Car Reviews: 2006 Lexus GS300

As the first completely new passenger car from Toyota's luxury division since 2001, the 2006 Lexus GS is a showcase of the giant company's most advanced technology. It's not only loaded with more computer power than some third-world countries, and flush with the degree of luxury enjoyed only in the best zip codes, but the fully restyled and reengineered four-door luxury sedan makes a bold dynamic statement that says, "Watch out, BMW!"

Lexus openly admits that BMW's 5 Series sedan provided the benchmark for the new GS, in much the same way the big Lexus LS was originally targeted the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, at the time top of its class. Again going after the perceived leader of the pack, Lexus devised a crafty strategy.

First, it broadened the appeal of the GS line-up with a faster, better equipped "base" car. In fact, the rear-wheel-drive GS 300 out-measures its competitor from Munich, the BMW 530i, in horsepower, torque, the 0-60 sprint and fuel mileage, not to mention offering a far friendlier and more sybaritic cockpit.

Second, to entice those in cold climes who until now had to look elsewhere for an all-weather passenger car, Lexus is offering an all-wheel-drive option for the GS 300. More than one-third of all new GS sales are expected to be AWD models, most headed for the northwest and northeast United States.

Finally, Lexus made sure the top dawg of the family, the 430, had the bite to wrest bragging rights away from the Germans, not just by matching but exceeding the high-end performance recorded by the BMW 545i. Simply put, Lexus fine-tuned its 4.3-liter V8, paired it with a wonder of a transmission and cloaked the drivetrain in a slippery coat of sexy metal. Result? The GS 430 runs in realms never reached by a Lexus, and it's quicker than the BMW.

However, the primary target of this new, longer and wider GS isn't all that important, because Lexus is confident its four-door sedan's combination of driving fun and creature comfort is unequalled among its many peers and will do much to spread the badge across the land.

The outgoing GS was six years old, so it was expected that the new GS would be more than just a freshened take on a familiar theme. Lexus hasn't disappointed, adding more than a dash of driving spice to the family virtues of smoothness and refinement. But there is another, major question to be answered: Is this Asian upstart delivering where it counts most. Does a Lexus GS feel like an ultimate driving machine?

The 2006 Lexus GS is available as three models (and an intriguing gas/electric hybrid GS is on the horizon).

The rear-wheel-drive GS 300 ($42,900) sports a completely new 245-horsepower V6 under the hood; the GS 300 AWD ($44,850) grips the road through the first all-wheel-drive system in a Lexus passenger car; and the top of the line GS 430 ($51,125) is the quickest Lexus yet due in part to its recently refined 300-horsepower V8.

Every GS puts its power to the wheels through three variations of a new close-ratio six-speed automatic transmission, each designed for optimum performance with their respective GS applications. One of the smallest and lightest gearboxes of its type, it includes a sequential manual shift mode, with gear changes made via a lever in the center console. Steering-wheel-mounted pushbutton gear selection is no longer offered.

The list of standard equipment places the GS line squarely in the luxury fold. And yet despite all the amenities wrapped in the more appealing bodywork, on a comparably equipped basis the new GS 300's cost-up is a paltry $140 over the outgoing model. In addition to the usual electronics, every GS gets a bunch of cool stuff, including leather-trimmed, heated front seats with 10-way power adjustment; SmartAccess keyless entry and a pushbutton starter; a premium sound system with both CD and DVD capability; Bluetooth wireless telephone technology; and a 7-inch multi-information touch screen for easy access to a wide range of information and commands.

Not surprisingly, given the generous array of standard items, interior options are limited: a steering-sensitive Park Assist system ($500); DVD navigation system and rear backup camera ($2,250); one-touch open/close moonroof ($1,000); ventilated front seats ($200); power rear sunshade ($210); and an eardrum-pounding, wallet-smashing Mark Levinson audio system ($4,030), its 11 channels of sonic wash flowing through 14 speakers.

Exterior options are even fewer: a Rain-Sensing Wiper package ($525) that includes adaptive front lighting and headlamp washers (standard on the GS 430); a rear spoiler ($200); and all-season run-flat tires ($400), which also can be ordered with a spare ($480).

enough, or not at all, Active Braking then kicks in and automatically applies the brakes, up to a deceleration of 0.3 g.

These unprecedented measures still might not meet the demands of drivers in icy climes, in which case there awaits the GS 300 AWD. The full-time all-wheel-drive system's basic elements are front and rear differentials and a center transfer case. Acting from the information provided by wheel sensors, the transfer case varies torque output between the front or rear axles to retain traction. During take-offs, while accelerating or on very slippery surfaces, torque output is evenly divided between the axles. It also can vary up to 30/70 front to rear if Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) determines it's necessary to keep the car going in the proper direction.

A secondary level of the AWD system is Electronic Traction Control (ETC), which, when it senses wheel slippage, applies the brakes on that particular wheel and then transfers torque to the non-slipping wheel on the same axle. With this electronic safety net in operation, anyone who sticks a new GS in a snowbank has got it coming.

We should all live in houses as well appointed, and as well designed for simple use, as the Lexus GS. Open any one of the four doors (don't worry about having to unlock the car, you've got keyless entry) and you're greeted by aluminum alloy Lexus-stamped scuff plates, the scent of leather and cut-pile carpeting, and the gleam of highly burnished hardwood trim.

The handsome wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel, electronically adjustable for rake and reach, frames a newly designed dash panel. Following established Lexus standard, each gauge, button, wheel and lever is clearly identified by easily read words or symbols, and the three-pod analog instrument cluster's white-on-black graphics can be grasped at a glance.

A 160-mph speedometer, with an integrated electronic digital odometer and twin trip meters, is flanked to the left by a tachometer and to the right by fuel and water temperature gauges and lights indicating gear choice.

Dominating the center console is a 7-inch touch screen, flanked by two banks of menu buttons. Entering the various menus and navigating through the submenus doesn't take too much brainpower, but like most multi-tasking systems, a day spent with the owner's manual on a quiet side street is the best way to figure out how to work everything properly.

Still, there are so many systems/operations/functions to either operate or monitor that Lexus chose to hide some of the switches. One of the hideaways is accessed via a door that drops down out of the dash panel to the left of the steering wheel. Here you'll find switches for outside mirrors, fuel lid, trunk release, meter brightness control (more on this later), odometer/trip meter, headlamp washers, rear sunshade, park assist, AFS (lots more on this later), and interior lamps. More hidden switches are under the sliding top of the center console: adaptive variable suspension, transmission mode and front seat heaters and ventilators. Some might find it tedious to access these functions in these ways, but it does go a long way to cleaning up the console of excessive clutter.

Another innovative cockpit feature is the variable transparency lens covering the gauge cluster. Called an electronic chromatic device, it automatically changes the diffusion of the lens to optimize viewing depending on the intensity of light in the cabin.

The interior leather/wood schemes are Ash with black bird's-eye maple; Cashmere with brown bird's-eye maple or Black with walnut. Fit and finish is impeccable, down to the finest details. For instance, every compartment door or cover opens at exactly the same speed, with identical levels of damping and feel. Tactile luxury at its most basic.

Definitely not basic is the standard Lexus audio stack, comprised of an AM/FM ETR with auto-reverse cassette and 6-disc, in-dash CD changer and DVD player (DVDs can be viewed only when the shifter is in Park and the parking brake is engaged), 10 speakers and a 134-watt amplifier. No MP3 capability is yet offered, but the GS is pre-wired for XM Satellite Radio.

Audiophiles can opt for the Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system, developed especially for the GS interior. Utilizing Discrete 5.1 surround playback via a 7.1 channel speaker topology, it sends the vibes through 14 speakers via 11 channels of amplification by an advanced discrete amplifier with 330 watts. It sounds quite amazing.

The newly reengineered navigation system ($2,250) now has information for more than 6 million points of interest. Destinations can be input in several different ways for easier use, and the phonebook holds over 10 million entries. Route searching is said to be 10 times faster than with the previous nav system, and both it and the Bluetooth cell phone system can be operated by voice command or through the 7-inch touchscreen.

Of course, the GS boasts all the usual amenities expected by luxury car buyers, including power door locks; cruise control; electric trunk and fuel filler door releases; a pass-through tunnel to the trunk for hauling long items; a dual-zone climate control with an auto-recirculation feature to help minimize micro-dust, pollen and other air pollutants from entering the car; auto-dimming for outside mirrors as well as the interior rearview mirror, which also incorporates a compass and Homelink programmable garage door opener; and illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors.

Entering a locked GS via the Smart Access system is as easy as touching the inside of any door handle or the underside of the trunk lid, as long as you've got the key fob on your person. First seen on the LS 430, this is a worthwhile convenience and also saves door paint from wayward keys seeking small keyholes. Once seated, the driver starts and stops the engine by simply applying the brake pedal and pushing a stop/start button. Again, the convenience is augmented by practical considerations: fewer moving parts to require potential repair, and the elimination of a safety risk posed by a bunch of sharp-edged keys dangling from the console. Smart Access also allows the key fob to be programmed to memorize three different settings for the front seats, steering column and rearview mirrors.

The 10-way adjustable seats and electronically adjustable steering column ensure a good fit for almost every physique, but a bit more bolstering and a longer seat cushion would be helpful for spirited driving. The GS is capable of extraordinary road grip, but the seats just don't quite match up to that grip. Otherwise, they're just the kind of chairs that allow you to climb out after a long drive without needing your spine cracked. Adjustable headrests are found at all five seating positions, and the fronts automatically adjust up or down as the seats are moved toward or away from the steering wheel.

Push that start button yet? Better check by blipping the throttle, because there's no way you're going to hear the engine, V6 or V8, at idle. All GS models are extraordinarily quiet, their aural distinctions to be appreciated only at full throttle. It's then that the V8 separates itself from its new, smaller sibling. The big engine scarcely notices the weight it must pull or the air it must push, and the suck, squish, bang and blow of the eight cylinders is reduced to a muted rumble from the dual exhaust system.

Throw in a six-speed automatic that is so smooth as to seem one continuous gear, and there's little to do except sit back and enjoy the ride. At its most fuel deficient, the GS 430 jets from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.7 seconds, with the driver's chief sensation simply the rapid change of view outside the windows. A bit of road noise manages to make it through the sound-dampening measures, and there's a hint of wind around the A-pillars when the car approaches triple digits, but otherwise the cockpit is a librarian's paradise.

Handling is virtually no-fault. The newly engineered suspension is state of the art even without all the electronic handling aids. Both V6 and V8 cars share the same suspension geometry: double-wishbones, coil springs and gas-filled shocks in front, and a multi-link design with coil springs and gas-filled shocks out back. The GS 430 also features standard Adaptive Variable Suspension, which automatically adjusts shock values depending on the driving conditions, or the driver can choose between normal and sport modes.

But, is it an exciting car to drive? If your only measure of driving fun is speed, then the 430 is a fulfilling ride. But, if you value a high level of feedback from external forces, then the Lexus experience might be a bit of a bore. It is just so competent and smooth that the driver feels more like a passenger than the commander. Make no mistake; this is no track car. The electronic handling aids cannot be switched off, so tail-happy cornering is out of the question. However, there's a lot to be said for the ease of taking a corner at competitive speeds without having to wrestle the steering wheel or worry about the rear end overtaking the front.

Driving fans should consider the rear-drive GS 300. In comparison to the outgoing inline six-cylinder engine, the new V6 produces more torque over a wider range, better fuel economy and lower emissions, and it produces some very pleasing sounds as it goes about its business. Featuring such advanced aspects as drive-by-wire throttle, variable adjustment of the timing on both the intake and exhaust sides, direct-to-cylinder injection, and a special Swirl Control Valve that works like a variable induction system, the V6's 245 horsepower can take the GS 300 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

The V6 is not an effortless puller like the V8, but it's no slouch, either. The generous torque provides plenty of juice for the stoplight grand prix, and there's little sense of the power falling off as redline is approached. Better still, the V6 provides the kind of aural feedback that delights the sporting driver.

Whichever drivetrain is chosen, the GS has pretty much hit its targets. In those areas most critical to driving fun (steering, brakes and torque) this is a far better car than its predecessor. A lot of attention was paid to the steering, resulting in a new Electronic Power Steering system. A steering ECU processes vehicle speed, yaw rate and steering angle to determine how much electronic assist should be generated, and it works wonderfully well, assisting low-speed maneuverability and tightening up when more feedback is needed.

In addition, the GS 430's rack is augmented by Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS), which reduces the amount of steering input at very low speeds. It also accelerates the steering angles as the wheel approaches full lock. VGRS itself incorporates Differential Steering Control and Correction Steering Angle Reduction in its operation. DSC closely matches wheel angle to the speed at which the driver is turning the steering wheel in order to offset any delay in the car's response to steering input. This works especially well on winding roads. CSAR features a correction feature to offset the effects of sidewinds, making the steering adjustments normally having to be done by the driver.

This might sound too much like Big Brother taking over the wheel, but none of these systems are intrusive and do little to diminish the performance aspects of the new GS.

The GS comes in three flavors, all of them delectable, but all of them a variation of vanilla. Don't get us wrong; we like vanilla. But, when we were told the GS would make us forget about the BMW driving experience, it had our taste buds flipping into overdrive and hungry for a spicier kind of road cuisine than we'd come to expect from Lexus. We're still waiting.

Smooth, refined, fast, reliable, backed by a great dealer network, Lexus cars have a lot going for them. Now add in stylish bodywork and a sharper performance image, and the formula is even tougher to beat. Remember, that this new GS is just the first in a wave of new vehicles from Lexus, reflecting the carmaker's desire to be compared with the world's best luxury performance cars. It's a giant first step and will doubtless keep BMW engineering up late at night in its bid to again be top dog in the segment.

New Car Test Drive correspondent Greg Brown filed this report from Palm Springs.