| A Week at the Wheel | Cambs, England | Lexus GS |
Inside & Out:
Heralded as the dawn of Lexus's new design language, it's clear that the GS has been shaped to appeal to the European market and, whilst still bearing some of the hallmarks of Japanese design, it could pass for a European manufactured car, externally at least.
Internally, Lexus still falls short of the best Europe has to offer. The gadget count is as impressively high as one would expect and the ergonomics are sound, but it doesn't look or feel like the interior of a £50,000 car. Some of the minor switchgear looks an awful lot like those found on the
Toyota Auris and some of the material choices are questionable. For example, the half wood steering wheel falls short both in terms of appearance and tactility. The accommodation, however, is beyond reproach being comfortable and capacious both in the cabin and the boot.
Engine & Transmission:
Lexus's new 4.6-litre V8 is a stonking engine standing comparison with the German competition favourably courtesy of impeccable manners, seamless and effortless power and excellent economy. The eight-speed transmission is something of an indulgent piece of engineering one-upmanship, but it slurs shifts perfectly in most cases, although the addition of all of those ratios does cause some additional pause when kicking down through the gears.
Nigh on 350bhp ensures the GS 460 can produce a serious turn of pace when called upon but in normal driving the 'box short shifts through the gears without stretching the engine beyond 3,000rpm resulting in excellent refinement and economy; only when stretched does the V8 make itself heard and it emits a sporting growl when it does.
Ride & Handling:
Adjustable dampers allow the driver to set the GS 460's chassis to the appropriate setting for purpose. Around town and on country roads the softer mode allows the suspension to soak up the majority of pot holes, drain covers and pock marks highly effectively and the stiffer option works well on motorways and sweeping roads, exchanging absorbency for superior body control and a more direct, roll free cornering attitude.
Overall the GS 460 displays a generous range of competencies and attributes both around town and on the open road. Outright handling and driver engagement lags that of the benchmark
BMW 5 Series, but as a car to be driven in the GS 460 has the BMW beaten thanks to its superior ride quality.
Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:
As ever Lexus offers a full complement of equipment and safety features encompassing all of the latest available technology. The Mark Levinson designed stereo offers amazing quality and volume and other features such as the heated and air-conditioned seats stand out as significant ergonomic advances.
A list price of around £50,000 is competitive with German rivals and running costs are likely to be reasonable; certainly the economy figure of 24mpg achieved during our week is encouraging and servicing costs will be low due to lengthy intervals.
Overall:
Make no mistake, Lexus's GS 460 stands toe-to-toe with the best Europe has to offer today and trades blows confidently. Ultimately the appearance and tactility of the interior remains the only weakness, as the engineering remains second to none. For some this shortcoming is likely to be significant enough to put them off a potential purchase; for everyone else there is much joy and satisfaction to be gleaned from one of the most thoroughly engineered and executed executive saloons on the market.