is not harsh, but the F Sport suspension is certainly not made for the normal luxury buyer who's after maximum comfort.

As for alround purchasing and ownership decision; it also depends on the personal tastes of the buyer.
Coz it's not just all performance and handling etc, there is also equipment, value for money, and durability etc.

Forget about the overall buying and ownerhsip for a moment.
Just on the speed alone, the A6 we tested was noticeably quicker. Not just a little, but noticeably more.
Hence we can understand the objective conclusions of motortrend, caranddriver, and windingroad.com.
Even we were surprised here.
Initially, we thought the supercharger and 8 speed gearbox would merely neutralise the extra weight of the AWD; it's actually much much more powerful than that.
Going against the A6, we could always complain about the "turbo-like" power delivery, and the suspension setting that's not really chosen for speed and control; not to forget, the reliability!

Ownership-wise, personally I would still buy the normal suspension GS350 myself for the neutral suspension settings, the high rear seat base looking over the shoulders of the front passengers, the base models quietest cruising in its class, and the longevity...

Mr. Burns

Of course the A6 is noticeably quicker off the line, it has a 3.0L V6 engine with a supercharger, which gives you tons of low end torque, and AWD, which gives you lots of grip. The GS has a naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 and is RWD standard. It's not as quick off the line, but it has more grunt at the top end (such as for passing), and RWD can't be beat for driving enjoyment. The GS also has superior weight distribution compared to the A6, which should inspire much more confidence during rapid direction change maneuvers.

To get the mandatory AWD to work in the A6 without adding too much weight, Audi had to put the car on a diet, which is probably why in the Motortrend comparison they noticed the A6 felt more tinny and not as solid as the other cars.

The A6 is a very nice car, as is every other car in this segment. They are all very close. It all comes down to your own personal preference, and how each car's pluses/minuses factor into your value system. The GS remains the most logical choice given its proven dependability, and great long term resale value. It's also one of the more comfortable cars in the segment, even in F-sport guise, with some of the best seats in the segment and a very quiet ride. There is a bit more passion in the 4GS than the 3GS, which helps make a case for it on an emotional front as well. But it's not going to be as flashy as an A6/XF (though those cars are notoriously unreliable and depreciate like rocks).

peteharvey

Noise
Btw, another thing I would add too, is that the base normal suspension GS350 together with 18" alloys, is the quietest cruiser on the highway, of the entire lot! It has almost no noise on cruising at all.
The F Sports with 19" makes a little bit of tire noise on cruising. Just some tire noise only.
The Germans including E, 5 and A6 are all very quiet these days too, however they make a little more tire noise than the F Sport. The Germans are all cruise with some but not excessive tire noise.

The F Sport and the three Germans on cruising, have no engine or wind noise at all; just tire noise.
The normal base GS with 18" alloys has no noise; almost...