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Lexus GS 430 (2000 - 2005)

A YEN FOR QUALITY (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 89

Circumstances have conspired rather cruelly against Lexus' GS430, but while this has resulted in modest new sales, it only plays into the hands of the used buyer looking for a bargain executive car with plenty left in the tank. Although it has struggled to establish itself as a viable rival in the Audi A6/BMW 5 Series/Mercedes E-Class echelon, the GS430 nevertheless offers a unique slant on the executive theme, serving up peerless reliability and refinement backed up with a huge helping of standard equipment. It's well worth your time.

Modelsword count: 12

Models Covered: Second generation GS Series - Four door saloon, 4.3-litre petrol

Historyword count: 88

Lexus launched the second generation GS series in January 1998, although it wasn't until October 2000 that the more powerful GS430 model debuted. With a 4.3-litre V8 engine developing 280bhp, this was the quickest Lexus to date. Offered in one luxurious SE guise, the GS430 ran head on into rivals from Mercedes, BMW and Audi and struggled at first, hampered by the fact that few perceived the GS series as a new car, despite the fact that the German rivals were hardly in their first flush of youth.

What You Getword count: 350

The Lexus GS series is Japan's (or more accurately Toyota's) idea of what the successful Western executive would like to be driving. When it was first launched in 1993, it was based on a concept car originally designed for Jaguar by Italian stylists Giugiaro. The current version, in contrast, appears to have borrowed more heavily from Mercedes, with similar front and rear styling to Stuttgart's old E-class. The GS430 is extravagantly equipped. The interior of the car carries on the somewhat glitzy effect started by the 'look-at-me' wheels. Packed with every electronic gizmo imaginable, the GS430 is a magnet for technophiles. There's little of the fashionable minimalism that big Audis and BMWs display, and the combination of veneer finish and grey plastic is something of an acquired taste. Nonetheless, the sheer amount of kit is deeply laudable and includes an activated charcoal cabin air filter, electronically adjustable steering wheel, wave-reflector headlamps, water-repellent glass for the front side windows, and leather seats with heating and memory function for the front pair. The wood and leather steering wheel isn't the prettiest fitment, but it's fitted with an airbag, one of a number including passenger, side and curtain-type ready to transform the interior of the GS430 into a bouncy castle in the event of impact. The equipment list also includes a particularly good speed-sensitive power steering system, a 6-disc CD autochanger located in the glovebox, thus preventing those awkward moments spent digging through luggage in the boot to retrieve a disc. As standard equipment, you get another Mark Levinson stereo, this time featuring a custom-designed amplifier and eight specially designed speakers, including a centre dash-mounted speaker for more detailed surround sound. With an optional satellite navigation system to play with, the GS430 could be the world's finest car to get stuck in traffic in. There's a lot to fiddle with, from the dual climate control air-conditioning to the electrically multi-adjustable front seats. If you can exhaust the entertainment possibilities of all these features, then a game of 'count the cupholders' never loses its appeal - the GS430 has a fair amount to find.

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Scoring (subset of scores)

Category: Luxury Saloons and Estates

Performance
50%
Handling
40%
Comfort
60%
Space
60%
Styling, Build, Value, Equipment, Depreciation, Handling, Insurance and Total scores are available with our full data feed.

This is an excerpt from our full review.
To access the full content library please contact us on 0330 0020 227 or click here

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