GS350 F-sport test drive review
02-24-12, 01:17 PM
#93
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
^^ very nice looking is-f 
06-17-12, 09:25 PM
#94
in the past few months i got more and more chances to drive different kind of 4gs (regular, luxury, fsport) and get to spend more time in the car, i think i will drop a few points on what i feel about the car
- the car drives SOOO good. i love it. it's so easy to drive, feels light but well planted to the road, turns are very predictable. fsport in s+ mode is awesome, the steering is so sharp (really like my m3 imho) and tight, i love the feel. the 19" wheels gives it a harsher for firmer ride, not bad. the 18" in the luxury (in s+) feels a bit softer, but still it's very respectable.
- the brakes are very good, very powerful and linear, another great part of it
- the interior is so nice. a lot of details to it, the seats are good (though they are all very new still), trims and lines have a lot of depths to them.
- the navigation screen is so nice. it's very big, at night i have to say it gets a bit distracting, but that's just about getting used to. resolution is ridiculous and the picture quality is really amazing
- i love the remote touch. i don't know, i probably prefer this over touch screen. it's so easy to use and i have no problem operating anything when i am driving. it's light years better than idrive or command
- the premium sound system is pretty good, though i have to say it's not spectacular. i am really interested in experience how different the ML system is
- exterior i am still not very convinced. i prefer regular over fsport, the fsport front bumper just doesn't work for me. the rear door also looks funny
- build quality from what i see so far is drastically better than 3gs, it's not even funny. all the cars i have touched, all the panels are put together nicely, you see more clips and guides. all the clips are higher grades and better design. quite a few locations where i saw tons of failure in 3gs, they are corrected. materials in the 4gs are great, very solid. i am very impressed
- i have to be honest, i feel excited every time i drive the car. except when it comes to acceleration and i feel that the car keep on asking for more power. that's the major imbalance i see.
- some pointed out before but now i experience the design flaw. when you drive a fsport (aluminum trim) and it's sunny outside, both mirrors will have huge reflection of the aluminum trim and totally block your view. it can get very dangerous.
- the car drives SOOO good. i love it. it's so easy to drive, feels light but well planted to the road, turns are very predictable. fsport in s+ mode is awesome, the steering is so sharp (really like my m3 imho) and tight, i love the feel. the 19" wheels gives it a harsher for firmer ride, not bad. the 18" in the luxury (in s+) feels a bit softer, but still it's very respectable.
- the brakes are very good, very powerful and linear, another great part of it
- the interior is so nice. a lot of details to it, the seats are good (though they are all very new still), trims and lines have a lot of depths to them.
- the navigation screen is so nice. it's very big, at night i have to say it gets a bit distracting, but that's just about getting used to. resolution is ridiculous and the picture quality is really amazing
- i love the remote touch. i don't know, i probably prefer this over touch screen. it's so easy to use and i have no problem operating anything when i am driving. it's light years better than idrive or command
- the premium sound system is pretty good, though i have to say it's not spectacular. i am really interested in experience how different the ML system is
- exterior i am still not very convinced. i prefer regular over fsport, the fsport front bumper just doesn't work for me. the rear door also looks funny
- build quality from what i see so far is drastically better than 3gs, it's not even funny. all the cars i have touched, all the panels are put together nicely, you see more clips and guides. all the clips are higher grades and better design. quite a few locations where i saw tons of failure in 3gs, they are corrected. materials in the 4gs are great, very solid. i am very impressed
- i have to be honest, i feel excited every time i drive the car. except when it comes to acceleration and i feel that the car keep on asking for more power. that's the major imbalance i see.
- some pointed out before but now i experience the design flaw. when you drive a fsport (aluminum trim) and it's sunny outside, both mirrors will have huge reflection of the aluminum trim and totally block your view. it can get very dangerous.
06-17-12, 10:53 PM
#95
Pole Position
rominl, your review echoes what I felt after my test drive of the GS350 F-Sport with DRS.
That's why I'm completely mystified when the some reviews talk about vague steering feel and say that the GS has less steering feedback and doesn't have the "hand-in-glove" sensation when compared to the current F10 5 series.
Are the reviewers driving the same car as us or are they just regurgitating a pre-written script, one that they wrote based on past experiences, not expecting the new GS to drive so well? What I mean is, they go in already pre-judging the car thinking : "It's a Lexus so no way can it drive, handle and steer better than the 5 series." and stick to that script, no matter what is their actual test-drive experience.
Their bias is even made even more obvious when it's been widely acknowledged that the current 5 series has numb steering feedback and nonlinear throttle response. Some of these reviews make me even doubt whether these guys even sat in the car.
That's why I'm completely mystified when the some reviews talk about vague steering feel and say that the GS has less steering feedback and doesn't have the "hand-in-glove" sensation when compared to the current F10 5 series.
Are the reviewers driving the same car as us or are they just regurgitating a pre-written script, one that they wrote based on past experiences, not expecting the new GS to drive so well? What I mean is, they go in already pre-judging the car thinking : "It's a Lexus so no way can it drive, handle and steer better than the 5 series." and stick to that script, no matter what is their actual test-drive experience.
Their bias is even made even more obvious when it's been widely acknowledged that the current 5 series has numb steering feedback and nonlinear throttle response. Some of these reviews make me even doubt whether these guys even sat in the car.
06-17-12, 11:26 PM
#96
rominl, your review echoes what I felt after my test drive of the GS350 F-Sport with DRS.
That's why I'm completely mystified when the some reviews talk about vague steering feel and say that the GS has less steering feedback and doesn't have the "hand-in-glove" sensation when compared to the current F10 5 series.
Are the reviewers driving the same car as us or are they just regurgitating a pre-written script, one that they wrote based on past experiences, not expecting the new GS to drive so well? What I mean is, they go in already pre-judging the car thinking : "It's a Lexus so no way can it drive, handle and steer better than the 5 series." and stick to that script, no matter what is their actual test-drive experience.
Their bias is even made even more obvious when it's been widely acknowledged that the current 5 series has numb steering feedback and nonlinear throttle response. Some of these reviews make me even doubt whether these guys even sat in the car.
That's why I'm completely mystified when the some reviews talk about vague steering feel and say that the GS has less steering feedback and doesn't have the "hand-in-glove" sensation when compared to the current F10 5 series.
Are the reviewers driving the same car as us or are they just regurgitating a pre-written script, one that they wrote based on past experiences, not expecting the new GS to drive so well? What I mean is, they go in already pre-judging the car thinking : "It's a Lexus so no way can it drive, handle and steer better than the 5 series." and stick to that script, no matter what is their actual test-drive experience.
Their bias is even made even more obvious when it's been widely acknowledged that the current 5 series has numb steering feedback and nonlinear throttle response. Some of these reviews make me even doubt whether these guys even sat in the car.
one thing though, i have to say, if the car is put in eco mode, it's definitely different and not as exciting. throttle is not as sensitive, steering doesn't seem as tight. maybe they drove it in eco mode and called it a day.
if i compare the gs350 fsport in s+ compared to 535 sport, i think i like the drive of the gs350 more. steering feels tighter and obviously car doesn't feel as heavy. if i throw a curve ball 550i sport into the play, i have to say the 550 is better but then again it's much more expensive.
while it's much slower than my m3, i think from a driving point of view, i quite enjoy the gs350, i feel connected and the steering feedback is so nice.
oh and one thing i forgot to mention. i can care less what people say about the throttle blipping on the gs350. yeah it's pretty smooth, however i couldn't get myself excited at all. it still feels too automatic to me. not to mention the upshift is so slow. in short, i rather just put the car in D and drive
06-18-12, 12:10 AM
#97
Pole Position
The 550i might be better in a straight line but MT slalom times of 26.1 sec is half a second slower than the 24.6 sec of the GS350 F-Sport.
I blame the V8 in the engine compartment making the car nose heavy.
I blame the V8 in the engine compartment making the car nose heavy.
06-18-12, 01:35 AM
#98
Lexus Test Driver
Great review all around. I agree with just about everything except it needing more power. I think as a car brand, Lexus's core and bread and butter customer is not as enthusiastic as we are. He/she doesn't need faster numbers when taking a client to see a house for sale or for taking a date to dinner.
But the one thing I agree with most is the F-sport front bumper looking odd. I have never been able to explain it, but the OP nailed it. The lower corners are cut away, leaving a missing area. There needs to be aggressive flairing at this spot, to give the car a lower, sporty look. But instead, the area is empty. This drives me nuts and for that reason, I much prefer the looks of the base car.
But the one thing I agree with most is the F-sport front bumper looking odd. I have never been able to explain it, but the OP nailed it. The lower corners are cut away, leaving a missing area. There needs to be aggressive flairing at this spot, to give the car a lower, sporty look. But instead, the area is empty. This drives me nuts and for that reason, I much prefer the looks of the base car.
06-18-12, 06:38 AM
#100
Lead Lap
I'm beginning to be disappointed by the engine. I only have 1,500 miles on my F-Sport, but each time I have floored the car, it just doesn't move like it should. This morning was a good example. I turn right onto a major road and immediately floor the thing. It slowly gets up to speed. And when I say slowly, I'm looking in my rear view mirrow and a touching Chevy Cruze was practically on my ***.....WTF is that!?!?!?! (The same Chevy Cruze that was behind me when I was turning right...not one that was already going 60mph)
If you're going to tell me it's because the engine is still in "break-in" mode, I'm going to take the car back and ask them to junk it. There is ZERO reason for any engine, in this day and age, to be limited prior to 5K miles. That's complete BS and I won't accept it.
If you're going to tell me it's because the engine is still in "break-in" mode, I'm going to take the car back and ask them to junk it. There is ZERO reason for any engine, in this day and age, to be limited prior to 5K miles. That's complete BS and I won't accept it.
06-18-12, 08:55 AM
#101
when i look at a car, i look at it as a whole, the overall impression and feel.
the 3gs is not bad on handling at all, ask batman. it handles very very well on turns. however, it does NOT give drivers a good feeling with that steering and suspension feedback. you have to really know and trust your car in order to push it. the e60 on the other hand has great responses and gives driver a lot of confidence.
i didn't say 550i sport is faster, but i said it's better. it gives a much better balanced feel. like you said it might be fractionally slower on slalom, but the power / handling / response is more balanced as a package.
stop spec racing, that's why i always care more about how drivers feel and that's what i talk about
Great review all around. I agree with just about everything except it needing more power. I think as a car brand, Lexus's core and bread and butter customer is not as enthusiastic as we are. He/she doesn't need faster numbers when taking a client to see a house for sale or for taking a date to dinner.
But the one thing I agree with most is the F-sport front bumper looking odd. I have never been able to explain it, but the OP nailed it. The lower corners are cut away, leaving a missing area. There needs to be aggressive flairing at this spot, to give the car a lower, sporty look. But instead, the area is empty. This drives me nuts and for that reason, I much prefer the looks of the base car.
But the one thing I agree with most is the F-sport front bumper looking odd. I have never been able to explain it, but the OP nailed it. The lower corners are cut away, leaving a missing area. There needs to be aggressive flairing at this spot, to give the car a lower, sporty look. But instead, the area is empty. This drives me nuts and for that reason, I much prefer the looks of the base car.
power (v8) is not just about getting you faster, more importantly it's about smoothness. my gs350 constantly have to work hard, but all the v8 i have had, it's much smoother and quieter.
so yes, in that case the gs450h can be the cure, especially when the gs is much lighter. at that time it's a fair game and we will see how marketing kicks in. that one is going to be interesting.
regarding the front bumper, yup, and that's why i think the TRD kit for the fsport makes the front look sooooooo much better
06-18-12, 08:56 AM
#102
I'm beginning to be disappointed by the engine. I only have 1,500 miles on my F-Sport, but each time I have floored the car, it just doesn't move like it should. This morning was a good example. I turn right onto a major road and immediately floor the thing. It slowly gets up to speed. And when I say slowly, I'm looking in my rear view mirrow and a touching Chevy Cruze was practically on my ***.....WTF is that!?!?!?! (The same Chevy Cruze that was behind me when I was turning right...not one that was already going 60mph)
If you're going to tell me it's because the engine is still in "break-in" mode, I'm going to take the car back and ask them to junk it. There is ZERO reason for any engine, in this day and age, to be limited prior to 5K miles. That's complete BS and I won't accept it.
If you're going to tell me it's because the engine is still in "break-in" mode, I'm going to take the car back and ask them to junk it. There is ZERO reason for any engine, in this day and age, to be limited prior to 5K miles. That's complete BS and I won't accept it.
06-19-12, 11:16 AM
#103
Lexus Champion
Nice review Henry. I pretty much agree with your points. I test drove a F-Sport 350 this past weekend and overall had a positive impression of the car.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.
06-19-12, 11:34 AM
#104
Nice review Henry. I pretty much agree with your points. I test drove a F-Sport 350 this past weekend and overall had a positive impression of the car.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.
just messing with you, jay. hopefully that's good enough reasons for lexus to listen!
06-21-12, 08:32 AM
#105
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ct
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after owning a m3 it is no wonder
Nice review Henry. I pretty much agree with your points. I test drove a F-Sport 350 this past weekend and overall had a positive impression of the car.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.
The interior is fantastic and one that would make my traffic filled daily commute much more bearable. Seriously, great job Lexus. I'm still ambivalent about the exterior, although it does look better in person.
Unfortunately, the engine in the 350 definitely left me underwhelmed. A shame since I was impressed by the 350's suspension and handling. However, if Lexus can produce a V8 model or a GS-F in the near future, I'd definitely consider picking up a GS.