The handsome wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel, electronically adjustable for rake and reach, frames a newly designed dash panel. Following established Lexus standard, each gauge, button, wheel and lever is clearly identified by easily read words or symbols, and the three-pod analog instrument cluster's white-on-black graphics can be grasped at a glance.
A 160-mph speedometer, with an integrated electronic digital odometer and twin trip meters, is flanked to the left by a tachometer and to the right by fuel and water temperature gauges and lights indicating gear choice.
Dominating the center console is a 7-inch touch screen, flanked by two banks of menu buttons. Entering the various menus and navigating through the submenus doesn't take too much brainpower, but like most multi-tasking systems, a day spent with the owner's manual on a quiet side street is the best way to figure out how to work everything properly.
Still, there are so many systems/operations/functions to either operate or monitor that Lexus chose to hide some of the switches. One of the hideaways is accessed via a door that drops down out of the dash panel to the left of the steering wheel. Here you'll find switches for outside mirrors, fuel lid, trunk release, meter brightness control (more on this later), odometer/trip meter, headlamp washers, rear sunshade, park assist, AFS (lots more on this later), and interior lamps. More hidden switches are under the sliding top of the center console: adaptive variable suspension, transmission mode and front seat heaters and ventilators. Some might find it tedious to access these functions in these ways, but it does go a long way to cleaning up the console of excessive clutter.
Another innovative cockpit feature is the variable transparency lens covering the gauge cluster. Called an electronic chromatic device, it automatically changes the diffusion of the lens to optimize viewing depending on the intensity of light in the cabin.
The interior leather/wood schemes are Ash with black bird's-eye maple; Cashmere with brown bird's-eye maple or Black with walnut. Fit and finish is impeccable, down to the finest details. For instance, every compartment door or cover opens at exactly the same speed, with identical levels of damping and feel. Tactile luxury at its most basic.
Definitely not basic is the standard Lexus audio stack, comprised of an AM/FM ETR with auto-reverse cassette and 6-disc, in-dash CD changer and DVD player (DVDs can be viewed only when the shifter is in Park and the parking brake is engaged), 10 speakers and a 134-watt amplifier. No MP3 capability is yet offered, but the GS is pre-wired for XM Satellite Radio.
Audiophiles can opt for the Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system, developed especially for the GS interior. Utilizing Discrete 5.1 surround playback via a 7.1 channel speaker topology, it sends the vibes through 14 speakers via 11 channels of amplification by an advanced discrete amplifier with 330 watts. It sounds quite amazing.
The newly reengineered navigation system ($2,250) now has information for more than 6 million points of interest. Destinations can be input in several different ways for easier use, and the phonebook holds over 10 million entries. Route searching is said to be 10 times faster than with the previous nav system, and both it and the Bluetooth cell phone system can be operated by voice command or through the 7-inch touchscreen.
Of course, the GS boasts all the usual amenities expected by luxury car buyers, including power door locks; cruise control; electric trunk and fuel filler door releases; a pass-through tunnel to the trunk for hauling long items; a dual-zone climate control with an auto-recirculation feature to help minimize micro-dust, pollen and other air pollutants from entering the car; auto-dimming for outside mirrors as well as the interior rearview mirror, which also incorporates a compass and Homelink programmable garage door opener; and illuminated vanity mirrors in the sun visors.
