mikeavelli
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So the 2016 GS F-Sport was just reviewed by C&D;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-lexus-gs350-f-sport-test-review
To be honest while this is the responsibility of C&D, I can't help but think the writer they put in charge was a bit "green" until I searched and saw he has written for Edmunds (yawn) for sometime and seemed to enjoy the LFA (but who wouldn't). You see its easy for us to all go angry Trump crowd at C&D without realizing some of the responsibility also lies within the author to accurately depict a review that hundreds of thousands if not millions of people will read..
As many of you know C&D has a "highs" and "lows" quick summary for all their reviews and what I read was pretty shocking regarding the Lows. I am sure like most people I glance at that first and then read the article, if I even read it at all;
Highs and Lows
Highs:
Easy-chair comfort, safe-room quiet, fantastic brakes.
Lows:
Sleep-inducing demeanor, subpar handling and acceleration.
It is at this point when I decided I will read the article and write a retort, even though I cannot honestly take anything this guy says with any seriousness. Which of course damages C&D as a credible source. Anyone who thinks the GS, particularly the F-Sport has sleep inducing demeanor with subpar handling and acceleration needs their heads examined or just has a serious issue with Lexus. This isn't 1992 anymore. Do you realize HOW BAD you have to be at something to be considered sub-par? You have to really stink and this day and the writer makes it sound like the GS will crash into your local grocery store if you take a turn at 10 MPH.
Lets begin with the opening paragraph
So he basically surmises this is a Lexus from 1992, maybe he thought it was an ES and not a GS. Now I guess I'm a bit different. I've driven the entire class quite a bit and I've tracked my GS at PBIR and even taken it to the "Tail of the Dragon". In addition being in the industry I've seen how the GS has indeed swayed people who wanted a more interesting drive compared to the competition. His opinion here is just wrong.
(pic taken at the Tail of the Dragon)
To his credit and I agree with him completely that engine is not a strong point of the GS. For 99% of the population it will be an amazingly fast car but against the forced induction competition it lags behind. It is slow to the 535, A6 3.0 etc. I do agree the brakes are a strong point, the GS F-Sport has very rare 2 piece brakes up front, something really only real expensive sports cars/exotics do in various capacities. They are very well done.
Of course he raves over the typical Lexus hallmarks, quite, comfort etc. Which writer doesn't?
Lexus and we are all aware of this. What makes the GS special is it blends those traditional hallmarks with the drive of a true sports sedan but unfortunately the author does not feel the same way. He then states the GS feels heavy for its class even though it is lighter. I don't think its a matter of weight, I think he just wants/likes the faster forced induction cars that can make a car feel quicker of course and to the untrained eye it might "mask weight" in the straight. The twists are another story.
I think he is fair with him not liking the front end which is controversial and obviously he likes blander cars. Its great to see Lexus send USB as a color to test. We can all agree fit and finish of any Lexus is usually near tops in class.
And then he loses me here again
Photo Credit Car & Driver
I assume the last car he tested was a S-class or new Rolls Royce as I've yet to hear ANYONE state the GS interior is mediocre. Its utterly perplexing and again hard to take this review serious. The newest car in the class currently being sold is the new XF and that interior is okay. The new E-class has not hit dealer lots yet so it should be be considered. So I'm not sure what vehicle in this class is that much more amazing? At least he compliments the seats and space.
Then the summary comes which of course states the GS isn't better than the competition.
So basically he barely touches how the GS actually drives with hardly any specifics but has the balls to summarize that the GS has "sub-par handling" etc. I think he is confusing straight line acceleration for fun here along as being stuck in the 1990s. Those cars don't out drive or out handle the GS especially the F-Sport. That is why the GS has won reviews and universal praise for, the way it drives. I'm utterly confused what inner fire he is talking about because if you have driven them as I have, you would realize they don't handle as well as the GS.
Whats funny is C&D even disagrees with him. Yes the same title he wrote for. See below;
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2012-audi-a6-30t-quattro-page-3
Ignore for the moment the A6 winning the comparison. It won based on, no joke, having more "character" which is totally subjective. A priority on sport used to be the claim to fame to win a comparison but of course here Lexus gets beat by "character". If you don't believe me read the last paragraph
Some quotes about the handling between the two cars.
So the GS was reviewed twice, in the older comparison (mind you a non F-sport) it was sportier but lost because of lack of "Character". The new GS, (though I'm not even sure this guy drove a GS, pretty sure he drove an ES and thought it was a GS) in the same publication calls a non-F sport fun and sporty and now it has sub-par handling & is sleep inducing in the sportier F-Sport. You can't make that up. As Rick James would say "Cocaine is a Helluva Drug".
Clearly this is frustrating to us Lexus Enthusiasts, the GS isn't getting a fair shake here but this isn't fair to non Lexus Enthusiasts either, people who won't drive the car and will think it doesn't have character (it does), it has an average interior (that is just bullshit) and it lags behind the competition in regards to sport (more bullshit). Then you read the internet arguing and articles like this are referenced as a source why Lexus stinks or isn't sporty with a bad interior. SMH
Honestly this is part of the reason people like the team at the Lexus Enthusiast and so many others are being used more and more as credible sources. Because people are tired of the inconsistencies in these magazines written by people you don't have much contact with outside of their name on an article. We now have a unified voice here at the Lexus Enthusiast and we will write and call out inconsistencies in regards to Lexus.
For now, I will enjoy my sub-par handling, sleep-inducing GS F-Sport.
-mike-
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-lexus-gs350-f-sport-test-review
To be honest while this is the responsibility of C&D, I can't help but think the writer they put in charge was a bit "green" until I searched and saw he has written for Edmunds (yawn) for sometime and seemed to enjoy the LFA (but who wouldn't). You see its easy for us to all go angry Trump crowd at C&D without realizing some of the responsibility also lies within the author to accurately depict a review that hundreds of thousands if not millions of people will read..
As many of you know C&D has a "highs" and "lows" quick summary for all their reviews and what I read was pretty shocking regarding the Lows. I am sure like most people I glance at that first and then read the article, if I even read it at all;
Highs and Lows
Highs:
Easy-chair comfort, safe-room quiet, fantastic brakes.
Lows:
Sleep-inducing demeanor, subpar handling and acceleration.
It is at this point when I decided I will read the article and write a retort, even though I cannot honestly take anything this guy says with any seriousness. Which of course damages C&D as a credible source. Anyone who thinks the GS, particularly the F-Sport has sleep inducing demeanor with subpar handling and acceleration needs their heads examined or just has a serious issue with Lexus. This isn't 1992 anymore. Do you realize HOW BAD you have to be at something to be considered sub-par? You have to really stink and this day and the writer makes it sound like the GS will crash into your local grocery store if you take a turn at 10 MPH.
Lets begin with the opening paragraph
So he basically surmises this is a Lexus from 1992, maybe he thought it was an ES and not a GS. Now I guess I'm a bit different. I've driven the entire class quite a bit and I've tracked my GS at PBIR and even taken it to the "Tail of the Dragon". In addition being in the industry I've seen how the GS has indeed swayed people who wanted a more interesting drive compared to the competition. His opinion here is just wrong.
(pic taken at the Tail of the Dragon)
To his credit and I agree with him completely that engine is not a strong point of the GS. For 99% of the population it will be an amazingly fast car but against the forced induction competition it lags behind. It is slow to the 535, A6 3.0 etc. I do agree the brakes are a strong point, the GS F-Sport has very rare 2 piece brakes up front, something really only real expensive sports cars/exotics do in various capacities. They are very well done.
Of course he raves over the typical Lexus hallmarks, quite, comfort etc. Which writer doesn't?
Lexus and we are all aware of this. What makes the GS special is it blends those traditional hallmarks with the drive of a true sports sedan but unfortunately the author does not feel the same way. He then states the GS feels heavy for its class even though it is lighter. I don't think its a matter of weight, I think he just wants/likes the faster forced induction cars that can make a car feel quicker of course and to the untrained eye it might "mask weight" in the straight. The twists are another story.
I think he is fair with him not liking the front end which is controversial and obviously he likes blander cars. Its great to see Lexus send USB as a color to test. We can all agree fit and finish of any Lexus is usually near tops in class.
Photo Credit Car & Driver
And then he loses me here again
Photo Credit Car & Driver
I assume the last car he tested was a S-class or new Rolls Royce as I've yet to hear ANYONE state the GS interior is mediocre. Its utterly perplexing and again hard to take this review serious. The newest car in the class currently being sold is the new XF and that interior is okay. The new E-class has not hit dealer lots yet so it should be be considered. So I'm not sure what vehicle in this class is that much more amazing? At least he compliments the seats and space.
Then the summary comes which of course states the GS isn't better than the competition.
So basically he barely touches how the GS actually drives with hardly any specifics but has the balls to summarize that the GS has "sub-par handling" etc. I think he is confusing straight line acceleration for fun here along as being stuck in the 1990s. Those cars don't out drive or out handle the GS especially the F-Sport. That is why the GS has won reviews and universal praise for, the way it drives. I'm utterly confused what inner fire he is talking about because if you have driven them as I have, you would realize they don't handle as well as the GS.
Whats funny is C&D even disagrees with him. Yes the same title he wrote for. See below;
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2012-audi-a6-30t-quattro-page-3
Ignore for the moment the A6 winning the comparison. It won based on, no joke, having more "character" which is totally subjective. A priority on sport used to be the claim to fame to win a comparison but of course here Lexus gets beat by "character". If you don't believe me read the last paragraph
Some quotes about the handling between the two cars.
So the GS was reviewed twice, in the older comparison (mind you a non F-sport) it was sportier but lost because of lack of "Character". The new GS, (though I'm not even sure this guy drove a GS, pretty sure he drove an ES and thought it was a GS) in the same publication calls a non-F sport fun and sporty and now it has sub-par handling & is sleep inducing in the sportier F-Sport. You can't make that up. As Rick James would say "Cocaine is a Helluva Drug".
Clearly this is frustrating to us Lexus Enthusiasts, the GS isn't getting a fair shake here but this isn't fair to non Lexus Enthusiasts either, people who won't drive the car and will think it doesn't have character (it does), it has an average interior (that is just bullshit) and it lags behind the competition in regards to sport (more bullshit). Then you read the internet arguing and articles like this are referenced as a source why Lexus stinks or isn't sporty with a bad interior. SMH
Honestly this is part of the reason people like the team at the Lexus Enthusiast and so many others are being used more and more as credible sources. Because people are tired of the inconsistencies in these magazines written by people you don't have much contact with outside of their name on an article. We now have a unified voice here at the Lexus Enthusiast and we will write and call out inconsistencies in regards to Lexus.
For now, I will enjoy my sub-par handling, sleep-inducing GS F-Sport.
-mike-
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