9 things to know about the Lexus GS F
The GS F is Lexus’ sportiest sedan, a large four-door that offers unexpected performance and versatility.
With a powerful V8 engine routing its torque to the rear wheels, this car is a legitimate sports machine, competing with other speedy sedans like the Cadillac CTS V-Sport and Audi S6 to name a couple. Here are nine important things to know about this go-fast fourdoor. 9. Powertrain is dynamite In a world chockablock with downsized turbocharged engines, the GS F’s high-winding naturally aspirated V8 is a breath of fresh air, a characterful reminder of the good ol’ days. Displacing an even 5.0-litres, this two-by-four is both creamy smooth and incredibly muscular, rated at 467 horsepower and 389 lb.-ft. of torque. Pounding its chest, this engine can rocket the car to 100 km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds, aided by a smooth and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission.
But when you’re not burying the accelerator the engine is relatively placid, delivering plenty of low-speed torque for effortless around-town motoring. 8. That sound! Giving it the bark to match its bite, the Lexus GS F is equipped with a clever bit of underhood kit that allows it to produce some truly glorious noises as engine revs build.
Nail the accelerator and at around 3,500 rpm a small flap in the intake system opens, which allows it to broadcast some real V8 sound and fury. 7. Impressive real-world efficiency And if you drive with even a modicum of care, this husky sedan will deliver incredible fuel economy. Indeed, it’s only rated at 14.9 L/100 km in the city, 9.7 L/100 km on the highway and 12.5 L/100 km combined, but in this author’s hands it delivered just shy of 8.4 L/100 km on a nearly1,000 km road trip. That’s incredible for a car with nearly 500 horsepower! 6. A firm, controlled ride The GS F rolls on forged, staggered-width, hand-polished 19inch BBS wheels that are wrapped in sticky Michelin tires. Meaty Brembo brakes are standard, an arrangement com- prised of six-piston monoblock front calipers and 15-inch rotors; four-pot binders with 13.6inch discs service the rear.
Lexus’ Linear Adaptive Variable Suspension system is standard, providing a controlled though tolerably firm ride. 5. It drives well for a large sedan A relatively large and heavy piece of equipment, the GS F is nonetheless engaging, behaving like a smaller car. The steering is crisp without verging on twitchy, while friendly sightlines instill driver confidence. Of course, body motions are well controlled.
Giving owners yet another feature to play with is a standard torque-vectoring differential that offers three driver-se- lectable setting, though, honestly, it’s completely unnecessary for normal street usage. 4. A dated interior By now you should be getting the impression that this Lexus is a well-rounded luxury sedan. Even so, it does have a few annoying quirks.
And one of the most significant is the interior. Yes, the assembly quality is top notch, but the design and materials could use an overhaul. The multi-tier dashboard looks out of step with current trends and much of the switchgear seems like it was pulled directly from a lower-priced Toyota. This is not what you want to see in a luxury vehicle stickering for nearly six figures. Out the door this particular car went for $114,816. 3. An infuriating infotainment system But you can live with a lessthan-stellar cabin. What’s far more inexcusable these days is poor infotainment technology, and this Lexus’ offering is disastrous. Their Remote Touch Interface puts a mouselike control nub on the centre console that you use to move a cursor around like you would on a computer. But what works well on a desktop PC is simply not appropriate in a car. As you might imagine, this arrangement is challenging to use while driving and the interface is completely unintuitive. At least the large, 12.3-inch screen is bright and colourful. 2. Ineffective climate control? Another complaint about this car centres on the GS F’s climate-control system. Its air conditioning was surprisingly ineffective, at least in the model tested for this review. It struggled to keep the cabin comfortable in late-summer with temperatures no greater than the mid-to-upper 80s. I pretty much left it as low as it would go with the recirculation button pressed, but it never really got cold. This could have been a quirk with one particular car, but if you’re shopping for a GS make sure the AC works to your liking. 1. Unexpected versatility The GS F is a large car though it’s still unexpectedly versatile. Its front seats are supportive and well contoured, plus its back bench has lots of stretchout room, plenty of space for two lanky adults. Even the trunk is BIG (in capital letters), offering 396 litres of storage space. Who needs a crossover when a four-door car can be this versatile and fun to drive?