SW17LS

I see I'm not the only person who just returned from my first long distance highway trip!

My cousin and I went to Fayetteville, WV to spend the weekend and pick up my aunt and bring her back to spend a couple weeks with him. I've taken the GS to NJ a couple times, but thats just 200 miles of flat road. This was my first experience in the GS on a 5 hour highway trip and the first time I got to drive it on back country roads and in the mountains in Sport S+.

I have made this trip many, many, many times as WV is where we're from, and made it in all manner of vehicles. The GS performed great, smooth as glass on the highway at 80, and in on the twisty backroads I finally got to experience what Sport S+ is all about. Even loaded down with 2-3 people and luggage the car still handled those roads flawlessly, cornering is so flat. Still love the duality of this car, smooth quiet highway car, and then put it in Sport S+ and it really will tear up some backroads.

Only issue I had on the highway is I did notice that sometimes when going down a slight highway grade using cruise control what someone else had noticed that the RPMs hopped back and forth betwen like 2100 and 1900. Rhythmically every 2 seconds or so. Very strange. Didn't happen all the time, and seemed worse going down there and never did it coming back so maybe the ECM adapted?

Definitely a fuel economy premium over my previous 2010 ES. I would always get 30MPG on this trip in the ES, in the GS the best I could do was 24. Thats highway cruise set at 80. Now, the last 120 miles are up and down through the mountains, with a few 7% highway upgrades and downgrades. To put that in perspective, thats not tremendously better than the Jeep, which I can get 22MPG or so on the same trip...and it runs regular, and of course is a 6,500 lb SUV. Lexus sure was a lot more fun though.

Back seat room is also at a premium. We were very comfortable going down there, but coming back with my aunt behind my cousin he was a little cramped because he had to push his seat forward to give her enough room and couldn't stretch out as much as he was going down there. The ES definitely had more rear room, and in front for the passenger, the footwell seems shorter.

We had a great time, had a blast in the GS and it was fun to show it off to the family.

Here's a couple pictures of the GS about to get sprayed down prior to being washed this morning. The silver hides how dirty it was, but it was DIRTY. Mountain sludge, tons of bugs, leftover road salt. Ugh. I was a little worried about the bugs from the trip down staining the clear bra from having sat on there, but no issues.

sydtoosic

glad you had some fun in the GS. from the beginning lexus has been saying it's so much fun to drive. now we know they weren't pulling our leg. looks like you took out a lot of bugs, their families are waiting for them to come back home, lol. i'm thinking about taking her down to Georgia soon.

SW17LS

Yep, I was surprised there were that many bugs this time of year...

Nexson

I took a five hour trip but before I left, I used Armor All's custom shield. It is a clear film (like plasti dip) that protects aganist rock chips and bugs. At the end of the road trip, I peeled it right off and the bugs came with it. Only one rock got through to the paint.

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Nice, see you had a long distance trip, the mpg was pretty bad, I thought it was only me. Lol your car looks like mine, just washed car was filthy with al that snow NY had. You def had better gas mileage than me though.

SW17LS

Yeah they didn't have any snow on the ground, but they've had a lot all winter, roads were still dirty and wet, ground was really saturated everywhere.

I'm hoping the gas mileage will be better in the summer...

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I just saw a you tube video on Armor All's custom shield.



The masking the area,applying multiple coats,ugly black finish(I didn't see a clear finish) and the peel off,it's much easier just to clean the bugs off.
The minor rock chip protection is a plus though.

LexFather

Great write up, I enjoyed it!

1111GS

Aren't you glad you had Clear Bra? Where I am now, I'm glad we don't have bugs like this. I had to soak the soap before I could get them all off. It's always nice to read complimentary write up about the GS.


That's a great tip.

052SI

Does sport+ hold gears a bit longer or is it just susp...thinking maybe that's what caused the lower mpgs.

SW17LS

It does hold gears longer, but for the highway portions of the trip I was in Normal. I only used Sport + when we were on curvy backroads, which was just when we were out driving around Saturday. I reset the MPG readout when we got back on the highway.

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Yeah I noticed this on the highway, I used S+ I think it's my tires, and my heavy foot. I noticed that if in S+ and switched to Normal mode the car loses MPG did you have that issue SW10ES.

SW17LS

I never really tried to drive it in Sport+ on the highway, so I'm not sure...

Nexson

The clear worked out very well although it dries Matte, you really can't tell. It was worth it when I pulled the plastic off and the bugs came right with it. Beats having to scrub them off. And yes plus the added rock chip protection which was my original intent.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

The clear finish finish is much better than that black matte finish in the video above.Lot of work,though.Especially if one is leasing.