OUT FOX EM

For the RWD sedans, the GS is the Goldilocks car. It’s full size without being a boat. The LS is also full size but it’s much larger — almost too big. Great for comfort but not so much for spirited driving. The IS handles nicely but it’s just too small. I guess it’s fine if you need 4 doors in a pinch, but imagine squeezing 4-5 full grown adults into that thing for a 4 hour drive? Brutal. Everybody would hate each other by the time you got to where you were going.

The GS is in the Goldilocks zone. It’s great for driving when you’re by yourself (which is how most people spend the majority of their time driving), but also big enough to load it up for a long drive if you had to.

Before I got the GS I thought it would be a massive step down from the LS in terms of quality and comfort — like the IS (no offense meant). But it’s not. It’s closer to the LS than the IS.

Shame they ditched it. Toyota already makes the Camry and Avalon. I don’t know why they need the ES. Should have revamped the GS with more HP, upgraded tech, and bold styling. I’m hoping they’ll resurrect it one day. I’m just afraid by the time they do it’ll be an EV.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

JUst FYI: The ES is the 2nd oldest run Model car that Lexus makes. It's been around for a long time. Longer that the GS.

JDR76

Indeed. Another fun fact about the ES is you used to be able to get it with a 5 speed manual transmission. Up until 1993 or so, if I remember correctly.

greys0uled

Am I the only one that's ready for EV's, especially for daily drivers? I'm pretty tired of gas stations and filling up, and dealing with the maintenance of ICE cars. Also, they're just better for the environment.

I plan on buying a SC400 in the next couple years, that should fill my petrol needs as my weekend car

ItzFilyO

Yes at $5/gal I'm feeling it. Having an EV high performance GS would be nice.

Lexus needs to stop fooling around with FWD cars.

peteharvey

Lexus have 2025 IS in BEV for you, however that's only a compact.
The midsize GS is rumored to be replaced by a Mazda sourced 48 V mild hybrid 3.0 in-line six with RWD.
In time, the GS will be BEV too.

OUT FOX EM

You’re definitely not the only one, there are high demands for EV’s. I personally still prefer ICE over EV for a variety of reasons though. I hope that the long history of reliability that Toyota has built with ICE’s will carry over into EV’s as well. I think it will. I know they make great hybrids, so I’m sure their EV’s will be great as well.

As for me though, I’ll stick with gas.

Motorola

As others have mentioned the G80 is much, much larger than the GS, both the current gen and the 2015-2020 model. It's actually the same size as the LS430. The G80's primary target was the South Korean market where executive sedans are used primarily as chauffeur vehicles, so the G80 is considered something of a SWB G90 and size-wise is pretty much on par with SWB versions of full size sedans like the 7 Series. The new G80 Sport is seriously fast, C&D records its acceleration as equaling the 540i and actually having a higher trap speed, but at the end of the day it's still a 4500 pound land yacht. If anything it's closer to the LS500 than the GS.

The closest Korean analogy to the GS is the Stinger, which is dimensionally almost identical. But it's nowhere near a Genesis in materials and luxury, and unfortunately midsize driver's cars just don't sell in South Korea, which is why the Stinger isn't going to live for much longer.

AJLex19

Those EV designs really remind me of the current gen IS. I've said it before, but i'd hope that a real successor to the GS from Lexus at least looks like the LF-FC flagship concept and i'd take it in any platform (ICE, mild hybrid, or EV)

MX73

Mazda has a straight 6 in development that will be coming out soon. It should debut in the CX60/70, CX80/90, and eventually the new 6.

OUT FOX EM

I’m looking forward to it but you’ll have to excuse my trepidation. There’s nothing wrong with Mazdas really, but they would have to really step up their game big time to compete with the likes of Lexus, or even Genesis. To get all of the options I would want we’d be talking about at least $50k. I don’t even know if they would make a trim that high, but even if they did, am I ready to drop $50,000 or more on a Mazda? Is anybody? Thats a tough ask.

But Toyota left the door open, hopefully someone walks through it. Might as well be Mazda.

MX73

Mazda is moving upscale in their next phase of vehicles. The next 6 is supposed to have a starting price similar to the Mazda 6 signature trim which is a tad under 40k. I would gladly put my money on Mazda over Genesis. I had a Mazda before my GS and love it. And pretty much my entire family and extended family switched over to Mazda from Toyota.

greys0uled

Ehh.. calling Mazda "premium" is fair. But Luxury? I don't see it one bit.

Would I consider one over an Acura? Sure. But the Germans, Lexus, and Genesis are in an entirely different league.

greys0uled

My thoughts exactly. Hard pass.

OUT FOX EM

They would have to move up a bunch of scales to get to the Lexus GS (or even the IS or ES). Toyota and Hyundai are Mazda's competitors, not Lexus and Genesis.

We'll see what they come out with but again, not holding my breath -- at least not as a replacement for my GS. They may come out with a damn fine car, but I think the chances of it being an actual luxury car are very slim. That's just not what Mazda does. I think best case scenario would be like an Avalon, which hey, if it's RWD and powerful enough, that might work. We'll just have to see what they come up with.