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Lexus GS Saloon 300

For:
Stacked with luxury equipment and reasonably priced. It's powerful, smooth and handsome, too.

Against:
The GS still leaves you feeling detached from the driving process, and the seat isn't supportive enough



Performance

There's a 3.0 V6, a 4.3 V8 or, if you want to flaunt your environmentalism, a hybrid with a 3.5 V6 and an electric motor. All are smooth, powerful and flexible but, perhaps surprisingly, the hybrid is the quickest as well as the most fuel-efficient and the best for company car tax.

Ride & handling

With new aluminium suspension, the GS is a very accomplished car, though there's so little feedback you feel detached. The GS holds the road well, assisted by an arsenal of electronic driver aids. Body control is good in a luxurious way and the ride is smooth, but you notice sharp surface changes.

Refinement

You won't hear a whisper of wind noise at UK speed limits, but road noise is a different matter. The tyres rumble most of the time, and are susceptible to surface changes. The engines are very quiet, though, and the smoothness of the gearshifts has to be experienced to be believed.

Buying & owning

The GS appears expensive alongside other German executive rivals, but factor in the equipment you get and it has a distinct advantage, although you can't spec the car exactly as you might want it. Resale values aren't bad, but can't match those of its German rivals. The hybrid is very efficient for company car tax, sitting in the 21% band.

Quality & reliability

Lexus has never been beaten in a major customer satisfaction survey in the UK, and things aren't about to change. The fit and finish are exemplary, and the cars rarely break or give niggling reliability problems. It's hard to think of many cars you can buy with such confidence.

Safety & security

You get 10 or 12 airbags and all the electronic traction and stability aids going. The top models keep a pre-set distance to the car in front and brace the seatbelts and brakes if a collision is inevitable. Lexus has scored an outstanding five stars for both safety and security.

Behind the wheel

With electric adjustment of seats and steering wheel, it's easy to find a good driving position, though the seats are strangely unsupportive. Many minor controls are hidden in a panel that drops down from the dash, but the fascia will still take some getting used to. The dials are works of art.

Space & practicality

The rear seats have plenty of legroom and enough headroom to accommodate six-footers in comfort. However, a bulky transmission tunnel makes the GS best as a four-seater. The boot isn't great for the class, either. It's small and oddly shaped.

Equipment

All versions of the car are superbly equipped. Electric front seats, headlights that swivel with the steering and a touch-screen display are standard, and only the base models come without sat-nav, a rear parking camera, leather trim and heated and cooled front seats. The top-level cars have every luxury item imaginable.

Running Costs

Town mpg

19.6

Out of Town mpg

39.2

Average mpg

28.8

Tank Capacity (gallons)

16.5

CO2 Rating (g/km)

232

Insurance Group

16

Typical Insurance Quote

£663

% Value Retained (3yrs/36,000mls)

40

Typical Contract Hire Rate (pcm)

£0

Pence Per Mile

0

Servicing Cost over 3yrs

£0

Servicing Intervals

10/20k

Manufacturers Warranty

3yr/60k + 3yr Paint + 12yr Perforation

Performance & Measurements

Body type

Saloon

Number of Doors

4

Number of Seats

5

Engine (cc/type)

2994/V6

Fuel Type

Unleaded

Max Power (bhp/rpm)

245/6200

Engine Position

F

Driven Wheels

Rear

Length (mm)

4825

Width (mm)

1820

Height (mm)

1430

Boot Space (min ltr)

430

Boot Space (max ltr)

430

Turning Circle (m)

11

Towing Weight(kg)

2000

Kerb Weight (kg)

1660

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