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:

    Cargo
    If getting to your destination isn't enjoyable, loading up the GX is even more exasperating. To get to the cargo area, you have to open a huge swing gate. While most SUVs have moved to a liftgate ...

    Exterior
    There's no argument that the GX 470 is a pretty SUV. This was a full-sized mama with curves in all the right places. The GX was big without being bulky or obnoxious, like some of the other huge SU ...

    Review: 2011 Lexus GS 460
    Like that pesky honor student who always sat in the front row, was first to raise his or her hand to answer a question and never seemed to score below an A on an exam, Lexus has managed to become ...