LUXURY SEDAN? YES. BMW FIGHTER? NO.

THE LEXUS GS 300/430, completely redesigned for 2006, is in pursuit of the BMW 5 Series’s benchmark balance of sport and luxury, but doesn’t quite reach it. Our GS 430 had 300 horsepower and a quick, responsive six-speed sequential-shift automatic, both of which would suggest sport-sedan entertainment. Not so. This is a car that feels like it’s not sure how to properly straddle the sport/luxury fence. Along with the big power and quick-shifting transmission, the new Lexus has a poised chassis and a well-engineered suspension, yet the car doesn’t allow the driver to utilize them. Default settings in place, it doesn’t take all that much to make the safety systems "correct” enthusiastic driving. A button allows you to turn off the traction control, but the system automatically reengages above 30…

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MotorTrend (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2006

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