I fell in love with the exterior and interior of the GS350 recently and, after reading the reviews in Car and Driver / MotorTrend etc. decided this might be my next car.

I test drove the AWD Luxury version on the weekend (AWD is preferable to RWD for my climate (Calgary).) At the end, it wasn't what I had expected. The car and the interior were gorgeous but the drive/handling was much more floaty than I anticipated. For sure, the ride was very compliant but it was also more isolated than I thought it would be. It was in S+ mode the whole time.

For those that have the AWD Luxury did you also drive the RWD car and was it any different? Again, I would prefer AWD but not at the expense of handling.

When taking a corner the car definately held the line and was able to carry a significant amount of speed, it just didn't feel as confidence inspiring as I thought it would based on the reviews. As a point of reference, I have an Infiniti G37 AWD sedan now and, although the GS is a different car, since some folks on these forums have compared the GS to the IS in the handling department I thought it would have been more buttoned down from a handling perspective.

Any thoughts on the above? Is the AWD version more softly sprung than the RWD car? Could the tires have been grossly under-inflated? Maybe the S+ mode wasn't set up properly? I would prefer the Luxury package over the F-Sport package as I like the interior accents more and really like the rear window shades for my kids.

 

I did not notice a difference between the Luxury RWD and AWD. I preferred the overall ride and handling of the Luxury AWD to the 535 xDrive and did not feel that the GS was soft. The AWD in S+ really does feel like a smaller car.

But there is a difference in the handling in the RWD F Sport with Dynamic Rear Steering. You should give this a drive and see what you think.

I am also in a climate where I need AWD and also wanted the 18 way seats that were part of the Luxury Package. So for me a gave up the DRS for the AWD and Luxury features.

 

Just for the heck of it, try driving the premium edition GS, and then compare it to the Luxury edition.

 

I like the fact that my GS 350 doesn't have to pound my kidneys to deliver decent handling. Are you sure the perception of "softness" doesn't come from an improved ride quality and quieter cabin? Often times, in the automotive world, there is a mental association of "crudeness = dynamic capability".

 

Did you testdrive the Fsport version?

I recently tested the GS450h Fsport and a week later the normal version. All I can say is that the normal version was a little bit floaty even in Sport+ mode, but the Fsport felt even better in normale mode. S+ in the Fsport was perfect for this type/size of car There was way less body roll than the non Fsport version.

 

I didn't test drive the F-Sport version as I prefer some of the goodies you get with the Luxury package. At the same time, I think that the tires on the AWD, non F-Sport GS are quite limiting as well so I would probably sell them and get Pilot Super Sports again.

I think I am going to go back and take another test drive. I am cross shopping against the BMW 335xi and the Audi S4 - although they are smaller cars, in Canada at least, when similarly equipped they are priced very close to the GS.

 

I noticed a difference in handling between (all AWD):
* Base (no AVS)
* Luxury (AVS, 18" wheels)
* F-Sport (AVS, 19" wheels)

They all felt different, but to be honest the Luxury was the most compliant. Not floaty though.