1999 Lexus GS 400 Review

Among the hottest luxury cars are posh sedans that provide the performance of a hot sports coupe.

One such car is Japan's fairly new $45,505 Lexus GS 400. It is designed to butt heads with the larger luxury/performance sedans from automakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Cadillac.

The audacious styling, with radically short front and rear ends, immediately tells you the GS 400 isn't your typical Lexus.

The 149-m.p.h. GS 400 is bigger and faster than the ES 300 and isn't as soft as the larger LS 400.

The GS 400 has the rear-wheel-drive layout of fast European luxury sedans for better performance during hard driving. A front-drive car lacks the balance of a rear-drive auto, which has better weight distribution because lots of parts aren't jammed up front.

That's why you've never seen a front-drive Ferrari.

The GS 400 almost has Ferrari-style performance. The heart of the car is a sophisticated 4-liter V-8, with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing for instant response at all speeds.

It once was a big deal to get one horsepower from each cubic inch of engine displacement. The GS 400 far outdoes that old goal because it has a 242-cubic-inch engine that generates 300 horsepower.

The aluminum V-8 whisks the 3,693-pound GS 400 from 0-60 m.p.h. in just 5.9 seconds and makes it a breeze to merge into fast traffic or do fast passing maneuvers in tight situations.

Such performance from a quiet, posh, equipment-loaded sedan is remarkable. Four 6-footers easily fit in the GS 400, which has a fairly long 110.2-inch wheelbase (the distance between front and rear axles.) Front seats are nicely supportive during spirited driving. But a left-rear occupant with long legs will wish for more room if a tall driver tilts the backrest a lot. And the rear-drive setup doesn't make it comfortable for a middle passenger in the back seat.

The sumptuous, quiet, leather-and-wood interior has a nicely designed dashboard with smooth controls and front side air bags.

However, the turn signals are reluctant to turn off after a turn is completed--a curious fault. And a high window line may make shorter occupants feel a little submerged. Rear windows don't roll down all the way.

The big trunk has a conveniently low, wide opening, although housings for rear suspension parts cause the far end of the trunk to resemble a narrow shelf.

The V-8 works with an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission, which is more versatile than the four-speed automatics found in most luxury cars. The automatic generally is efficient, but pauses a bit more than it should before downshifting. It stays in a strong downshift mode past 80 m.p.h.

This transmission has a clutchless manual shift feature, but the Grand Prix-inspired manual upshift and downshift buttons on the steering-wheel spokes take getting used to. Most will just leave the transmission in regular ``Drive'' mode.

Fuel economy is an estimated 17 m.p.g. in the city, which is average for this type of car. The highway figure is 24, which results in a fairly long cruising range on long trips.

The all-independent double-wishbone suspension is supple, but the ride may be too firm for some luxury car buyers. After all, this is a very fast car that wouldn't be safe at its rated top speed with a mushy suspension.

Although quick, the steering feels a bit too light and numb above 50 m.p.h. But handling is superb. The car has traction control, as well as a Vehicle Skid Control system that uses the sensors, actuators and computer electronics of the anti-lock braking and traction control systems to help reduce vehicle skids caused by overly exuberant driving.

The strong brakes can be easily modulated and work with a standard anti-lock system.

The rigidly built GS 400 looks and feels like a long-life car. Nobody used to think you could get such high performance from a luxury car.