I saw the 5th Gear report and thought it was a bit unfair towards the Lexus, their complaints about the constant engine whine at 6000RPM as they raced around the track trying to tailslide the car was totally unrepresentative of everyday driving and I felt didn’t do the car justice.
I bought my GS450h Premier as a replacement for my 7 year old Mercedes E320CDI. My partner has a painful back condition that means she feels every road bump with agony, meanwhile I liked the power that the V6 Merc provided. I have never driven a BMW, being put off by the many reports of a firm drive tailored towards sportiness rather than comfort and had never considered a hybrid of any sort. I really wanted a new face lifted E Class but we were very disappointed with the test drive.
The GS450h Premier gives us the best of both worlds, comfort for her (although is she doesn’t find it quite as comfortable as the Mercedes) and a bit of fun for me.