2017 Lexus GS F Review – The Forgotten Sports Sedan
Everything is about the rear with the recently updated 2017 Lexus GS F.
New multi-mode adaptive suspension aims at cushioning the rear of occupants previously knocked around by the stiff, single-setting Sachs dampers, and its addition pushes the pricetag up by $4540 to $153,540 plus on-road costs.
Its pricetag also aligns the GS F closer to the $145K BMW M3 Competition than its similarly-sized foe, the $185K M5 Pure. While this Japanese contender is slower than the Germans, Lexus seizes on the M3 with far greater rear legroom.
As with both BMWs, the GS F spruiks its rear-wheel drive dynamic character in the face of all-wheel drive rivals such as the $171K Audi S6 and $160K Mercedes-AMG E43. For class leading handling, however, Lexus has been in arrears for years – let’s see if the revised chassis of this latest contender can help pay its dues.
Vehicle Style: Sports sedan
Price: $153,540 plus on-road costs
Engine/trans: 351kW/530Nm 5.0 V8 petrol | 8sp automatic
Fuel Economy Claimed: 11.3 l/100km | Tested: 14.1 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Lexus in 2010 released the IS F as its single sports sedan, and following myriad updates it became a genuinely good, cut-price performance offering in the end.
Nowadays, the luxury offshoot of Toyota has the RC F mid-sized coupe or the GS F large sedan. Combining the former’s size with the latter’s door count is no more.
Today’s GS F is about $18K pricier than the RC F with which it shares its 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine and eight-speed automatic transmission.