AJLex19

I agree with many of the assessments here - especially with understanding the type of car and audience the GS350 targets and your own individual expectations. I had a 2GS (GS430) with the 300hp V8 and now the '13 4GS with the 306hp V6. The V8 had much more torque (330 vs 277) but the zero to sixty times are exactly the same between the two cars.

Because of the torque, the 2GS's V8 "felt" quicker but in reality it wasn't. Just as other posters have mentioned, if your expectations are for a throaty, throttle-rich response off the line, maybe the 3.5 in the GS isn't really for you. But when you think about the tradeoffs in buying another car that is quicker or "feels" quicker, the inevitable conclusion is that the GS is a great all-around performer. I think at some point, Toyota will bring in quite a few engine more options while tuning them for specific purposes and personalities...but they usually stick with what works and whats most reliable - a proven engine with specs that are broad enough to satisfy most buyers considering a GS.

I really enjoy how the GS is able to quickly accelerate while in higher gears, I enjoy how well it behaves when I want to drive normally around the city, and I enjoy throwing it around a bit when the mood strikes. I remember in the IS forums, someone started a thread about how the IS 350 and IS F didn't "feel" that much different due to the aggressive nature of the gearing in the IS350 - so sometimes its not always about just the HP numbers or zero to sixty times, but a preconceived notion that a car is slow or fast based on its history, pedigree , marketing and branding.

For the price of a brand new GS350 that's fully loaded, I'm seeing some used 2016 GS F's coming down under $70k - maybe those wanting the extra power with the Lexus reliability can look into a lightly used GS F with its 4.4sec zero to sixty times

gflexus

You know I don’t believe the BMW is the standard it used to be, nor do a lot of the car magazines!I personally have owned several 5 series….last one was the 540i (E39)….which some, including Motor Trend, believe was the best 5 series and is the BMW they compared the GS to. Let me tell you the GS is better than that car in every way.Further, before I bought my current ’16 GS 350 F Sport, I test drove several ’16 BMW 535i’s and was not impressed.The interior looked exactly the same as my last BMW 15 years ago, and while it drove “BMW like” I perceived it as just different, but not better than the GS.