- sedan 121,190
- 10,980 high price
- Columbia, MO
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 121,190 gasoline automatic
2006 lexus gs 300 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new lineup includes all-wheel drive. introductionas the first completely new passenger car from toyota's luxury division since 2001, the 2006 lexus gs is a showcase of the giant company's most advanced technology. Again going after the perceived leader of the pack, lexus devised a crafty strategy. first, it broadened the appeal of the gs line-up with a faster, better equipped 'base' car. In fact, the rear-wheel-drive gs 300 out-measures its competitor from munich, the bmw 530i, in horsepower, torque, the 0-60 sprint and fuel mileage, not to mention offering a far friendlier and more sybaritic cockpit. second, to entice those in cold climes who until now had to look elsewhere for an all-weather passenger car, lexus is offering an all-wheel-drive option for the gs 300. More than one-third of all new gs sales are expected to be awd models, most headed for the northwest and northeast united states. finally, lexus made sure the top dawg of the family, the 430, had the bite to wrest bragging rights away from the germans, not just by matching but exceeding the high-end performance recorded by the bmw 545i. Simply put, lexus fine-tuned its 4. 3-liter v8, paired it with a wonder of a transmission and cloaked the drivetrain in a slippery coat of sexy metal. Lexus hasn't disappointed, adding more than a dash of driving spice to the family virtues of smoothness and refinement. But there is another, major question to be answered: is this asian upstart delivering where it counts most. Does a lexus gs feel like an ultimate driving machine?. lineupthe 2006 lexus gs is available as three models (and an intriguing gas/electric hybrid gs is on the horizon). the rear-wheel-drive gs 300 42,900) sports a completely new 245-horsepower v6 under the hood; the gs 300 awd 44,850) grips the road through the first all-wheel-drive system in a lexus passenger car; and the top of the line gs 430 51,125) is the quickest lexus yet due in part to its recently refined 300-horsepower v8. every gs puts its power to the wheels through three variations of a new close-ratio six-speed automatic transmission, each designed for optimum performance with their respective gs applications. One of the smallest and lightest gearboxes of its type, it includes a sequential manual shift mode, with gear changes made via a lever in the center console. Steering-wheel-mounted pushbutton gear selection is no longer offered. the list of standard equipment places the gs line squarely in the luxury fold. And yet despite all the amenities wrapped in the more appealing bodywork, on a comparably equipped basis the new gs 300's cost-up is a paltry $140 over the outgoing model. In the gs this was resolved with a lower stance, more front overhang, a longer and lower hood, a 2-inch-longer wheelbase and wider rear track. It certainly looks as sleek as the 0. 27 coefficient of drag would suggest. A flat underbody aids the aerodynamic efficiency (the previous gs had a cd of 0. 29) and helps reduce noise. the lowered stance is underlined by an aggressive front valance, with a large inlet to indicate there's a powerful engine under the hood, thirsty for air. A fog lamp is integrated into each lower front corner. Prominent body-color rocker extensions anchor the car's mass along the midsection, which is nicely balanced by the well-proportioned wheel wells. This sense of forward motion is reflected in a swept-back greenhouse that blends into the short rear decklid via a coupe-like c-pillar. The integrated aero look extends to color-keyed rearview mirrors and bumper covers. For sportier types, or for the determined driver who might need a bit more downforce in high-speed corners, the tail can be outfitted with an optional spoiler. the external structure is rust-resistant galvanized steel and was engineered to provide just one of many lines of defense against collisions. Should an accident occur, the gs has an airbag for every occasion, but lexus also took measures to reduce the chance of those accidents happening in the first place. These include seat-mounted side-impact airbags; force-limiting, 3-point seat belts (all five seats), with pretensioners for both front and rear (outboard) passengers; front and rear side-curtain airbags; and automatic locking/emergency locking retractors for all occupants save the driver (elr only). this passive level of occupant protection extends to such features as a padded instrument panel; impact-absorbing upper interior trim; a tire-pressure warning system. To ensure that the brakes achieve optimum stopping dynamics, they're augmented by electronic brake-force distribution (ebd); brake assist (ba); traction control (trc); and vehicle stability control (vsc). The 300's front discs measure 11. 6 inches, while the 430 is fitted with giant 13. 1-inch. Both cars have 12. 2-inch rear discs. though the gs 300 uses a conventional brake booster, gs 430s also get what lexus calls electronically controlled brake (ecb). This system detects the length of the brake pedal stroke appl. interiorwe should all live in houses as well appointed, and as well designed for simple use, as the lexus gs. Following established lexus standard, each gauge, button, wheel and lever is clearly identified by easily read words or symbols, and the three-pod analog instrument cluster's white-on-black graphics can be grasped at a glance. a 160-mph speedometer, with an integrated electronic digital odometer and twin trip meters, is flanked to the left by a tachometer and to the right by fuel and water temperature gauges and lights indicating gear choice. dominating the center console is a 7-inch touch screen, flanked by two banks of menu buttons. Entering the various menus and navigating through the submenus doesn't take too much brainpower, but like most multi-tasking sys. Tachometer✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Navigation System✔ Backup Camera✔ Bluetooth
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