2020 Lexus GS F review: So good, but far from the best

The 2020 Lexus GS F is not the very best sport sedan, but I kind of enjoy it. Even with awkward cabin tech building it aggravating to dwell with and the nagging experience that there are far better automobiles in this course for related dollars, I’m often happy to settle into the brilliant yellow GS F, hearth up the V8 and punch it. I am going to be unfortunate to see it go.

Inspite of its flaws, I consider the GS F has even now got it where it counts. It really is surely completed its aspect to struggle Lexus’ popularity for tedious luxury automobiles. This certain example’s 193.five-inch size has been coated in eye-catching Flare Yellow paint (a $595 solution) that turns heads just about everywhere I go. The exterior structure is additional intense than the conventional GS, with sharpened entrance and rear aerodynamics, shiny black trim for the wing mirrors and rear diffuser and a carbon fiber lip spoiler on the trunk. Blistered fenders terminate in Lexus F’s trademark fender vents and you’ll spot blue, stylized “F” badges from each and every angle.

And yet, the GS F is even now about as at ease as the conventional GS. Its 112.two-inch wheelbase leaves a good deal of place in the cabin for travellers (91 cubic ft) and in the trunk for cargo (14 cubic ft). Apart from a marginally stiffer journey, the only serious compromise the GS F tends to make is the reduction of its fold-down rear seats and trunk pass-through for hauling extensive objects.

Yellow, not mellow

The GS F’s effectiveness components is a very simple a single: A significant, by natural means aspirated motor up entrance sending energy to the rear. Tucked in powering the substantial Lexus grille, you’ll find a five.-liter V8 great for 467 horsepower and 389 pound-ft of torque, which it sends to the rear wheels through an eight-velocity computerized transmission with paddle shifters. In its sportiest setting, Lexus reckons a -to-sixty-mph dash really should consider just 4.five seconds prime velocity is stated at an electronically minimal 168 mph. These are respectable numbers for a significant, 4,034-pound sedan.

The GS F’s effectiveness components is a very simple a single. You can find no hybridization or pressured induction to complicate matters. That, along with Lexus’ legendary popularity for dependability, tends to make me self-assured that proprietors will be experiencing the GS F’s effectiveness for a lot of years and 1000’s of miles. On the other hand, the GS F will not benefit from the efficiency gains of its additional subtle competitiveness. At an EPA estimated 19 miles for every gallon merged (16 mpg city, 24 mpg freeway) the GS F’s gasoline overall economy is great, but absolutely nothing to publish home about. Throughout my 7 days of tests, I averaged just seventeen.6 mpg.

Lexus’ Torque Vectoring Differential lives on the rear axle where it actively sends shifts energy to the outside the house rear wheel when cornering to greatly enhance the sedan’s managing. The driver can decide on involving a few modes — Conventional, Slalom and Keep track of — for relatively great regulate around how the GS F modifications instructions. Conventional is the default setting for day-to-day driving. Slalom boosts agility, supplying the most rotation on the tight, small to medium velocity corners. Keep track of emphasizes steadiness on substantial-velocity turns. That’s in addition to the five generate modes — Sport, Sport As well as, Standard, Eco and Custom made — that have an affect on the GS F’s throttle response, transmission programming, steering truly feel and additional.

For the kind of driving I enjoy most — hustling up and down twisty California mountain streets — the Slalom differential setting and Sport generate mode establish to be the most fulfilling mixture. The GS F is not the most potent model in this course, but you’d never discover with no a stopwatch. As well as, the V8’s superb burble and linear, predictable throttle truly feel convey me additional joy than being aware of that my numbers are larger than the following guy’s. 

In the meantime, the GS F is astonishingly agile, yet not at all punishing or twitchy around the uneven pavement a single often finds on these types of secluded stretches of highway. The GS F rides on a established of 19-inch, solid BBS alloy wheels in conventional matte black or an optional $600 hand-polished finish. The wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and staggered with 255/35R19 tires up entrance and 275/35R19s at the rear.

Peering through the entrance wheels’ 10 spokes are Brembo six-piston monoblock caliper brakes that get 14.nine-inch discs. Out back, you’ll find complimentary Brembo four-pots and 13.five-inch discs out back. Suspending the motor vehicle around the rolling stock is a solid aluminum F Adaptive variable suspension with a double-wishbone setup for the entrance axle and a multilink rear. 

Like the powertrain, the managing department options some fashionable touches, but primarily retains it very simple. You can find no fancy air suspension or magnetic-journey dampers, just a properly-tuned suspension that does an great career balancing a sporty, yet supple truly feel.

Accidentally retro cockpit

Lovely F Sport seats with perforated leather-based and suede trim suspend the driver in the cockpit and are, I consider, the spotlight of the GS F’s cabin. The sport buckets truly feel superb — at ease for the longest hauls with heated and ventilated surfaces, yet extremely grippy and supportive throughout additional spirited passages. And they seem incredible alongside the steering wheel and shift lever, with their matching perforated leather-based and white and blue contrast stitching, and the shiny carbon fiber trim on the middle console.

The rest of the cabin is additional subjective. On a single hand, the dashboard, climate controls and tech truly feel a tad dated, especially in comparison to the significantly additional fashionable competitiveness. On the other hand, that provides to the Lexus’ vintage appeal. The GS F’s cabin feels like the most fashionable interpretation of late ’90s Lexus structure and I kind of enjoy that.

The neatest tech element is the LFA-styled motorized electronic instrument cluster with its physical sliding bezel that reveals a vacation computer system and other information. The cluster offers digital gauges that adjust their type to match the latest generate mode. The tech is a little bit more mature and not as adaptable or potent as Audi’s Digital Cockpit or Mercedes-Benz’s substantial screens, but the structure functions properly with the rest of the Lexus cabin structure and is often a address to see in motion.

My case in point also options a $900 head-up display screen that is a neat get, but almost certainly not value the added dough.

Modern-ish protection tech

The GS F comes conventional with the Lexus Basic safety Program As well as innovative driver aid suite, which rolls in a variety of familiar systems. Up entrance, the conventional triple-beam LED headlamps element clever substantial beams that automatically activate on dim streets and dip when an additional motor vehicle is detected forward. Also conventional is adaptive cruise regulate that functions at all speeds, allowing for for creeping throughout cease-and-go site visitors. You can find a precollision braking support perform with pedestrian detection, blind-spot checking, rear cross-site visitors inform and a conventional rear digicam. 

The GS F also options a freeway lane-preserving process with steering support and lane-departure alerts. It really is not as innovative as Toyota/Lexus’ most up-to-date technology Lane Tracing Assist, but not undesirable for a motor vehicle that has not been drastically up-to-date given that the fourth-gen GS’ start in 2012.

Lexus Enform: Technophiles want not apply

The area where the GS F’s very simple and forgivably dated vibe falls apart in the infotainment tech. Central on the dashboard, a 12.three-inch widescreen display screen is home to Lexus Enform cabin tech application. This is an more mature variation of Enform, shared only by the Lexus IS at this level, with a aggravating menu process and an even additional infuriating Remote Touch regulate plan.

You can interact with the process working with the Remote Touch controller, a kind of joystick located on the middle console, to move a cursor on the display screen. In follow, this is a terribly imprecise way to move all-around the interface, demanding a scary quantity of my awareness for very simple duties. Lexus does lock most of the innovative options (these types of as vacation spot entry) when the motor vehicle is in movement. Even when stopped, coming into an tackle with the controller was monotonous. 

With its integrated a single yr Lexus Enform Remote membership, you can consider advantage of Amazon Alexa integration and even keep an eye on your motor vehicle with a cell phone or smartwatch app even though absent from the car or truck. On the other hand, there is no Android Car or Apple CarPlay connectivity to use even though inside of the car or truck.

Fortuitously, you will find a decent voice-command process and physical controls for matters like radio tuning and climate controls. Immediately after expending months with the newer Lexus LS and LC, which cover very simple matters like their seat heater controls a few degrees deep in on-display screen menus, it really is wonderful to be ready to tap a damn button for a lot of of the GS F’s additional normally utilised functions.

If you really don’t treatment about great navigation application, applications or smartphone connectivity, I consider you could finally establish more than enough muscle memory for the Remote Touch controller to get past the annoyance. But the discovering curve is a steep a single and just not value the exertion in comparison to newer, competing infotainment suites that handle to cram additional options into fewer distracting interfaces.

Rate and competitiveness

The 2020 Lexus GS F starts at a heady $86,035 such as its $one,025 vacation spot demand. My modestly outfitted case in point rolls in at an as-examined $ninety,395, with wheels, paint, high quality audio and other odds and finishes adding to the base line. It really is tempting to look at the GS F to the six-figure Mercedes-AMG E63 S, BMW M5 and their ilk. Amid this cohort, the GS is a large amount fewer potent, but also drastically fewer costly. On the other hand, its correct competition — economically and athletically — are really a tier decreased.

Mercedes-AMG’s E53 sedan squeezes 429 hp from its turbo six-cylinder, is marginally more rapidly to sixty mph at 4.4 seconds and starts at $seventy four,795 such as vacation spot. The 440-hp Audi S6 starts at $seventy four,895. BMW’s M550i xDrive gets you 523 horsepower for $77,795. All of these land in the ballpark of the GS F’s 467 hp with far better gasoline overall economy and all-wheel generate relatively than RWD. All have far better cabin and protection tech. And perhaps additional importantly, all are all-around $10K fewer than the Lexus, comparably outfitted. 

The Lexus GS F is not ideal, but it really is handsomely styled inside of and out, the V8 is a satisfaction to wind up and the journey is agile with no sacrificing day-to-day driver convenience. It really is even now got legs on the eve of its discontinuation, almost a ten years into this technology. It surely wouldn’t be the best alternative in this hugely competitive and shrinking course, but if you find a single for a deal, you want to get a piece of Lexus heritage even though you can or if you might be just finding up what the GS F is placing down, it wouldn’t be a undesirable alternative, either.