It seems that even Consumer Reports is falling out of love with dull and overpriced Japanese luxury cars. The Lexus GS300 scored dead last in the September 2005 comparison test - and 11th out 13 in CR's running listing of luxury cars. The Lexus was the most expensive car in the test at $51,859 MSRP.

Oddly enough, in the same issue CR tested the new 280hp Toyota Avalon - and loved it! The Avalon now rates 3rd overall in CR's "luxury car" ratings -depite a puny MSRP of $33,070.

How can it be that an American designed and built Toyota beat a Japanese designed and built Lexus?

It appears that the real problem is with Toyota's Japanese product development stream. The GS has the downmarket styling of a Nissan Maxima, very poor interior space and conventional powertrains that trail the entire industry. Similarly, the new IS has been botched with an undersized rear seat, styling that shares elements with Pontiac's dated Grand Prix, and a timid base powertrain.

 

I am going to be completely biased here.....

hoorah! any negative news on toyota is good news to me!

 

:toyota:



Yay for Lexus, keep em coming!!!

 

This new IS line is really strange too. The 250 is so weak compared to similarly priced near-lux/sporty sedans like the G and the TL. The sport part seems practically non-existant. For shoppers like me, I wouldn't give it a second look. Too damn slow for the $.

The 350 is strong, but - wow. Serious sticker shock! I guess they wanted to be taken seriously vs BMW.

Only time will tell how that works out for them...

For me, the IS is not on the short list for my pick as a daily driver at the end of the year anymore.

 

which line was it they expected to get 600% increase?

 

The GS has received great reviews almost everywhere it has been reviewed to date, except by CR. I read their review and they didn't really mention any real reason why they didn't care for it.

The 300 does have a horribly underpowered motor compared to the competition, but then again in less than a year it will be replaced with the 3.5L V6 from the IS350 making ~ 306 hp (SAE v 2), as well as an option for a hybrid electric setup on the same motor making around 340-350hp, and then the GS460 with the new 4.6L V8 (replacement for the 4.3L V8 across the line) making 350+ hp.

And I'd also love for you to take a look at all angles of the 1998 GS (yes, like the one I have), and then look at the 2002 Altima and the 2004 Maxima and then tell me who copied who. It's beyond obvious. Hell... the Altima even uses Altezza style tail lights. Do you know where the name of those tail lights is from? The Toyota Altezza, AKA the IS300, here in the US.

Amazing what you find when you do a little searching back. Then again, you have selective factual syndrome.

Oh, and regardless of CR's thoughts, the new GS has far surpassed Lexus' original sales projections which some original considered to be overly optimistic.

 

Its quite obvious that Lexus somehow managed to copy Nissan, even though the Lexus came out years before, because Nissan is the most innovative, lustful, and best performing cars on the road, at least so we keep getting told.

 

Aha. Starting with the wrong engine, and band-aiding it a year later. How like GM of a few years ago.

Yes, we all love our own cars.

 

Here in south Florida, everyone without a particular automotive preference seems to have a hard-on for Lexui... I dont know why. I went to school with a guy that honestly believed that his stock 97-98 GS300 could walk my 98 Z...

Never got to line up, which caused me unending annoyances with him when I sold the car...

 

My thoughts exactly!

 

Consumer reports didn't like the GS300's "agility, steering feel, tight quarters, access, placement of secondary controls," or "headlights.""

In addition CR said:

The weak first year motors are going to sabotage the launch of the Lexus GS, just as the wimpy 2.5 liter IS250 will undermine the "performance" image of the new IS.

There's no excuse for offering a $52k Lexus with 245 horsepower when there's a superior Toyota with 280 horsepower (!) that costs $33K.


I've never said that I liked the 1998 Lexus GS. In fact, I've alway thought that the c-pillar treatment is rather sloppy and proportions are clumsy overall. If Nissan chose to copy a few styling cues from a high-end Lexus for their mainstream Altima and Maxima, I'd say that sort of imitation is entirely fitting.

On the other hand, it isn't appropriate for a "luxury" brand to copy mainstream designs. I find that the resemblance of the new Lexus GS to an Nissan Maxima to be inexcusable. (To be candid, I've never really like the current Maxima.)



CR's apparent dislike of the GS is more damaging than you'd like to admit. When a Lexus is panned by such a dispassionate publication as Consumer Reports (we're not talking about an enthusiast's publication!), it doesn't bode well for the future of the brand.

As much as hate to admit it, the Lexus GS300 has been transformed from a smooth but dull also-ran to a gold plated loser. Lexus has been playing on it's reputation for far too long.

 

Nothing says "gangsta" like a high mileage, 3rd owner Lexus with a "do it yourself" window tinting job and $5,000 in "spinner" rims.

In all fairness, I think that it's more of a South Florida "thang" than a Lexus marketing objective.

 

So let me get this straight. If Lexus makes the GS in 98 that is copied by the Altima and Maxima a few years later, it is then Lexus' responsibility to change the next gen to where it looks nothing like the previous gen as to avoid copying Nissan? That's like you copying my homework one day, then I somehow lose my homework, and I come back by and recopy my homework.

Who's copying who? If Hyundai comes out with a car that looks like a Ferrari Enzo, do you expect Ferrari to throw all its styling cues out the window so that they aren't perceived as copying Hyundai?

Who honestly would believe that except those who really want to?

The 98+ GS' styling is the original. The '06 is just a continuation of that styling scheme. Whoever chooses to hang by Lexus' coattails is none of Lexus' business, but you figure Infiniti would at least be confident enough to carry their infiniti styling cues down to their Nissan line if they really wanted to imitate a luxury line?

And 'gangsta' is all about old Caddys.

I've started to see more ghetto'd out old Lexus models recently, too, but that just says good things for Lexus, really. It means they're recognized as a status symbol so materialistic/shopy people strive to buy one even if it's old as hell and ragged out.

Lexus, Caddy, BMW, and Mercedes all have good stature as a name plate. Acura and Infiniti are much moreso the "who is that?" luxury brand.

Not that I give a damn, but you brought it up.
I actually like Lexus best, Acura second best, Infiniti third best (Although I haven't had a chance to fully form my opinion of the new M so that could change my perception a bit), then Caddy, then Mercedes, then BMW, then Lincoln.

 

lol consumer reports doesnt know much about cars. I wouldnt really trust any of their reviews. Lexus has a huge hit on their hand with the new GS. I easily see at least 10 of the new ones a day

 

Consumer Reports is a terrible source for anything, so this really doesn't mean jack squat to me. Just the 5th gen section troll stirring a different pot for once.