peteharvey

The 4GS was released early 2012.
Traditionally, the Lexus GS has a 7 year model cycle, such that the next generation 5GS is due 2019.
With the traditional 7 year model cycle, the mid-life facelift appears at roughly 3.5 years, in other words, mid-2015.

The Germans have hinted several years ago that they are looking at shortening their model cycles, however they did not specify how many years.
Lexus must be competitive to match the Germans.

Let's say Lexus reduces the 4GS model cycle to 6 years, that would make the mid-life update at 3 years, in other words early 2015, with an all new 5GS due 2018.

Now, with a 4.5GS midlife update likely to appear in the first half of 2015, approval for designed is very likely to be commissioned in the next 6 months.
Think about it.
2014 will give Lexus just 12 months to engineer and test the changes.
Manufacturing will likely commence early 2015.
A few months later, the midlife facelifted 4.5GS will be on sale!
Time runs by quickly.

Believe it or not, design for the next generation 5GS due 2018/9 is probably underway already.
If Lexus fans want longer wheelbases, aluminium and carbon fiber usage, new engines, turbochargers - Lexus fans must provide feedback for the next generation 5GS now.

People who think that they can provide feedback for the midlife updated 4.5GS in June 2014, and have the 4.5GS released just 6 to 12 months later - are kidding themselves.
The feedback, planning, engineering, testing, and manufacturing process is long and slow.

Thus, we only have an open window for a few more months.
Time to quickly give feedback to Lexus regarding the midlife update for the 2015's 4.5GS.
Lexus fans don't want to see the 4GS sell 1000+ units a month across America?
Lexus fans want to see the 4GS competitive.

Right now, what improvements can we feedback to the manufacturer for the facelifted 4.5GS due in the first half of 2015???

peteharvey

This is a very common misconception, or a slip of the tongue?
Not long ago, Steve said something very similar about how he thought the old 2005 3GS debuted with an "old" 3.0L V6 engine, and got a brand new 3.5L V6 about a year or two later.

The 1GS and 1998-2005 2GS used a 3.0L in-line six from the Toyota Cressida of the 1980's.

In 2005, the 3GS debuted with a brand new 3.0L V6 with direct fuel injection.
A year or two later, only a select number of markets like our American market received the boost in engine capacity from 3.0 to 3.5L.

Along the same mode, I wouldn't be surprised if Lexus dropped an 8 speed automatic into the 4GS later this year, or next year?

peteharvey

Styling is a very important part of selling a car to the mass public.
Styling wins the buyer's affection; styling emotionally attaches the buyer.
If styling is bland, customers are not attached.
Customers will be polite, and say kind words, but they will not sign on the dotted line.

The 4GS nose is nice; nicer than the new 3IS nose IMO.
Thus, they should leave the nose alone.



However, there is plenty of room for improvement in the tail.
At some angles, the tail can look nice:


However, at other angles, it requires improvement:







Most GS buyers are older than IS buyers, and therefore GS buyers tend to have slightly more conservative tastes.
Thus it is best for Lexus to leave the overall shape of the boot as it is, and update only the tail light lenses.

Lexus are well known for updating their tail light lenses.
The new 3IS has sexy tail light lenses that are an evolution of the 4GS.
The new 3IS tail looks good at just about any angle and any color!
So the 4.5GS should have an evolution of the 3IS tail light lenses.

SW17LS

I won't speak for the poster that you are responding to, but I think the issue is the number of times this exact same thing has been posted by a particular member. This member seems to just talk to themselves in long, drawn out posts...sometimes he even replies to himself multiple times before anybody even responds.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Pete,

I'm changing your thread title to make it a little less.... urgent. ":Facelifted 4.5GS due soon; urgent feedback required!" is a bit presumptuous unless you have some REALLY GOOD inside information. If you do, you can PM me your details and source and I'll change it back; otherwise this is conjecture.

Steve, please exit this thread.

dseag2

I totally get what you're saying. I own a 4GS, and I wouldn't feel slighted at all if Lexus made improvements that would increase demand for the car. 1) I love my car as is, so I really don't care about the improvements mentioned and 2) improvements that could create more demand would bring price increases on the new ones and that in turn would increase the residual when I go to sell my used one.

RNM GS3

Here is my wishlist:

1) New Power-train: 8speed Auto; Turbo or S/C 6 cyl engine with 350hp
2) Updated Taillights with Full LEDs - The ones on the new LS are awesome!
3) LED headlights standard on Fsport.
4) Wood option for Fsport interior
5) More vibrant exterior color choices - Give us Ultrasonic blue or Spectra Blue Mica!

jkeifer3

Sorry Pete. I don't think they need our feedback at all. We are already "hooked" and Lexus is doing quite well.

natnut

Have to agree with this.

Though I think this thread is interesting in that it prompts Lexus GS aficionados to put on their thinking caps and come up with improvements to the existing 4GS. So there is a constructive aspect to Peteharvey's post.

praetor

All I want are 2 USB ports and a proper remote start. I don't really need or will use the other stuff.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I don't care about a 8 speed but I love the new updated 3D buildings in screen and much better voice recognition Nav system in the 3IS and think it will be in the '14 GS.

SpOrTDZiNe

iTrader: (3)

Knowing how technology has changed so much over the last 10 years but the pricing of the gs has gone up quiet a bit over the years. That has alot to do with the declining sales in my opinion.

I purchased a 2003 GS300 Sport Design in 2003 for $43k OTD.

10 yrs later

I purchased a 2013 GS350 F-Sport with 9k miles on it for 50K OTD, which brand new is close to 60k OTD.

kh4nh

Honesty? What the hell is Lexus doing reverting back to the old "track and ball" mouse design? That was a stupid move backwards IMHO. Look at Honda, Cadillac, and Infinity, etc...touch is the way forward. Honda has a 2 screen set-up now, 1 for nav and 1 for touch, IMHO the new Honda Accord interface is way better and faster than my GS. The future of infotainment should be just a docking spot for my iPad right in the middle of the console. kthanksbye!

kh4nh

Also another point, if you look at the GS concept car, it had the IS tailights! And doesn't the new GS tailights remind you of current mid-life refresh of the IS tailights? I am pretty sure Lexus said "lets just save this new tailight design for the new IS, we don't want to cram all the fresh good design into 1 single car, so why don't we use the told IS tailights for the new GS." LOL!

praetor

I like the mouse design. Touchscreen is great but distracting and hard to read in the sun as the screen is placed within arm's reach. I like how the big screen is recessed way back so it's easy to read even in bright sunlight. Touch and mouse/***** are all outdated anyhow. Need to work on better speech recognition.