Big Toys: Sporty or green – the flavors of the new Lexus GS luxury sedan

For the last few years there has been a tug-of-war in our consumer driven minds. Culturally, and to some extent ethically, we should be considering alternative fuels for our daily transportation. Now we have to stop and ask: Can I drive a sports inspired car or should I be looking at the “Green” alternative?

Maybe the better question is: What can I choose? Lexus is trying to bring some peace to this inner struggle. Lexus wants to sell you a car, but what I find interesting is that they have captured the spirit of what some consumers are looking for and wrapped it up in the all-new 2013 Lexus GS model family. The GS allows you to pick and choose the image and level of environmentally consciousness; but it does come at a price that starts at $46,900. Steep? For some yes; and for others looking at Lexus’ German competition it may seem intriguing.

Let’s consider these options: GS 350 F-Sport All-Wheel Drive and GS 450h (“h” for hybrid). These two cars put you in the mid and upper range of the GS family. The GS 350 rear-wheel drive is your base $46K sedan. With the baseline set, let’s take a closer look at sporty v. green.

Ironically, the answer really doesn’t come down to performance. The differentiators: Price, image and feeling. To illustrate, each GS has the 3.5-liter V6 engine – even the hybrid model. All the non-hybrid models will also have 306-hp and a six-speed sequential shift automatic transmission. The top of the range is found in the hybrid, which also has the power differentiation of 338 Total System Horsepower, an addition from the Lexus Hybrid Drive system.

Want All-Wheel Drive? That is available only on the GS 350 and GS 350 F-Sport and will change the rear-wheel drive EPA numbers from 19/28 mpg city/hwy to 19/26 mpg city/hwy. The MPG winner: the GS 450h with a family leading 29/34 mpg city/hwy. Surely the GS 450h is a lot less sporty, right? On paper the GS 450h boasts the highest 0-60 time at 5.6 seconds, but only by a tenth or two.

If you are puzzled about where the F-Sport, Lexus’ sport package or the Hybrid fits into the equation it comes down to those three original items: Price, image and feeling.

The entire GS model family is sporty; what isn’t conveyed is the feeling that each model gives you. The design is crisp on the outside and well put together on the inside with class leading features like the 12.3 in. high-resolution split screen navigation and entertainment system. However, each model will give you a slight spin on this sports luxury sedan’s image. The GS 350 F-Sport gives you a more aggressive look and driver centric features like the 16 way F-Sport Driver’s Seat. The GS 450h will be more subdued from the exterior and will provide the most economy and performance, but at a higher price.

In the end price may be the final factor. The 2013 GS350 F-Sport AWD comes in as tested at $58,997 and the 2013 GS450h tipped scales as tested at $69,754. The biggest difference between the two models? The starting price to get one.

**Correction: We updated the article to changed V8 to V6 as this was a typo. Our bad!