– Detroit, Michigan

In the past month, I’ve spent a lot of time in the new BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class – two important players in the midsize luxury/sport segment. They’re fantastic, the true benchmarks of the class… and they really point out the weaknesses of competitors like this Lexus GS 350.

The Lexus GS is priced well below equivalent versions of its German rivals, and that’s this car’s one big competitive advantage. The GS 350 F Sport you see here is equipped with the same luxury and technology features as its rivals, for a lot less coin. However, this is really a case of getting what you pay for.

Pros

Smooth ride. I took the GS for a couple of long freeway cruises, and honestly, I think that’s where this car truly excels. The chassis is tuned in such a way that the GS never feels floaty, it won’t waft about. But at the same time, harsh pavement impacts aren’t felt from the driver’s seat. I could road trip in this thing for hours and hours and would have no complaints about ride quality whatsoever.

They call it “Lexus quiet” for a reason. Closing the door on the GS feels like sealing yourself inside a vault. All wind noise vanishes, road noise is nonexistent. You can have a conversation with your passengers at a reasonable volume, and you don’t have to crank the stereo to drown out the sounds from outside. As far as interior quiet-tuning goes, Lexus proves it’s still the benchmark.

Priced right. This GS 350 F Sport is nearly fully loaded and costs $60,055...