Lexus GS 350 AWD Consumer's Review

Lexus GS 350 AWD

Judging by the sales of its ES, RX and LS models, it’s simple to forget that Lexus hasn’t forever had the Midas bit.

The once-stylish SC, best known for a throwaway line in an equally forgettable massive Tymers song, languished for pretty much a decade till it became the last new automobile sold with a cassette deck as normal equipment. no one paid attention to the first-generation IS, either, till it got some love from the aftermarket tuner crowd.

Since its 1993 introduction, the rear-drive Lexus GS — the company’s supposed BMW 5-series fighter — remained yet one more also-ran: Over twenty years, its sales were 0.5 that of the flagship LS. Driving dynamics and perceived quality aside, Lexus had a tough time even obtaining customers to steer through the showroom doors within the 1st place. Even once redesigns, the car’s thick C-pillar and high trunkline gave it a chunky, bloated look, and a rising yen meant the GS had a tough time beating its German rivals on worth. in a very phase where image is all-important, the foremost famous GS owner was Larry David, who ceremoniously ditched his for a Prius within the second season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The revamped GS’s enhancements embody a wider stance, an all-new multilink suspension and a a lot of aggressive style — and a high-tech interior and a protracted list of optional upgrades.

With nearly twenty years of lackluster sales performance in mind, Lexus went all-out with the 2013 GS lineup, which has hybrid and performance-oriented F Sport variants. The revamped car’s enhancements embody a wider stance, an all-new multilink suspension and a a lot of aggressive style — and a high-tech interior and a protracted list of optional upgrades.

I got the possibility to drive a pre-production model of the 2013 GS 350 AWD (estimated MSRP of $59,150) and came faraway from the expertise completely impressed with the automobile — however with a nagging concern the automobile still doesn’t have what it takes to be a mainstream player within the sport sedan phase.

That sense of dread had nothing to try to to with the time I spent behind the wheel. On the road, the new GS is an authentic driver’s automobile, as so much faraway from the anodyne RX as authentic Tex-Mex is from a Chili’s lunch special. however as anyone who’s tried to sell a taco from a rusty pickup truck will tell you, 1st impressions matter, and that’s where the GS falls short.

Lexus says the GS debuts a brand new style philosophy, though it seems that whoever penned the automobile spent longer learning the latter of these 2 disciplines. The refreshed automobile’s lower decklid provides the car a a lot of athletic stance, however the general package underwhelms. I couldn’t facilitate however see shades of an Avalon from the rear, and also the indented “spindle” grille is harking back to an Accord with a mouthful of bitter Patch children. When courting consumers with a vested interest in appearances, that’s simply not adequate, particularly when the likes of Audi and Infiniti have upped their whip charm.