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 When
you make a great product, and know it, you tend to not mess with it too
much. The risk is tweaking in the wrong direction. Such is the case with
the Lexus GS, a powerful yet elegant rear-wheel-drive performance sedan
that offers luxury with sport and Toyota's renowned reliability.
Introduced in 2007 as an '08 vehicle, this latest iteration of Lexus'
sporty GS sedan has received only minor revisions in the interim and is
currently available in four versions. The 303-horsepower V6-equipped GS
350 is the least expensive GS (starting at $45,000), while the GS 350
with all-wheel-drive comes in at $46,950. The $56,550 hybrid GS 450h melds
a V6 with batteries for improved fuel economy, while the range-topping
V8-powered GS 460 starts at $53,470.
We spent a week driving the 342-horsepower GS 460, motoring it around
town and on a round-trip excursion from Phoenix to Tucson and back. Fully
loaded, our test vehicle hit the checkout stand at $59,443, which included
$3,630 for a navigation system with upgraded Mark Levinson audio and rear
back-up camera, plus a few other convenience add-ons.
Critiquing the GS 460 is no easy task as it serves every function a car
should with aplomb, from exhilarating 5.4-second 0-60 mph performance
to its handsomely chiseled exterior to a finely finished interior which
offers supple leather and wood touch points all around.
Dynamically, the GS 460's ride is a bit softer than its German competition
(Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class) but is never dull, offering
flat and stable cornering and minimal dive and squat under hard braking
or acceleration.
If this Lexus has any faults it's that they are too few and minor to
really take issue with.
The styling, while striking for a Lexus, is still a bit like a jelly
bean and very conservative-you will not be sticking out in a crowd showing
up in the GS. Engine and exhaust noise from its fluid 4.6-liter 32-valve
V8 is also heavily muted, and steering feel is just a tad numb. These
are all minor issues that for most buyers could likely be selling points!
Keeping the GS under control is a double-wishbone front suspension and
multilink rear suspension system with exclusive-to-the GS 460 Adaptive
Variable Suspension. The AVS system offers four dynamic settings, including
"sport" for a firmer, more Teutonic-like ride.
The GS 460 also features an Active Power Stabilizer system to reduce
body sway. Using electric actuators, the system applies counterforce to
the front and rear stabilizer bars to control excess body motion.
Also included in the GS 460 are a host of other electronic safety and
dynamic performance enhancements via the integrated Lexus Vehicle Dynamics
Integrated Management system. VDIM manages the car's electronically controlled
brakes, variable gear ratio steering, electric power steering, stability
control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution system
and traction control.
The GS' supplemental restraint system includes variable-force front airbags,
standard seat-mounted side airbags for the front seats, knee airbags for
the driver and front passenger plus front and rear side-curtain airbags.
An optional pre-collision system can help the driver avoid an accident
by use of a radar-sensor which, in case of an unavoidable collision, will
switch the variable suspension to sport mode for optimal chassis response,
preemptively retract the front seat belts and pre-initialize the braking
assist to improve brake response.
Whether used for the daily commute or stuffed with baby seat and the
rest of the family for a weekend drive, the GS460 inspires confidence,
all while returning an EPA-rated 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. In combined
driving we achieved 21 mpg, and observed 25 mpg while on the freeway (by
the GS's on-board computer).
In the GS460, Lexus once again delivers a near-flawless product, combining
its engineering prowess with inoffensive design to offer a luxury vehicle
that combines sport and prestige. Though the emotional call may be a bit
lacking, there is no arguing with its analytical appeal.
.Lexus GS460 bonus photos...
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