We called a Lexus the “Ultimate Driving Machine.” In a four-car comparison that included a 2012 BMW 535i and 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport, we fell in love with the then-new GS. Years later, underneath the GS 350’s overdone face-lift is a midsize luxury sedan whose focus remains on fun. The segment has changed considerably since that comparo, so we spent some time with and tested a 2017 Lexus GS 350 F Sport to see how well the car holds up.

Although the GS received a refresh for the 2016 model year, at least six competitors have been fully redesigned since the Lexus first arrived for 2013. That’s a lot of change, but the sporty 2017 GS 350 F Sport still connects you to the road, a trait you won’t find in every $60,000 luxury four-door. It’s a quality that, when coupled with the questionable front styling updates, gives character to another car that helps shed the luxury brand’s reputation for only building boring cars.

While Lexus has been busy shifting brand perception, the GS 350’s engine has survived mostly unchanged since the 2007 model year. The 2017 GS 350’s 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-6 is a refined engine that makes 311 hp at 6,400 rpm and 280 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. Mated to an eight-speed automatic, the 2017 Lexus GS 350 F Sport in rear-drive form takes 5.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, in Motor Trend testing. On the track, road test editor Chris Walton noted that even in manual-shift mode, the car smoothly auto upshifts almost to the 6,750-rpm redline. “Power is rather linear until 4,000 rpm, where it feels as if there’s a noticeable cam-phase change,” he said.

Once you escape traffic and reach your destination, we’d recommend the $500 front and rear parking sensors, though we’d prefer a multi-camera parking system. The $400 power-opening/closing trunklid is also a cool though increasingly common luxury, but it could be quicker to open and close. Really, these are minor concerns for a car that fills a unique space in the midsize luxury sedan segment—less expensive than quicker six-cylinder competitors but with a better sounding engine than some similarly priced four-cylinder alternatives. The GS 350 F Sport connects you to the road in a way you might not expect, so as long as you’re not looking for a pure luxury experience and the chaotic front styling isn’t a total turn-off, consider the Lexus.