2012 Lexus GS350 F-Sport: Nearly there

A few years ago, while thoroughly engrossed in watching that arcane and ancient device known as the television, I recall a documentary that made a pretty compelling argument for love at first sight. Hinging upon the notion that our vision is the first sense with which we experience the world around us, the documentary maintained that sight is therefore the foundation of all emotional responses, and thus that all love is truly love at first sight. Initially, I'd thought this notion made a lot of sense, and had serious grounds in reality. And then I laid eyes upon the Lexus GS350. 

Meet the Grouper

You see, the Lexus GS350 is, if I were to be kind, not an overly attractive vehicle. In fact, if we were to be brutally honest, I'd say it is one of the worst automotive teases on the road. You might have seen one driving ahead of you on the road, or perhaps parked in a poorly lit lot, and thought "well by Jove, that's quite the improvement." And as long as you'd only seen the rear or side of the vehicle, you'd be right. Looking somehow squatter, wider, and more purposeful, the new GS' silhouette trades the old car's whale-like roly-poly proportions for a good degree restrained athleticism. And if you happened to see the extra-good looking F-sport model, with the aggressive-looking grey-painted 10-spoke wheels and lower rear valance, you might have mistaken the mid-range Lexus sedan for something from one of Europe's well-respected tuning houses. And although it might lack the various flat-black accents, scoops, and flair that's become so popular amongst those at AMG and BMW's M-division, there's an undeniable quality to the Lexus' bodywork that comes across in it's perfect panel fitment, restrained styling, and absolutely flawless paintwork that's quite possibly the best in the business. Even in pure, non-metallic jet black, there's still not even a hint of irregularity or orange peel to be found on these cars anywhere, and that's not something many manufacturers can claim.

However, if you managed to catch a glimpse of the new GS350's front end and still considered it a good looking car, perhaps you should book an appointment with your local ophthalmologist. Or perhaps a psychiatrist. Endowed with possibly the most ridiculous looking grille and air dam combination since Acura's shield-gate, the front end looks like it should come with a disclaimer that reads "brought to you by Tourette's." The angular grille looks like it just swallowed a lemon while the curvaceous air dam below looks like someone at Lexus literally cut the bottom off of an M3 bumper cover and crudely taped it onto the GS350's design model. Seriously. See the pictures to the right? Hold your hand over the top half of the front end and tell me that's not an M3 that you see. But, while that curvy air dam works well on the similarly curvy M3, the angular grille of the Lexus means you end up with something that looks like a pissed-off, lemon-eating Grouper coming down the road. 

Similarities don't stop there

After I'd recovered from my own lap of the GS350 F-Sport (three quarters of which was admittedly quite enjoyable), I thought it prudent to keep an open mind before opening the door. After all, although Lexus has always been somewhat hit-or-miss in the styling department, they've never been a bad producer of interiors. And although this new GS350 interior certainly doesn't mess with that tradition, it's also nothing like any Lexus interior I'd experienced before. Having replaced the long-running waterfall style centre console with a more contemporary horizontal layout similar to what is found in today's European sport sedans, the new interior gives up nothing to its forebears in regards to quality, but gains a slightly more sensible and attractive layout. The buttons and various controls are slightly more logical, and it really stratifies the most frequently used and important ones from those that are less useful. However, as much I must compliment the majority of its finishes and materials, the decision to replace Lexus' traditionally metallic grey switchgear with basic black does give the climate control stack a bit of a low-rent feel, as does the silver plastic on the steering wheel and dashboard. And although the infotainment screen and its menu structure is quite good, I've got big issues with the magnetic quasi-mouse "Remote Touch interface" Lexus has chosen to control the system with. Occupying half the entire centre console and enigmatic in operation, it takes too much attention to manipulate and by virtue of its mouse/pointer, requires the used to take their eyes off the road each and every time they want to use it. Comparatively, whilst BMW's iDrive and Audi's MMI may have much steeper learning curves, both those systems can be manipulated quite effectively with some practice, and don't require the driver to actually aim a pointer at something on-screen while hurtling down the road at speed.

M3-Inspired Design doesn't disappoint

Which is something that many GS350 drivers might very well do, for the first time in the nameplate's history. You see, aft of the shifter and to the left of the awkward mouse thing is a dial that controls the car's drive modes, and twisting it to the right twice will put the GS350 F-sport in its native habitat: Sport+. Firming up the dampers and quickening both shifts and throttle response, the result isn't stupefying shocking (as it is in such cars as the LS460 or Audi S4, say) but it does make the GS350 F-sport into one hell of a good grand touring sport sedan. Still retaining an incredibly high quality ride that irons out the various bumps and undulations while maintaining great control over the body's movements in corners, the big sedan provided impressive performance in nearly every regard. The V6 sounds great when given a bit of room to run, and with the assistance of the all-wheel drive system, puts down every last ounce of horsepower without any drama. With revised suspension aimed at stiffening up the ride and handling to make better use of the  F-sport specific staggered-fitment, stickier tires, it railed around corners quite well and generated a respectable amount of mechanical grip before slewing into a slight state of understeer; to be expected on an all-wheel drive car.

However, it's not all roses. Although the combination of its Sport+ mode and the F-sport's significantly revised suspension put it on part with BMW's 535i or Audi's A6 in terms of performance, the response that you get through the steering wheel and chassis remains as muted as what you get in Eco mode. The first indication that you're asking too much of its tires is audible, rather than tactile, and although it certainly remains capable throughout bumpy corners and down the highway, even the variable ride control can't imbue the big Lexus with the same engaging, but composed ride as its European competitors. What it can do better though, is your morning commute. With a soft, gentle disposition in normal mode, (Eco is just a bit too lethargic to be worth the $3 savings I saw over the average 100 kilometres) a slightly more comfortable interior, and a soft, cosseting ride, it's as pleasant a place as any to be gridlocked within.

Back to that love at first sight thing...

Although my initial reaction to the big sedan's looks might have sounded like a disappointed adult film soundtrack ("yes, yes, yes... oh."), it didn't take long for its combination of comfort and engaging performance to win me over, at least for the most part. I'm somewhat dismayed to see some of the interior materials being used (I'm looking at you silver and black plastic), as Lexus has typically been one brand that's refused to compromise on quality, but on the other hand I'm enthused to at least see Lexus trying to be exciting. The mere fact that the front end is polarizing is a nice departure from Lexus' old inoffensive-at-all-costs mandate, and to see a colour palette for the exterior and interior that reflects this new way of thinking is a breath of fresh air in a market nearly bereft of actual colour. It can be positively fun to drive without feeling as if you need a lawyer on retainer, it's just as good at sitting in traffic for hours on end, and as it's a Lexus, it's safe to assume that the build quality is top-notch. But I guess, at the end of the day, those documentary folks were right, because I still can't say I truly love the new GS350. And although it might have been the front end that initially got in the way of any emotional attachment I might have had with the GS, Lexus still hasn't yet figured out how to give their cars real soul just yet, and that's what keeps cars like this GS350 from really earning a place in my heart as truly great automobiles. But, with that wild styling and great performance, at least I can now say they're on their way to figuring it out.