2016 Lexus GS F Review
2016 Lexus GS F Review





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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Reasonable base price
- high quality interior.
Cons
- Less rapid than its competition
- tech interface can be distracting to use.
What’s new
The 2016 Lexus GS F is a new model in the GS lineup this year.
Edmunds says
The 2016 Lexus GS F amps up the performance compared with Lexus' regular GS 350 coupe. The resulting power and luxury are promising, though may not be enough to topple other rival high-performance sedans.
2016 GS F Highlights
- Combined MPG
- 19 MPG
- Cost to Drive
- $253/month
- Seating
- 5 seats
- Drivetrain
- rear wheel drive
- Engine Type
- Gas
- Warranty
- 4 years / 50,000 miles
Vehicle overview
With the GS F, Lexus steps into the ring with some of the most accomplished performance sedans on the market. The GS F is the fourth member of the brand's performance-oriented "F" lineup and borrows from its stablemates to ratchet up its firepower and capability. Lexus F models are a response to BMW's "M" division, Mercedes-Benz's AMG, Cadillac's V series and Audi's RS models.

The 2016 Lexus GS F is distinguishable from the standard GS thanks to larger grille air intakes, unique wheels and brightly painted brake calipers.
Based on the existing GS 350, the GS F wears its reinvigorated attitude on its proverbial sleeve, boasting more aggressive bodywork, quad tailpipe tips, carbon-fiber accents and 19-inch wheels. There's a raft of enhancements under the skin to back up the tougher look, as you'd expect in a car of this segment. The GS F's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 churns up 467 horsepower (it's the same engine found in the RC F) and is complemented by a torque-vectoring rear differential, upsized brakes and a retuned suspension, all of which promise to elevate this luxury sedan's performance to new heights. Even the structure of the car itself has been reinforced to better cope with the rigors of high-performance driving.
However, while the regular GS line is a fine all-around luxury sedan, the GS F has a more difficult time truly standing out in this all-star league. Although its curb weight just north of 4,000 pounds is relatively light for the class, the GS F is also packing less torque than its turbocharged competition. The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is far more powerful and costs similarly, while the traditional German choices — the 2016 BMW M5 and 2016 Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 — dish up more performance than the Lexus. We also suspect that the GS F, as it lacks an adaptive suspension, won't be able to match those models' dynamic range of handling and ride comfort. The GS F's price is lower, though. That might be enough of a draw for shoppers who don't need ultimate performance and just want a well-equipped GS sedan with a boffo V8 under the hood.
Performance & mpg
The highlight of the GS F is its engine, a 5.0-liter V8 that develops 467 hp and 389 pound-feet of torque. It's a high-revving power plant that was borrowed intact from the RC F. As in that car, the GS F is available exclusively with an eight-speed automatic gearbox with an element of manual control via paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel.
According to Lexus, the GS F will accelerate to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Perhaps a better gauge of its thrust is its quarter-mile elapsed time of 12.8 seconds. It's certainly quick, though even this heady performance lacks the fireworks of its competition.
An automatic stop-start function, high compression ratio and clever variable valve timing help to conserve fuel. EPA estimates the GS F will return 19 mpg combined (16 city/24 highway), which is quite good compared to other sedans in this segment.
Safety
Standard safety features for the 2016 Lexus GS F include antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front knee airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, front and rear side airbags and a rearview camera. The standard Enform Safety Connect system includes automatic collision notification, stolen-vehicle location and an emergency assist button.
Also standard is adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane departure intervention, automatic high beams and a forward collision warning system that includes pedestrian detection as well as forward collision mitigation with automatic braking.
While the GS F is a new model, crash testing performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for the GS series as a whole earned the highest score of "Good" in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset impact test. It also earned a "Good" score for the side-impact, roof strength and seats and head restraints (rear-impact whiplash protection) tests. It's not yet clear whether the GS F's V8 engine will result in any deviations from the above results.
Driving
We haven't driven the 2016 GS F yet, but we expect it will be similar to its kissing cousin, the RC F. The two cars share a powertrain and large portions of the chassis, so we anticipate the GS F will have benign handling character that is predictable and approachable. Like the RC F, we don't expect its brakes are cut out for sustained high-speed track lapping.

Although we haven't driven it yet, we do not expect the Lexus GS F to surprise us with exceptional off-road capability.
One area we do expect the GS F will differ is in ride quality. Lexus has stated that the GS F is not quite as firm as its coupe counterpart, which is probably a good thing given that the mission statement of a sedan is generally broader and less focused than a coupe. Check back later for a full report.
Interior
Starting with the cabin found in lesser GS models is a fine jumping-off point for the GS F, since Lexus employs high-quality materials and a design motif that owes nothing to its rivals. For the GS F, the supple leather and aluminum trim are supplemented by synthetic suede accents at certain touch points and carbon-fiber trim across the dashboard. It also receives a pair of unique front seats that have more prominent bolsters to support enthusiastic driving. As in other GS models, the GS F seats five and the rear seats have ample head- and legroom for two adults.

Thanks to a roomy rear seat, the GS F is a luxury sport sedan for the whole family.
One area that is a weak point in the GS F cabin is the Lexus' Remote Touch interface, which is the only means by which to interact with the infotainment system. Mainly, it's the mouselike controller, which is the primary method for making audio and navigation selections, and it's far from ideal. Although the display screen is sharp, cursor control with the device is jerky, particularly when you're on the move. Lexus is paying attention to criticisms of this interface because for 2016 the system gains some additional menu shortcuts, but the reality is that most rival infotainment controllers are less distracting to use.
The trunk's 14 cubic feet of cargo capacity is on par for the segment, but the rear seats do not fold to expand the cargo volume. Instead there is a center pass-through in the backseat to swallow longer objects.
2016 Lexus GS F models
The 2016 Lexus GS F is a five-seat luxury sedan offered exclusively with rear-wheel drive. Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated auto-dimming side mirrors, keyless entry and ignition, driver-selectable drive modes, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated eight-way power front seats (with two-way power lumbar), driver seat memory functions, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and power rear sunshade.
Standard tech features include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, Lexus' Remote Touch interface, a 12.3-inch screen with navigation, a rearview camera and a 12-speaker surround-sound audio system with a CD player, satellite and HD radio, a USB interface and an auxiliary audio jack. Also included is Siri integration for select iPhones, and Enform Remote, which can remotely start the engine, adjust climate control, monitor the vehicle's position and set limits and receive alerts for speed, distance and curfew.

The GS F gains carbon-fiber accents and seats borrowed from the Lexus RC F sport coupe.
Available stand-alone options include a 17-speaker premium Mark Levinson sound system, a sunroof and premium paint.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2016 Lexus GS F.
5 star(100%)
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2 reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
One for the ages...
Bonafide, 02/11/2021
2016 Lexus GS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
This will be a car people will clamor for very shortly and for decades to come, mark my words. The Lexus GS F is a vehicular representation of poets, painters, and artisans who were only praised posthumously — something to be missed only when gone. Now that production has ceased, it’s only a matter of time. I’m keeping Hayami, my USB (Blue) GSF, for life. She is the epitome of a car that … can be as naughty or as refined as you want. Take her to the track or daily drive her, she offers no qualms for many smoke-filled miles. She’s low maintenance, easy to DIY, cheap to repair. She offers excitement, but she makes you work for it. Every time I look at her, it’s love at first sight all over again. She is a rare beauty, and, yes, it’s the GS F I’m talking about. A misunderstood car in a world of straight speed.
5 out of 5 stars
GS F Refined nastiness
Rich Haapala, 09/11/2016
2016 Lexus GS F 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A)
Update: I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote fisrt review. I love this car. I didn't realize it has sport S + mode, and when you remove traction control, you can drift. You know, sedan for the family and freaking drift mode for the midlife crisis. I've been driving it for 2 years, and I'm nowhere close to bored with her. Even the color scheme that I didn't love has … completely won me over. I know the Nav system gets crummy reviews, but I find it quite simple. Can't say enough good things. Still one negative is the smallish fuel tank. Lexus performance driving school is a must do.
I was disappointed with the initial pricing of this car when it first landed at the dealerships. I thought it was a little overpriced for its comparative group. It lacks that punchy torque its competitors have, but makes up for it with an awesome sound and plenty of upper range power. I'm a larger guy and I find the side bolstering to be a tad snug, but my wife loves the seats. My Cayenne had adjustable bolstering which for the near 90K range this should have as well. Also, I am less than thrilled with the unusual color of the side mirrors and A/B pillar. They are a boring grey color that really doesn't match my Atomic Silver, and the side window surround is chrome while the front end has a very good looking black chrome. Seems like poor attention to detail by Lexus. Overall, I am VERY satisfied with this (my 4th Lexus). I have been following this car since 2010 and really wanted it, but would not have purchased if not for 5K rebate from Lexus.
2016 Lexus GS F video
JAMES RISWICK: We'll be heading to Detroit next week for the 2015 North American International Auto Show. But we got a sneak peek here in Los Angeles of one of the cars set to debut there in Detroit, the Lexus GSF. [MUSIC PLAYING] Now, this isn't to be confused with the GS350 F Sport, which gets improvements to its suspensions, steering, and brakes versus the regular version, plus more exciting styling. Nope, this is a full blown high performance version of the GS that is said to be the Lexus answer to cars like the BMW M5, Audi RS 7, and Mercedes AMG E63. It shares many components with the RCF Coupe, including its naturally aspirated 5.0 liter V8 that's good for 467 horsepower and 389 pound feet of torque. Rear wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic are standard, along with the same torque vectoring differential found in the RCF that provide sharper handling. Visually, everything from the 8-pillar forward is unique to the GSM. Much of the rear has been altered as well, including the quad pipes that are real, unlike those in the old ISF. The interior isn't quite as different as the exterior, but it does get special sport seats like the RCF. But note that the two tone color scheme won't be available in North America. We'll learn more about the GSF next week in Detroit. But for now, let us know what you think of it, and explore Edmunds.com for more information.
2016 Lexus GS F First Look
This 2016 Lexus GS F video preview includes information about its V8 engine, Torque Vectoring Differential and unique styling inside and out. This high-performance Lexus sedan debuted at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.
More about the 2016 Lexus GS F
Used 2016 Lexus GS F Overview
The Used 2016 Lexus GS F is offered in the following submodels: GS F Sedan. Available styles include 4dr Sedan (5.0L 8cyl 8A). The Used 2016 Lexus GS F comes with rear wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 8-speed shiftable automatic.
What's a good price on a Used 2016 Lexus GS F?
Price comparisons for Used 2016 Lexus GS F trim styles:
- The Used 2016 Lexus GS F Base is priced between $46,590 and$51,990 with odometer readings between 43524 and73597 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, VA. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
Which used 2016 Lexus GS FS are available in my area?
Shop Edmunds' car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million vehicles to find a cheap new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) 2016 Lexus GS F for sale near. There are currently 4 used and CPO 2016 GS FS listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as $46,590 and mileage as low as 43524 miles. Simply research the type of car you're interested in and then select a used car from our massive database to find cheap prew-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the AutoCheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the Used 2016 Lexus GS F.
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Should I lease or buy a 2016 Lexus GS F?
Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand, can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a new car every three years or so.
Check out Lexus lease specials
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