bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

1. Yeah It does get up and go but I do wish there was more power other than using the same engine and bumping only 3hp that annoys me.

2. Yeah somewhat I can imagine the 8 speed boy that must be worst than the 6 speed.

3. ugh yeah ok.

4. Should have been expected its an AWD and its a Japanese car. Like jtrue28 said you can add springs and it will look better.

5. Yeah I do agree I really wanted the text to be able to send text back through the car but as jtrue28 stated that is an Apple problem they didn't added in IOS7 hopefully IOS8 will have it.

Overall I have enjoyed this car and I didn't really expect this much when I first got it. I went to the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience and we drove the 535d I really wasn't impressed didn't wow me I liked my car more, yes I know very different cars but GS was so nimble the 5 didn't feel like a nimble car felt rough. The 7 series now that is a gem in BMW's line-up story for another day.

SW17LS

This is not an issue of the car being underpowered, this is transmission shift geometry. You could have a 500 hp V8 under the hood and if the transmission won't put it in the right gear it will seem "underpowered'.

My 6 speed is very responsive and I don't feel like the car is underpowered. Would more power be better? Sure...but its not underpowered.

FastTags

yes, i know. i meant the sloppy trany is what makes the car powerless ), lets face it if the car doesnt go, it is powerless

Tom450

[QUOTE=

Every day I experience the underpower, I floor it only its too late to find out the the car is in 4th or 5 gear and It barely speeds up. I have to use Manual mode all the time if I want to speed up. Stupid car.

I was trying to pass a car as I was entering HWY, it took forever to enter the HwY. I was going about 35mph, then i floored it (sport mode), in about 4-5 more seconds it got to 55. WTF. Most likely it was in 5 gear[/QUOTE]

At times I think I am driving a different car than the ones commented about. After reading this I tried out the acceleration. Driving at 35 in S mode I floored it and it took about 2.5 sec to hit 55 with strong acceleration and the AC on. I have no wind noise, battery problems, excellent gas milliage. Putting it in S+ gives me all the handling I need. Is it just because I have the GSh with a CVT, double paned windows and hybrid motors all for about 5K more then the 60K most seem to have paid for the Fsport? Sorry, but I just do not see the problems (except nav issues) that others complain about.

SW17LS

The GSh with the CVT is entirely a different powertrain. The issue he's having is with the 8 speed GS350. I can't comment on that because I haven't driven an 8 speed GS350 as mine is a 2013 AWD with the 6 speed. Fuel mileage is also obviously less of an issue with the hybrid than the gas car.

I don't have the issues a lot of people here talk about, no wind noise (I have double paned glass too), no rattles save one which supposedly has been fixed (haven't picked the GS up yet).

Your GS450h is more than $5k more than a similarly equipped 350 though. The MSRP of a GS450h without adaptive cruise/PCS and the luxury package is $72,397. The MSRP for a 2014 GS350 with the luxury package equipped like mine is $61,058. So the 450 is $11,339 more...and thats compared to an AWD luxury 350, a RWD one is only $58,113...a difference of $14,284. Thats a lot.

Tom450

The MSRP on my 2013 GSh was $65,000 that included BSM and Parking assist. The only major things missing from the lux was the 18way seats and LED headlights which I haven't missed. The S+ mode was standard as was the premium options and cold weather package so subtract the lux package and you are around the 5-6K range. The Fsport does come with some performance enhancements but no lux package so am not seeing much difference unless you take it to the track. Over all I am very happy with my GSh and the extra price was well worth it especially since I am not seeing the complaints others are mentioning.

Afrosheen

I figure the first gear is too long in this car, it should be a shorter gear and jump to second gear sooner. That's what makes this car feel sluggish. Once you get it into second gear and up, the engine is on boil and will move. Proof is that it's challenging to chirp tires from a stoplight in good grip conditions. My old 2004 G35 with its lowly 5 speed and 264hp would jump off the line every time, and keep running hard through every gear. It was also much better at holding a perfect highway speed on cruise. My GS lets a few mph drop uphill and goes a few over downhill. That tall 6th gear I suppose.

Overall, still happy with it. Every feat of engineering is full of compromise, and this is a well balanced car that handles like it's smaller and lighter than numbers would suggest.

sydtoosic

[QUOTE=LexRuger;8591002]Sounds like OP bought the wrong car.[/QUOTE i'm going to agree with LexRuger... a 20/30 minute test drive, not to mention 30 more minutes in the cabin playing with all the gadgets would have rectified that problem...

SW17LS

If your GSh was $65k its a base GSh with no package...so essentially its comparable to a $53k or so RWD GS350 premium, so the price difference is still $13k. You can't compare it to a luxury because its not optioned like a luxury, and the only thing from the F Sport it has is the AVS. A RWD F Sport is $57,427, no lux package but it has a lot of the features from the lux package, so even if you ignore that we're talking about vehicles that aren't comparable apples to apples we're still talking about a $7,500 difference, which is a lot still. The hybrid is a nice package, but I would want the lux package and for ~$73k I'd have bought a base LS460 personally.

The reason you're happy isn't because yours is a hybrid, its because you're less nitpicky...I'm the same way, I'm 100% happy with mine.

FastTags

You can say what you want: wrong car, you should have this or that.

The point is this, you cannot see all the tings in a test drive, I drove the GS twice, and every time I drove it, i had it in S mode and I drove the car hard to see the handling and throttle capabilities.

Even though I drive my car hard on regular basis, there are times when I do not. All the sudden I have the urge or need to floor it, and it doesn't go. Of course there are ways to ensure that this doesnt happened when you are prepared for it and keep it revved up, but there are times when you need to HIT IT unexpected and it will not go at all, it will be stuck in 5 or 6 gear like most of the time when you cruzing in S mode around 30-35mp/h and it will take forever to shift and speed up.
I see this happened every day, when all the sudden I need to pass a vehicle or just simply speed up, and unless I physically down shift, the thing will not MOVE.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

OH that would suk... I now only drive in sport plus mode. I'm used to it now.

FastTags

When you drive in S+ around 30mp/h which gear is the car in?

To find out just shift it to M

SW17LS

You really need to test drive a vehicle in a myriad of different conditions before purchasing it. Driving it twice, and driving it the same way both times is not an adequate test, obviously because now that you are driving the car normally you're unhappy. I always test drive a car 5+ times before I buy, in 5+ different types of situations. Urban, suburban, highway, etc etc.

Driving it hard as the only test when you won't be driving it that way every time isn't an adequate test. Lots of cars drive great when pushed but feel terrible in normal driving.

I had put at least 100 miles on the GS before I bought it...over the course of multiple test drives.

Schmexus

The salesman must love you.

"Here comes that guy that likes to go on multiple 20+ mile test drives without buying anything!" Lol

I don't think there is a car out there that doesn't have at least a few small annoyances that any particular consumer will note. I wouldn't let something petty like the location of my radio preset button deter me from buying a car that I'm otherwise happy with.

SW17LS

I don't care if they love me or not LOL.

But yes, I'm pretty much a car salesman's worst nightmare. I've been buying Lexus vehicles so long they actually typically just let me take them and drive them on my own.