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2006 Lexus GS Road Test

As Good As the Best and Better than Most

The first thing I noticed when viewing a collection of new GS 300s and 430s lined up for Lexus ride and drive event, was how much better each looked in the metal, off of a two dimensional magazine page. I have to say that each looked quite a bit better in the natural setting of the Pacific Northwest than amid the clutter of the Detroit auto show stand, where Lexus latest was first introduced.

Actually, this is very good looking luxury sedan, combining the aggressiveness of the outgoing model with the feline grace of the Giorgetto Giugiaro designed original, into a much more attractive package than either predecessor. It doesnt use gimmicky styling to lure in the nouveau riche, like some of its rivals, but rather relies on understated elegance, mixed with a healthy dose of muscle.

I also couldnt help but appreciate just how rich the cars paint looked, and the variety of deep

The new Leuxs GS 300 and 430 look much better in person than on a two dimensional magazine page. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

and delicious hues that highlighted its lithe profile. Part benign, part menacing, the GS is more than mere machinery, seeming to have scheming machinations on its mechanical mind.

The only thing evil about the new GS, mind you, is a continual tempting from its enthusiastic drivetrain and athletic undercarriage to break the speed limit. OK, I can already hear your murmurings about Lexus driving dynamics, or lack thereof, from here. Well, youre wrong. This is probably a good time to put to rest any preconceived beliefs about Lexus brand performance characteristics being

Part benign, part menacing, the GS is more than mere machinery. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

staid, boring and only capable of satisfying the Lincoln Town Car set. Nothing could be further from the truth, at least when referring to the brands rear-drive cars. Its IS 300 can run rings around most competitors in the luxury C-segment, and its flagship LS 430 is one of the quickest in its class off the line, and as agile as most rivals when optional adjustable shocks are turned to the sport position.

The new GS moves this agility quotient up a notch or two, at the very least. Lexus used the new BMW 5-Series as a benchmark car, and its obviously biased but nevertheless conservative engineers who were on hand to help answer questions,

Does the Lexus GS 430 truly handle as well as a benchmark BMW 545i? (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

feel that it matches the "ultimate" sport sedan in every respect; a claim that they believe has been earned through internally testing the two models back to back.

So my job, among other things, is to critically assess if the Lexus GS engineers are blowing hot air, simply deluded, or actually on the mark. Does the GS 430 truly handle as well as a 545i? After the better half of a day on a circuitous route throughout the island paradise Lexus chose for its launch location, capped off with a high-speed slalom, and various safety tests, I have to say Im impressed. Without driving the GS back to back with the 5 on the same road surfaces, conditions, temperature, etc, its impossible

The Lexus achieves 60 mph in a scant 5.7 seconds in 300-horsepower GS 430 trim, 0.3 seconds quicker than the more powerful BMW 545i. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

to tell which one is sportier dynamically, per say, but I wouldnt dare write the Lexus off as the loser as it might just be BMWs equal.

One performance test that is more quantifiable, or at least the factory numbers are available to compare, is acceleration from zero to 60 mph. In this test Lexus, a brand that like BMW is known to rate its cars conservatively, achieves 60 mph in a scant 5.7 seconds in 300-horsepower GS 430 trim. This is 0.3 seconds quicker than the more powerful 545i, needing 6.0 seconds to manage the same velocity. Even the 245-horsepower base GS 300 manages to sprint from standstill to 60 more sportingly than its BMW 530i rival, at 6.8 seconds compared

Lexus endows its GS 300 with a sophisticated six-speed automatic transmission featuring a manual mode. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

to 7.1.

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