One of Lexus's most handsome vehicles is the GS, a sedan that plays in the mid-size luxury class with cars like the BMW 5 Series, Genesis G80, Acura TLX and Cadillac CTS. Perhaps it's because of that stiff competition that the GS goes largely unnoticed by consumers, but we'd be quicker to attribute it to the overarching reason sedan sales are falling throughout the auto industry: These days, drivers tend to look to SUVs and crossovers when they want to take home a mid-sized vehicle capable of carrying four or five people.
It's unlikely the GS will attract any more attention for 2018, as it moves into this model year with no changes.
As before, the GS comes with a choice of three powertrains, two of which we'll look at here. In the entry-level GS 350, motivation comes from a 3.5L V6 that feeds 311 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, while the GS 450h is a rear-drive hybrid that pairs that engine with electric motors and a continuously variable transmission to generate 338 hp and 257 lb-ft.
Covered in a separate buyer's guide entry is the high-performance GS F.
Right off, the GS's specs speak to the lack of attention this car receives from Lexus. There's no turbocharged four-cylinder engine to make for a thrifty base model as offered by most competitors, and the transmission is two gears behind what most similar cars offer, not to mention a number of Lexus's other cars and crossovers.
Other drawbacks include a tight rear seat that makes this car best-suited for only occasional family use.
However, Lexus does attempt to keep things modern with the inclusion of active safety features like pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, radar cruise control and lane departure alert with steering assist. Blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert and front and rear parking sensors are also standard here. Even still, other cars in this class are more advanced and can practically drive themselves
GS 350 models otherwise come with features like dual-zone automatic climate control, 10-way power front seats with heat, navigation, 18-inch wheels, power-assisted trunk, rain-sensing wipers and headlight washers. Options are limited to a pair of packages called executive and F Sport Series 2, both of which include niceties like 19-inch wheels, upgraded sound systems, adaptive suspension and LED headlights.
The GS 450h comes in a single trim that includes the goodies in those option packages plus a few other things, so that it gets 18-way ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and trim-specific 18-inch wheels.
Fuel consumption estimates are 12.5/9.2 for the GS 350 and 8.0/6.9 in the GS 450h.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
