Lexus Gs F Saloon
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Review Of The Lexus GS F Saloon
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If you’re looking for something a bit more high performance, and more indulgent than the sensible Lexus GS Saloon, the GS F is an interesting proposition. It sells in the same exec-saloon sector as the likes of the Audi RS6 and the BMW M5, and packs a powerful and performative engine that should be enough to get its rivals seething with envy.
OSV investigates further with our Lexus GS F Saloon review.
On The Road
[vc_single_image image=”33777″ img_size=”large”]Lexus haven’t messed around with this one. While their rivals are busy shrinking their power plants, Lexus have kept it old-school by packing a meaty V8 5.0-litre engine that is ferocious one moment, and polite the next. It’s got a seductive split personality that the keener drivers among you are going to love.
Although this isn’t the fastest car in its class, it’s still incredibly quick and can get you from rest to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds. Pleasingly, it isn’t just quick in a straight line either, and comes with an impressive setup that has enhanced its performance in bends.
It comes wedded to an automatic ‘box, though, which is slow to change when you put your foot down, such as when you’re overtaking on the motorway. The brand has introduced a rear axle, which allows the GS F Saloon to achieve as much grip as possible through a bend by altering the amount of power that is distributed between the 2 rear wheels.The car also comes with a dynamic drive system, which offers you a quartet of different settings:
- Eco
- Normal
- Sport
- Sport +
The different settings let you boost steering weight, lower the effect of the Saloon’s traction control, and sharpen the throttle response. It’s not easy to hit the sweet spot, but the Normal mode comes closer to the jackpot than the other three, offering a good mix of sharpness and comfort. You can also adjust the semi-automatic transmission so that it’s either faster or more serene. It’s up to you.
The car is powered by a glorious V8 engine that is really addictive, especially when you rev it above 4,000rpm. It’s is engaging and responsive, but you’re always aware of its sumo-like weight and size. If you want the ultimate driving experience, the BMW 5 is a better option.
Interior, Design & Build
Lexus has forged a strong reputation for crafting some of the most luxurious interiors around, and they weren’t going to disappoint with this one. The GS F Saloon is stylish and contemporary, and while there are more modern cabins available, the comfort in here can’t really be beaten. The seats are as comfortable as a hammock, while the thick leather steering wheel is something you’ll look forward to each time you step inside the cabin.[vc_single_image image=”33780″ img_size=”large”]The materials are all high-quality and feel solid. Soft leather and premium materials go well with easy-on-the-eye suede-effect sporty trim and Alcantara inserts, which is all now par for the course from Lexus. Meanwhile, the dynamic drive system means that it isn’t hard to get the balance right between comfort and firmness (for enhanced cornering).
There is a lot of space inside here, too, both upfront and in the rear, while the boot measures 520-litres – the same as the standard GS. The lid opens and shuts automatically, which is a clever touch. It’s got all the practicality of a regular saloon, but offers sports-car esque performance. The dash is also worth mentioning; everything is clean and tidy, while a ma-hoosive 12.3” screen is a real selling point.
Equipment
People say that “everything is standard on a Lexus,” and while you expect a generous amount of standard kit on a premium car, the brand has really treated buyers here. There are just two trim levels available, and standard on both are LED headlamps, 19” alloys, twin-zone automatic climate control, leather interior, 12.3” touchscreen, power sunroof, Lexus memory system and ten airbags.
Costs Of The Lexus GS F Saloon
Prices for a new car start out from just shy of £70,000 and rise to a little over £72,000, while you can pick up a used GS F Saloon for between £50,000 and £60,000. As you might have noticed, it depreciates fairly quickly. If you want to lease one of these instead, you’d be looking at somewhere between £800 – £1,000 + VAT per month.
It isn’t cheap to buy, but what is it like to run? Well, the 5.0-litre V8 engine is, unsurprisingly, not economical and can return around 25.2mpg on a sensible drive. It’s enough to make you blush when you tell your neighbour. In reality, it’s going to be hard to achieve even that, especially if you’re a driving enthusiast who really wants to explore this car’s full potential. Emissions stand at around 260g/km of CO2, which means you’ll be paying in excess of £505 per year in road tax.
It is, however, a reliable machine that shouldn’t cause you too much hassle in terms of maintenance. Lexus actually came top in CarBuyer’s 2015 Driver Power survey for reliability, while the brand also won in the build quality category.[vc_single_image image=”33782″ img_size=”full”]
Pros and Cons Of The Lexus GS F Saloon
Pros:
Both Relaxing And Fast To Drive
V8 engines can be unpredictable and the amount of power and pace they give a car varies. While the GS F Saloon isn’t the quickest in its class, it’s fast enough. But the best thing about it is that it is relaxed when you want it to be, and volcanic when you fancy a change.
It has more mood swings than a thirteen-year-old girl, but at least with these ones YOU decide them.
Safe As House
Although it hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP just yet, the car comes with plenty of safety kit as standard which includes ten airbags, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assist and a pre-crash system.
Lexus dealers have also developed a reputation for solving problems in double-quick time, so you’re in safe hands here.
Excellent Cabin
Exterior noise is well kept-out, and adaptive suspension will keep you comfortable even over lumpier bumps. Everything inside feels luxurious and crafted from high-quality materials, and Lexus has also done a good job at ensuring that everything feels better logically arranged than last time around.
Cons:
Touchpad Is Awkward To Use
The enormous 12.5” touchscreen is a real catch, and is also a very good selling point that strengthens this cars’ premium appeal. But the device that you use to control it is actually really awkward to use. It’s fiddly and lacks the intuition of the BMW iDrive. It took us a bit of time to get the hang of. In fact, we’re still working on it.
Woeful Economy
It will be hard for companies to justify buying this car for their fleets, thanks to some truly awful economy. There is only one engine available – a larger than life V8 – and while Lexus claim running costs of 25mpg, the truth is that it will be difficult to achieve even that.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
Lexus GS F Saloon vs BMW M5 vs Audi RS6 Avant
The Lexus is certainly a good buy, but if you want to do a bit more shopping around before making a decision, let’s see how it measures up against its rivals in the comparison section of our Lexus GS F Saloon review.
Lexus GS F Saloon vs. BMW M5
Just when it appeared as though BMW had reached the zenith with the 1 M Coupe five years ago and had nowhere else to go in the M class, they’ve gone and created this, the stunning BMW M5.
An icon in the super-saloon sector, the M5 houses a powerful engine that combines with rear-wheel-drive to deliver the ultimate performance. The dual-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 unit develops 552bhp and rockets you from rest to 62mph in just 4.3 seconds.
It’s addictively quick, and while the monstrous V10 engine has been dropped, the V8 is still capable – and a bit cheaper to run. Whereas the Lexus struggles to return the official figure of 25mpg, the BMW should be good for 28.5mpg while costing you £490 per year to tax.
[vc_single_image image=”65764″ img_size=”article-image”]Not only is the M5 fast and powerful, but it’s really flexible, too. Drivers can electronically tweak pretty much every aspect of how it drives so that it conforms to mood and situations. You can can improve the responsiveness of the steering, the speed of the transmission and much more.Measuring at 520-litres, the boot is the same size as the one in the Lexus. Wind and road noise is kept to a minimum inside the cabin, while the Electronic Damper Control lets you get as comfortable as you want. The front sports seats enhance comfort and are super supportive. Space is good upfront and in the back, and four adults should be able to sit in relative comfort over longer journeys.
The BMW M5 is durable and robust, and should be able to keep up with the performance demands you place on it.
Price:
Lexus – £70,000 – £72,000
BMW – £74,000 – £81,000
Lexus GS F Saloon vs. Audi RS6 Avant
The new Audi RS6 Avant is a performance car that the brand themselves describe as offering supercar performance with estate car practicality.” Does it live up to such a champion billing? Yes.
Like both the BMW and the Lexus, the Audi is rapid. Like the Lexus, it offers the best of two worlds: It can devour motorway miles like Godzilla when you want it to, and can also be relaxed, refined and easy to drive when you take it out on quiet Sunday B-road jaunts.[vc_single_image image=”33787″ img_size=”article-image”]Let’s look at the numbers: Where Lexus have held their nerve, Audi has decided to shrink their engine, so that the fearsome V10 has been replaced by a less powerful 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 unit. Despite losing a bit of power, it’s actually quicker than last time around and can cover the 0-62mph sprint in a remarkable 3.9 seconds before maxing out at 174mph.
You can knock that number up to 189mph if you add in the optional Dynamic Plus. And it’s really the lengthy list of optional extras that is a talking point. Standard kit includes cruise control, parking system plus, xenon headlights and a DAB radio, while among the options are a 15-speaker surround system, a head-up display and LED headlights.
The RS6 Avant is practical. It houses a 565-litre boot, which is bigger than the one found in the Lexus, and you can extend it to 1,680-litres by folding down the rear seats. Four adults and their luggage can easily sit in comfort, while the safety levels of this car are really high. It has a 5 star Euro NCAP crash test score, as well as lots of safety equipment that largely comes as standard.
In terms of running costs, Audi claims better figures than Lexus with their GS F saloon. But the reality is that it’s going to be difficult to get even near the projected figure of 28.8mpg. Instead, you’re looking at 20mpg.
If you want a large saloon that doubles as a supercar, you can’t really go wrong with the Audi.
Price:
Lexus – £70,000 – £72,000
Audi – £78,000 – £86,000
Verdict Of Our Lexus GS F Saloon Review
Are all bets off? If you want the ultimate driving experience, the BMW M5 is a better option.
But the truth is that all car’s in this sector are pure, indulgent fifth and there is more to the Lexus than woeful economy. If you can afford it, the Lexus GS F Saloon is a very exciting car that could change you as a person.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[vc_row content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1464089844166{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1466765025254{margin-right: 10px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”]
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