LexusNN

iTrader: (5)

Looks good! Still haven't seen the new red in person though..

dseag2

It really pops with the dark gray F-Sport wheels.

Howiiieee

Here is the first of my reviews. They are solely my own opinion. I welcome everybody to common and have fun with it.

Exterior:
There are many opinions on the new exterior look of the new GS. I am fairly neutral on it. It is not the most handsome car around (I have a Lotus Esprit for that purpose), but it is not bad looking either. I like the Riviera Red and it is classic and showy at the same time. To be honest, I bought this car for how it drives and its reliability, but not how it looks.

Interior:
It is a luxury car and you can feel it sitting in the driver’s seat. It feels classic and high tech at the same time.

Japanese are good at copying then make it even better. I have studied and test drove the new BMW528i, the dash and layout of the new GS is very similar to the current 5 series. However, the Lexus does feel more upgraded with better materials, bigger screen, more attention to the details, and feeling upper class.

I am glad that the big screen is “covered” and visible under all light conditions. The 3GS has visibility problem when sun is on the Nav screen. The big screen is also very easy to read and have more information than the 3GS.

The remote touch input eliminated the finger smudges on the screen so it looks clean all the time. However, the remote touch requires some learning curves. It felt like learning how to use a mouse or an iDrive for the first time (way back in time). I kept using too much force in the beginning. Now after a few days, I started to get the right “touch” to do it while driving. Most reviewers hated it because they never had the time to get used to it (same thing to the BMW iDrive). However, if you use it everyday, you will get the hang of it and able to do it quickly and precisely. There are so many controls in the new car and there is never an easy way to get to all of them. The 3GS’s touch screen was much easier to use, but I hate the smudges. Luckily, most settings you can just setup to your liking and seldom need to go back to it again. There are many short cut buttons to help getting to the screen I want quickly. More I use the system, more I like it.

Some people like the classic look of an analog clock. For me, I kind of miss the digital one. The numbers are a lot easier for me to read and more precise than the round clock. This is another case of form over function.

The chairs are great, but almost all cars have great chairs now.

I also like the new position of the cup holder.

No more hidden compartment for mirror adjustments or resetting the odometer. That was a pain in the 3GS as I could never see them or feel them during driving and may have to completely take the eyes off the road to find the buttons. Now I know exactly where they are and can reach them with confident while driving.

Over all, it is a nice place to drive the car for any amount of time.

Next post I would like to get into why I bought the car – driving it.

Howiiieee

Hi folks. Thanks for reading my posts. Before I get into the driving review of my 4GS FS, I would like to share my back ground on driving and the holy grail I looked for years that combines high performance and great reliability.

I was not always been a car enthusiast like I am now. In my younger days, a car was more a way to get from point A to point B. My first car, way back in 1987, was a hand me down 1975 Chevy Nova. It was a tank, and drove like a tank. However, I was so happy to have a car to drive to college and I didn’t care if it never went pass 55mph (hey no speeding ticket) and the right side door was dented and can not be opened. When my girl friend (now my wife) was willing to crawl in from the driver side to be in the passenger seat, I knew she is a keeper.

My first “real” driving experience, was in my sister’s 1987 Acura Integra. I borrowed it to help take the Boy Scout to summer camp and help setting camp up. However, I did need to get back for work (summer job), so I left camp on a Monday night and drove on a totally dark canyon road for 2 hours. There was no any other car on the road, so I decided to have some fun. Being young and hot blooded, I did my best imitation of “Initial D” and attacked the corners as fast as I could. I even heard some tire screech on some blind curves, fully knowing (or did I?) that one bad move and I would be down in the valley floor 300 feet below and probably dead. Luckily, I made it home in one piece. The thrill of that drive still echo in my head 20+ years later.

When I got to buy my first car, of course I choose a 1989 Acura Integra. However, when I tried to duplicate the thrill of that drive coming home from another camp at night, I lost control in the slick and foggy road and skidded into a rock. It was heavy damage on my 3000 mile new car. Luckily it was still fixable, but I took the lesson well. Driving was for from A to B again.

As I grow older, I want more luxury for my ride. The next car was an 1995 Infinity G20. Very nice car and I took it to a long trip and through the Yosemite national park. Driving was fun again. However, it was still not luxurious enough. So I traded it for a brand new 1998 Lexus ES300. The luxurious and cushy ride stayed with me for 8 years. I was very happy with the car until one day when one of my friends reminded me that the ride got too soft and may need suspensions replacement. My car had almost 250K miles on it as well, so I decided to change car. Since I wanted better suspensions, why not go for the best? I was down on luck and money at the time, so I picked a used high mileage 1997 E39 BMW 528i.

The E39 was by far the best handling car I ever had at that time. I was in love with driving again and starting to drive “just for fun” at times. Too bad the E39 was a very problematic car. The cooling system failed twice in a year and I over heated the engine both time. With the repairing bills shot way over the worth of the car, I wanted something more reliable again. A 1997 Lexus LS400 fit that bill. However, the suspension was a bit soft, so I installed coilovers to lower the car and stiffen the ride.

The modified LS400 lasted one year when I wanted a real driving machine again. This time was a 2006 E60 BMW525i. It had great ride, great handling, and modern technology. I did think the run flat tires took a lot of road feel away. I had it for 3 years and the iDrive system crashed on me 3 times and the electrical gremlins never when away. This was when I longing for Lexus reliability again. I traded it for a 2007 GS350. It drove just as good as the E60, but much more reliable. Around the same time, the mid life crisis really kicked in and I finally got my childhood dream car, the Lotus Esprit (1995), then I had to spend a great bunch of money to fix it up again. I had so much fun with the Esprit in the mountain roads near So Cal, I decided to take it up a notch and attended a couple track days so I can take it past 130mph. I also got a “cheap” E36 1997 BMW328Ci convertible so I can take a couple more people on those mountain runs.

Now I have the latest and the greatest modern car in the world, 2013 Lexus GS350 F Sport, which I traded the 2007 GS for, I think I have finally got the ideal car for me. It has high performance, high technology, high luxury, high reliability, high prestige, and high enjoyment. It also has high prices, but consider what I am getting, I am happy with it. Yes, it drives great and has tons of gadgets, which I will try to write the reviews soon between my busy work schedule and family time.

Howiiieee

By the way, can anyone tell me how to do a signature on the bottom of the post?

GX4704ME

EXCELLENT POST!!!! Damn near inspirational............

GX4704ME

Hover over "Quick Links" at the top and click "Edit Signature"

Howiiieee

Thanks for the suggestion. However, I do not have the "Edit Signature" option on my Quick Links on top. I wonder do I have to achieve certain status / post number in order to have the signature option on my posts?

LexusNN

iTrader: (5)

Yeah you need to become a "rookie" status after a certain number of days and 30 posts

Howiiieee

Thanks for telling. I guess I'll have to keep up on posting and write more reviews.
However. I need to take my daughter to Disneyland on Saturday and do tax returns on Sunday. My next post on driving review may have to wait until Monday.

Howiiieee

Finally I get to write about how the GS F Sport with LDH/DRS drives.

First let me tell you that I have test driven the new BMW528i, BMW535i, BMW335i, MB E350, and the GS Luxury package as well as the GS FS before I made the decision. There are big differences in driving feel in all these cars. For me, it is GS F Sport or don’t bother.

I have to dismiss the MB first. It feels more like the ES, good for my wife but not sporty enough for me.

I will break my reviews into the sub categories: Drivetrain, braking, Steering and handling, ride, and overall driving feel.

Drivetrain:

The Toyota drivetrain is famous for smoothness and reliability. This one is no exception. Some people complain the drivetrain is mostly carryover, but consider the 3rdGS was one of the most reliable cars in records, this is a good thing. 306HP is plenty for this size of car. Knowing it will probably have relatively trouble free operation down the road just makes it so much more enjoyable to drive it. I owned many European cars in the past and they were all love / hate relationship. I am seeking for love / love / fun / fun and I think this is it.

I kind of understand that some people may want a V8 in this car. The low end torque is a bit weak at times. Still the V8 is a much heavier engine and may disturb the great balance of the car now. I believe in Lotus’s philosophy of “add lightness to make the car perform better”. For 95% of the time, the current V6 is all you need. Just rev it up and it will go as fast as you can handle.

Some people also complained about the 6 speed auto, or the lack of 8 speed. I don’t see the point at all. All the automatic transmissions are shifting smoothly and you can hardly tell if it is 6 or 8 speed. Lexus decided to keep the 6 speed because it shifts faster and smoother manually. I will take a smooth 6 speed over a clunky 8 speed anytime.

Braking:

Did I mention in a previous post that the brake saved me big time already? It does grab quickly due to high friction brakes and has very short braking distance. I rate it over all the BMWs I have/had, which are/were all very good. Maybe it is due to newer brakes or wider tires. This gives me even more confident to drive the car harder and have more fun, knowing I can bring it under control quickly and securely. My only concern is what if the car behind me can’t stop as quickly as I can? (That’s why I hate tailgaters on the road).

Steering and handling:

While many people asked me about the Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS), I think the gem in the Lexus Dynamic Handling (LDH) package is in the Variable Gear-Ratio Steering (VGRS). It is light on slow speed parking / turning situation, but it firms up nicely for high speed / highway driving. Unlike the BMW active steering, which got some negative reviews, the VGRS gave me great on center feel and good feedback on road surface. Some reviews think the feel is a bit synthetic. However, I think it is necessary in a Luxury car that the steering wheel don’t shake on bad surfaces (like my Lotus Esprit does). I think it is better implementation of the electronic steering than BWM5 or Audi6, but I know there are fans for those steering, too.

In comparison, the DRS is harder to feel the difference. I have asked a friend to steer from lock to lock while parked and I can see the rear wheels move and shift a little bit. Can anyone actually see 2 degrees? It does make the turning circle a bit smaller compare to my old 3rd GS and BMW5. The car changes lanes quickly and securely, but same to my 3GS and BMWs. Some reviewers said most can do without it, and I do agree. It is hard to notice in most situations. However, I still want it as I know this is the best car tech available and it just adds confidence in my driving. Sometimes the mental thing is more important than the actual performance, right?

Ride:

I test drove a GS with Luxury package as the dealers tried to get me in a ML equipped car that was not F Sport (nobody had it in the West coast at that time). It was nice, but not as precise as I wanted. I also test drove the BMW528i and 535i, and both felt the same softness. BMW’s rides are a lot more “Lexus like” these days. The BMW335i with sport package felt a bit “choppy” as it is a smaller car. I really like the ride of the GS F Sport. It feels precise and planted. I think the big difference is on the wheel size. The 19 inch extra wide wheels are just more planted than the 17 or 18 inch wheels on the other GSs or BMWs. The good summer sport tires also give a lot more feel than BMW’s run flat tires. If I get BMWs, I will try to change the run-flats to sports tires as quickly as I can. Some people may think the planted feel as a bit too busy, then maybe they will prefer the non-F Sport version better.

Overall driving feel:

One of the first thing I do when driving a new (or recently owned used or borrowed) car, is take it up to San Bernardino’s HWY18 to Lake Arrow head. It is a very winding and twisting road with two lanes each way for 15 miles. I can drive as fast as I can (without getting caught) and pass many slower cars along the way uphill and downhill. I recommend all driving enthusiasts in or visiting So Cal to “drive by” when possible. Out of all the Bimmers, Lexuses, and Lotus I drove up and down this fun road, the new GS F Sport is the best. The VGRS keeps the car on target, the big wide tires hold the road, the DRS made the curves and hairpin easy to maneuver, and engine and manual gear change keeps the power band to just where you want it. The brakes keep everything safe and under control. It is just a fun car that is very easy to drive and enjoy.

In comparison, the BMW5 is a bit less precise and feel less secured, I think it is largely due to the smaller wheels and run-flat tires. The BMW3 is quick and just as fun, but the car is a lot smaller and convertible only sits 4 (barely). The Lotus Esprit sits only 2 and the manual gear box is a bit slow to really keeps the car in good power band (I think I am a lousy stick driver, too). My cousin’s Subaru all-wheel-drive was nimble, but the steering was way to light and no feel.

The GS F Sport is just what I want to travel in comfort and style, while easily take the mountain roads and have fun just to drive the car. I think I have found my holy grail car with BMW type driving dynamic and Lexus reliability.

Like I told my Lexus salesperson: “It is the GS F Sport with ML audio for me, or don’t bother”.

Next time, I will write about my feelings towards some of the optional gadgets, including the HUD and some pictures.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

Howiiieee,

Excellent review!!! You did make the right choice. When you mean by plantedness, do you mean more road feedback in the seats? Is it smoother than the 335i? Because I have the 335i coupe and my GS F-Sport with the all season Bridgestone EL400-02 feels more choppy on the highways and I want it to be settled with good road feel like the 3. I attribute this to the poor tires on my AWD GS F-Sport and I plan to switch them out to Michelins soon. I did not like the 5 series at all. Felt too soft sprung and not as planted. However, I want comfortable highway ride with some road feel and not too much harshness. The current tires are not the right ones for my car. They are ranked 20 out of 20 on tirerack.

dseag2

Really appreciate the detailed reviews. In the past 12 years I have gone from a BMW 330ci to a Lexus GS300 to a (used) Lexus SC300 to an Audi A6 4.2 to an SC430 to a GS300 Sportdesign, to an Acura TL and RL, to an Infiniti M45 and then to another SC430. That was traded for a G37 Coupe, which was traded for an Infiniti M35 Sport, which then began with a series of Audis (A5 S-Line, `10 S5 Cab, '11 S5 Cab), now traded for my GS350 F Sport. Long story short, I've driven lots from Germany and Japan and I have never seen a car quite as well-balanced as the new GS.

I'm not very good at keeping promises not to trade, but this may be the car that finally keeps me interested!

Howiiieee

The GS is a bigger car with longer wheel base and track width than the BMW3, so it is much more stable at any speed.

When I said planted, I mean I can feel all four wheels solidly on the ground and feel each wheel'sindividual movements. In contrast, on my wife's ES350, it feels like a magic carpet ride (feel little or no wheels). BMWs are famous for this kind of in control feelings. Now the Lexus GS, especially the F Sport version, has it too. That's why all of a sudden magazines and other reviewers are excited about it and even pick the GS over the BMW5 in many cases.

A softer tires like Michelins will help the ride a lot. Most Bridgestones are stiffer. I also like Sumitomo, they are a lot cheaper, but still very good. I switch from Bridgestones to Sumitomo on my Lotus and it rides a lot better.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Howiieee. From experience, switching out tires will improve the car ride and feel and I did that with my BMW 335i coupe from runflats to Michelins and same thing with my 3GS from Dunlops to Michelins. I know some Bridgestones do feel a bit stiffer than others. We put the RE970 A/S on my father's Audi A8L and they are comfortable tires while giving great handling. The Michelins I have on the BMW and previous 3GS handled well and they do give a great ride and feedback feel without any issues. This is the route I am doing this week. Enjoy the F-Sport!!