Lexus GS430 Reviews

Graham Smith reviews the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Lexus GS300 and GS430 as a used buy. Lexus took on the big German brands with build quality but rivals have a lively edge. New Look around you on the road and you'll see heaps of Benzes, BMWs and Audis, standing out with their distinctive

After driving cars like the new GS430, the answer to that question has to be a resounding "yes".Yet despite the car's impressive credentials, the company still has a ways to go, particularly when it comes to us cynical Aussies.There's the issue of resale value to consider which as history has shown has not been kind to the luxury brand.For instance, last year's mind bogglingly good LS430 cost a whacking $178,000 off the showroom floor.The same car 12 months later has dropped in value to as little as $110,000, a fall of $68,000 or 38 per cent.In comparison, a Mercedes E500 priced at $157,000 new is now worth $119,000 or more – a lesser drop of 24 per cent.You can see what we're getting at?That's to take nothing away from the cars themselves which for the most part are technically brilliant.The latest offering from Lexus is the sporty new GS rear-wheel drive sports sedans, available with a choice of six or eight cylinder engines.Today we're going to take a closer look at the top of the line 4.3-litre V8.At a recommended retail price of $137,000 the GS430 is a fair old ask, especially in the company of similarly priced Benzs and BMWs.The finish is first rate and the styling owes nothing in passing to any Toyota.With its big swoopy back the GS430 builds on the distinctive styling queues of the previous model, following the current trend towards four-door "not quite hatch" coupes.We like the general concept because most of us have a couple of kids that we need to stick in the back.Inside, it's library quiet, with smart titanium finish dials and dark cherry coloured wood trim.What would a luxury car be without the wood?Firstly we should point out you don't need to stick a key in the ignition with this car.The key stays in your pocket and the car starts and stops at the press of a button.The centre console is dominated by a large computer screen that caters for the satnav system.While the touch screen is easy to read and operate, the cartoon-like graphics do not quite have the same classy feel as the rest of the setup.Power comes from a 4.3-litre V8 with 208kW of power at 5600rpm and 417Nm of torque at 3500rpm.It's the same engine that is in the LS430 and SC430 sports car and is hooked up to a six- speed sequential auto. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 6.1 seconds.Fuel economy is a claimed 11.4L/100km.Missing is the characteristic V8 burble. and this must have led to some backroom consternation, bearing in mind the sporty pretensions of the car.However, it's quick and it's quiet and it turns heads and that is what most people are looking for.The GS430 is crammed full of technological aids and debuts breakthrough Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) that en- ables intuitive counter-steering without driver input in an emergency.This car's got the lot with leather, active cruise, parking sensor, satellite navigation, rear view camera, Bluetooth mobile compatibility, 10 airbags and adaptive front headlights, as well as heated and cooled front seats and a 14-speaker premium Mark Levinson stereo system.

But there's no doubting the GS430's technological credibility – the engineers have crammed more into the GS than any Lexus.A touch of the door handle opens the car and as the cabin is entered there's a sense of either snugness or claustrophobia.But it's a quiet ambience that is barely disturbed as the engine start button is hit.The dulcet tones of the creamy V8 are only a distant reminder the engine is idling; the cabin is so well insulated it is a little eerie.The electrically adjustable leather seats, which are also heated or cooled, are comfortable for long hauls but taller occupants may require more range of movement away from the roofline.Getting under way at anything from regal/sedate to bank-robbery-departure pace is nonchalantly completed. The V8 is hooked up to a super-smooth six-speed auto, but only at full revs is there anything other than minimal engine noise within the cabin.Which is a shame as the motor makes such sweet music – the 4.3-litre 90-degree V8 generates 208kW of power at 5600rpm and 417Nm of torque at 3500rpm, outputs which Lexus claims gets the 1695kg sedan from zero to 100km/h in 6.1 seconds, on the way to a 14.4 second 400m sprint and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.The company also claims an average fuel consumption figure of 11.4 litres/100km. My time in the GS yielded 13.3 litres/100km, which included plenty of open road work as well as more than a touch of harder work to enjoy the engine note.Using the manual shift will allow more V8 music to be heard – if you want to bounce it off the limiter, the gearbox will comply as there's no override.Cruising on country roads offered the chance to play with the adaptive damping system, which offers normal and sport modes.Most Lexus owners will rarely flick the switch to sport as the standard setting is firmly damped anyway, but the brand's younger target audience might prefer it.In sport mode, the GS430 tightens up, with more body control immediately noticeable, allowing the GS to be hunted through corners with enthusiasm. Although it still feels like a big car, the variable-ratio power-assisted steering system makes life easier in terms of lock-to-lock movement.Bringing the cruise to a halt in a hurry is easily achieved with the large brakes and clever electronics, but smooth day-to-day braking requires some practice, as the brake-by-wire system provides little pedal feel.The steering system is part of the cutting-edge stability and traction control systems – Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) in Lexus terminology – which assists the driver in emergency situations by increasing or decreasing steering assistance as well as influencing braking and power delivery.The safety technology list also includes a pre-collision system that prepares the seat belt pre-tensioners and has 10 airbags, including dual front-seat knee airbags.The GS430 radar-controlled active cruise control system works behind other vehicles but lacks the ability to hold a speed when there is no other traffic on a downhill grade.Night driving showed one of the car's strengths – the adaptive front headlights work unobtrusively but are effective.The 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system provides crystal-clear, rich and loud sounds.The GS430 equipment list is extensive, as you would expect – a fully trimmed leather interior, the smart keyless entry system, stability control, a handy rear-view camera, Bluetooth mobile phone system, 10 airbags and adaptive front headlights.There are also 18in alloys, satellite navigation, the Mark Levinson sound system, pre-crash safety system, radar-controlled active cruise control, parking sonar and the sunroof.The VDIM safety system, the adaptive suspension system and the variable ratio steering round out the features highlights.The GS430 is a keenly priced competitor in its segment, undercutting its German V8 competition by more than $20,000 and the V8-powered Jaguar representative by more than $35,000.

Remarkable because I remember that at the point when the engine, rebuilt just a month before by people professing to be professionals and with a banner which pronounced that quality comes first, decided to weld its internals together thanks to a bad part, I was building great trust in German engineering.Years later, I would continue to place great trust in products from Germany to the point where a price premium was apparently deserved. That was based on my grandmother's philosophy that: "You get what you pay for."Last month, when Mercedes-Benz admitted that quality was an area on which it aimed to improve, I had a long drive in a Lexus.I am not picking on Mercedes because its product is sensational.A dynamic mould of metal that is as holy as the motor car, itself, with a history that goes literally to the beginning of plausible motoring, there is, and never will be, anything quite like a Mercedes.But the Lexus could change my mind.The GS430 is its latest mid-sized saloon, sitting just beneath the LS430 that is inspired by the Mercedes S-Class, and just above the Lexus IS200 that is also poised for rejuvenation.Buy it and you will get a four-year warranty. Take it for a service and you get a fresh loan car. Break down and there's 24-hour service.Drive it and the GS430, the more powerful of the two-engined range which borrows its V8 from the $170,000-plus LS430, rewards with luxury motoring and a sense that there is an element of wishing for more sporting pursuits.It's quick, relatively quiet, roomy and has a swagful of goodies that, unlike some other German brands, are included in the purchase price.The GS430 also comes with a proper spare tyre, so you can whisk down to the holiday escape in Busselton knowing that a small 5cm nail won't keep you at the side of the road all night.To be blunt, I loved this car. It was logical, easy to drive, soft in a way that made driving easy and without any of the firmness for which the Germans are noted and, unlike BMW and Audi, it didn't confuse me with an onboard mouse-pad computer system.Switches are on the dashboard or steering wheel, not locked away beneath a convoluted Microsoft program, with the exception of some minor controls that have switches behind a fold-downpanel on the right of the dash. It even has cruise control that senses the distance to the car in front.Everything else is all there in front of the driver, including a central touch-sensitive screen giving quick access to more finicky aspects such as ventilation and navigation.Aside from the tangible features of the GS430, the car has a healthy 208kW of power that is uses through a six-speed auto box that has semi-manual gear selection.Off the mark it's one of the quickest saloons on the block.Aside from being fast, it's relaxingly comfortable. There's adecent boot, though the rear seats don't fold flat, and lots of selfish features such as airconditioned and heated front seats, an electrically operated rear screen, a central rear armrest and a first-aid kit in the boot.Though it's a bit porky, it handles well thanks to an electronic steering system that gauges the car's speed and the ability of the driver to select the right suspension firmness to suit driving style and road conditions.Above all, the GS430 is a nice ride. It's also not perfect.The foot-operated park brake screams America and is disappointing given the available space on the console for a hand-brake lever.The steering is so light it transmits nothing back to the driver, and despite the electronic suspension, it's not a sure-footed car. It displays a wishy-washy attitude to corners. It is, in short, very American.The lack of a fold-down rear seat is annoying, the shape of the car makes it awkward to park, but this top-line GS430 model comes with front and rear park assist alerts. If you can't handle these idiosyncrasies, then get a life.This is one of the best cars on the market.Yes, it feels soft to drive, in a manner successfully cloned by the Japanese. But it's so easy to drive, it rewards its occupants without fuss and looks distinctive without being presumptuous.

It hasn't found the mother lode yet and there are people who believe that Lexus will never produce a serious threat to the stonking BMW M5, but there are signs of change in planning and design at the company.Typically, the Lexus people have had to wrap their ideas in a philosophy – one they are calling L-Finesse – but the bottom line is simple.They know they must produce cars which look good, drive well, and go well beyond badge-engineered Toyotas if they are to finally translate the promise of the original Lexus LS400 in 1989 into a successful, aspirational brand in the 21st century.Lexus showed the new direction at the Tokyo Motor Show two years ago with a pair of great-looking concept cars, then set up stand-alone engineering operations and has now delivered the first showroom contender.The all-new Lexus GS is much better looking than the bland model which first drove into action against rivals led by the luxury Mercedes E-Class and the BMW 5-Series.The mechanical package also promises a lot more excitement and involvement for the driver.It is a four-passenger sporty sedan with a choice of six-cylinder and V8 engines, with the sort of all-round refinement you expect from Lexus.The six-cylinder is new, a direct-injection 3.0-litre V6 which replaces the previous in-line six.It is good for 183kW of power and 310Nm of torque.This is the engine that powers the GS300, which hits showrooms with a ticket price of $95,000.It comes with plenty of standard gear plus luxuries such as heated leather seats, a rear-mounted camera, adaptive headlights and Blue Tooth phone capability.A Sports Luxury version of the GS300 adds a beefier sound system, adaptive cruise control, touch-screen satellite navigation and a sunroof for $112,100.Both these cars come with 10 airbags, stability control and traction control as standard, but miss out on the more advanced stability control system called Vehicle Dynamics Integration Management (VDIM), which can alter the steering in an emergency. That's standard with the GS430.It is powered by a smooth 4.3-litre V8 that pumps out 208kW and 417Nm.The GS430 has all the gear of the GS300 Sports Luxury, but adds 18-inch wheels, adjustable suspension, variable-assistance power steering and VDIM.THE GS430 is almost exactly opposite to the MG ZT we drove last week. The British car was all thump and grumble, promising far more than it delivered and costing far more than it deserved, while the Lexus is so smooth you can easily overlook its real powers.It can get up and really go, but you have to ask the questions – and then listen really hard for the answer.Even the grunty V8 engine in the GS430 test car was so quiet that the tachometer had to be twisting beyond 5000 revs before you heard the signature roar from the tailpipes.Yes, it is really getting along, but nobody knows – not even the passengers – that the GS is a car which can stand up and sprint from the traffic lights.It's the same with the chassis. It had good grip and a huge safety margin going around most corners, but the driver always feels remote from the action.You turn the wheel and it does the job, mostly, but the steering is luxury vague and there is no real feedback on the road surface or what the tyres are doing at either end. Lexus says that is good, because the car does all the worrying and it has electronics to avoid any nasty stuff.But few people will be won over to a GS if they are already driving one of the sportier BMWs or Benzes.Even the cabin quality, which used to be an easy win for Lexus against any rivals, now comes up short against the latest Audis.It has all the right gear and is beautifully finished, but it just doesn't have enough personality to communicate anything beyond super-Toyota luxury.The four seats in the GS are nicely supportive and there is plenty of space inside, with a good boot and nice stuff including bright headlights and sensible wipers.But we wonder about the rear-view camera on the test car. Some people say they are essential on four-wheel drives, to stop people backing over their children in the driveway. But a gimmick is still a gimmick. And will people actually rely on the camera for reversing and bump-free parking once they have shown it off to their friends?At the end of our time with the Lexus we still weren't believers.The GS is quick, sporty and nicely built and priced, but it is not the breakthrough car for a brand which wants to put some taste and colour into its vanilla cars.Perhaps the compact Lexus IS, coming later in the year, will do the job.THE latest Lexus looks good and the numbers are great, but it still doesn't add up to a serious sports sedan. Despite all the promises and commitment to the new L-Finesse plan at Lexus headquarters in Japan, the company still has not produced a car which is going to rock the world.