Flaxen brown soft leather seats, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, hallmark Lexus interior, and innovative features make driving a GS 350 a wonderful adventure.
SmartAccess keyless entry with push-button Start/Stop gets you inside and ready to go as you settle into the 10-way adjustable power front seats. Ambient lighting and Climate Concierge cater to individual comfort, and heated and optional ventilated front seats enhances an excellent Lexus experience.
Performance is provided by a 3.5 L V8 engine with direct and port injection. Power is quantified as 306 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque max, routed through an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Drive mode selection and front independent double-wishbone together with independent multi-link rear suspension guarantee stress-free economic driving. Lexus competes very well against German models.
Fuel economy is rated at 19 mpg city and 29 highway. I averaged 25 mpg over the course of the drive.
The test GS was equipped with a Luxury Premium Audio System (17-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound), Advanced Voice Recognition, DVD/CD Player, Bluetooth technology and Remote Touch. SiriusXM Satellite Radio with iTunes tagging, traffic and weather were all standard.
For safety, the GS features a standard backup camera, plus Lexus Enform with Safety Connect—a subscription-based telematics service. Components of Safety Connect—Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and Enhanced Roadside Assistance—are not just convenient features, but could be life-saving, and Lexus provides a one-year trial subscription with the vehicle.
Weather, terrain and road surface can change in a moment without notification or warning. The GS 350 has an available all-wheel drive system called All-Weather-Drive that monitors the current driving conditions, and automatically allocates engine power between the front and rear wheels from a rear-biased 30/70 (Front-rear) torque split up to 50/50, depending on conditions. This can provide enhanced traction and control on a wide range of road surfaces and under inclement weather. Although my vehicle didn’t have all-wheel drive, this is a suggested feature for a cold climate and reason for AWD.
