Lexus GS 300 & GS 430 -- Sexy Lexy
Stuff.co.nz
The Lexus brand garnishes its other qualities with sex-appeal for the very first time.
I n North America, Lexus took just 16 years to earn its place on the luxury car market's top shelf next to Audi, Benz, BMW, and to a lesser extent Jaguar. Truth be known, it has dominated that top slot to the Germans' expense for some years and has become a default choice among many young successful Americans, having won more annual J. D. Power satisfaction surveys than the other brands put together.
Despite some sales gains over the past few years, the brand hasn't managed to emulate that top-shelf appeal here, where some have even been known to regard them as tarted Toyotas. Those in the know don't, of course.
A new Lexus that could help move New Zealanders into the US mindset, is the luxury brand's new GS range. It has a beauty absent from previous offerings, with muscular styling, simple detailing and a frontal treatment that its makers say will become the corporate template for future models.
The new GS has visual cues to connect it with its first two generations, but the 2005 model has lost their awkwardness. This is a sexy car.
The range fronts up with a GS430 range- topper that uses a lusty 208kW 4.3-litre V8 which gurgles quietly under the nose in a sort of zen-meets-Nascar sort of way, with enough of a neck-snap in its refined, ethereal repertoire to keep big Aussie V8s at bay. There'll be two GS300s in the line- up too, using a 183kW direct-injected 3-litre V6 to do almost as well as the V8 does, but with quite remarkable fuel efficiency and, if anything, even better refinement levels.
At $103,000, the entry-point GS300 includes an all-leather interior, smart keyless entry system, Vehicle Stability Control, handsfree Bluetooth mobile phone compatibility, 17-inch alloy wheels, 10 airbags, parking sonar, adaptive front headlights and rain-sensing wipers.
The $116,000 GS300 Limited adds a pre- crash safety system, reversing camera, radar-controlled active cruise control and parking sonar.
The $147,000 GS430 tops the line-up with its V8 engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) and Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) , on top of the GS300 Limited's specification.
Despite the acronyms, the most useful of the GS's tools must surely be the radar- controlled active cruise control. Quietness and refinement can conspire with our wide roads and distractingly spectacular scenery to allow velocities to creep well beyond legal and socially acceptable levels. Fortunately, Lexus has contrived a cruise control system that can be used around corners and among other, sometimes slower traffic. The system uses radar sensors to pick up vehicles in front and adjust the car's speed to maintain a set following distance.
If necessary, the cruise control system will close the throttle and lightly apply the brakes to maintain the pre-set distance, and if more braking is required it will sound an audible alarm, signalling the driver to brake. Once the vehicle ahead has moved out of radar range, the car will slowly accelerate to the pre-set speed.
I tried the system by heading south out of Queenstown on a deliberately meandering route to Lumsden, Gore and eventually Alexandra. Even with necessary stops on the way, I only had to select "resume" on the cruise lever to maintain a safe space between the GS and any traffic ahead.
A bonus to the safety and stressless progress available was the amazing fuel consumption levels possible from such gentle, computer-controlled throttle movements. More than 452km with the cruise control set to match the open road legal limit, plus its accepted "cushion", the GS300 managed an overall reading of 8.6L/100km (32.7mpg).
Somewhere under the curvy bonnet, the new direct-injection V6 appears to do no work at all at New Zealand speeds, vacuuming-up the highway with no wind noise and little from the tyres.
Rear passengers will find the new car's increased wheelbase has liberated much more room for legs and heads than the previous model. For instance a 1.90m rear passenger can sit behind a similarly- sized driver with space to spare.
While the GS's boot is large enough, its lid and aperture shape mean that bulky cases need to be loaded carefully if you're not to bruise the paintwork.
Up front, the only sour note was the shiny wood used to decorate the driving environment. The GS would benefit from some alloy or faux carbon fibre options as offered by BMW and Benz as the layout, switch placement and quality is exquisite and the wood detracts from it. The dash console's touch pad screen for air-con, trip computer and in car entertainment is much less distracting and doesn't need a handbook for almost instant mastery. The screen doubles as a parking TV and there'll be no excuse for rearward parking scapes with the sonar sensors helping as well. Unfortunately, Sat-Nav is not available yet, although all the hardware is ready.
The driver and front passenger seats are wide, well-shaped and beautifully contrived for long distance travel. Side location is good and the levels of adjustment possible for both the wheel and seat should provide an ideal possie for flyweights to super heavies.
The wood-leather wheel rim mix is lovely, and it proves to be a tactile "reader" of the GS's steering, which is accurate and well-weighted – not always a Lexus strong-point.
Some overseas reports say the GS's ride quality is on the firm side. I don't think so. It's taut, sure, but this is a sports luxury sedan and if a tiny touch of bump-thump is the price you pay for a sharp, communicative chassis, then so be it. On rain-slicked Southland switchbacks, the GS300 is quite a surprise. The same solid car that wafts quietly mile upon mile under the aegis of cruise control, can respond with 5-series and E-class challenging incisiveness when asked to, coursing through bends with knife-like accuracy, displaying sufficient body discipline not to disturb nervous passengers. Impressive.
Braking is good. The classic random wandering dog test (thanks, Rover) proves that you can stop in a heartbeat and steer at the same time, while even in response to gentle dabs, the all-round vented discs feel as if they could stop the world if they wanted to.
The top GS430 V8 model has a standard Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDM) system. It's less obtrusive and more effective than a conventional Vehicle Stability Control, (VSC), and anticipates and corrects the onset of a vehicle skid or slide with a combination of braking and throttle control. I never felt the GS300 needed such a device and indeed it isn't part of either V6 Lexus's package.
Lexus New Zealand says its new range of GS models will "redefine the luxury car market in this country". I'm not sure it will do quite that, but the new GS is so much of a sea-change compared with previous versions that it may well redefine the New Zealand public's perception of the Lexus marque in general.
By adding delightful styling and commendable nimbleness to the usual Lexus givens of unimpeachable build quality and reliability, the GS turns out to be the best Lexus range yet. But which to buy?
Considering the three GSs are very close in terms of home comforts and luxury and the new V6s so smooth and consummately capable, it's almost as if the V8 is redundant in the range. Its engine note and all-out energy are addictive, but the number of times you'll 'need' such extra urge will be rare.
No, the Sexy Lexy I'd choose would be the $116,000 GS300 Limited. It looks terrific, goes almost as quickly as the V8 and with its upper echelon specification, throws in that radar cruise control, which once tried is a genuine must have. Tarted- up Toyotas? Don't think so.
09 May 2005
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