Lexus GS test drive since 2008 sedan

A business class without a stewardess

Are the luxury cars in saturation with electronics and other music approached air liners or were the aircraft simplified to the cars? The answers were looking for Sergey Kanunnikov. Photo: Konstantin Yakubov.
Since childhood, there has been special respect for people in a flight uniform. Their work seemed especially complicated, responsible, dangerous. Of course, now a lot has changed: in the cabin of a huge liner there are only two, and the car flies to almost everyone herselfs electronics. But after all, once the profession of the driver was listed hard, difficult, requiring serious preparation. Today, controllers are refueling many and assistants are easy to fly on Lexus in our expanses? What is the pilot and passenger? Alas, they don’t give a stewardess to the car, will we have to take off without it?
Because we are pilots
I want to repeat acceleration! Fortunately, the car, unlike the plane, is not difficult. It is great to feel how decisively, assertively and at the same time softly and easily a white liner is gaining speed. The one who is at the helm, presses a little to the chair, the landscape is rapidly rolling, the speedometer arrow rushes to the right. But the gas pedal is hardly pressed by half the move. There, in the rear, in the business class salon, the moment of gear shift, is probably completely impassable. Use manual mode on such a machine? Nonsens! Lexus is not a small sports plane and not a fighter fighter. In addition, having tried to play with programs, he noticed: at a speed of 70 kilometers, it is turned on, the fourth or even the fifth is fundamentally not important. There is enough traction in any case. I don’t want to test the Kik-Dawn mode either: pressing the pedal for two-thirds is obviously enough in almost any situation.
Being a driver of Lexus, you feel the lightness, understandability of control and at the same time responsibility for more than two tons of expensive metal, wood, plastic. And, of course, first of all for those who are on the back sofa. By the way, how are they there?
The scoreboard went out, we gained height
Setting up on the back sofa, you forget how just left the noisy vain airport, passed the unfriendly border guards. I will not say that the back in Lexus is very spacious. Unlike the aircraft, the growth of landing is influenced by the growth of sitting in front. The width is great! Well, it never occurred to plant in the middle of the third? What is this business class then?
A special luxury like a climate control panel or audio-, there is no video here. The principle of the necessary (of course, by the standards of the class) is observed. And we, it turns out, are already going! This is reminiscent of the clouds flying outside the windows and a quiet rustle of tires. Acceleration is almost imperceptible, as well as small bumps of the road. Smooth waves will also not make you remember the zones of turbulence. But the pardon on low -profile tires does not accept them, they respond with a painful blow in the suspension. Still would! This is a liner, not an aerodrome tractor.
Then take -off, then landing
Alas, on the road you need to slow down more often than in the air. And from this point of view, Lexus-GS 460 is imperfect. It is inconvenient to control the slowdown: at first, the car somehow reacts sleepily to the pressing of the pedal, then pecks with the nose, but it is worth a little weaken the force, the brakes again turn into cotton wool.
The steering wheel is pleasantly light in parking mode and noticeably heavier when fast driving. Maybe even a little heavier than we would like. On longitudinal bumps, the car is a little nervous. But in the turns, he is assembled and obedient, does not show imposing validity.
Navigation in Moscow with Russian speech for a car of this class now is the norm. The device even thinks: are we approaching the Italian restaurant or Japanese? But in cunning turns on the garden ring, sometimes he wanders, and in the sleeping areas he completely refuses to deal with numerous buildings. For such a liner, it is somehow unsolvable to carry a globe with you!
A business class is when there is something superfluous. Without which, of course, you can do, but I do not want to. Our flight ended up to get out of the aircraft to knead the legs in the air, go to new impressions. But to part with the already inhabited first salon is always a little sad in a few hours, I got used to comfort, friendly, courteous stewardesses. About the same sensations arise when you leave Lexus. Only the stewardess in it was not _x0008_
Lexus GS 460
The GS series debuted in 2000, in 2004 they presented the second generation. In the fall of 2007, they held restyling and began release of the GS 460 version.
Engine: gasoline V8, 4.6 l (347 hp)
Gearbox: 8-speed automatic with the possibility of manual switching.
Summary: Luxury.
Price: 2 397 000 rub.
_x0007_ + comfortable, quiet salon, excellent dynamics, rich equipment.
- Unknown deposition management, navigation requires Moscow Science lessons, there is no stewardess.
Lexus 460 Comfortable liner, convenient for near and long flights on good roads.
For the same money
Mercedes-Benz E-Slass
1 576 800 4 352 400 rub.
Of course, the most affordable version for 1.5 million rubles is equipped with only a 184-horsepower engine, but for 2.7 million. You can already look closely at the all-wheel drive E500 with an engine with a capacity of 382 hp. ZR, 2007, No. 5.
Audi A6
1 432 0003 809 000 rub.
The Bavarian company offers the widest range of A6 modifications. Lower bar machine with a 170-horsepower 2-liter engine. And for 3.8 million you can purchase a S6 super -powerful sor with all -wheel drive and an engine of 435 hp. ZR, 2007, No. 5.
Sergey Kanunnikov
 
 

 

A source: The magazine "Driving"