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This is a fine sedan for moving four people over great distances in genuine comfort. It’s a fantastic machine if you need to take your aunt to brunch or schmooze clients afflicted with a decision-making disorder. And it will not embarrass itself during a six-tenths effort on a favorite back road.
What it won’t do, however, is sway enthusiasts seeking segment-leading performance or deeply involving dynamics.
In everyday driving it’s the GS’s buttery ride that shines—but don’t think grandpa-mobile here. Adjustable damping, tunable over four drive modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, and Sport+), delivers a well-controlled experience when you want it. Normal mode offers enough compliance to admirably absorb frost heaves at 90 mph without upsetting those back-seat driving critics. Crank the **** to Sport or Sport+ and there’s a measure of control available that’s proportional to increased ride busy-ness.
Still, at 3877 pounds the Lexus feels heavier than most rivals—even the A6, which actually carries 278 additional pounds. The culprit is the GS’s shallow torque curve. The supercharged Audi has a 45-lb-ft advantage arriving 1900-rpm earlier than the GS’s torque peak, which gives the German car the ability to shoot through traffic gaps without working the gears, something you’ll do (or the automatic gearbox will do) frequently in the GS. It’s a meaningful difference between cars with similar price tags.
Inside, there are fewer compliments. Overall material quality is only mediocre by the standards of the segment. The leather lacks the suppleness offered by the German brands, particularly on the head- and armrests. The 16-way adjustable driver’s seat, also part of the F Sport package, is a gem for any body shape, though, and there’s room to spare. Even six-footers fit comfortably in the back seat.
We’ve yet to make peace with Lexus’s Remote Touch Interface, which uses a mouse- type controller with haptic feedback to access navigation and other infotainment functions. Audi’s MMI, Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND, and BMW’s iDrive are all more effective means of controlling such systems.
A shortage of easily accessed small-item storage on the center console makes keeping a smartphone handy more difficult than it ought to be in 2016. Both the door pockets and center-console bin, which offers a sliding and tilting lid, are modestly sized. That the tachometer is positioned in the center of the instrument cluster is a hint that this Lexus sports sedan has at least one priority right.
As tested, our GS rang up a $61,690 price tag, including the $4115 F Sport upcharge and several other options. If all you expect is the ability to transport family or clients in complaint-free comfort, that’s a reasonable fee. For the same outlay, however, the sports/luxury sedan offerings from Europe or America will do more to stoke your inner fire when a good road beckons.
Yeah, yeah....it may not be the all-around champ but it will be waiting for those who suddenly get the urge to make a u-turn and own a more reliable car.
These articles never consider the reliability factor. It is all fun driving until your European/American has to spend days in the shop for a broken door handle (or whatever).
My mechanic uncle always reminded me that it was a pleasure to work on my car when it needed any maintenance/fixes. He said Lexus engineers had done a great job of understanding how to build things not only to work well, but also to easy to maintain well. To him, little things like making it easy to access spaces under that hood that he would normally cut his hands on or struggle to figure out because of confusing, inconsistent or unreliable design/engineering choices were remedied by someone with common sense, forward thinking...something he could not say of many of the German cars he has seen over his 25yr career.
Its always good to get unbiased, constructive feedback. I think Toyota/Lexus is always listening to the critics and continue to improve upon a solid vehicle. There is more to a car than just the zero to sixty time or how well it tracks. Most of us typically won't track our cars and want to have a worry-free commute. Quality and reliability over time aren't measured in these 4hr, rev and run "reviews." Most of us don't own or use a car for a few hours or for a few days, but over years which is why its so hard to take any magazine's review too seriously.
I wonder how much the 0-60 times are affected by the 8 speed transmission. For Car and Driver, the RWD 6 speed was 5.5 seconds, the AWD 6 speed was 5.6 seconds, and the RWD 8 speed was 5.8 seconds.
With that said, these times are close enough (splitting hairs?) that they can be somewhat written off by individual test cars (weight due to options, tires, etc.), drivers, test conditions (elevation, temp, etc.) and the like.
I wonder how much the 0-60 times are affected by the 8 speed transmission. For Car and Driver, the RWD 6 speed was 5.5 seconds, the AWD 6 speed was 5.6 seconds, and the RWD 8 speed was 5.8 seconds.
With that said, these times are close enough (splitting hairs?) that they can be somewhat written off by individual test cars (weight due to options, tires, etc.), drivers, test conditions (elevation, temp, etc.) and the like.
Well they did mention that the car tested only had 600 miles, so it might improve slightly when engine is fully broken in.
Anyone else notice the test car has California plates, F-sport, and premium triple-L LED headlights?
Well they did mention that the car tested only had 600 miles, so it might improve slightly when engine is fully broken in.
Anyone else notice the test car has California plates, F-sport, and premium triple-L LED headlights?
I noticed the bit about 600 miles as well, and that absolutely could be a factor. I have no idea how many miles were on the 6 speed versions they tested in the past.
As far as the headlights are concerned, yes, I noticed. I put a link in the thread about the availability of the triple LED headlights on the F Sport. They look awesome.
As far as the headlights are concerned, yes, I noticed. I put a link in the thread about the availability of the triple LED headlights on the F Sport. They look awesome.
They're available. $1,795 option. Only 1 car in the entire USA for sale right now.
Slower? How fast do you need to drive in bumper to bumper traffic?
Are you looking for a daily driver or a dragster?
It's not that at all. Lexus won't be on a shortlist for fast cars. But one has to question why successive generations are slower than previous ones. One would expect some progress, rather than regress.
why successive generations are slower than previous ones
As I remember it, when the IS350 was rolled out, it was with the 8 speed transmission. So the heavier 6 speed GS350 was a couple of tenths faster. Lexus responded to the market demands for a more sophisticated transmission even though the 6 speed turns in better numbers in certain performance categories.
03-16-16, 03:39 PM
Car and Driver Test: 2016 GS350 F Sport
I put a link in the thread about the availability of the triple LED headlights on the F Sport. They look awesome.
