Gs 460 Review

[jones357]

Well I haven't seen anyone review the GS 460 for '08 (I may have missed it) so here you go. I am not what you would call a real auto enthusiast.

My previous car was a 740iL so I may do some comparison which may or may not be fair.

Clearly the body, styling and interior of the car are the same as other models so I won't bore you with complaining about the navigation system while moving or whether I like the wood etc.

The new aspects of the car, so far as I can see, are the 8-speed automatic and the V-8 in this class.

Although the car has similar horsepower to my 740, the performance is not close to the BMW. The 740 could lay rubber from the start or by punching it at 50MPH. The 460 can pretty much do neither (of course it can spin the wheels if you hammer it off the line, but the 460 needs to make some noise and think about it awhile first - the BMW just... responds instantly). I was really expecting a car that could get you out of any freeway conundrum - like getting you away from being surrounded by big rigs in seconds flat - but the car really hesitates and again - seems to think about it - before doing exactly as instructed. I have much less confidence in the overall performance than I was used to with the beemer. The untrained 740 driver will throw passengers around the car with the instant handling - the 460 just mushes its way through.

The 8-speed automatic tranny. As a layperson re: transmissions, I was expecting an 8-speeder to roll through the gears with buttery ease. However, after only 3,000 miles I find myself counting all 8 gears as the car accelerates - bumping my way through each shift change with increasing annoyance. First gear seems to take forever, and decelerating slightly before 2nd will give you a kickback that shoves you forward in the seat. This is especially apparent when cold.

The car is smooth at higher speeds and a comfortable ride on an open freeway. So was the Chevy Cavalier I rented recently while out of town.

Just touching on the amenities, I am enjoying the ventilated seats and the overall control system. The voice activation is just OK and forgetting about the restrictions while moving, the nav system is nice - took awhile to learn it and I still am learning it. I was spoiled by the 740iL rear seat room but this is not a fair comparison - neither is the trunk (very small in this Lexus).

In summary, I needed a quality, comfortable commuting car to hump the LA freeways - my Beemer at 7yrs old was killing me with operating expenses - and the second tow that caused me to miss a meeting was the last straw. So, the real test of Lexus (my first) will be in the reliability. If it is better than BMW, I will have got my money's worth (BTW I paid $54,500 fully loaded with a $15K trade in on the 740 with 90Kmi and a couple of dings).

Ok, hope there was something helpful in there.

[The G Man]

1st of all, congrats on your new GS. You are right, it’s not fair to compare the 740iL to the GS. The 740iL should be compare to the LS series instead. Having said that, it seems like you drive your car pretty hard and the BMW is more suited for that kind of driving. The transmission in the Lexus is program for fuel economy, if you want more instead acceleration, try using the sport mode on the ECT or use the manual shifter. Laying down rubber may be nice for a boy racer, but it’s a Lexus after all. When your burn rubber, you are actually losing traction and it will slow down your acceleration. Just look at the numbers, the 740iL 0-60 in 6.8 sec. and the GS460 0-60 in 5.5 sec. More than 1 sec faster. That goes to show you, just because the GS doesn’t feel like its going fast, that doesn’t mean that it is not.

The BMW does handle better, but I think anyone who have done their research should have known that before going into the dealer. I am sure your passengers will appreciate not being thrown around in the GS like they were in your old BMW.

If you are going to compare the GS to a Chevy Cavalier, your opinion may be bias. Sounds like you like to drive your car hard and you miss your BMW.

The Nav while moving can be over ride, and the reliability on the Lexus should be better than the BMW.

[jones357]

1st of all, congrats on your new GS. You are right, it’s not fair to compare the 740iL to the GS. The 740iL should be compare to the LS series instead. Having said that, it seems like you drive your car pretty hard and the BMW is more suited for that kind of driving. The transmission in the Lexus is program for fuel economy, if you want more instead acceleration, try using the sport mode on the ECT or use the manual shifter. Laying down rubber may be nice for a boy racer, but it’s a Lexus after all. When your burn rubber, you are actually losing traction and it will slow down your acceleration. Just look at the numbers, the 740iL 0-60 in 6.8 sec. and the GS460 0-60 in 5.5 sec. More than 1 sec faster. That goes to show you, just because the GS doesn’t feel like its going fast, that doesn’t mean that it is not.

The BMW does handle better, but I think anyone who have done their research should have known that before going into the dealer. I am sure your passengers will appreciate not being thrown around in the GS like they were in your old BMW.

If you are going to compare the GS to a Chevy Cavalier, your opinion may be bias. Sounds like you like to drive your car hard and you miss your BMW.

The Nav while moving can be over ride, and the reliability on the Lexus should be better than the BMW.

Thanks G Man,

Reading my post it may have sounded a bit like a Lexi-bash but didn't mean for it to be so. By the way, I paid $58K for the BMW 7 years ago, and $54K for the GS460; so the body of the car notwithstanding, the horsepower and price sort of put them in the same 'class' (ha ha bring on the dispute to that comment, I know).

For a driver like myself, power and handling really translate into confidence when you need it. My main point in the thread is that the GS460 disappointed me in smooth acceleration (in all transmission modes) and response quickness. 0-60, despite the tone of my last post, is not a concern. On the 405 'acceleration' means 0-5mph.

Meantime, I plan on driving this car a long time so I'll be getting used to it! Thanks again for the note.

[ahearn]

I guess I don't have anything to really compare to other than some Toyota 4Runners and Avalons and Hondas, but the 8-speed transmission on my GS 460 seems as smooth as silk. At times, I would swear it's a CVT, it's so smooth. I can barely tell it's shifting unless I'm really tromping on it, which is where I would expect to feel any transmission. I guess it just depends on where we're coming from.

[The G Man]

Jones357, I am sure you already know this, but a brand new BMW 7 series with the same equipment is $30000 more. When I was looking at the GS, I cross shopped the 5 series which was about $10000 more. The 5 series handles better and acceleration was about the same. Handling is not as important to me as Luxury, BMW's interior just didnt cut it for me. On top of that, the I-drive was a joke.

I am not sure why your GX is rough in shifting, the 5 series I test drove shifts about the same as the GS. Maybe there is something wrong with your GS, might want to have the dealer check it out.

[jones357]

Jones357, I am sure you already know this, but a brand new BMW 7 series with the same equipment is $30000 more. When I was looking at the GS, I cross shopped the 5 series which was about $10000 more. The 5 series handles better and acceleration was about the same. Handling is not as important to me as Luxury, BMW's interior just didnt cut it for me. On top of that, the I-drive was a joke.

I am not sure why your GX is rough in shifting, the 5 series I test drove shifts about the same as the GS. Maybe there is something wrong with your GS, might want to have the dealer check it out.

G Man, I wasn't comparing a new 7 series to a new GS, I was comparing my old car to my new car with the intent of shedding light on the differences. I'm always amused in these forums by the practice of self styled experts to condescend car buyers on what they should have known, by stating the obvious. Don't worry, my opinion on the GS transmission is not an issue that you need to solve. I am not biased toward either car company and don't feel the need to defend either. I had 2 BMW's and I've gone away from that company so that tells you my loyalty to any automobile, which is a silly concept. I enjoy people's opinions after using a product, that you can't get from a datasheet or a test drive, so that is my offer in the post. In the meantime, a $55K purchase, regardless of an automaker's marketing distinction of 'class', justifies the user's critical feedback. Some people love Lexus Nav, some hate I-drive, all good feedback. My opinion is that the marketing of the 8-speed GS460 transmission is over-hype. The idea that it is 'tuned for fuel economy' is I think, quite a stretch on your part in defending your favorite car company - I'll be looking for that transmission I guess, in the next Prius.

[The G Man]

Jones357, as long as you are happy with your car, thats all that matters. As you said, what I stated was the obvious difference between a Lexus and a BMW, but I was merely reponding to your post which stated the same.

[Promaximus]

I purchased the 460 two weeks ago myself. My wife has an IS350 and an ES before that. The thing that really turned me on was the relationship with the dealer and our sales person. I have a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S thats a screamer but it's an SUV and lacks the "classy" look I want for daily driving. This being said, the Lexus service is light years ahead of Porsche's or Mercedes for that matter.

As for the car......I love it. It wont out run my Cayenne but theres also no Turbo lag and the creature comforts are excellent. For performance at just over 50k mixed in with an ultra fine look I dont think theres a better car out there. And again, these people know how to treat their customers and that my friends goes a very long way in this day and age. :D :D