Gs300se Test Drive

[stewartshine]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum

Ihave never owned a Lexus, but today I was lucky enough to test drive the new GS300 SE.

The car was stunning, and may just be the best car I have ever driven BUT I have some concerns I want to share with you, and I wonder if anyone has any comments.

1) Because the car doesn't "wake up" until you start the engine, unless the engine is running, wasting valuable fuel, you can't:-

a. Set a destination in the SAT/Nav system.

b. Listen to radio/CD - so if you leave someone in the car, they can't be entertained.

c. Read in the dark

d. etc. etc.

2) There is no indication that the "Cruise Control" is set. There's a light telling you it's switched on, but not if it's set. The new BMW 3 series (apologies if that's blasphemous) has a "flying needle" on the speedo AND a digital speed setting readout.

3) Sat.Nav. voice instructions don't mute the radio/CD, so if you're listening to radio/CD, you can't hear the instructions. (My current car (Rover 75 - sympathy please) mutes the radio/CD when instructions are given).

4) You can't set a destination in the Sat.Nav. system while you're moving. So if you're on the motorway, because it's illegal to stop, you'd have to pull off and stop to set the destination. Now, I'm told this is a safety feature, but:-

a. This could easily be done by your passenger.

b. There are plenty of other distracting toys that you CAN play with on the move, so what's the diff ?

5) The voice command button doesn't mute the radio/CD so if they're on, voice commands will be misheard, or not understood.

Now I came up with these items in a 30 minute drive. They're enough to put me off parting with my hard-earned pennies (very many of them are required) - which is a big shame, because it's an impressive motor car.

I would love someone to tell me these are all programmable items which can be SET UP as I want them, but I wonder.

[legendswraith]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum

Ihave never owned a Lexus, but today I was lucky enough to test drive the new GS300 SE.

The car was stunning, and may just be the best car I have ever driven BUT I have some concerns I want to share with you, and I wonder if anyone has any comments.

1) Because the car doesn't "wake up" until you start the engine, unless the engine is running, wasting valuable fuel, you can't:-

a. Set a destination in the SAT/Nav system.

b. Listen to radio/CD - so if you leave someone in the car, they can't be entertained.

c. Read in the dark

d. etc. etc.

2) There is no indication that the "Cruise Control" is set. There's a light telling you it's switched on, but not if it's set. The new BMW 3 series (apologies if that's blasphemous) has a "flying needle" on the speedo AND a digital speed setting readout.

3) Sat.Nav. voice instructions don't mute the radio/CD, so if you're listening to radio/CD, you can't hear the instructions. (My current car (Rover 75 - sympathy please) mutes the radio/CD when instructions are given).

4) You can't set a destination in the Sat.Nav. system while you're moving. So if you're on the motorway, because it's illegal to stop, you'd have to pull off and stop to set the destination. Now, I'm told this is a safety feature, but:-

a. This could easily be done by your passenger.

b. There are plenty of other distracting toys that you CAN play with on the move, so what's the diff ?

5) The voice command button doesn't mute the radio/CD so if they're on, voice commands will be misheard, or not understood.

Now I came up with these items in a 30 minute drive. They're enough to put me off parting with my hard-earned pennies (very many of them are required) - which is a big shame, because it's an impressive motor car.

I would love someone to tell me these are all programmable items which can be SET UP as I want them, but I wonder.

←

I'm pretty sure someone will come up with ways round these and how can mere frippery put you off buying that wonderful thing of beauty you don't buy a motor because of the In Car Entertainment do you

as my man john keats said " a thing of beauty is a joy forever " and sat nav will be old as using maps one day

[Matthew_McNally]

1) Because the car doesn't "wake up" until you start the engine, unless the engine is running, wasting valuable fuel, you can't:-

a. Set a destination in the SAT/Nav system.

b. Listen to radio/CD - so if you leave someone in the car, they can't be entertained.

c. Read in the dark

d. etc. etc.

you couldn't just put the key in an turn the electrics on?

thats weird - all the cars I have had have been able to do that

2) There is no indication that the "Cruise Control" is set. There's a light telling you it's switched on, but not if it's set. The new BMW 3 series (apologies if that's blasphemous) has a "flying needle" on the speedo AND a digital speed setting readout.

that doesn't seem a huge deal to me - I am always aware of when I have set and unset the cruise.

3) Sat.Nav. voice instructions don't mute the radio/CD, so if you're listening to radio/CD, you can't hear the instructions. (My current car (Rover 75 - sympathy please) mutes the radio/CD when instructions are given).

doesn't it mute the drivers side speakers?

Both my IS's and GS had sat nav - and the voice commands always came out of the drivers side speakers - so it only disturbs the driver, and not the passengers.

4) You can't set a destination in the Sat.Nav. system while you're moving. So if you're on the motorway, because it's illegal to stop, you'd have to pull off and stop to set the destination. Now, I'm told this is a safety feature, but:-

a. This could easily be done by your passenger.

b. There are plenty of other distracting toys that you CAN play with on the move, so what's the diff ?

this is debated ad-naseum on here mate

personally - I'm in the "its a good safety feature" camp - but I can see the side of the arguement where it could be by a passenger.

I would love someone to tell me these are all programmable items which can be SET UP as I want them, but I wonder.

←

Lexus does have a whole bunch of settings that can be changed by the dealer - they are called the CBEST settings.

Ask the dealer if any of these will be on the new CBEST list?

[Lexusjohn]

If you press the start button once, it powers everything up. :P

Then when ready press the brake and press the button again and START-UP

The Bluetooth set-up overrode the radio speakers on the one I drove, vioce commands do require radio off unless you set it up to overide it. Voice directions volume control can be set speed sensitive (laudness). I turn cruise on and off no probs!!

[Alex K]

1) Because the car doesn't "wake up" until you start the engine, unless the engine is running, wasting valuable fuel, you can't:-

a. Set a destination in the SAT/Nav system.

b. Listen to radio/CD - so if you leave someone in the car, they can't be entertained.

c. Read in the dark

d. etc. etc.

←

Just press the Start button without your foot on the brake pedal. Cycles just like the positions on a normal ignition barrel, i.e. Acc, Ignition, etc...

EDIT: Oops, Lexusjohn beat me to it!

[Parthiban]

As the others have said there is a solution to all of the problems you mentioned, including the cruise control one, buy an SE-L and get adaptive cruise

Then it shows your speed on the display :winky:

[stewartshine]

Thank you everyone for your interest and your replies.

What a great bunch you are !

I hope to get my hands on the demonstrator for much longer than my allotted 2 hours next time. I'll check out your comments/theories and suggestions.

Strange, I did mention the "wake up" problem to the dealer when I took the car back, and he didn't know you could press the start button without depressing the brake. Big black mark there.

That was without doubt my biggest, and most-difficult-to-live-with gripe.

Between you, you guys may just have cost me nearly £40,000.

[Matthew_McNally]

Between you, you guys may just have cost me nearly £40,000.

←

nah we never cost you anything.

you had already decided to spend that £40k - we just helped you decide which dealership to give it to

Hope you go for the GS - make sure you come back and let us know (and shows us pics too of course! )

[AMH]

Ha - they get you to spend £40k at the dealer - then lead you astray with tempting mods on here ...

Does look like a gorgeous car though - good luck with the purchase - keep us posted ...

[legendswraith]

Ha - they get you to spend £40k at the dealer - then lead you astray with tempting mods on here ... 

Does look like a gorgeous car though - good luck with the purchase - keep us posted ...

←

do you get the gold discount on new motors that would be an interesting debate and another reason to join :D

[eMJay]

There is no indication that the "Cruise Control" is set. There's a light telling you it's switched on, but not if it's set. The new BMW 3 series (apologies if that's blasphemous) has a "flying needle" on the speedo AND a digital speed setting readout.

My Series I is the same, just a light to indicate whether the cruise unit is on or not.

My Nissan 300ZX (Z31) had a cruise on/off light and cruise set/not set light, which I thought was quite useful.