Nice, yes test it, would you say the F-Sport is better excluding the HUD, and ML, and other driver assistance aids.

 

My dealer had an LS loaner, but only for LS owners. I don't know if they still do, that was a few years ago.

 

the answer bigblack is...YES! you can tell the difference as soon as you pull off. the steering is tighter the ride is firmer (some like firmer, some don't... i can do both) and this is in normal mode. sport + is another mode to consider when comparing. i put some heat to it (the premium) on an entrance ramp and it didn't skip a beat. my wife and kids love the color, i picked up my 11 year old from school and she said "daddy this car is better than yours". i told her to shut up because she didn't know what she was talking about . it's the color that they like and i'm starting to like it more and more myself. i have the checklist from the dealer where all the scratches and scrapes are on the car... i swear i can't even see them except for the one on the bumper. i'm looking for the HUD when there isn't one and the premium system is not bad at all, it doesn't have a BSM but i turn my head anyway when changing lanes. my car is fully loaded but do i miss it? surprisingly... not really. on the other hand my motto is "i'd rather have it and not need it than not have it and need it" . the premium is not a car that i would say "i will not drive this car again", i would definitely drive it again.

 

just got back from putting the premium GS through the paces. 60 miles, must say i'm impressed. i did 65/80 on a 22 mile stretch that was damn near deserted, curves at high speeds were no problem, steering was good, brakes were very good, flying down an entrance ramp and onto the highway no problem, breezing past BMWs and AUDIs... no problem. the suspension isn't felt in your back or neck when going over road imperfections. i almost don't want to give it back... lol

 

I felt the same way SYD! I had a GS premium in December and I was smittin at how well it drove and how sporty yet smooth without the vibration/choppiness felt in the F-sport on the highways. I finally got a good set of 4 new Michelin Primacy MXM4 tires placed on my 19 inch f-sport forged rims few weeks ago and I have a smoother ride like the premium now no matter what speeds. I had defective tires last year. So I am a happy camper now. Get those michelins put on!!!! I have the 94V rated and not the firmer 94W versions that I had last year which were defects. The 94V are same as those on the premium GS.

BTW I was looking at the new 2014 Porsche Cayman today and ended up building one which is coming in 2 months. The ride/handling was amazing and I felt the sport + on the GS with those firmer bridgestones were more choppier then the Cayman by 30%-40%.

 

We may win you over to LP yet! Like I've been saying for a year on the forum, it truly is a unique silver that almost "glows", even in the dark, and it is one of the best colors with the graphite wheels.

As for loaners, I had the choice of an IS or CT, so I took the CT just to see how it drove. It's slow but still fun around corners. The suspension beat me up. When I got back into my F Sport I felt like I was driving a Bentley.

 

If you like the way the premium drives, you should try the luxury

 

In terms of perfect ride after extensive test drives.

1). Luxury on Premium Michelin MXM4s
2). Premium on Michelin Primacy MXM4s
3). MY LEXUS GS F-Sport on the Michelin Primacy MXM4s
4). Premium on Dunlops
5). Premium on Bridgestones
6). Fsport on the original Bridgestone EL400-02

 

The tires do make a big difference. I'm happy to have the Michelins.

 

the premium GS drove very well REX, my wife said she could tell i liked the car by the way i was driving it. the michies will be going on very soon, probably at the end of the month if not before. that Cayman is a nice car, i have a friend that works for Porsche and he's been telling me to come down and test something, they have a great leasing program going on now.

yeah D, now my 6 year old is saying the same thing... "daddy i like this one better" . if i did the LP LS, i would use the Hyper Silver wheels also. it's funny that i wanted and did drive the Premium GS the same way i drive my F Sport, now i have to get my hands on a Lux and a Hybrid.

 

This is a testament to how fundamentally sound the GS platform is when an essentially bare-bones suspension GS feels so well sorted even without the trick adaptive suspension and F-Sport goodies.

Lexus really went to town in engineering a world-class chassis and in setting their sights on beating BMW at its own game.

 

agreed... 100%

 

i also noticed that there is also a reflection from the wood trim in the driver and passenger side mirrors. i thought that was just on the F Sport with the aluminum trim. this car is definitely a perfect balance of sportiness and comfiness...

 

LMFAO, so basically your saying this car drives in a more comfortable feeling, as opposed to the F-Sport. The premium sound is great yes as this is my first Lexus without ML but I still need some more woofer, which I think it lacks compared to the ML system. Silver is an addiction, I love the color and probably won't change even though I say I will. Nice write up. Trust me the scratches are harder to see on a silver car but they are there, I know that very well.

 

it is definitely a more comfy feeling but without sacrificing the sporty aspect, that's what i like about it. this car has the 18" Dunlop SP Sport, i guess that and the suspension not being as firm as the F Sport has caused me to lift an eyebrow every time i drive it.