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.
See also:
What’s it up against?
This one’s tough to answer: The ES doesn’t really have many direct rivals
aside from the Ford Fusion-based Lincoln MKZ, the Cadillac CTS , the Acura TL
and the Volvo S80 since the segment is all-b ...
Audio system type
With navigation system
Owners of models equipped with a navigation system should refer to
the “Navigation System Owner's Manual”.
Without navigation system (type
A)
CD player with changer and AM ...
What is it?
Yes, it’s based on the same platform as the Toyota Camry. But so are the RX
and Toyota’s Sienna minivan – and they don’t exactly look or feel like a Camry.
So, too, is the ES 350 quite a bit diff ...