Lexus reminds me of a speedy greyhound trying to catch that elusive rabbit at the races. No matter how hard the dog runs, the rabbit always wins. In this case the target was BMW's 5-Series, which everyone in the industry sets as their benchmark. Give it up, Lexus. Your GS is a wonderful automobile but it's a different kind of automobile, no matter how you try to disguise it with sports sedan performance. You're in the wrong race. Our test vehicle was a GS300 AWD, starting at $45,500.
Nevertheless it is enjoyable to drive. The new, 3-liter 245 hp V-6 has plenty of passing power and the close-ratio 6-speed automatic is so seamless in operation you'll have to pay attention to the rev counter to sense gear changes. It includes a gated shifter and a manual sequential gear changer, although as always when testing a vehicle with a manual-automatic, I made little use of it.
Full review here