Skip advert
Advertisement

Lexus GS review - the alternative executive car choice - Performance and 0-60 time

Japanese executive saloons offer a different take on the Germanic norm, with mixed success

Evo rating
RRP
from £31,495
  • Handsome; well equipped; GS 300h low on CO2; GS F high on individuality
  • No diesels to truly compete with the class-leaders; hybrids an acquired taste

Performance and 0-60mph time

The hybrid drive in the GS isn’t exclusively about economy, Lexus suggesting that the batteries and electric motors mimic the performance of bigger engines without the penalty of higher consumption and emissions. That said, the 9.2 seconds it takes for the GS 300h to reach 62mph seems a touch tardy given that the 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor have a combined output of 220bhp. The top speed of 119mph might leave you a bit embarrassed on the autobahn, too.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The GS 450h counters with a far more convincing set of numbers. It has 354bhp from its combined 3.5-litre V6 and electric motor making for a far more respectable, quick even, 5.3-second run on the 0-62mph benchmark. It’ll reach 155mph to keep it in the running to the point where its German rivals all reach their electronic speed limiters - assuming they’ve not been fiddled with. 

Perhaps more significantly here the GS 300h offers greater battery-only performance. In EV mode it can reach 46mph, which is nearly double that of the GS 450h. In neither you’ll do so for long though, as the nickel-metal hydride batteries run out of juice after just two thirds of a mile, if that…

If performance is your sole concern, the recently-launched GS F is your best option. While its rewards aren't as immediately accessible as those of turbocharged equivalents, it'll still reach 62mph in 4.6sec, and head on to an electronically-limited 168mph.

 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week
evo eras 1990s
Features

Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo magazine, we go back to the 1990s on the finest Welsh roads with a selection of iconic youngtimers
27 Jun 2025