Lexus luxury now more affordable

The GS nameplate is immediately associated with comfort and class. The baby in the range, however, is certainly geared more towards comfort. The cabin is fitted with plush materials, a huge media-interface screen and loads of driver and passenger space.  

But entry into this kind of luxury at such an affordable price has a fee and that fee is horsepower. Yes, despite its mean and muscular fascia, with a large spindle grille and massive air intakes, this ‘baby’ GS is only equipped with a 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine.

Don’t get me wrong, with it’s fair amount of power - 154kW of power and 253Nm of torque on tap - it can get going, but it is almost 100kW down on the GS 350, which you can feel.

It’s a bit sluggish out the gate, particularly when you want it to giddy-up, but it does have a naughty exhaust groan, as if to say, “I’ll get there when I get there.”

If you want a GS that’s more performance-based, get the GS 350. If you want to be green, get the GS 450h and for those who want to take a leisurely stroll in complete comfort, the GS 250 is perfect.