djrabbi

iTrader: (2)

Don't think issue is with 450H or 200T... GS350 does suck on gas for sure. I rarely drive my GS now (300-400 miles a month) but still manage to fill up 2 times.

drgrant

I've often cracked the joke that 2GR-FSE, the FSE stands for Fuel Sucking Engine.... I still love this car, though.

-Mike

bb700092

The GS needs to lose some weight if it has to improve mpg (and handling) across the board. Pulling a 3800 lb car will always need some serious power. Anyway, we might not have the GS after 2018. I just hope whatever replaces the GS will be within 3500 lbs.

drgrant

After a certain point I think "you can't get there from here" . I don't think you're going to be able to increase the fuel economy much without losing horsepower/juice in the process, or cutting weight to the point where it increases noise or some other undesirable attribute. (or you'd have to bump up the price by using lots of composites to save weight) A smaller displacement turbo'ed out motor could probably help, but when you're ranking on it, it's still going to suck up just as much gas. I don't think there are many 4 door comfortable, AWD or RWD luxury sedans with 300+ HP on tap that are going to get you a huge win in fuel economy anytime soon, unless they're hybrids or something.

-Mike

peasodos

iTrader: (1)

The 450h is 4190 pounds. I like driving a heavy car. I think reducing significant weight would compromise some of the luxury from the car.

bb700092

I understand that weight of a vehicle provides a sense of luxury. However, advanced technologies can provide the same if not more luxury at a reduced weight of the vehicle. Here are a couple of examples:
Infiniti's variable compression ratio engine: https://www.infinitiusa.com/now/tech...c-turbo-engine
Mercedes' crosswind stabilization: https://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/techn...00ccec1e35RCRD

Another example is variable suspension technology which we have in the GS F-Sport and Luxury models and in other luxury brands as well. This technology is now trickling down to non-luxury brands.