Lexus3oi

then i must not be like "most" here, since i'm only here because of the positive things i've heard about the driving dymanics of the new GS...otherwise, i would not be looking at a Lexus

i was originally considering a 535, or even the new 335....but i'm drawn to Lexus' reputation of highly reliable cars vs. the problems i've read about the F10, as well as it's departure from a "sporty" car to more luxurious oriented...and i'm still looking forward to hear what actual owners say about the upcoming F30

*Batman*

I really love my 2012 F10 550i. The car has tremendous power and handling. I don't think Lexus has anything which can meet the value proposition of a car that is supremely luxurious and offer fantastic performance.

Also the F10 can be very sporty - but you have to order the M-Sport Package with Dynamic Damper Control, Active Roll Stabilization, and Integral Active Steering. With this config, it is the most enjoyable and sportiest car I have owned, even more so than my E46 M3.

natnut

You're not alone. I was disappointed by the 3rd Gen GS and was contemplating a F10 5 series but I was turned off by the fact that it had gained 400 pounds from the previous generation 5 series essentially negating all that was attractive about BMW to me. For me, Lexus' reliability was a given, what renewed my interest in the 4GS are the reports that it arguably is the best handling sedan in its segment (that includes the 5 series, A6, E-class and Jaguar XF).

I agree that currently nothing in the 4GS line-up can match the F10 550i for power but do note that the 535i that was beaten in handling by both base and F-sport 4GS( as reviewed by many different sources) was equipped with the M-Sport Package. If a lighter, more agile M-Sport 535i with less mass in its nose can't outhandle a 4GS, I'm not sure a M-Sport 550i with a heavier V8 will do better....

Caveat : that's assuming all these car reviewers were unbiased and gave the 535i a fair assessment. Which is why I'm so eager to test drive both the 4GS and the F10 5 series and see for myself.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

Natnut,

Can you send me the review that states the base version GS beats the 535i since I keep reading how good the F-sport is compared to the base 535i. I had the 2011 F10 for 1 year and sold it last week due to slightly wallowy and poor ride on highways which improved a bit but not perfect while going to good all season non runflat Michelin tires. Otherwise the car handled very well and had no electronic issues other than poor transmission lag that was reprogrammed and 4 defective rims from factory which was replaced in first month due to bad vibration throughout the car. The F10 suffers from some highway road vibration felt in the car seats in the US and other countries that is small but still disappointing and was blamed on issues related to bad rims, out of round runflats, etc. However most people including me had it fixed with a slight vibration at speed on highway attributed to the road irregularities and the poor damping of the softer F10 suspension as compared to the older 5 series and our 2008 BMW 335xi coupe. While the F10 is great around town and absorbed bumps beautifully with the regular Michelin tires it didn't feel surefooted, planted, or smooth at certain speeds 70-75 or so zone and became hypersensitive to the road textures and irregularities even on smooth asphalt and new roads. Some reviews blamed the standard suspension on the F10 being poorly tuned for this heavy car and the dynamic handling package is necessary and I agree now. The F10 weighs the same as my father's 2006 Audi A8L so its significant.

jjscsix

That's why I used the word "most" and not "all".

Thanks for your input. I have driven a few BMW's 3 and 5 series - all with the Sport package, but I admit I have not driven them on any spirited back roads. But I have driven my Lexus in a very spirited manner on some fun roads. The Lexus is fine in steady state curves, but if you try to rush it through some switch backs it is not happy at all. I have no doubt from what I'm reading that the new Lexus will be far better in that regard.

So far the reviews have been based upon drives at the press introductions, and they are basing their opinion on previous drives in the BMW's. The true test will be when the mainstream magazines get cars to test for several days and compare them back-to-back in a comparison test with the competition.

I've been reading car magazines for 47 years (and still have every one of them). It's very common to see them react very positively from the press introductions, but then the cars don't do so well in comparison tests. I'm not saying I think that will be the case, I'm just saying that we just don't have what I consider to be good information yet.

*Batman*

I really like the suspension on the F10. I thought about the Dinan suspension upgrade but currently think no.

What's perfect about he F10 suspension is the dynamic range. At the sporty end (Sport+) - it is fun in the twisty roads. But it has a Lincoln mode (Comfort +) where you can drive down a pothole ridden broken road in comfort. That degree of dynamic range I haven't seen anywhere else. With my GS460 I could not tell difference between normal and sport, here I can tell differences between all 4 modes.

I do think that 4 wheel steering is a necessity to make the F10 sporty - and this is why they don't do as well in reviews. When I was buying my car, over a 6 month period I could not find a single car equipped Integral Active Steering to test drive at any BMW dealer! But I have no doubt that my particular F10 will trounce anything except the CLS550 AMG Sport Package in a handling test.

MX5NES350

Pics from Allentown release session (sorry for the crappy phone pics):

Mr. Burns

Not a fan of those headlights and chrome fangs at all.

MX5NES350

I will post my impressions tomorrow. Mobile now and had a decent chat woth the Lexus rep

MX5NES350

So my impressions -

Let's start with the exterior... sleak, sexy, stylish and a great update to the vehicle. Until you get to the front. Lexus toned down the gaping mouth a bit, however, it still looks like Darth Vaders mask. Like was said above, big chrome fangs. The foglights are also surrounded by a thick chrome bezel which I think it way overdone. But if you can get past that it is a very attractive car. I especially like the 3/4 ***-end view point. The lines flow forward and the dual exhaust reminds me of an LS460 with the satin silver treatment. The windhield slopes back... well... like one of those nifty bikini models posing on the beach. Awesome. But I still saw Vader when I looked at it from the front.

Interior - what can I say? I could not find one thing I disliked about the interior. Controls were well thought out, ***** were soft and firm to the push or turn, visibility was superb (front, back, sides) and the seat boltering was supportive but not overpowering. You knew you were in a luxury car... just one that you can toss around a bit without worrying about slamming your rotator cuff into the door jam. There is contrasting stitching on the dashboard that exudes plushness with the soft rich texture used on the door pulls on the ES and RX.

For $55K it's a hell of a car. And with AWD I think it will hold it's own in the segment but let's not forget Lexus isn't primariy a "performance driver's" car. It's a "luxury driver's" car and this update provides you some performance which will not beat out the BMW benchmarks but will make people think twice about whether or not the Germans are making backwards progress compared to Lexus.

LeslieRC

The interior of the 4th generation GS is one of the best I've seen! I can actually say that the nose of the car looks better to me than the rear-end.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

me either!

really? to me (from those pics above), that exterior looks so plain and boring, especially the side and rear. and still the huge wheel gap i see...

do not like leather boot around auto shifter (just collects dirt and isn't 'tidy')

you sure you're not selling the car?

it's nice, but imo really nothing special. the best part though is the interior.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

kinda reverse of kim kardashian.

MX5NES350

Stop!!! You're ruining my beach bikini babe vision in my head

spwolf

shocking news.... what is special then? I cant tell new BMWs apart and E class looks old.