Man, there's a LOT of body roll with this car. It definitely takes away from the luxury feel of this car when you and your passengers are shifting all around in corners.

I don't want to go too far away from OEM/stock, but are there good strut or sway bars for this car that aren't too expensive?

I'm unfamiliar with the GS brands and what's good/light weight.

Also I'm guessing installing a rear strut bar would require cutting up carpet stuff in the trunk?

 

Yup. I feel the same way as you! I understand all the reviews that says this car turns and handles so well during corners. Especially on YouTube. Hellllllla body roll 🙄

 

I just don't get that, what are you comparing it to?

 

How about comparing to Mazda 6 -- a midsize 4-door sedan priced much less than the GS350?

 

I've driven the Mazda 6, I agree it's a great car but I don't think the GS has appreciably more body roll. I never felt like my GS was anything but flat in the corners, especially in Sport +. As you said, read the reviews...it's not like I'm voicing some opinion that hasn't been voiced.

Remember too the Mazda 6 is also FWD, all in all the GS is a much better handling car.

 

Is there an objective way to measure -- (i) body roll and (ii) stability in the presence of crosswinds as in highway driving? We will argue forever if all our opinions are subjective.

 

There's road holding and skid pad figures, but not really.

I mean, it isn't an M3 but if you compare the GS in terms of handling to other similar cars in its segment, it does quite well. I never had any issues with stability in crosswinds on the highway. Took several trips where I drove the car with passengers in the mountains on the highway and on backroads. Never any issues, nobody felt thrown around. Taken the same trips in the LS, and there's a huge difference in handling to the GS' benefit there, but the LS rides much better and more solidly in a straight line, so that's the trade off.

If you want no body roll track handling at the expense of everything else I would say you need to look at something like a GS-F if you want to stay with Lexus, or an M5 or M3.

 

It might be that the GS F-Sport with AVS handles as well as any sedan in the sub-$55k range. However, the base GS (without AVS) should also be able to do the same. One should not have to spend $7k more to get better handling when he is already shelling out more than $50k.

I have driven the recent ES, RX and LS, and all of them ride like a boat with significant body roll and it seems some people like that (see this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...iest-ride.html). Moreover, the ES and RX are quite unstable under crosswinds during highway driving. I drove these two vehicles as loaners and will never own them. The GS and LS feel more stable in highways but that is probably because of their enormous weight and not because of their suspension geometry. I would be very happy if someone proves me wrong! I was hoping that Lexus would target a slightly more enthusiastic crowd with the GS but it seems, they have lost the focus and the sales numbers and discounted pricing on the GS show that.

When I went to purchase my GS, a salesman put down the cost of an equally-equipped GS vs. ES side-by-side and showed me that the ES offers a much higher value than the GS for the money because you get more bells and whistles in the ES, no need for premium fuel, quieter ride, more rear legroom, etc. I still purchased the GS because it handled much better than the ES. And I believe there are more customers like me. But Lexus doesn't seem to realize that.

A good handling car should be lightweight and stable at the same time which is a very difficult engineering feat to achieve, especially when it comes to 4-door midsize or large sedans. Simply adding thicker sway bars or stiffer springs or larger wheels with low-profile tires does not achieve that. IMHO, the engineering prowess of an auto manufacturer is reflected in the handling ability of its vehicles and not in horsepower, torque, quality of its materials, exterior styling, bells and whistles, etc.

 

Why should the basic GS handle as well as the GS with the more advanced suspension? If you want the best handling GS, buy the upgraded suspension. The base car will never be as good as the car with all the options...which is kind of the point. Everything in this segment has an upgrade suspension option...

$50,000 is nothing nowadays unfortunately.

 

Again, how much does the Mazda 6 cost?

 

If you don't understand the many ways the GS is superior to a Mazda 6, including handling you should go buy a Mazda 6. Seriously, you're spending a ton more money for benefits you're not comprehending or enjoying. It's like me buying a $300 bottle of wine, I don't get the benefits. Doesn't mean they aren't there or somebody else won't understand, I just don't.

 

You are completely missing my point.

All $300 bottles of wine are not worth $300. That is why a new GS is currently selling at a steep discount of 20-30% of MSRP which is not the case with some other cars in the same class. Still the GS sales numbers cannot keep up with the competition. The fact is that the sales numbers and discounted pricing on the current GS is making the 5th generation uncertain which is sad for a GS-lover like me. My point is, in order to keep up with the competition, the GS handling needs to improve even if that requires making the AVS standard on all GS. Offering high-quality interior or long-term reliability is great and is loved and appreciated by all, but that cannot make up for or be an excuse for subpar handling. With respect to the competition, the handling IS subpar for a GS without AVS which costs $50k+.

 

The GS is not selling poorly because of poor handling. It's one of the best handling cars in its class, every review says this.

If you want the best handling GS, get one with AVS. If you go around expecting the base car to handle as well as the AVS car you're going to be disappointed. Other cars may have better handling performance base, but those cars start much higher in price than the GS and come standard with adaptive suspension setups.

 

Here are a few relevant Youtube videos:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGZRairqHNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_liGnV3PTiQ

 

So why is the GS selling poorly?