Lexus GS430 4.3 V8 Review

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Lexus GS430 4.3 V8
4.9 stars
Average rating for this product is: 4.9 out of 5

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txautophile's Review of Lexus GS430 4.3 V8

7th Sep 2003

Overall Rating

5 stars
  • Value for money
    5 stars
Good Points

Exceptionally quick acceleration
Avant garde styling, very attractive from some angles
Comfortable, luxurious cabin
Exceptionally well built
Perfect reliability
Superb Levinson stereo
Quiet
Buttery smooth ride, motor, trans
Excellent cornering
Beautiful, deep, lustrous metallic paint
Unmatched dealer service experience


Bad Points

Less sporting flavor than BMW540
Slow automatic trans downshift
(but using gear selector overcomes the problem)
Some body roll with rapid cornering
Peculiar styling from some angles


General Comments

I went out to buy a BMW540i but happened to drive the Lexus GS430 when my wife was buying an RX300. After that, the BMW seemed rather pedestrian by comparison. I still prefer the 540's classic styling proportions and the sporting flavor. In fact, I've gone back to the BMW dealer twice and almost traded in the GS430 for a new 540, but each time concluded I must have been out of my mind to even consider getting rid of the GS430. The fact is, I really like the GS430 better from almost every vantage point except styling, and I don't really dislike it, just prefer the 5-series. The 5-series (1997-2003) have a beautifully sculpted look from the windshield to the front end.

My only other complaint -- I wish the GS430 had the Formula 1 steering wheel shifters that the GS300 does, or even the BMW Steptronic transmission. If you use the GS430's gear selector and run it out hard through 2nd and 3rd gears, however, you begin to hear the 430's sweet engine notes. The acceleration from a dead stop is unbelievable, almost scary. The GS changes from Clark Kent into Superman almost instantly, and literally blows off the line -- the engine gains RPM so fast it sounds like it's on the verge of exploding. If you keep it in 1st and shift manually, it's even more impressive. So I'm finding you almost have to shift it manually to feel sporting flavor, while BWMs seem to exude it without effort.

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