Business

Car Review: Lexus GS 350 F Sport

Published

10 years ago

March 16, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

HOUSTON (NNPA)—After more than a week, it felt like we drove the Lexus GS 350 F Sport sedan through every one of the 600 square miles that comprise this city. And we only found a few irks to complain about.

Actually, we drove the Lexus GS 350 F Sport to New Orleans and back here. After 10 days and almost 1,000 miles, we came away with a healthy respect for the road worthiness of the midsize luxury sedan. Except for going over some rather spacious expansion joints on the causeways that slice through southern Louisiana, not once did any road noise make its way into the cabin.

Although the Lexus GS F Sport has an available rear-wheel-biased all-wheel-drive system, how often are you going to get inclement weather beyond heavy rain in this region? Anyway, that is a long-winded way of saying that we had a rear-wheel-drive model of the F Sport and it was just fine.

Still, the car had what Lexus called an adaptable variable suspension that came with its sport package. Settings were normal, sport, sport +, eco and snow. Even though regional gas prices ranged from $2.47 to $2.62, they were cheaper with cash, we set the car in Eco mode because of the distances involved on the trip.

That mode set throttle mapping and seat heating and climate control systems for optimal fuel economy. In ECO mode, the instrument meter lighting changed to blue. But the sport package is more than an extra setting, sport +, in the drive mode selector. We had a full tank of fuel when we left, we filled the tank again once we arrived and we filled it once more for the return trip. The visit to New Orleans included a side trip to Hammond, just North of Lake Pontchartrain, and the place we gassed up the second time.

Our test car had an EPA rating of 19 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Considering the 1,000 miles we drove, it was relatively easy on fuel.

The sport package was comprised of chassis enhancements, a sport tuned suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels with summer tires, larger front brakes that were appreciated with all the sudden slowdowns from Interstate speeds because of traffic congestion and high friction brake pads. Our test car also had lane keep assist and a rearview camera.

Of course there were firmer springs, thicker stabilizer bars and special bushings.

Although our test car was not equipped with it, the Lexus GS 350 F Sport has available dynamic rear steer that can add up to two degrees of rear wheel turn that enhances cornering and lane changes.

No matter whether we were traveling at 80 mph or 8 mph, our 3.5-liter engine performed flawlessly. It generated 308 horsepower, 277 pound-feet of torque and it was mated to an eight-speed transmission. There was no herking or jerking, no searching for the correct gear and the car accelerated swiftly when needed.

We thought the side view mirrors could have been shaped differently; they didn’t provide a wide enough view of what was on the side of the car. But the blind spot alert system made up for that lack. And in an age of portable electronic gadgets, we thought the car could have used more than one USB jack.

However, these gripes were mere inconveniences that were more than offset by the driver experience of the Lexus GS 350 F Sport. Our test car was swathed with a black perforated leather interior. The front seats were heated as well as cooled and the driver’s seat was 18-way power. Aluminum pedals and brushed aluminum trim completed the interior’s sport motif.

The car featured Lexus’ 12.3 inch dual information screen. We spent a lot of time in navigation mode and that gets us to our third quibble. The navigation system will not mute the audio system when giving directions to the driver. A moderate decibel level when playing the radio will drown out the directions being giving by the voice of the navigation system. Yes, there is a map with a designated route but you can miss those directions as well, if your eyes are on the road where they are supposed to be.

Still, the system had predictive traffic information that included detour preview, ETA calculation and low-fuel coordination with available fuel stations. We didn’t avail ourselves of the traffic information in the navigation system and ended up getting it off the traffic app in the Enform App Suite.

Either or, this trips marks the last time will travel back to Houston from the Big Easy on the Sunday after Turkey Day. The traffic was as thick as molasses in some places.

The information system had the usual compliment of stuff: Bluetooth, satellite radio, media capability, meaning it would and did play stations off the Pandora app on our smartphone and there were voice controls.

Other equipment on the Lexus GS 350 F Sport included adaptive cruise control, land departure warning, pre-collision warning, a 17-speaker 835-watt premium audio system, a rearview camera and folding side mirrors.

Our Lexus GS 350 F Sport was a quality midsize sedan in one of the most competitive segments of the luxury market. The car had a base price of $47,700. Add options that included the sport package and a $910 freight charge and the final tab was $60,784.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Outgoing Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln

Lincoln’s decision to run for mayor stemmed from his love of people and his desire to serve his city. He prioritized resolving issues, including homelessness and public safety, among others. Lincoln, a Republican, will transition out of his role as mayor on Dec. 31, after an unsuccessful campaign to represent the 9th Congressional District.

Published

3 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln. Photo provided by California Black Media.

Kevin Lincoln, outgoing mayor of Stockton, CA, captured during his tenure as a leader dedicated to the city’s progress and community engagement.

By Edward Henderson
California Black Media

Born in Stockton, Mayor Kevin Lincoln says his Army upbringing inspired him to serve others.

Lincoln joined the United States Marine Corps in 2001 and was later assigned to Marine One, serving during President George W. Bush’s administration.

Following his military service, Lincoln worked for one of the nation’s top private security companies for eight years in Silicon Valley. In 2013, he resigned from his corporate position to give back to his community in Stockton through full-time ministry at a local church.

Lincoln’s decision to run for mayor stemmed from his love of people and his desire to serve his city. He prioritized resolving issues, including homelessness and public safety, among others.

Lincoln, a Republican, will transition out of his role as mayor on Dec. 31, after an unsuccessful campaign to represent the 9^th Congressional District.

Recently, California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Lincoln. He reflected on his accomplishments this year and his goals moving forward.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

What I prioritize for our city council is our youth. They are the future — not only our city, but this region as a whole.

We were able to invest over $6 million in youth programming and workforce development, and partner with 14 different community-based organizations. We were able to employ over 600 young people through the city of Stockton. We launched even our first ever summer jobs program for the city of Stockton.

How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

It’s about giving people a seat at the table, and not necessarily waiting for people to come to me, but me going to the community, making myself accessible, meeting our community at the point of their need, where they’re at.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

It’s politics. Because unfortunately, there’s politics in everything. And I say politics impedes progress. You can have a policy, a solution that may not necessarily be 100% perfect. But it’s a good solution for everybody. But because we allow politics to get in the way based off our personal ideologies, oftentimes we can miss opportunities to make an impact for the benefit of the whole.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

My biggest inspiration has been the community and our ability to work together. What’s unique about Stockton, one in 20 jobs are nonprofit jobs in the city of Stockton and even San Joaquin County.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

To stay focused. In politics, there’s a lot of opportunity for distractions. There are a lot of influences from the outside — good, bad and indifferent. It’s important to stay focused, have a clear vision, and be committed to that vision.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Economics. When the economy is not healthy, when we’re not thriving, we’re limited. Opportunities are limited.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

I just want to continue to be a servant leader and serve our community in whatever capacity I am in.