2013 Lexus GS

Lexus isn't known for exciting sports cars. It's the leader in quiet, comfortable luxury sedans that deliver good value, but that's not the reputation you want if you're trying to sell a dynamic sport sedan like the GS 350 — even if it has made Lexus one of the best-selling luxury brands in recent history.

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The 2013 Lexus GS sedan won't just change the sport sedan's place in the industry; it will change the entire brand when it goes on sale in February 2012.

The new GS' impressive blend of nimble handling, quiet road manners, intriguing looks and high-level interior seem like the perfect blueprint for the brand's future.

Performance

The old GS suffered from a split personality. It wasn't sporty enough to win over BMW or Audi shoppers, nor was it comfortable enough to sway Mercedes-Benz shoppers. Somehow, the 2013 GS is both sportier and more comfortable, two characteristics that don't typically go together.

Rear-wheel-drive GS sedans felt incredibly nimble through a closed road course set up by Lexus, with lots of grip and crisp, precise steering. Lexus supplied a new BMW 535i for comparison, and the BMW felt heavier and more bloated in the course's tight, orange-cone-lined confines. In my opinion, the GS won, hands down.

A few inches shorter than the 535i and nearly 200 pounds lighter, the GS felt like a different class of car in sharp turns. I had to adjust much more for the German sedan's weight shift midway through maneuvers.

This is all well and good, but buyers will be commuting in the GS, not fighting for rally titles.

Luckily, the GS shines there, too.

On expanses of desert roadways, the GS soared over the pavement with little noise intrusion, whether the surfaces were pristine or pockmarked. Lexus is already famed for its quiet driving experience, and the GS delivers that with a better feel for the road than the automaker's ES and LS sedans. It's just not as in-tune with the road as the 535, but that car is louder with a rougher ride.

The new GS carries over the same 3.5-liter V-6 engine as the 2011, with a six-speed automatic. It's good for 306 horsepower, but it doesn't come on as quickly as the twin-turbo inline-six in the BMW 535. Still, it will be enough for most buyers, and in terms of zero-to-60-mph speeds, the GS is in line with the 535. Both have manufacturer's estimates of 5.7 seconds to 60 mph.

The base GS comes with Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes, while the F Sport Package adds a tighter suspension and available rear-wheel steering.

I could feel the F Sport Package's added undercarriage work on the road course, but it was much less apparent on those desert roads. I don't see much need for the F Sport Package … unless you like the looks.

Braking is responsive and might be the best of any Lexus on the market, although that's not a ringing endorsement in itself. It falls between the aggressive braking of the 5 Series and the more lethargic Infiniti M sedan.

All-wheel drive is also available on the GS 350, but not on the hybrid.

The GS 350 is estimated to return mileage of 19/28 mpg city/highway. The city figure is unchanged from the outgoing model, but highway ratings are up 2 mpg. They're now identical to the BMW 535's figures and slightly ahead of the Infiniti M37's 18/26 mpg city/highway.