FAIRLY NEW CAR LOADED LUXURY EDITION. OFF LEASE UNIT FROM LEXUS FINANCIAL. CAR LOOK AND DRIVE LIKE NEW CAR. I liked the car better than I thought I would, or should I say at least better than I remember liking the Lexus GS models. The V6 is powerful, the ride handling mix feels good, and the interior is pleasant. Thank goodness for the heated steering wheel, seats and awesome heater. I needed those on a recent morning.
To make this thing dance a little, you have to be in S or S+ mode, no question. Punch up either of those and the steering feels better and weightier (though still somewhat numb), throttle response quickens, and the transmission feels like it holds on to gears just that a hair longer. I found myself more than once thinking “This is a Lexus? Where's the floaty ride?” It's quick off the line and the car feels grippy in corners with the all-wheel drive. The chassis feels ultra stiff, which also helps.
It's a way more comfortable cruiser in normal and eco modes. Relaxed and quiet. It feels very Lexus. Typical Lexus buyers will love the latest GS. I don't know if it will swipe any Audi A6, BMW 5-series or Mercedes-Benz E-class customers, though. And now you got to throw the new Cadillac CTS into that mix as well.
Of course, the cabin is well built and adds a lot to the sense of quiet comfort mentioned above. You are cut off almost completely from road noises, the materials are high quality and everything fits as it should. However, I'm still not sold on the mouse controller. To me it feels distracting compared to a touchscreen or even, say, Audi's MMI, but heat/vent and the radio and such can still be controlled with traditional knobs/switches.
As I said, I don't know that the GS keeps German (or GM's) execs up at night. But Lexus buyers should love it, and I would be willing to bet it would be stone reliable and the Lexus dealer takes better care of you post-sale than any German or GM dealer. There's something to be said for that. |
