Throwback 2005 Luxury Sedan Review Pits GS350 Against Rivals
As crossovers and SUVs continue to take over, let's take a look back at when luxury sedans ruled the world.
Looking Back
There was a time, not too long ago, when luxury sedans ruled the earth. Owning one of these fancy four-doors meant that you had officially made it in life, or were at least on your way. Things have changed drastically in recent years, however, as SUVs and crossovers take over. And that makes this 2005 luxury sedan retro review from Car & Driver all the more appealing.
Photos: Car & Driver
Mid-Size, Mid-Range
This review pitted a host of mid-size luxury sedans against each other in a comprehensive comparison test, including the Jaguar S-Type, Cadillac STS, BMW 530i, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E350, Lexus GS430, Acura RL, and Infiniti M45. These cars are all one notch or so above the entry-level offerings of their time, as each cost around $55,000 new.
Photos: Car & Driver
Smooth Styling
When the dust settled, the GS did quite well for itself with a third-place finish, trailing only the Acura RL and Infiniti M45. C&D praised the car's new styling, which was derived from Lexus' L-Finesse design exercise first seen on the LF-S and LF-C concepts.
Photos: Car & Driver
Ahead of Its Time
The rag also pointed out that the GS was equipped with the same technology as its rivals, yet also added a host of safety features including crash detection and emergency braking, which were a bit ahead of their time, as well as vehicle-dynamics integrated management system, or VDIM.
Photos: Car & Driver
Delightful Drive
C&D found the brakes to be "big and strong," though it felt like the brake-by-wire system was a bit detached. Aside from that, they noted that the GS was "delightful to drive, rewarding its owner with a quiet and velvety power delivery in demure use, and with a muted snarl and a quick 5.7-second sprint to 60 mph when spurred on."
Photos: Car & Driver
Driving Experience
Reviewers also enjoyed the driving experience offered by the newest GS. "Despite the supple ride, there is a discipline in the chassis. An adaptive damping system and keen steering help the Lexus hurry through the canyons at speeds most people would not attempt."
Photos: Car & Driver
Winning Combination
That combination of luxury and performance proved to be a winning one, as the rag concluded. "Comfortable in front and back, the GS cossets you in every way, and any control realism filtered out by its various electronic butlers is refunded as a truly novel aesthetic experience. If that's your priority, this is your car." Sadly, now that the mid-size sedan has been discontinued, we'll have to look elsewhere for that sort of experience.
Photos: Car & Driver
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