Is it time for a bigger family car? If you just can’t squeeze your life into a compact sedan anymore, there are a huge number of sensible cars on the new and secondhand market with space for a growing family. But what if you’re only looking for something slightly sensible? Something with enough room and reliability to do family duty, but with enough performance to replace caffeine. You might need a V8-powered Lexus GS F.
Think of it as the RC F’s rarer, more cohesive big brother that won widespread praise and should be genuinely collectable in the future. It’s rare, it’s a formula we can’t quite replicate anymore, and the surest sign of all is that these cars were glued to showroom floors when they were new. Now though, this under-the-radar V8 sports sedan is priced on-par with a new Toyota Highlander, and I’m not talking about a loaded Highlander either.
What Are We Looking At?
The Lexus GS F might be the best sports sedan nobody talks about. Beyond the tedious mouse-based infotainment system, the star of the show was a five-liter naturally aspirated V8 that Lexus still uses today. Revisions over the IS F variant of the 2UR-GSE resulted in 467 horsepower, a redline of 7,300 rpm, and an extended high-RPM soundtrack that was positively to die for. However, despite having an eight-speed automatic on its own, the GS F found it trailing its German rivals in the numbers game.
Pair an 86-horsepower deficit compared to an F10 M5 with a 4,128-pound curb weight, and it’s no wonder Car and Driver clocked it from zero-to-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, substantially slower than a modern M5. However, cars aren’t driven on paper, and the publication lauded the GS F as an example of how to make a big sedan engaging when the roads get twisty. As the magazine wrote:
The handling isn’t just predictable; it’s accessible—a trait that’s become rare as these expensive sports sedans blend attributes of intercontinental ballistic missiles and roller coasters. In some of these cars, the driver is as much a passenger as anyone in the right-hand seat; the cars are powerful enough that even slow and sloppy driving feels fast. Not so in the Lexus. The GS F is an anachronism, and we mean that in the best possible sense. It delivers rewards in direct proportion to how hard it’s driven.
Indeed, corners are where the real magic of the GS F appears. In contrast to overly stiff competitors that sacrificed enjoyment for numbers, the GS F featured fixed Sachs dampers that breathed beautifully with the road, a torque-vectoring rear differential that would aggressively yet predictably rotate the big sedan on the power, and enough tactility and drama to make sensible speeds fun. Perhaps the best testimony for the car came from Jeremy Clarkson, writing in the Sunday Times:
I wouldn’t blame you at all if you went off and bought a BMW M3 or M5 instead. They’re both tremendous. But don’t assume they’re the best of breed. Because in my book this flawed old-school charmer has them beat.
So, what we have here is a V8 rear-wheel-drive sports sedan regarded by some as better than a contemporary BMW M3 or M5, and it sold in extremely low numbers. Only 2,484 made it to America, making it rarer than most modern Ferraris, rarer than most modern Lamborghinis, and sure to attract a few eyeballs at Cars & Coffee. Best of all, you can now pick one up for the price of a new Toyota Highlander.
How Much Are We Talking?
When I say you can get a GS F for new Highlander money, I’m not even stretching things slightly. A middle-of-the-range Toyota Highlander XSE starts at $48,090 including freight, and you can absolutely find a GS F for less. Take this grey 2016 GS F, for example. It sold last week on Cars & Bids for $44,500, and it seems to be a well-kept example. With 67,100 miles on the clock, two previous owners, and a clean Carfax, it’s in exactly the shape you’d expect a nice one to be in.
Want something slightly less expensive? This white 2017 GS F sold on Cars & Bids earlier this year for $40,250. Sure, it has a minor damage entry on its Carfax, but it’s covered a reasonable 78,800 miles, it’s pretty much stock aside from an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto adapter, and it had just two previous owners. Not bad.
Looking on the more traditional used car classified market, it seems that the auction prices we’ve seen recently are about right. If you want one of the cheapest GS Fs in the country, this red 2016 example is up for sale in Florida for just $34,995. Alright, it does have 114,125 miles on the clock and its Carfax report claims it was sideswiped in 2018 resulting in minor to moderate damage, but if you’re one to buy cheap examples of great cars, this GS F has your name on it.
What Can Possibly Go Wrong On A Lexus GS F?
Unlike a BMW M5 or a Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG, the Lexus GS F is a Lexus, meaning there isn’t much to worry about aside from one thing. The valley plate under the intake manifold may develop a slow leak at higher mileage, and it’s a 14-hour job to replace it. However, that job is pretty much the only thing known to go wrong on the GS F. These cars improved on the already great powertrain foundation of the IS F, and if spending $2,000 to $3,000 on valley plate replacement once in the car’s life is the only major maintenance penance to pay for a 467-horsepower naturally aspirated V8 sports sedan, that’s not a terrible hardship.
Should You Buy A Lexus GS F For New Highlander Money?
Yes, absolutely. Alright, so it’ll have a certain appetite for tires, brakes, and especially fuel, but the GS F is a relatively reliable, truly great, seriously rare sports sedan that will always feel special. If you can make one work for your desired level of practicality, and it’s in your budget, consider picking one up. It’s almost certain there will never be another midsize sport sedan quite like this.
Top graphic image: Cars & Bids
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I think the main argument against one of these is the existence of the new IS500 for around $15k more. Dealer markups may widen the gap to a point beyond comparison, but at MSRP, $15k seems reasonable for a new car with essentially the same engine, newer tech, and perhaps somewhat inferior chassis/handling bits combined with reduced back seat room.
I love, Love LOVE this car. It’s not just the V8-ness either. As a tall guy, it’s one of the few cars that I have been sublimely comfortable in the driver’s seat. When I was buying last, it was on my short list. They seemingly never depreciated though so gently used examples – when I could find one – were still expensive. Add the less awesome financing on used cars vs. new and I didn’t end up with one.
I have some dissonance now. The car I did get was a Model3, and that decision hasn’t aged well. Still look occasionally… and they’re not Highlander money in Canada. Last one I saw was still $80k.
Man I absolutely love these, really all the V8 F cars, but the GS is one of the best ones. I didn’t realize they were that rare, only 2k of them. That’s unfortunate cause it means I’ll probably never be able to find one even if they do depreciate to a point I could afford it, haha.
I rented one of these on Turo last year for a 4+ hour road trip to VA. It was an excellent highway cruiser and had a ton of character. That V8 sounds fantastic. The trans is OK, but nowhere near as good as a ZF8. overall, good car.
The answer to all articles in this series is “No, except Lexus.”
The older is-f is a much better looking car. Can’t get past the lexus “guppy mouth” of this generation.
I don’t know if it’s better than a Bimmer, but it’s definitely uglier. I hate the spindle grill and always will.
Do I have to look at it? It’s really, really, ugly. And inevitably dull to drive no matter the spec sheet.
No thanks.
I went down this rabbit hole about 4 months ago with Toyota. 8 speed auto…but if you want this in AWD, you only get a 6 speed auto. You loose a lot right there. I went with the BMW 540 x-drive as the mighty V8 is not my priority. More vehicle, tunable, and newer. I would never own a M or AMG personally. If the B58 was good enough for the Supra, then having it in 4 door sedan is what I want.
The Toyota does look better by a long shot though.
The 8 speed is absolutely the one to get. I had a RWD IS350 and loved the transmission. My uncle had a same year AWD IS350 and I loathed the transmission in it.
Not only that, the IS and GS AWD have an entirely different floor pan stamping with a transfer case that encroaches upon driver footwell space.
My in-laws own a house in a coastal town, and they don’t rent it. They are easing into retirement and often spend holidays and several weeks there in the summer.
Anyway, this past summer, a house down the block from them had a GS-F on the driveway, and I was gobsmacked. Black over some kind of tan interior, and it looked showroom new on the outside.
I pointed it out to my wife, who thinks newer Predator grill Lexuses (lexi?) are ugly, but even as a BMW enthusiast, she agreed, it was a nice looking car.
I don’t know if it was a rental tenant, or an actuial residence, but left a note on the windshield with my contact info. If they sell, I would like to come take a look. I genuinely want a GS-F to be my next vehicle now that we only have one teen left at home. I no longer need a family hauler, and my wife wants a BMW X3 for her cycling gear and tools as she has gotten into long group rides that last a weekend. So it good to read its as reliable as other Lexus vehicles.
10/10 would buy this one now if we didn’t just fund an upcoming remodel/renvation to this house we just bought.
My wife won’t let go of her ISF for an IS500, but I think I can convince her into one of these.
I’m a big fan of this V8 and Lexus in general but I actually think the market overvalues these pretty significantly. My complaint is the same for all the F models-they’re all engine. To be fair, it’s a great engine, and it’s hard to put a price on reliability, especially when many of the other options are German…but dynamically speaking none of these are anything special.
They’re luxury products first and sporty second. Most people put exhausts on them because the factory ones are too quiet, the transmissions are incredibly lazy torque converted autos, they’re just not track capable or really meant to be driven at more than 7/10ths, etc. If I had $50,000 to spend on a sports sedan I just can’t see myself choosing one of these to be honest.
If all you care about is having a V8 then go right ahead. This 5 liter is a gem. But it’s a GT car through and through and you’re not going to get the same levels of rowdiness and capability that you would from a comparable M, AMG, or V/Blackwing product. You can also just get a new or new ish IS500 for not much more money or a used ISF for half as much money, if that.
I’ve done all sorts of enthusiast math to try to wind up in a car with this specific engine and out of all the options a used GSF is among the least appealing. I get that the JDM tax is real and to a true JDM bro no cost is too much to pay, but dropping this much on a nearly 10 year old barge just seems a little silly to me.
There are better and significantly more attractive ways to get this experience. Hell you’re not that far off from 2018 LC500 money if you’re looking at a nice GSF…and I don’t care what your specific situation is, if you have the option of driving one of the most beautiful modern cars on the road or *checks notes* a Lexus GS, you tell the wife kids and dog to get lost and get the LC. The divorce papers will be worth it, I assure you.
Based in what you typed, it is what I want. A luxury first GT sedan, not a track bruiser, with a big engine and with more rear leg room than the IS 500.
This reads like you’ve never driven any of the cars you’re talking about here.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
…you’re right. I was just aggregating everything I’d read about the cars during the endless hours of research I’ve done on them. Have you driven them all? If you have I’d like a report on my desk by COB tomorrow, thanks.
I’m someone who can’t just go test drive stuff because I don’t have enough self control. I’ll wind up coming home with something expensive and having a lot of explaining to do.
It’s too bad they look like that.
Indeed. I generally don’t mind the Lexus design language, including the spindle grill, but they simply over-styled the GS F to the point that the front end looks like a cheap, ill-fitting aftermarket body kit. If they had shown the front the same relative restraint as the rear, these could be the ultimate sleeper.
The Nike swoosh on these looks particularly awful. Like someone forgot to add it to the design and ended up misaligned.
On the one hand, I love it because it’s a Toyota.
On the other hand, Chevrolet SSs are a lot cheaper. And some have a manual.
Manual ones aren’t a *lot* cheaper.
I just sold my 2016 with 35,000 miles for $39,000 to a dealership that presumably thinks they can turn around and sell it for more.
I think the winning route these days might be to buy an auto car and swap in a tr6060. I’m willing to bet you come out ahead on that if can do it yourself.
I’d be curious to know how hard that is to do on a fairly modern vehicle.
Not necessarily swapping parts, which should be manageable, but programming everything to work seamlessly.
I’m willing to bet that one wouldn’t be too hard. That should be the GM global a architecture which is a pretty known quantity and they actually did produce the combination of that car, that engine, and that transmission. I’d think path of least resistance would be to flash it with cals to make it think it was a factory manual Chevy SS which should be doable with HP Tuners.
$9000 just in parts as of 2021.
https://www.ssforums.com/threads/chevrolet-ss-manual-swap-parts-list.196976/
Obviously could bring this cost down if you sourced a transmission from elsewhere.
But unless you’re valuing your labor near zero, or buying a car with a broken down automatic or something, it might be tough to come out ahead financially.
I was presuming using a manual from a wrecked Camaro, but where I see the big hit on the value would be when you go to sell the car, which will not be valued as a stock manual car, but rather as someone’s science project.