flipside909

Autoguide:

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...view-1801.html

LexFather

That review is all over the field with some sizable errors...


Is this true though?

flipside909

Yes. It is slower 0-60 (per Lexus' testing) than the previous GSh, but it sounds a lot better at WOT and the thrust feels more pronounced than before. Alot of that has to do with the calibration of the CVT. I wish I took video of the GS 450h acceleration. I'll do it the next chance I get. I did take video of the GS F SPORT briefly. It sounds great as well as the throttle blipping which is apparent on all the GS 350 models!!!

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

These reviews praising the driving dynamics just make the omission of the V8 that much more painful

LexFather

Dude, I am STUNNED it is rated at 31 MPG. Do people realize how big of a deal this is? AVERAGE, not highway.

31 MPG AVERAGE

I just got up and did a dance

flipside909

If they're praising how well the GS handles...imagine what the 3rd Gen IS will be like!

rominl

iTrader: (4)

all these positive reviews definitely make me want to drive the new gs and see what it's all about. i am very happy for lexus on focusing on the drive

TripleL

I too am delighted to see these positive reviews. Now we need some CL member reviews! Who will be first???

mordecai

The Autoblog, while generally positive, is littered with backhanded compliments. Annoying

But I'm happy this car is getting rave reviews. InsideLine's review is the best one

GS69

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/23/2...-drive-review/

So Lexus wants to be taken seriously now. Certainly the brand is a heavyweight – and has been since the moment it launched 22 years ago, changing the luxury market almost overnight. It's just had trouble garnering the respect of the cognoscenti, the car enthusiast types, the sorts of people who can see a pair of taillights flash by and identify year, make and model.

Lexus representatives are not shy about the issue, in part because it's hard to ignore years of critics calling your cars bland and soulless, while smirking, self-avowed "car guys" trade their BMW sedans in on new BMW sedans, even as they grumble about electronic nannies, iDrive and Chris Bangle.

That's why Lexus built the LFA supercar, say the company's flacks, who seem unnaturally willing to admit that previous models were lacking a certain something, having settled upon the word "emotion" as the politically correct way to describe what was wrong with this last generation of Lexus products. But the real reason behind such refreshing, if specious hindsight, is that the Lexus braintrust thinks it has the solution to winning over its detractors in the 2013 Lexus GS 350.

The redesigned midsize luxury sedan goes on sale in February 2012, so Lexus saw fit to invite us out to Orange County, California, to spend a few hours behind the wheel. But first it wanted to emphasize just how important the GS is to the brand, as it will be introducing the new face of Lexus to the world – in a Super Bowl spot, no less.

Yes, that pinched, hollow stare you see from the so-called "spindle grille" of the GS is, indeed, it. Serious? Yes. Aggressive? Check. Mean? Pretty much.

If the Lexus GS doesn't look like the sort of car that slows down to let you merge, that's because the self-important drivers of the competition's products probably wouldn't either. While the Lexus folks might blush at putting such a fine point on it, they describe their prototypical customer as someone who wants it all, without compromises. In other words, not the sort of guy you'd want to work for, but exactly the kind you might choose to perform surgery – or represent you in court if you want to sue the doctor afterwards.

Even if we're not sold on the new grille, the rest of its lines are smooth and elegant.

But before we get too caught up in the idea that Lexus is embracing an edgier look, let's be honest: It's not like they've gone Juggalo here. Indeed, the GS now wears a sharp and scowling face, but there's little about the rest of the GS's styling that's shocking or screams for attention. In fact, while tooling around the OC, we were ruthlessly ignored, just one more in a seemingly endless succession of midsize luxury cars.

Even if we're not sold on the new grille, the rest of its lines are smooth and elegant. You can see plenty of traces of the old GS in the new one, especially in the greenhouse and the curved forward edge of the C-pillar, which carries over since the original. But Lexus has lengthened the rear deck a bit, while sloping its sides down to meet the character line that extends forward from the front fender along the side of the car. This, combined with a 2-inch increase in width, makes the new GS look lower to the ground and better visually balanced than the old model, despite being over an inch taller. The rear fascia of the GS looks more like its baby brother now, and the family resemblance will only increase once the IS acquires its own spindle grille. In total, the GS is an attractive car, and similar enough to the BMW 5 Series that nobody will mistake it for a Toyota Avalon.

Inside the GS, it becomes even clearer that Lexus has been studying the Bavarians. The instrument panel – hell, the whole interior – not only resembles the 5 Series, it feels like it when you're behind the wheel. Except it's better. Everything in the Lexus is pretty much in the same place as in the BMW, from the LCD screen that dominates the center of the dashboard, to the HVAC vents and controls, to the Lexus Remote Touch Interface right where BMW's iDrive **** would be. Even the GS steering wheel seems like a Bimmer knock-off. But the cowl height in the GS is low, which allows for a seating position high enough that the driver doesn't feel buried in the cockpit and visibility is excellent as a result. We also like that the instrument panel lacks all the strange contours of the 5er.

The materials in the GS are much improved, with lots of stitched leather upholstery and new mood lighting. That said, some of the metal-look plastic in the GS is, indeed, plastic – likely a price that engineers felt was worth paying to achieve an overall 10% reduction in the weight of the interior trim. You won't notice any skimping elsewhere, however, as the car is as quiet and comfortable as you'd expect of a Lexus. Optional 16- or 18-way adjustable seats seem like overkill, until you climb out of them and sit in the standard 10-way seats. Yes, we really have become that spoiled. We expect an on-board chiropractor next.

Lexus says the new GS tips the scales at exactly the same 3,795 pounds as the outgoing model, and while the length and wheelbase of the GS have not changed, the new model does have a 1.6-inch wider front track and a 2-inch increase in the rear. Lexus claims the torsional rigidity of the GS has been improved by 14% thanks to the use of high strength steel and new welding processes. We'll take all this – and a redesigned multilink rear suspension that enables 4-wheel-steering – as a down payment on further evaluation.

During our day with the GS we were mostly stuck puttering around So. Cal., without much opportunity to test the dynamics. To complicate matters, Lexus will be selling four different trim levels that carry some radically different equipment, not to mention an all-wheel-drive option and the GS450h hybrid. We're going to write up the hybrid separately, as it's truly a different car altogether – although we could almost say that about the F Sport model.

Positioned as the halo of the range, the F Sport carries quite a bit of equipment not offered on the other models, including 19-inch wheels, 14-inch front brake rotors, a firmer suspension with a special calibration for its adaptive system and a variable gear ratio steering system. It's also the only way you can put your hands on the optional Lexus Dynamic Handling System, which is how you get the rear steering actuator, capable of turning the wheels up to 2 degrees to improve turn in and handling.

The base GS, Premium and Luxury trims are more similar than they are different, with the Luxury package getting the adaptive part of the F Sport's trick suspension, but not the rest. A whole host of safety equipment is available, including a collision mitigation system with an infrared camera mounted behind the steering wheel to scan the driver's eyes. Lexus has also seen fit to introduce a head-up display that's functionally identical to the system General Motors has been using for years in such vehicles as the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS. The company's Enform telematics system is also offered alongside an optional navigation system with a massive 12.3-inch screen.

Certainly, Lexus has loaded up the GS with a whole bag of new tricks, but its core is largely carryover. The optional V8 engine is gone – nobody bought them, apparently. So the 3.5-liter V6 remains, improved to make it a bit more powerful. It's now rated at 306 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, an increase of just 3 horses and 3 lb-ft. However, Lexus estimates a fuel economy improvement of 2 miles per gallon on the highway and one combined when compared to the 2011 GS. The new car's 0-60 mile-per-hour time remains at 5.7 seconds. The 2013 GS uses the same 6-speed, sequential-shift automatic, but with paddle shifters in addition to a standard shift lever. Shifting with the paddles is fast and satisfying, and we like that they are small and well positioned unobtrusively behind the wheel.

Complementing the paddle shifters is a new 3- or 4-position Drive Mode, selected by a **** that sits below the shifter on the center console. This allows the driver to select either Eco or Sport S mode, in addition to the default normal mode. Eco mode attempts to save fuel by decreasing throttle response, while Sport mode does pretty much the opposite. The 4th setting, Sport S+, is tied to the adaptive suspension system that's standard on the Luxury and F Sport models, and optional on other trim levels.

Driving even the base car in normal mode feels more engaging than past Lexus models, with good road feel and feedback through the steering wheel. We'll mention that Lexus seemed to have all the cars on hand equipped with at least 18-inch wheels, despite spec-ing undersized 17-inchers as standard. The brakes slow the car with authority and the pedal feels nice and firm. Throttle response is great, and the sound under full-bore acceleration is sonorous. A new Helmholtz resonator in the engine compartment and a revamped muffler produce some pretty nice music, and it is refreshing to see Lexus embrace the idea that its cars can be quiet and loud at the same time – just as long as the noises are the right ones. Really, Lexus has hit on all the right notes (ahem) with its redesign of the GS.

Introducing a new design direction for the brand on the GS is pretty gutsy on the surface, because if there's 1 market segment where the pursuit of perfection has caught nothing but scorn, it would be this 1. In 2009 and 2010, the GS was the worst selling sedan in the Lexus lineup, with sales of just over 7,000 per year. By comparison, the 1-size-smaller IS sells about 5 times that number. Yet Lexus thinks it can move about 24,000 units of the new GS each annum, gung-ho on wooing buyers from other luxury marques. Lexus officials are claiming they expect about half of GS sales to come from the competition, which to hear them tell it means Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Trebling sales would seem to require a historic European emigration, even if the segment grows some 5 to 7% next year, as Lexus predicts. The good news is that there are plenty of customers out there: Mercedes and BMW combined to sell over 100,000 E-Classes and 5-Series last year. By that measure, perhaps this bold new Lexus is actually vintage Toyota – in other words, pursuing a conservative strategy designed to test the waters on a lower volume vehicle before applying the face paint to the more lucrative parts of the lineup, like the ES sedan and RX sport utility.

While we can say with some certainty that the GS has the right aesthetics and a pleasant enough cabin to compete with its European adversaries, the hardware is what's really going to make or break the new model. From our initial impressions, Lexus is right there, offering a compelling package with enough serious go-fast bits to warrant consideration from all but the most slavish fans of Teutonic motoring. Now we just need to find the right roads.

Vital Stats
Engine:
3.5L V6
Power:
306 HP / 277 LB-FT
Transmission:
6-Speed Auto
0-60 Time:
5.7 Seconds (est.)
Top Speed:
142 MPH (limited)
Drivetrain:
Rear- or AWD
Curb Weight:
3,795 LBS
Seating:
2+3
Cargo:
14.3 CU-FT
MPG:
19 City / 28 HWY
MSRP:
N/A

GS69

AutoWeek: 2013 Lexus GS: Drive Review

What is it?

The new Lexus GS range is the 4th generation of the company's luxury sport sedan that competes against cars such as the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz's E-class. In this iteration, the GS previews new design language that eventually will carry over to the rest of the Lexus range. Reactions to the new look have diverged, but it's clearly not bland.

The model will be available with available premium, luxury and F-Sport packages, powered by a revised version of the 3.5-liter V6 that now combines direct and port fuel injection. The V6 produces 306 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, 3 more of each than before, while also improving fuel consumption to 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway.

All-wheel-drive versions of the GS 350 are available, as is the standard rear-drive format. While the GS loses a V8 variant for 2013, it gains an F-Sport model, which is equipped with firmer springs, a three-level variable-damping suspension, thicker antiroll bars, variable-speed steering and a rear-wheel-steer mechanism for optimal handling characteristics. The F-Sport car also has front and rear styling revisions, larger brakes and 19-inch wheels with summer tires.

As before, the GS will feature a hybrid variant, the GS 450h, which employs an Atkinson-cycle version of the V6 in combination with an electric motor to produce a combined maximum of 338 hp with 29/34mpg fuel consumption. The electric motor is mounted at the rear axle, and drives the rear wheels, so GS 450h models are rear-drive only.

The use of extra spot welds, increased use of high-strength steel and the adoption of a bolted-in triangular engine-box brace in the new GS body shell increases torsional rigidity by 14%. But weight has not increased beyond the previous car's mass, despite a full complement of technologies and luxury equipment, because of an intensive exercise to pare weight in every area--right down to hose-clamp widths!

What is it like to drive?

Because of the aforementioned advances in design and materials, the new GS is as solid, quiet and refined as one might hope. Intensive aerodynamic simulations and the adoption of a flat underbody and numerous surface tweaks reduce wind noise significantly, adding to the car's admirable road-going refinement.

So, to add some sporting flavor to the new GS, Lexus fitted a Helmholtz-type resonator that pipes the engine's induction noises into the cabin. The contrast to an older GS 350 that we had on hand was startling. While not really noisy, the new GS 350 provides a fantastic aural accompaniment to performance driving while retaining the hushed atmosphere of a luxury car when operated at modest speeds.

Of all the new models in the range, the F-Sport is one to make Lexus's rivals take serious note. The combination of ride and handling technologies provides the new GS with fast turn-in, brilliant roll control, amazing stability and a scintillating turn of speed. Its extraordinary range was perfectly showcased by a long autocross course laid out on the old air base at El Toro in Orange County, Calif. Since the rear wheels can steer in either direction, they can be used to speed turn-in by steering in the opposite direction to the fronts, then to stabilize the car by steering in the same direction.

The variable-steering gear massively speeds response in slaloms and chicanes, and none of the motion is lost to wayward body roll. Meanwhile, forces felt inside the car are easily contained by the excellent new seats. If chassis tuning was the way that rival companies' sport sedans built their reputations in the past, then technology is what might knock them off the perch today.

All of this clever technology hugely broadens the GS's bandwidth. Even the sport-optimized F-Sport version will tour suburbia with suave serenity, catering to its occupants' every need with the latest telematics package, connecting them to Internet radio or allowing them to make a reservation at a restaurant, then directing them to that location.

Everything one expects of a luxury car is available. High-end stereo? There's an 835-watt Mark Levinson system so tight and clean it is hard to describe in words. The navigation display is a 12.3-inch monster. There's a night-vision system and a precollision system. The seats are heated and ventilated. There is a blind-spot monitor and a heads-up display.

Not all of these things are standard, but all of them are available. Short of power doors, it's hard to think of anything not offered in one or another of the optional packages. Lexus always had the luxury part down. Now the company wants to inject some sporting essence into the experience. Some of the technology that makes the cars work so well is like that used by recognized sport superstars such as Ferrari.

With the LF-A proudly stationed on the Lexus stand at auto shows these days, maybe the 2 brand names aren't as far apart as they once were.

Do I want it?

It's hard to knock the idea of a refined ride for everyday activities, particularly if it comes courtesy of a beautifully made product. When Lexus first appeared, hard-nosed auto writers complained of too much isolation and not enough involvement. Now all of the rival luxury brands are more like Lexus than they were like themselves in the old days.

So, when you add performance bandwidth to a polished product such as the GS 350, allowing it to strafe a canyon road like a sports car as well as glide serenely to the office, it makes a fine argument for what the company has done here. All that's left to debate is the controversial new styling.

2013 Lexus GS 350

On Sale: February 2012

Base Price: $50,000

Drivetrain: 3.5-liter, 306-hp, 277-lb-ft V6; RWD or AWD, six-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 3,800-4,000 lb (est)

0-60 MPH: 5.7 sec (mfr)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 19/28 mpg

ydooby

69.7mph slalom speed is insane for the segment. For reference the 535i does the same slalom at 64.9mph and the M37 does it at 63.1mph.

ydooby

I can think of at least three luxury features that the competitors already offer but the new GS doesn't:
1. surround-view cameras
2. rear-seat entertainment system
3. panoramic sunroof

Hopefully Lexus will see fit to add them come the mid-cycle refresh.

ydooby

So the final trunk space spec is 14.3 cu. ft... quite a bit less than the previously quoted 18.7 cu. ft. but a lot more believable.

ydooby

I think the V8 part of that statement can only be true if your benchmark is the GS460.