What is it?

Now nearing the end of its third generation, the GS slots in above the sporty IS and below the luxury-laden LS. It’s sized about like the tremendously popular ES 350, but the GS offers rear-wheel-drive and a much higher price tag – not to mention the optional V8 seen in our tester.

Its basic style is derivative of the original Giugiaro-penned 1991 GS300 (a rebadged Toyota Aristo), but the latest car was introduced for 2006. Smoother and suaver than the second-generation GS – notable for its Shakespearean “Something wicked this way comes” ad campaign – the S190-platform car retains the two-engine configuration of its predecessor.

As enthusiasts, we jumped at the range-topping GS 460 with its 342-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. A hybrid – dubbed GS 450h – was briefly on offer before sluggish sales forced its removal from the North American market.

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    Performance
    Review-OnRoad You need to work the 2.5-litre V6 petrol engine hard to extract maximum performance, but it pulls cleanly from low revs and is punchy enough for assured overtaking. Similarly, the di ...

    Vehicle Details
    Interior Refinements to the interior of the 2011 ES 350 include 10-way power seats up front. Although the ES 350 may not be the first thought when purchasing a family vehicle, the 60/40 split-fo ...

    12-volt battery
    Location The 12-volt battery is located on the left-hand side of the luggage compartment. Removing the 12-volt battery cover - Vehicles with a compact spare tire Pull the lever upward to fol ...