But there are plenty of technologies available for the GS 300 which will leave many a person scratching their heads. Take for example the new Brake By Wire system, called Electronically Controlled Braking, or ECB for short, reducing the number of mechanical linkages between the cabin and the vehicle. The electronic trickery continues with TRAC (traction control), VSC (vehicle stability control), HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), EBD (electronic brakeforce distribution). Plenty of TLAs (three letter acronyms)
for you to remember, then. Many of these technologies work seamlessly and together to make the GS tick like clockwork, but they've got the final say in the way the car behaves. There's no way to completely disable the intrusive stability control system, which insisted on preventing me from experiencing Lexus' AWD system in the dry. Other than this, there are no complaints.
Even though it's all-wheel drive, the GS 300 is probably the most economical luxury car of its type. A week's worth of near non-stop driving that netted over 900 km, resulted in a figure of 8.7 L/100 km (27 mpg), but urban-centered driving will result in slightly less appealing fuel economy - 400 km of inner-city runabout was metered off at around nine and a half litres per 100 km. Either way, both figures are amazing; most competitors would be lucky to scrape by on 12 or 13 L/100 km (18-19 mpg). I can only imagine how much better things
would have been if the direct injection was able to function in lean-burn mode, however, like most direct-injection engines, due to the high NOx ratings, it isn't allowed.
Often times, you'll hear complaints that if a premium luxury car doesn't handle or have the performance of a fine sports car, that it isn't as worthy of your hard-earned money. I would certainly like to refute this claim. You might not be as satisfied at the end of a winding road as you might in a 5-Series or RL, but it can more than hold its own against the majority of its peers. Lexus' extraordinary efforts with the new GS mean that dynamics don't take a back-seat, even if comfort and refinement are put first - something that will rarely go unappreciated during the daily commute.
My standpoint on the GS 300 AWD is a little different than some other journalists - it presents a different kind of mechanical motoring bliss which includes reliability, durability and quality in addition to reasonable performance, and to some, it'll mean a whole lot more than skidpad ratings.
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| Even though it's all wheel drive, the GS 300 is probably the most economical luxury car of its type. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Even though it's all-wheel drive, the GS 300 is probably the most economical luxury car of its type. A week's worth of near non-stop driving that netted over 900 km, resulted in a figure of 8.7 L/100 km (27 mpg), but urban-centered driving will result in slightly less appealing fuel economy - 400 km of inner-city runabout was metered off at around nine and a half litres per 100 km. Either way, both figures are amazing; most competitors would be lucky to scrape by on 12 or 13 L/100 km (18-19 mpg). I can only imagine how much better things
 |
| It presents a different kind of mechanical motoring bliss. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Often times, you'll hear complaints that if a premium luxury car doesn't handle or have the performance of a fine sports car, that it isn't as worthy of your hard-earned money. I would certainly like to refute this claim. You might not be as satisfied at the end of a winding road as you might in a 5-Series or RL, but it can more than hold its own against the majority of its peers. Lexus' extraordinary efforts with the new GS mean that dynamics don't take a back-seat, even if comfort and refinement are put first - something that will rarely go unappreciated during the daily commute.
My standpoint on the GS 300 AWD is a little different than some other journalists - it presents a different kind of mechanical motoring bliss which includes reliability, durability and quality in addition to reasonable performance, and to some, it'll mean a whole lot more than skidpad ratings.