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I came across this excellent "consumer review" on Edmunds.com and thought I'd share:

Daily Driver Long on Adrenalin

By vanguard1987 on 12/08/12 09:07 AM (PST)

Vehicle
2013 Lexus GS 350 4dr Sedan AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)

Review
For middle management guys like me, who go for cars like this, you've to stop lying to yourself. I'd love to say max power, max torque and racing handling are my top priorities. They're not though, they can't be. Reliability and comfort have to occupy some top spots. Before I enjoy the daily adrenalin shot that I get from my 2013 GS350 F-Sport, it had better start, emmerse my senses and not leave me in a cloud of steam on the side of the road somewhere. I promise you that this car can handle everything and anything that you're going to want to do in the real world. Your bravery will run out and your consideration for not crossing from spirited to reckless driving will kick in well below the limits of the F-Sport. Great track day car? No. But I'm going to work a lot more often then going to the track. I just want to enjoy the hell out of the daily commute and dude, it just doesn't get any better in this price range. This car makes me feel alive, proud, motivated. I can see it from my 5th floor corner office and it calls to me all day long. I can't wait to drive it and I get a goofy smile every time I get in. Ignore the track teleme-trickery and get the car that soothes your brow as well as it lights your fire. When you click into Sport + mode, this car will strain at the leash and bark out a multi-stage exhaust note that is 100% primal scream. When your talent runs out, it will make the decisions that you failed to, and ensure that you live to tell the tale to your dude-bro's AND get your daughter to her volleyball game on time. I promise, you will not be disappointed in this work of engineering excellence.

Favorite Features
The exhaust note above 6,500 RPMs is just incredible. The styling has a bonkers element but still exudes maturity and style. Looked at home in the bank parking lot as well as the track day parking lot with the other weekend warrior wanna-be's. The 19" F-Sport rims get as much attention and compliments as any feature on this car. Handling, holy cow. Prepare to feel like a driving god as you defy the laws of physics in the bends. Interior is beautiful in daylight but just wait until it gets dark outside. When the lighting effects kick in, you'll wonder what you did in life to deserve anything this amazing.

Suggested Improvements
Exterior glass and plastics are too easily damaged. Plastics have the same durability as candle wax, showing rock dings after just 6 months of easy commuting. Windshield had to be gel injected after a rock left a quarter sized round crack. No coin holder? Seriously? Guess I'll just hold my coins in my clenched shaking fist as I curse this design omission on this $50K car.

2GSKaizen

iTrader: (1)

Couldn't have put it better myself! That's just a great point of view on what this car is made for!

1111GS

to Lexus. I remember reading a review on the Genesis Sedan before 4GS came out... It was ranked relatively equal to the LS while priced at the GS'.

SW17LS

I wish I could tell the guy about the coin holder to the left of the steering wheel

djpeakSD

LOL! That is what I was thinking!

dseag2

He only got through the first 442 pages of the owners manual, so he missed the page with the coin holder.

Otherwise, exactly how I feel about my 4GS. Adrenaline for everyday driving.

SW17LS

Yep, I really look forward to driving it!

1111GS

I found out about this box TODAY! Waiting for coffee at a drive through... Played around and found the button. Now is there a box for the shades somewhere too?

SW17LS

Alas...I have not found a hidden box for the shades!

dseag2

Yes, it's called the storage area under the left door armrest.

ShermanMR2

That's where I put mine. And there's even room for my wife's there too.

natnut

You hear the word "Lexus" and driver involvement isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Reliability? Sure. Quality? OK. Fiscal responsibility? Absolutely. But performance? Not by a long shot.

But recently, Lexus has been trying to change this perception. Smartly, Lexus isn't simply assaulting the senses with hyper-expensive supercars or limited-run V8s — though it is doing that. It's also taking the performance angle to the affordable, reasonable sedan segment with the 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport.

The "F Sport" designation is a $5,690 option on the 2013 GS 350 which adds 19-inch wheels with summer tires, a sport-tuned variable suspension, 14-inch brakes, sport seats, unique exterior trim, a rear spoiler and more. Part of the magic, and disappointment, here is that Lexus leaves the 3.5-liter, 306-horsepower V6 heart of the GS unchanged. Reliability stays up, costs stay down.

But can it really be considered a performance pack if the engine doesn't change? We brought our long-term 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport to the track to find out.

Vehicle: 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport
Odometer: 4,130
Date: 10/2/2012
Driver: Chris Walton
Price: $63,527

Specifications:
Drive Type: Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Six-speed automatic
Engine Type: Naturally aspirated, direct-and-port injected V6
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 3,456/211
Redline (rpm): 6,600
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 306 @ 6,400
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 277 @ 4,800
Brake Type (front): 14-inch ventilated discs with four-piston fixed calipers
Brake Type (rear): 12.2-inch ventilated discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Suspension Type (front): Independent double wishbones with high-mount upper arms, coil springs, driver-adjustable two-mode variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, driver-adjustable two-mode variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 235/40R19 (96Y)
Tire Size (rear): 265/35R19 (94Y)
Tire Brand: Dunlop
Tire Model: SP Sport Maxx 050
Tire Type: Summer performance
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 3,851

2013 Lexus GS 350 Test Results:

Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.4 (2.5 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 3.9 (4.1 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 5.8 (6.1 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 5.5 (5.8 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 8.4 (8.7 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 14.1 @ 100.2 (14.2 @ 98.9 w/ TC on)

Braking
30-0 (ft): 32
60-0 (ft): 122

Handling
Slalom (mph): 66.7 (64.8 w/ TC on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.83 (0.84 w/ TC on)

Db @ Idle: 38.8
Db @ Full Throttle: 76.5
Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 62.3

RPM @ 70: 6,300

Comments:

Acceleration: Noticeable difference between Norm, Sport and Sport + modes (subtracting 0.1-0.4 to 60 mph). Nice-sounding V6 snarl and quick/smooth upshifts exactly at redline. Doesn't hold gears in manual mode, so all were auto-upshift. Best run in Sport + with liberal wheelspin.

Braking: Firm, respectable, straight and flat. Thought it would stop shorter, however. Also, I love the feel of the pedal in normal driving.

Handling:

Skid pad: Excellent balance with mild understeer at the limit. Steering is delicate and precise; unfettered by unnecessary syrup or weight.

Slalom: What an amazing setup: friction-free steering, lightning turn-in, quick to set, rapid in transitions and plenty of forgiveness and adjustability mid-course. Grippier tires would make it even better, but it's delightful as is. Mild understeer is easily snubbed with lift-stab of throttle. More power at the exit would be fun, too, but what feels like an LSD is appreciated greatly.

Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.

Link : http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/t...rack-test.html

ydooby

^Those numbers are a far cry from Edmunds' test of the 2013 GS350 F-Sport done over a year ago, where the car posted a best-in-class slalom speed of 69.7mph and a decent lateral acceleration of 0.88g.

So what happened? Either Edmunds got a weak test driver recently or the car had been heavily abused, tires heavily worn out, during the 4000 miles of Edmunds' ownership.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-69-7-mph.html

SW17LS

Also, does it really say the RPM at 70MPH is 6300?

GS69

Lexus' Coin Catcher:
A Simple Convenience

Why do you buy a $50,000 luxury sedan? Maybe it’s the gutsy engine, high-tech stereo or enough leather to garner a PETA protest. Take the 2013 Lexus GS. Its $48,145 starting price gets you heated leather seats with 8-way power adjusters, stitched dashboard trim, keyless access with push-button start, a moonroof and much more.

But sometimes it's the little things that count. Case in point: a fabric liner that sits between the front seats and the center console. It's a masterful convenience. It saves you from losing quarters, dimes and nickels at every toll booth; it halts you from cursing the iPhone gods every time yours falls under the seat. It prevents a horde of fast-food crumbs and ketchup packets from assailing the carpet.

OK, so you can buy a $20 aftermarket retrofit that does the same thing. You could also fit a neoprene strip — or a stuffed sock — in the gap. But few cars come that way from the factory. Our GS is hardly the 1st Lexus to sport the feature: Motor Trend sung its praises in a 2004 LS 430. We asked 2 Lexus spokespeople when and how the feature originated; neither 1 could tell us.

If every press car we drove had the feature, we'd save 60, maybe 75 cents a week in lost change. Being journalists, that's serious money.