RE: Shed of the Week: Lexus GS300
Discussion
I was looking at this exact car advert earlier in the week.
Definitely a lot of car for very little cash. Interior not to everyone's taste, and I think it would look much better if it had brushed aluminium or piano back trim rather than that fake wood.
I had one of these on a 'W' reg in metallic blue with grey leather. Engine was ok ad smooth, but a bit boring to drive. I also had the first generation on an 'N' reg which was finished in a nice pearlescent white colour. Great Nakamichi sound system and the quickest-warming heaters I've ever experienced in a car.
Decent motorway cruisers and something that blends into the background. Understated luxury, but I really do hate the plastic interiors of Japanese cars. If nothing else, this (and driving finesse) is where the German cars excel compared to the Lexus.
Either way, another good SOTW. The 2019 Shed of the Year will be quite a hard choice, given just the January offerings!
Definitely a lot of car for very little cash. Interior not to everyone's taste, and I think it would look much better if it had brushed aluminium or piano back trim rather than that fake wood.
I had one of these on a 'W' reg in metallic blue with grey leather. Engine was ok ad smooth, but a bit boring to drive. I also had the first generation on an 'N' reg which was finished in a nice pearlescent white colour. Great Nakamichi sound system and the quickest-warming heaters I've ever experienced in a car.
Decent motorway cruisers and something that blends into the background. Understated luxury, but I really do hate the plastic interiors of Japanese cars. If nothing else, this (and driving finesse) is where the German cars excel compared to the Lexus.
Either way, another good SOTW. The 2019 Shed of the Year will be quite a hard choice, given just the January offerings!
pSyCoSiS said:
I was looking at this exact car advert earlier in the week.
Definitely a lot of car for very little cash. Interior not to everyone's taste, and I think it would look much better if it had brushed aluminium or piano back trim rather than that fake wood.
I had one of these on a 'W' reg in metallic blue with grey leather. Engine was ok ad smooth, but a bit boring to drive. I also had the first generation on an 'N' reg which was finished in a nice pearlescent white colour. Great Nakamichi sound system and the quickest-warming heaters I've ever experienced in a car.
Decent motorway cruisers and something that blends into the background. Understated luxury, but I really do hate the plastic interiors of Japanese cars. If nothing else, this (and driving finesse) is where the German cars excel compared to the Lexus.
Either way, another good SOTW. The 2019 Shed of the Year will be quite a hard choice, given just the January offerings!
Quality - real - not percieved is where the Japanese cars excel compared to the Germans. They've come up a lot in regards to trim and interior materials. It might be a bit bargey compared to a E39 but a 210 or 124 E class will be more ponderous againDefinitely a lot of car for very little cash. Interior not to everyone's taste, and I think it would look much better if it had brushed aluminium or piano back trim rather than that fake wood.
I had one of these on a 'W' reg in metallic blue with grey leather. Engine was ok ad smooth, but a bit boring to drive. I also had the first generation on an 'N' reg which was finished in a nice pearlescent white colour. Great Nakamichi sound system and the quickest-warming heaters I've ever experienced in a car.
Decent motorway cruisers and something that blends into the background. Understated luxury, but I really do hate the plastic interiors of Japanese cars. If nothing else, this (and driving finesse) is where the German cars excel compared to the Lexus.
Either way, another good SOTW. The 2019 Shed of the Year will be quite a hard choice, given just the January offerings!
st4 said:
I don't agree.
My GS (MK4) is far more of a drivers car than my old E class and indeed C class yet offers a ride as good as a W221 S class. It steers better, doesn't roll as much, changes direction better and yet rides like a magic carpet. Refinement is naturally off the chart and yet, when driving sporty, the roar from the petrol V6 utterly intoxicating and the actual drive much more direct and enthusiastic than any Mercedes.
The gearbox is good and in manual mode even blips the throttle to rev match - no Mercedes, BMW or Audi does this and it makes for a great car to drive in a more progressive way. In my view no mainstream saloon in the segment comes close - except the 5 series. An A6 and E class are much more ponderous.
Cannot comment on the hybrids but suspect the actual handling/ride will be there but the drivetrain will be an acquired choice.
Ride is still there. Handling is affected by the extra weight of the batteries IF you're wanting to throw it around, but that's not what these cars are about. CVT gearbox is actually very very good, but it is geared to wafting in comfort, not hard driving, so the downsides are that when you floor is you get constant revs (which motoring hacks don't like as it's not sporty and can be annoying if you're trying to drive at well over 100 leptons (I don't)), but for ordinary driving it is extremely smooth and none of the jerkiness from slush box gear changing.My GS (MK4) is far more of a drivers car than my old E class and indeed C class yet offers a ride as good as a W221 S class. It steers better, doesn't roll as much, changes direction better and yet rides like a magic carpet. Refinement is naturally off the chart and yet, when driving sporty, the roar from the petrol V6 utterly intoxicating and the actual drive much more direct and enthusiastic than any Mercedes.
The gearbox is good and in manual mode even blips the throttle to rev match - no Mercedes, BMW or Audi does this and it makes for a great car to drive in a more progressive way. In my view no mainstream saloon in the segment comes close - except the 5 series. An A6 and E class are much more ponderous.
Cannot comment on the hybrids but suspect the actual handling/ride will be there but the drivetrain will be an acquired choice.
On a side note (and related to the article). The GS300H was available until a few months back when the GS range was withdrawn from the UK and Europe. It's now been replaced by the ES range (front wheel drive based on/related to the Camry). Both apparently have been available side by side in the US for some time with the GS being the luxury exec cruiser, and the ES being the sporty model.
Edited by dapprman on Friday 25th January 11:57
dapprman said:
Ride is still there. Handling is affected by the extra weight of the batteries IF you're wanting to throw it around, but that's not what these cars are about. CVT gearbox is actually very very good, but it is geared to wafting in comfort, not hard driving, so the downsides are that when you floor is you get constant revs (which motoring hacks don't like as it's not sporty and can be annoying if you're trying to drive at well over 100 leptons (I don't)), but for ordinary driving it is extremely smooth and none of the jerkiness from slush box gear changing.
On a side note (and related to the article). The GS300H was available until a few months back when the GS range was withdrawn from the UK and Europe. It's now been replaced by the ES range (front wheel drive based on/related to the Camry). Both apparently have been available side by side in the US for some time with the GS being the luxury exec cruiser, and the ES being the sporty model.
My GS isn't the hybrid (2013 250 with a 6speed Auto) - what shocked me was just what a good steer it was. On a side note (and related to the article). The GS300H was available until a few months back when the GS range was withdrawn from the UK and Europe. It's now been replaced by the ES range (front wheel drive based on/related to the Camry). Both apparently have been available side by side in the US for some time with the GS being the luxury exec cruiser, and the ES being the sporty model.
Edited by dapprman on Friday 25th January 11:57
I'll end up in the ES - I've found the Lexus ownership simply wonderful and I cannot envisage driving anything else.
Ugly as sin, but as a shed, excellent. It's much more than a shed, really. If other Lexuses are anything to go by, it'll last another 20 years.
Personally I wouldn't buy it because of the gearbox, and because unfortunately I'm far too vain to be seen in a car with that styling. My loss, I know.
It's not even interesting ugly (like a Fiat Multipla, for instance).
Personally I wouldn't buy it because of the gearbox, and because unfortunately I'm far too vain to be seen in a car with that styling. My loss, I know.
It's not even interesting ugly (like a Fiat Multipla, for instance).
aaron_2000 said:
Awful seats, but the MOT history is just amazing. Should be worth buying for that alone.
I was going to say 'you mean awful looking seats' as i know from experience Lexus seating is extremely good, but .... the look of those seats is actually growing on me. But then what do I know - if you look at my garage history I did own a mk 1 Fiat Multipla (or uglipla as one friend of mine called it) so my sense of automotive taste could be questioned (or sanity).Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff