1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

LEXUS CORP - Please LISTEN : We want V8 or V10 power..

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

awesome review, thank you!!! and very informative. didn't know lux pkg gives same suspension as f-sport - not sure how this makes sense. and i'm kinda stunned the f-sport isn't lowered vs. the regular gs!? i guess the bigger wheels it's typically shown with make it look lower? and agree with review then that f-sport 'pkg' not so impressive - might as well shell out and get lux.

adamls2

Great review Henry!!! I test drove an f-sport yesterday and was quite pleased with it except for the lack of power like you mentioned. The entertainment system is the best in any car IMHO. But me and a sells manager built up one with all the options and it was possible to get ML with it. It's the f-sport + package and it was around 61k fully decked out.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

thanks everyone. i just try to be as objective as i can to point out all the positives and negatives. i have no vested interest in lexus and i am a fair shopper so it only makes sense to point out the details.

yes, not just displacement (ie tq) but also the hp. with how much fun the car is to drive, the lack of (by comparison) mid range punch takes out quite some excitement. i got on freeway and tried to pull from 55 to 80+, the car did that, but it's not in a drastic fashion, like the way the car handles

one thing i want to say though, the throttle on the 4gs is more sensitive than that in the 3gs, i give props to lexus for that. i wonder if that makes people think the car is "faster". but in real world, i don't think the car is any faster than my previous gs350, straight line speed wise. tossing it around, it's a different story

i don't think anyone says the car is slow, you are missing the point. or maybe you drive one and you can understand. in some way, think of it as a ferrari chassis and suspension, that's really exciting. until you punch on it and find out it's just a m3 engine. the engine is great, but putting everything together and it becomes the "bottleneck"

i hope you realize the gs430 had a very old v8, pretty much from 1998. not sure comparing to that would make your case any better

yes, like i said it brings back some of the feeling when getting into the gs400 way back. i never had that feeling getting into my 3gs (even the gs460). that's what driving dynamics bring you. i am so glad lexus is going this direction. all the plush and comfy rides, leave that to the ES

well there are about a trillion pictures of the 4gs out there already so i feel it's kind of extra. i hate to say, but i didn't even bother to take a picture yesterday evening. i was busy looking at details

or tt v8. let's get into a head to head fight with bmw and mb

yup, to be honest i am still a bit stunned by that. when i was told n the suspension yesterday i couldn't make any sense out of it. like you said, i would expect the fsport to be at least lowered with higher spring rate, possibly thicker sway bars. those shouldn't affect pricing drastically, but give the car that much edge over the regular

umm, i don't know if region makes a different, maybe they allow that on the other coast. but here in the western region, i don't think mark levinson is available for any fsport at all

spwolf

well look at it this way, for the price of big wheels, big brakes, you get upgraded passanger seat and rear hvac... IMHO that sucks, hah!

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

+1

rominl

iTrader: (4)

considering that brakes and wheels are easily to change vs nightmare on seat upgrades / rear seats, i think otherwise

adamls2

It's very possible that it is a a regional issue with the f-sport not having the option to add the Mark Levinson or maybe they are just saying that they aren't delivering any f-sports with ML in the first few batches. I just went on Lexus.com and built a f-sport and was able to choose the ML as an option. im not sure if you can see it but If you would like to build it in my zip code it is 32210. http://www.lexus.com/configurator/#/...=4100&group=GS

My dealer also confirmed this.

spwolf

sure... but how much do you have to pay to add big brake kit and wheels?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i think it's going to be a lot cheaper than trying to change the seat and all the internal harnesses

T4Fun

imho and from what ive seen of lexus, their cars are not built for performance. they are built for luxury and trouble free driving. their F line is a joke. Styling needs to be more aggresive. If you want peformance thats relatively trouble free, get an infiniti. If you really want performance, get a german car. I am not dissing the gs, it looks good, but given the choices out there, it has some major competetion

jjscsix

I agree with you. I'm about to sell my Z06 as a second car, so I want a little more pizzaz in my daily driver. Lexus is not there. Until they are willing on putting 400 hp in the GS, they are not in the sport sedan business. Right now I'm thinking an M56 or BMW 550, but even a 535 would interest me more (especially with a Dinan ECU upgrade). An Audi S4 is another option.

eoph

I agree, since the luxury package comes with semi-aniline leather. Not to mention changing door panels for the manual side window sunshades.... It'll also be expensive changing the headlights to get AFS. Also, in Canada the only way to get options like ML and HUD is to get the luxury package.

natnut

To the previous 2 posters T4fun and jjscsix, isn't it a bit extreme to define performance as 400+hp?

To me the 4GS IS a performance car as it satisfies this criteria : does it have class leading handling and decent power? Currently, the 4GS has been winning handling comparos against BMW,MB and Audi and 300hp in the GS350 is no slouch.

If you are simply defining performance narrowly as extreme straight line speed, then yes, I can see why the GS350/450h isn't for you. If you're saying that a 5 series that has gained 400lbs from its previous generation and an Audi that is FWD based and is nose heavy in the corners is performance, then I guess we will have to differ on what we consider as "performance"

I'll grant you that the GS doesn't yet have the equivalent of the 550i or S6 but that doesn't warrant the blanket statement that Germans=performance, Lexus=comfort. It would be more accurate to say Germans=crazy overpowered horsepower wars that only 5% of the market will buy (and yes I know this is a car enthusiast forum), Lexus=realistic everyday performance that most can enjoy (in the 4GS anyway).

We have the ISF and LFA so that's 2 concrete examples against your statement that Lexus doesn't do performance and I'm confident a GSF is in the works.

adamls2

Well if they radicalized the f-sport to out highest expectations the "F" would seem bland or people would mistake it with F-sport. I think that they didn't go all out on the f-sport to make the upcoming F look good. Which is why I think there is a GSF coming