Ten years ago, Lexus released two credible rear wheel drive sports sedans which quickly pinged on the radars of automotive journalists and a quiet subset of enthusiasts, but which struggled for acceptance by a buying public conditioned to lease German. The GS is the larger of the two and by most accounts is a better 5 Series than the one offered by BMW. As a reward, GS sales suffered and it was canceled in 2020. Of course it was. Automotive enthusiasts talk a good game, but they apparently don’t sign for midsize sports sedans and the people who do are fixated on the E-Class and 5 Series which have a death grip on what remains of the segment.
The GS350 is an instant finalist for on-paper reasons alone. I groused about the tight interior of the TLX, the remoteness of the 430i, and the laggy turbos in both of them. The Lexus has 98 cubic feet of cabin space, a big V6, and magazine comparison wins against the Audi A6 and BMW 535i, and thereby promises to fix all my worries with 200,000 mile reliability from the brand we all know and trust. So why isn’t it in the driveway at this very moment?
Well, it’s complicated. First, there’s almost no curb appeal and that will stay the hasty hand. Whereas the current BMW 5 series and Audi A6 are clean, purposeful, stately sedans that look subtly but undeniably expensive, the GS350 is a bowl of porridge: bland, lumpy, midmarket. It does not have the expensive road presence of the Germans, and I’d guess that is one reason for poor sales. I can get over that; in fact, it’s probably better for flying under the radar in my office and neighborhood. We’re a practical group, but fooled by branding and perception. A used German luxury sedan with curb-rashed wheels and fading lenses will raise more eyebrows in my circles than a new Explorer or Silverado costing twice as much. The GS will invite fewer unwelcome observations and questions.
Styling a car is difficult; I can get a sense of what they were going for here but it just doesn’t come together somehow
More importantly, I handicapped the GS350 right away by testing a decade old one with 117,000 miles on it. Couldn’t be helped, it was the only one around. It is by far the oldest and farthest run car of the three and who knows if the prior owner drove straight over a raised median at some point in its life (seen it happen, it’s ugly). Noticeable impact noise from the front end and a heinous mystery rattle somewhere aft made the car feel far more worn than the interior condition and powertrain vigor would suggest. Legend says that miles are nothing on these, and while that may be true of the core mechanicals it only takes a ragged aural edge or two to badly damage the impression of a luxury car.
The taillights are exceptionally dull to me
Setting aside the age and unknown history, this car does many things very well. Let’s start with the interior, where the Acura fell completely on its face and the BMW left a few shortcomings. The GS was a price class up from those and it entirely feels it. It’s difficult to find a hard plastic surface anywhere. The doors, dash, and center console are padded down to the carpet. The surface textures and material thickness shame the Acura and the solidity matches the tank-like BMW. The rich microfiber headliner is plush enough to nap comfortably upon should you roll the car on its roof and have some time to kill before the wrecker arrives.
To think this is about when people started complaining about the spindle grill. They had no idea what was coming…
The front is spacious and the seats are highly adjustable, but they can’t beat the sport seats in that 430i. The back bench is nearly as roomy as the Camry and the trunk is deep, wide, and still carries a spare tire. Why wouldn’t you want a spare tire? Lexus gets it. The battery is under the hood where it belongs. Lexus also gets that. The weight distribution is closer to 50:50 than the Acura despite the large V6 up front.
It is the quietest of the three on the highway. If you want to cross the continent with the family, this is the one. But this is no Town Car, no ES350. Pull out onto the street while popping the gas to catch the gap in traffic and any notion of a tottering land yacht disappears. The immediate throttle response and AWD put the power down cleanly and smartly, and the engine zings toward redline with a nice snarl. Immediate takeoff is softer than the brake-torqued turbo BMW, but the linear build in power with engine speed is predictable, satisfying, and becomes far more interesting and engaging than the uneven slug of torque from the 2-liter turbos. It feels like a sports sedan as the revs climb, it feels like the engineers cared about the character of the engine, and as a result you can actually crack a smile as the tachometer zips above 5,000 rpm whereas in the turbos you don’t know or care what speed the engine is turning at because it feels the same everywhere and sounds bad regardless. The Lexus is no quicker than those and will likely use more fuel, but aren’t some things worth it?
The transmission in AWD trims of the GS is a 6 speed, just like our Camry. Yep, it’s old. Toyota didn’t even try to keep up with the last decade of transmission trends here, and surprisingly the results are far better than you may expect. No, it is not as sharp and well-rounded as the ZF 8-speed in BMWs, but I prefer it to the 10 speed in the Acura. Six ratios are enough to cover the powerband of the V6, and the kickdown response is relatively quick and decisive. You do not have to double- or triple-tap the steering wheel paddles to get into a gear you want. Simply adding more gears does not a good transmission make.
It’s a heavy car with an old powertrain in a world of whiz-bang high pressure turbos and e-assist, but the Lexus has power enough. Go ahead, swing confidently through the roundabout and onto Airport Road, and rapidly gain on the buffalo-butt SUV blotting out the forward view at 10 below the limit. He’s off in la-la land, overlapping half the bicycle lane, and he’s going to ruin the next several miles of scenic road on a stunning spring day. Unacceptable! All it takes to put that waddling old thing in the distance before the short passing zone expires is a little more toe into the throttle to keep it in third through 4,000 rpm. Effortlessly, he’s gone. The road is now open before you, the view of Cessnas on final approach against the snow-capped backdrop of the Wasatch Range now uninterrupted. Roll that window down, it’s a lovely day for a drive. It’s a lovely car to be driving in. Until a pothole sets off that rattle…
The car is 2 inches shorter than the Acura TLX but the rear seat is two size classes up
Can we pause to discuss this engine? My disdain for the 2.0-liter turbocharged four is all over my prior reviews, so what exclusive high-shelf reactor propels this sedan so competently as to not raise any ire? Why, it’s the ubiquitous Toyota 2GR 3.5L V6. It’s everywhere and in everything and has been for 15 years–from the faded beige 2007 Camry blocking the left lane on your commute this morning to the Highlander to the Sienna to the Tacoma to this Lexus. This is what cost-saving powertrain homogenization across vehicle lineups looks like, and there are definite winners to this approach. The Tacoma isn’t one of them, but Camry buyers sure got a smoking deal when they opted for this V6, benefiting downstream from an engine that needed to be strong enough to give expensive 4700-pound crossovers and pickups sufficient verve.
A number of automakers took this approach with their V6s in the late aughts and in a way it was a final sendoff for affordable larger displacement internal combustion. It sent a surprising number of non-descript drag racer family sedans to the masses. Mr. Dad may not have had the Mustang he wanted, but he could rip the front tires off his FWD commuter sedan at will and make the kid in the inline-6 330i look pretty lame at the merge if he didn’t nail the launch. That’ll put a little youthful spring back in the step of his dad-bod as he heads up to that third floor cubicle for another day of being responsible and future-oriented.
Somehow it’s possible to fit a battery and engine under the same hood so you don’t mess up the trunk.
Given this ubiquity, it’s fair to question the suitability of this engine in a $60,000 sports sedan. The 2GR has enough breadth and bandwidth to make this work. For the Lexus, it has been equipped with both direct and port injection and produces just over 300 horsepower. It will propel this porky 4,000 pound sedan to 100 mph at the quarter mile and sound pretty good doing it while being smooth, smooth, smooth. The 2GR is a strong combination of refinement, exceptional reliability, and technological advancement without overcomplication. It’s brilliant, and it’s about to be retired from the Toyota universe in favor of an unproven 2.4 turbo in dismal and performance hybrid configurations.
This dial doesn’t do much in non FSport trim; I from what I can tell it’s transmission shift logic only, much like the ECT/PWR switch in old Toyotas from 35 years ago. Like the Acura, the transmission clutches onto lower gears for too long in Sport. Leave it in Normal.
The GS is a big heavy sedan, and so handling is decent, but it didn’t strike me as exceptional. It’s a clear upgrade from a FWD midsize platform, but four thousand pounds is a lot of car, and 10 years is a lot of time for original shocks. This also isn’t the FSport version with the adjustable dampers, and the AWD probably removes some playfulness both in cornering attitude and steering character. That steering is responsive and accurate, but still numb and could use more on-center weight to better match the effort to the car’s mass and chassis responses. Expectations need to be tempered here. The GS was reportedly sharper than the comparably priced Germans, but the Fiesta ST has absolutely ruined my expectations for steering and chassis response, and nothing in this heavyweight class is known for truly spritely handling except perhaps the CTS.
Door materials too supple for their own good; the padding beneath the window switches is a natural leverage point for your arm when exiting, and creasing here is common
I wanted a more engaging, refined, and powerful 4-door than the Camry. Well here it is and then some, and with far fewer ownership worries than a BMW or Audi and a lower pretentiousness factor. Is it perfect? No. I’d like it to steer like the Acura, not have the same infotainment graphics as the Camry I’ve been staring at for 6 years, and at my elevation I’d like another 50 rated hp out of the naturally aspirated engine. Beyond that, this is pretty compelling. The Lexus delivers both luxury and “sport” in a more old fashioned manner than the Acura and Germans, relying on the time-tested approach of rich materials, analog interfaces, engine displacement, and relative mechanical simplicity to create a refined and quiet car that can be enjoyably driven rapidly. No one’s shopping for that anymore and the luxury marques have doubled down on complicated drivetrains and digital wow factors to set themselves apart. So while the Lexus feels decidedly outdated it also avoids a lot of pitfalls.
I may have to schedule a follow-up interview on one with half the age and miles, and in a color other than foot-in-the-grave greige. You win a second interview, GS. Come back attired in Matador Red Mica and your FSport shoes, and we’ll hash some things out. Until then, there are some other candidates to meet with first.
This is the powertrain America needs. At least for larger vehicles. A nice, torquey V6 and a 6-speed automatic. There is truly no replacement for displacement. I don’t want to drive a slingshot that slowly winds up then blasts off. I want something just like this, that will run smoothly and quietly until there is a need for some urgency, and then it will drop down a gear and hop to it. Oh wait, I have one of those in my garage.
I get what you say about the styling – it is so perfectly anonymous. And I agree that a little color would help it out a lot.
“This is the powertrain America needs”
So is the late lamented Nissan VQ-V6, on the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list for longer than about any other engine. It propels our heavy 4500lb Xterra (with the aerodynamics of a barn door) very well with an old fashioned 4 spd (Aisan Warner? Jatco?) trans that suits it just fine and the combo will get 20+ mpg on a trip, quite amazing. It did yeoman duty in everything from Altimas to 350Zs The old saw about displacement is correct in my world and the idea of putting a 4 cylinder turbo in heavy SUVs and trucks is just plain misguided. At the very least longevity is to be questioned, as well as basic suitability for the job.
Correction: Xterras and Frontiers have a 5-spd, not 4 spd, automatic, I think Aisan? Unlike other Nissans some of which use Jatco CVT transmissions that are known to have some problems.
Love my 430 will die before I sell her.
Every time I see a Lexus, I can’t help but think how vulnerable that front end is. Seems just asking for damage. Your post is a very detailed evaluation. In this world of SUVS and crossovers, actually surprised that Lexus (like so many others) is actually, making a vehicle like this. But this OLD Dog 🐕 is more than content to drive to my grave in the luxury and comfort of my 2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited. Last of the great 🇺🇸 American 🇺🇸 luxury sedans. Yes I know that the last Town Cars were built in Canada, but still consider it an AMERICAN brand. 🏆🇺🇸
Get a RWD GS350. You get the 8 speed auto and a taller rear end ratio. Much faster off the line and lower revs on the highway. Skip the f sport rwd with rws avs staggered wheels larger brakes stiffer shocks and variable gear ratio. Try to find an ulta luxury edition. Thise verisons have curtains on back windows, power trunk, alcantara headliner,heads up display with night vision, semi aniline leather and the back seats are heated and cooled. You get the avs suspension and variable gear ratio without the larger more expensive brakes and the tires are the same size front and rear so you can rotate tires.
3.5 V-6 Toyota has been in three of the vehicles my wife has owned starting with a 2007 RAV4 followed by Venza followed by Highlander. I like the engine.
I made the mistake of buying a Ford with the turbo 2.3 four; I hated the noise it made (or didn’t or both). I believe a current ’23 Explorer is mostly equipped with the turbo 2.3 four; you have to get way up on the trim level to get the V-6. Sad but buyers don’t know/care as long as the interior has all the tech stuff.
As for the GS looks, you make note of its anonymity. I would not know what it was if it passed me on the interstate. I do remember the original GS 300 (Toyota Aristo) and it looked at least interesting to me. But it was not a sales success either.
A sedan that may be in this class that does look attractive & sporty to me is the Infiniti G37 but who wants to risk a Nissan?
I’m guessing the IS is a bit small to be in the running for your family, but I’ve long been a fan from afar, ever since the first ones showed up some 20 years ago. Your reviewing style is both thorough and entertaining. I’d love to live vicariously through your review of an IS350, especially in F-Sport guise, as that’s precisely what I’d be driving if I could afford one and actually had a practical need to even own a car. I’m even more inclined to be interested in the smaller, lighter, more tightly sprung car with this drivetrain having read this review of the GS. I do think the styling of the smaller sedan, with its flared out haunches and more aggressive look actually fits the bill. It kind of reverses the negatives of the GS’s styling, coming off a bit more “Boy Racer”, but still conservative enough to not lack maturity.
When I bought my lightly used 2016 ES350 COAL, I also test drove a lightly used 2015 GS with more miles, about 40,000 versus 13,000. So for the same money I could have had either one. The GS was clearly a more solid, better finished vehicle. But like you, I couldn’t get comfortable with the exterior appearance. It seems too upright, like it is supposed to be a taxi or something. But it did drive nicely, and every time I see one in traffic I think back and wonder if I would have been happier with the GS.
Respectfully, a handful of the nits you pick are purely subjective. Color, “curb appeal”, tail light design. As ever, there’s simply no accounting for taste.
On the issues which are less subjective (engine, handling, cabin noise, interior materials, bulletproof reliability), it seems the GS ticks all the right boxes for you.
I have a ’15 GS, w/o the subframe noises you referred to (yikes). imo, a GS would be a fine choice. But then, I think they’re handsome and that Atomic Silver is a sharp color.
Good luck and best wishes.
F-85
I am in your camp and agree 110%.
I luv my ’13 GS 350 awd from classic front grille to the rear dual exhaust and everything else in between.
Mine is pampered with 14k original miles and in showroom condition.
I like to buy my cars new and have a 2015 Honda Accord with 3.5 V6 and six speed auto geared transmission. Only has 34,550 miles on it as of today. I also drive a 2009 Nissan Frontier with 4.0 V6.
On the Accord, great car that runs on regular (not premium) gasoline and has 280 hp. No, it’s not quite as elegant as the Acura, Bimmer or Lexus but I’d rather have Japanese than German with all the expense in repair on those.
My Accord has been very reliable. My previous Accord was bought new by me in 1998 and had a 3.0 V6. A very good car with real leather seating! Not the fake vinyl coated “leather” in Honda’s now. But I guess all car makers are cutting costs somewhere and at least my Honda of 2015 still has a quality all-aluminum engine and good geared transmission, not a CVT.
Old fashioned nowadays, maybe, but I love it that way. Less to break with all the electronic gizmos on cars now.
Its somewhat upright and blocky shape appeals to me, and reminds me of my beloved W124 300E, which also favored interior space over a low, wide and swoopy stance.
For that and a number of other obvious reasons, if I were still driving a sedan to the office–something I fortunately gave up 30 years ago–and felt the need to assuage the reality of spending 8+ hours a day in an office or cubicle, I would find this GS quite compelling.
“rapidly gain on the buffalo-butt SUV blotting out the forward view at 10 below the limit. He’s off in la-la land, overlapping half the bicycle lane, and he’s going to ruin the next several miles of scenic road on a stunning spring day. Unacceptable! All it takes to put that waddling old thing in the distance before the short passing zone expires is a little more toe into the throttle to keep it in third through 4,000 rpm. Effortlessly, he’s gone. The road is now open before you, the view of Cessnas on final approach against the snow-capped backdrop of the Wasatch Range now uninterrupted. Roll that window down, it’s a lovely day for a drive. It’s a lovely car to be driving in. Until a pothole sets off that rattle…”more of this please!
Your great writing style made this review of a car that would not normally interest me a compelling read –
We have two GS’s in the family. I have a 2014 F-Sport AWD, and my mom has a 2019 Executive (top trim in Canada). It is hands-down one of, if not my all time favourite car. I miss some of the utility I had with previous cars, but everything else makes up for it in the GS (except fuel economy). Good ride, fantastic stereo, great materials and build quality, good driving dynamics, and I personally think it looks great. It’s over 200,000km now, and no rattles to be heard. Still on the original front shocks (rears were replaced a few years ago) and it feels just as tight as it did on day 1. It’s a shame they’re no longer being produced, I think they’re exceptional cars.
The 1.8 turbo 4 with 5 speed manual in our Golf is leaps and bounds more satisfying than the 2GR and 6 speed AT in our Tacoma, though the 3.5 V6 does like to rev and upshifts nicely at full throttle. But it’s interesting to read it described as having “breadth and bandwidth” with a transmission that’s “quick and decisive”. It’s funny what weight/tuning/gearing can do. But at just over 90K miles the Tacoma runs just as well, or just as badly, as when new with no oil use even between 10k mile changes (I’ve recently started changing it more often), no leaks, no problems at all. And I expect the same at 200k which I don’t think an Audi or BMW will do.
As I started reading this, it occurred to me that I knew practically nothing of the GS. Part of that is my fault – I’m not in the market for a high-end sedan, and consequently don’t pay much attention to new cars in this category. But another aspect is that – even for a conservative car buyer like me, this car looks so dang bland that I never saw a enticing reason to scratch beneath the surface.
However, in reading your review, I find this car rather compelling. I prefer the (antiquated) approach of quality construction, a satisfying drivetrain and mechanical simplicity over digital wow factors, and this car seems to deliver. For that, I could overlook the soporific styling, and perhaps even come to appreciate it. I would have more than a few reservations about buying a luxury car with over 100,000 mi., despite the Lexus reputation, but if I were in the market, I’d feel obligated to checking out some other examples of this car. Thanks for the interesting review here.
When it comes to buying late model used cars, it’s the specific car that matters. The condition, the mileage, the service records, the options and colors. A particular model catches your interest, then you start looking for them. Trying to find one in the right colors, with the desired options, and acceptable mileage.
As a buyer you have an advantage in that recent history as a model is well known. Problems with transmissions, engines, etc. have been written up in road test articles for years, so you have a heads up.Most modern cars that will experience failures, usually do it during the initial years, once the car has passed 30,000 miles any problems should have been addressed with the warranty.
I have not been a big fan of turbo fours in everything, though I suppose there is a car engine combo out there that is outstanding. The last examples of the V6 engines were the best ever, most had right around 300 hp. which was the output of the earlier decades V8s. I await your further reports. Is a Cadillac CTS on the menu?
I was going to suggest you take a look at the GS in your two previous installments. But I decided to see what the 3rd article would be about and here we are.
I love my 2010 GS 350. And the engine is amazing. But there are 3 main complaints I have with it, and the first one was addressed with the 4th gen.
1. The interior is very tight for a Midsize car. Headroom is tight all around and the rear seat seems more subcompact sized than midsize. Also, the trunk opening is small and the rear seats do not fold down. It still has more space than an IS.
2. After 135,000 miles the interior has many creaks and rattles when driving over rough roads. the passenger headrest is particularly irritating. The dash only rattles in cold weather.
3. The car is very sensitive to tires. I put highly rated Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus tires on it, and on course roads these tires ROAR. I will not be buying these Continentals again! On smooth roads the car is very quiet. The engine is super quiet, And wind noise is almost nonexistent. The only thing that stands out is the tires! I am going to try to add some sound deadening material in the back of the car and hope that helps.
As far as styling goes I love all 4 generations of the GS. They all look beautiful and elegant to my eyes. They did sacrifice some coupe like styling for the 4th gen for more space inside but I still think its a very attractive looking premium looking sedan and it wears the spindle grille well. I hope you try out another GS 350 or 450h(if you can find one), And I look forward to reading your next article!
I hear “GS 350, and my thoughts turn to Buicks.
I own a 2013 GS 350, I love that car, great article. Before I bought the GS 350, I own a 1998 SC 300, yeah I loved that car too, it was the Lexus version of the Toyota Supera.
My first car was my Dad’s 2nd hand ’78 Chevy Impala V8, and there was no going back from that kind of power. I loved my ’07 Honda Odyssey with its 256 hp and 16′ turning radius, and needed it pried from my hands after driving it three summers with no A/C. My current Mazda CX-30 has been likened to as good as a Porsche but for less than half the price. But after I learned to drive stick on a Subaru legacy manual in case I needed to drive my husband’s Lotus, the next car I really, really wanted was a Lexus GS 300 but I needed a station wagon for changing babies diapers in the back. When they upped it to the 330, I needed more seats. By the 350, I could no longer afford it with college payments. Now I could get any car I want, and you’re telling me they’re discontinuing it? I am truly, deeply heartbroken. Motherhood. This is why we can’t have nice, FAST things. I drove the NX whatever with it’s turbo and have never been so underwhelmed or disappointed. I’d rather have my Dad’s Chevy back, Even though that meant carrying a case of oil in the trunk and checking the level every time I got gas. Which was often. To see if I needed to add another quart. The CX 30 is a little stiff for when I have a backache or a migraine, so it’s going to my son. The Honda pilot used to drive like the Odyssey did, but I think they’ve changed the engine. The Rav 4 is a zippy little thing but it lurches through turns. What’s a girl who likes driving to do in 2023? How’s that new Avalon on stilts? Anybody hear anything good? Thanks for the review — I mean warning.
Maybe my eyes or my tastes are getting old but to me the styling looks pretty tasteful. Ever heard the term quiet luxury? It comes from fashion but I wish the Toyota would get back to that. Probably best exemplified by Mercedes until 1999 and Lexus initially mastered.
Hated this generation of screen integration which essentially put it in a deep black hole high on the dash and ruined the hierarchical convention of the gauge cluster’s dominance.
Also agreed, the small displacement GDI turbos have the all NVH refinement of a lawn tractor.