GS feels a bit heavy and ponderous?
09-06-16, 08:51 AM
#1
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GS feels a bit heavy and ponderous?
My 2013 GS350 feels a bit ponderous and heavy, when I hit the gas pedal it doesn't feel like its in any hurry as one of the reviews mentioned. My other car which is a 4cyl Nissan Altima feels more nimble ? Is this normal?
09-06-16, 09:26 AM
#2
Lexus Test Driver
Yeah it's normal. There's a lot of power on tap and it doesn't want you dumping it to the pavement all at once from a green light. I keep mine in Sport all the time and switch to Sport+ when necessary.
Try this if you have Sport+. At a stop sign, hold down the traction control button for at least ten seconds. No less. You'll see a warning icon appear and stay lit on the dash. Now floor it. If it doesn't spin the tires something is wrong.
Keep in mind your altima was alot lighter with less mass up front also. It's not going to feel like a 4 cylinder fwd car. But the GS isn't slow, it's just tuned to be relaxed.
Try this if you have Sport+. At a stop sign, hold down the traction control button for at least ten seconds. No less. You'll see a warning icon appear and stay lit on the dash. Now floor it. If it doesn't spin the tires something is wrong.
Keep in mind your altima was alot lighter with less mass up front also. It's not going to feel like a 4 cylinder fwd car. But the GS isn't slow, it's just tuned to be relaxed.
09-06-16, 12:19 PM
#5
Lexus Champion
I feel like that tends to be the characteristic of RWD cars. It's a push (RWD) feeling which doesn't feel as urgent as a pull feeling (FWD). In my experience of FWD Lexus, it feels quicker because of a noticeable squat when hitting the gas, which makes it seem quicker but it is not. It'll just take some getting use to.
09-06-16, 01:06 PM
#6
Yeah it's normal. There's a lot of power on tap and it doesn't want you dumping it to the pavement all at once from a green light. I keep mine in Sport all the time and switch to Sport+ when necessary.
Try this if you have Sport+. At a stop sign, hold down the traction control button for at least ten seconds. No less. You'll see a warning icon appear and stay lit on the dash. Now floor it. If it doesn't spin the tires something is wrong.
Keep in mind your altima was alot lighter with less mass up front also. It's not going to feel like a 4 cylinder fwd car. But the GS isn't slow, it's just tuned to be relaxed.
Try this if you have Sport+. At a stop sign, hold down the traction control button for at least ten seconds. No less. You'll see a warning icon appear and stay lit on the dash. Now floor it. If it doesn't spin the tires something is wrong.
Keep in mind your altima was alot lighter with less mass up front also. It's not going to feel like a 4 cylinder fwd car. But the GS isn't slow, it's just tuned to be relaxed.
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09-06-16, 01:30 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
The wheels should have spun alot if you did it right. If you don't hold the button long enough, it'll be temporary and it'll re-engage as soon as the tires spin for a second or two.
09-06-16, 02:01 PM
#9
Ok, ill try it again on my way home, I held down the button but it just said TRAC OFF and the symbol turned on. No warning came up.
09-06-16, 02:56 PM
#10
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Its better suited for open roads in stop and go traffic it feels too ponderous got me..
Or should I use sports or sports s+ in traffic？
Or should I use sports or sports s+ in traffic？
Last edited by michael888; 09-06-16 at 03:39 PM.
09-06-16, 08:05 PM
#11
I appreciate that the GS is more tuned to be a daily driver. I've driven 'jumpy' cars in stop & go traffic and it gets old real quick, especially in the rain, where my foot needs to race to the brake pedal.
How much rubber you'll lay down when you try to is a function of many things. The 10-second hold down (at a complete stop, don't recall if tranny needs to be in 'P') will disable traction and ESC. To spin tires, in theory all you need to do is press is once to disable traction control. Might as well put it in S+ and manual shifting mode. Either way, what tires you have, condition of pavement, temperature, etc. will affect how much spin you get. So we can't all compare burnout distance from across the country with different cars.
And turn off "Snow" mode.
There's a reason RWD is making a come-back coincident with significant advancement in traction control and ESC. It's fun, but most people benefit from some nannies.
And while the existence of a WOT mode switch under the gas pedal is debated a bit, might as well ensure you press fully & hard just in case.
How much rubber you'll lay down when you try to is a function of many things. The 10-second hold down (at a complete stop, don't recall if tranny needs to be in 'P') will disable traction and ESC. To spin tires, in theory all you need to do is press is once to disable traction control. Might as well put it in S+ and manual shifting mode. Either way, what tires you have, condition of pavement, temperature, etc. will affect how much spin you get. So we can't all compare burnout distance from across the country with different cars.
And turn off "Snow" mode.There's a reason RWD is making a come-back coincident with significant advancement in traction control and ESC. It's fun, but most people benefit from some nannies.
And while the existence of a WOT mode switch under the gas pedal is debated a bit, might as well ensure you press fully & hard just in case.
09-06-16, 08:31 PM
#12
Lexus Champion
Maybe it's just perception, but one of the things I love about my GS is how it seems to shrink around me when I drive it. It always feels smaller to me than its actual size.
09-06-16, 08:41 PM
#13
About to say, if it doesn't give you enough smoke off the line, of course turn off the traction control, left foot on brake, right foot on gas. Hold the brakes to where the car is barely being held in place while your right foot is on the gas, bam, huge smoke show.
Not really good for your car though, eats up the rear brake pads and is hard on the driveline(I have no idea how robust these cars are, some old muscle cars you could beat on them all day like that without breaking them).
Not really good for your car though, eats up the rear brake pads and is hard on the driveline(I have no idea how robust these cars are, some old muscle cars you could beat on them all day like that without breaking them).
09-06-16, 08:56 PM
#14
About to say, if it doesn't give you enough smoke off the line, of course turn off the traction control, left foot on brake, right foot on gas. Hold the brakes to where the car is barely being held in place while your right foot is on the gas, bam, huge smoke show.
Not really good for your car though, eats up the rear brake pads and is hard on the driveline(I have no idea how robust these cars are, some old muscle cars you could beat on them all day like that without breaking them).
Not really good for your car though, eats up the rear brake pads and is hard on the driveline(I have no idea how robust these cars are, some old muscle cars you could beat on them all day like that without breaking them).
