Lexus GS 250 F Sport 2012 Review

Lexus has rolled out the most explicitly sporting and charismatic GS yet in this, its fourth generation model. That’s particularly true in the mid-spec F Sport version tested here. From its aggressive ninja-glare front end, past its 19-inch alloys and down the high-waisted, skirted sides to its big (530-litre) boot, the GS boasts a look that tilts aggressively toward the primo-German territory Lexus has always coveted.

Perhaps incongruously, it also heralds the Japanese luxury brand’s first foray into engine downsizing.

The GS250 introduces a new base powertrain, a 2.5-litre V6 lifted directly from the smaller IS250. On paper, the power-to-weight ratio of a 154kW/253Nm V6 pushing 1720kg doesn’t look that flash, and in this case the paper is right.

While the GS250 doesn’t trail its Teutonic rivals too badly for outright torque, it needs a busy 4800rpm to achieve its maximum twist. The German’s, meanwhile, have all re-engineered force-fed fours that serve up big dollops of torque below 2000rpm.

For the purposes of comparison, check out Audi’s A6 2.0 TFSI (132kW/320Nm), BMW’s 520i (135kW/270Nm) and Benz’s E200 (135kW/270Nm).

You do at least get a selectable drive system that allows the driver to shift between Normal, Sport and Eco modes. The first is the default setting, the second sharpens throttle and shift response, while the third remps the throttle and attenuates the HVAC systems for maximum efficiency.

The official combined-cycle figure of 9.3L/100km is nothing to write home about next to the A6 (6.4L/100km), the 520i (6.7L/100km) and the E200 (6.6L/100km). Despite this, we failed to get near that mark except on a cruise controlled 80km/h highway run in Eco mode. By the end of our mostly urban week of regular shifts between Eco, Normal and Sport, we’d averaged a rather ordinary 12.3L/100km.

Fortunately, fuel-efficiency isn’t the only point here. You only need to look at the numbers for the much more potent GS350 (9.7L/100km combined) and the hybrid GS450h (6.3L/100km) to confirm this. Rather, the GS250 is all about value. More precisely, it’s about squeezing a GS in to the $80K battle zone, and here the GS succeeds admirably. 

The GS250 plays that old Lexus trump card of standard equipment with card shark timing. Even in base Luxury spec, you get dual-zone climate control, keyless go, Bluetooth audio, headlight and wiper sensors, seat heating and cooling, adaptive bi-xenons, DAB+ (digital) radio, HDD sat-nav, blind spot and tyre pressure monitoring, front/rear/lateral parking beepers, and (deep breath) heated electrochromatic wing mirrors.

For its $7500 premium, the mid-spec F Sport sharpens the sporting edge with adaptive variable suspension (AVS) and a Sport+ drive mode that firms up the dampers for more aggressive cornering. Plus it gets a bit of extra lingerie in the form of 19-inch alloys, 16-way driver’s seat adjustment, sports pedals and touches of brushed aluminium inside.

With one or two exceptions, which we’ll get to shortly, it’s all done extremely well. The reversing camera, for example, is crystal clear; the two-tone interior is immaculate; the seats generous if a little short under the thighs; and the materials, fit and finish inside and out are industry benchmark stuff. The ergonomics are good, too; it takes no time to get used to Lexus’s joystick-driven mouse system to navigate the deep-set central screen.

There’s good news on the performance front, too, since on the road the GS250 feels pleasantly at odds with the aforementioned power and torque numbers. It’s clearly no stump puller for low-end torque, but the engine needs surprisingly little prodding to shunt the GS along at decent pace. Pop it into Sport, bury your foot and you’ll even elicit an attractive V6 growl on the way to 100km/h in an acceptable 8.6 seconds.

To get the best out of the six-speed auto you need to pull it into paddle-driven manual mode, but that’s a bit wasted here since the GS is no rocket and the auto is thoroughly pleasant if left to its own devices.

You’ll need to engage Sport is you’re in any kind of a hurry, but the Normal mode is perfectly adequate for city traffic. Eco is, not surprisingly, more sluggish but satisfactory for cruise-controlled freeway runs.

Lexus has sharpened up the steering to go with the suspension improvements. Thrown into a corner in Sport+, the F Sport stays flat and maintains its line with ease. The chassis feels well up to the task and is, frankly, beyond the modest abilities of this engine. 

Beyond that disappointing thirst, annoyances are few. The cruise proves recalcitrant to engage at or around the 40km/h school-zone threshold, where most of its competitors have no trouble setting well below that. And if you want adaptive cruise you have to opt for the top-spec Sports Luxury, or the ‘enhancement pack’.

Past that, there’s more road noise than I remember from a Lexus, but it still sits at the pointy end of its class for interior ambience. Hats off to Lexus for giving it a digital radio, too.

The GS250 fulfils its mission of presenting a compelling alternative to the German triumvirate. Yes, its V6 falls short of their fours in every way. But it’s smooth and strong enough, and the car makes up a lot of ground courtesy of its benchmark build quality and unbeatable equipment list.

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