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:

    Leftlane’s bottom line
    Looking at the sales figures alone, the ES fills an obvious slot in the market that no other automaker has really chosen to take on. Priced more like the compact IS, the ES is sized like the GS bu ...

    Gauges and meters
    1. Hybrid System Indicator. Displays hybrid system output or regeneration level. 2. Multi-information display. 3. Speedometer. Displays the vehicle speed. 4. Fuel gauge. Displays the quantity ...

    Coat hooks
    Pull out the hooks to hang coats or other soft items. CAUTION: Items that must not be hung on the hook Do not hang a coat hanger or other hard or sharp object on the hook. If the SRS curtain shi ...