Lexus GS 350 and GS 460  

By New Car Test Drive.com
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Los Angeles Area Lexus Dealers

Lexus GS 350 and GS 460 Walk Around

The Lexus GS presents a low, stretched shape, long hood, set-back greenhouse and short rear deck. It expresses simplicity, yet the car is thoroughly sculpted throughout its length. The design is perhaps a little predictable, yet the combination of this sleek shape and careful work to reduce aerodynamic turbulence beneath the car has produced a remarkably low 0.27 coefficient of aerodynamic drag, and this promotes a quieter interior and fuel efficiency.

The Hybrid version has been given a unique look for 2010. Most noticeable is its horizontally themed grille, whose body-color slats seem to fade from thicker at the top to thinner at the bottom; as if to contrast in every possible way with the simple vertical texture and glossy-black color of the standard air intake on the GS 350 and Lexus GS 460. Below the bumper, the GS 450h trades the standard subtly wrapped central air opening for three seemingly unrelated holes. Around back, Lexus has imposed clear lenses over the Hybrid's red tail lights, so it looks as if it's wearing spectacles at the wrong end. Even the Hybrid's new wheels present an odd mix of thick and thin spokes. In every way, we find the conventional models visually more simple and aesthetically more successful.

All models have high-intensity-discharge headlights with an available system that automatically compensates headlight aim for different passenger loads. The power-adjustable mirrors have defogging heat elements and tilt down when the car is in reverse. The available variable intermittent windshield wipers actuate automatically when raindrops are sensed. Fast-acting LEDs are used in the rear brake lights. Big 18-inch wheels are available. 


Interior Features for Dealers in the Los Angeles area including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Van Nuys and Glendale. 

The Lexus GS is very well appointed. Open the door and you're greeted by stainless-steel scuff plates, the scent of leather and cut-pile carpeting, and the gleam of highly burnished hardwood trim.

The tilt/telescoping steering wheel is handsomely trimmed in wood and leather (in all but the base model, and it's optional there). In the traditional Lexus style, the instrumentation is set deep within the dash to promote easy focus by far-sighted drivers and also features electroluminescent instrument needles for heightened visibility. Across the dash panel, each gauge, button, knob, lever and wheel is clearly identified by easily read words or symbols, so you can intuitively grasp the meaning. There's soft-touch electronic actuation for virtually every control, from the window switches to the trunk release.

Dominating the center stack is a seven-inch electronic screen with touch-screen controls. Two banks of menu buttons flank the screen. The driver uses this screen to operate the audio system, climate control, and optional navigation system with backup camera, though many functions are duplicated with nearby buttons on the dashboard. Navigating through the submenus doesn't take too much brainpower, but like most multi-tasking electronic systems, a day spent with the owner's manual on a quiet side street is the best way to figure out the way to work everything properly.

Lexus has made a quality audio system a key component of its brand identity, so it's no surprise that the GS sedan has a premium system. The standard 134-watt system features an AM/FM/XM tuner and an in-dash, six-disc CD changer that accepts both MP3 and WMA formats. It plays through a 10-speaker sound system. An auxiliary audio input jack is provided, as well as an iPod/USB connection. Audiophiles can opt for the Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system, developed especially for the GS interior. Utilizing 5.1 surround sound playback via a 7.1-channel speaker topology, its 330-watt amplifier sends the vibes through 14 speakers.

For 2010, the Levinson sound system is integrated with the new HDD navigation, which includes Lexus Enform, a new telematic product that combines all the functions of Lexus Safety Connect (Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, SOS Emergency Assistance Button, and Enhanced Roadside Assistance) plus Destination Assist and eDestination. Destination Assist agents are available via the on-board cellular equipment and can help drivers find a specific address, a business by name, a type of business (e.g., gas station, movie theater, etc.), and even Zagat-rated restaurants; and then send the coordinates to the navigation system for routing. With eDestination, drivers can go online via LexusDrivers.com to save and sort destinations in up to 20 folders, each holding as many as 10 destinations. Then drivers can send the locations, up to 200 at a time, to their vehicle, where they will be available for download into the navigation system. Online, drivers can create personalized location names (e.g., Favorite sushi, 1 PM Appt, Kids' doc, etc.) and even list notes about their saved locations. XM traffic, weather, financial and sports services are included, as is Bluetooth phonebook download.

Intuitive Park Assist considers steering angle input as well as the usual distance-warning sensors to offer contact avoidance advice through graphics in the dashboard-mounted information screen. This advice also is displayed in the lower center of the speedometer, an area that is also used to show information from the trip computer, radar cruise status, distance monitoring and various warning messages. This system is the last word in ding prevention in the supermarket parking lot.

We found the GS a very comfortable car. The combination of the 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat and a thick-rimmed steering wheel with an electrical tilt/telescopic control helps you find a comfortable driving position. The driver's seat itself is sculpted with an extensive set of bolsters that support you, though they are not so restrictive that they encumber easy ingress and egress. Despite the multiple controls, one of our test drivers didn't like the seating position because the front of the seat bottom doesn't tilt upward. And tall drivers might not like the GS because head room is limited.

The same goes for the back seat. Both head and leg room will be tight for anyone over 6 feet, 2 inches, and the front seats have little toe room if the front seat is at its lowest point. The seat is comfortable, however, and a center armrest folds down to reveal the pass-through. That pass-through is handy, but not as handy as a split-folding rear seat, which the GS doesn't offer.

The trunk is relatively small, measuring 12.7 cubic feet in volume. And the trunk opening is small, caused by the short overhang. The GS 450h is worse, with only 10.6 cubic feet of capacity.

Continue reading about the Driving Impression of the Lexus GS

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