Originally Posted by 052SI

Thanks saw that, I'd tend to believe Automobile magazine but they say early next year, so maybe 13 will be a short MY, either way the new E is a big step in the right direction

PeteHarvey

Great post, thanks. I think the GS is about 90% there. I also think MB and Lexus are close in terms of status with MB having a slight lead. The 2012 Jag XF is very nice and offers the best bang for the buck im many areas but Jag initial quality is no where's near Lexus.

Originally Posted by ECL

For as long as I can remember (a bunch of years), every year I hear that Jaguar has finally solved their quality problems. Then the next year, I hear that Jaguar has finally solved their quality problems. Then the next year, I hear that............

Originally Posted by natnut

Actually the GS gets dual injection : direct injection for torque and power as well as port injection for fuel efficiency.

The reason why the F-Sport RWD is significantly upgraded vs the base GS is :

1) intelligent adaptive variable suspension (AVS) that adjusts the stiffness of the dampers on-the-fly. That also explains why "comfort" on the F-Sport is almost as comfortable as the base GS while "Sport+" allows the F-Sport to hang with sports cars on the track . Luxury package also has AVS.

2) VGRS (variable gear ratio steering). Basically speed sensitive steering which also varies with the mode the car is in : Sport+ has the heaviest but most pin-point steering. F-Sport RWD only.

3) 14.1 inch vs 13.1 inch front brakes, also importantly, 2 piece rotors which not only reduce weight of the brakes but have a special cooling system to reduce brake fade. This is F-Sport RWD only.

3) staggered broader rear wheels. Interesting fact is that the offset of the rear wheels are less agressive than the front. This set-up is similar to F1 cars where the rear track width will be the same, or less than, the front track width. This will maintain/improve your handling around the track because the chassis of the vehicle will "pivot" at the rear while maintaining a firm cornering grip up front. Think of your car as a V shape where the front wheels are at the widest part of the V, and the rear wheels are at the narrowest part. Also F-Sport RWD only.



Look at how the rear wheel track width is actually narrower than the front track width, even though the rear tires are actually bigger. The GS F-Sport has a similar set-up.

4) Only F-Sport RWD gets the DRS (Dynamic Rear Steer) option. This reduces the turning circle of the car at lower speeds so that initial turn-in when negotiating corners/curves is much sharper yet high speed stability is as if on rails.

I guess my point is that test driving the "base" GS will give you a very wrong picture as to the standard the refreshed E350 has to beat. Trust me, the GS350 RWD F-Sport at ard $58-60,000 is in a whole different league of handling and one which I doubt the E350 can surmount. Not unless MB redoes the entire chassis of the E-class which isn't happening with a simple refresh.

Originally Posted by prosgal73

I realized the F sport only comes with the Dark Graphite wheels standard. How much extra is it to get the Liquid Silver Wheels option? Anyone know?