The accolades for the GS350 F Sport keep rolling in! Austraila's Best Cars has named it the Best Large Car Over $60k. We must say, they have great taste in cars!

In a class largely dominated by European marques, premium Japanese brand Lexus has swept all before it to win this prestige motoring category with their new GS350 F Sport. It’s the fourth-generation of the GS nameplate and brings a range of improvements over the superseded series.

The range features three grades - Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury. Prices for the GS range start at $77,900 for the GS250 Luxury while the GS350 Luxury with its bigger engine lists at $89,900. With a sub- $100k price tag the F Sport outshines higher priced finalist A6, but gets shaded by the cheaper 5-series BMW, the other class contender. Mid-field scores for pricing and depreciation are made up for though by the F Sport’s handsome standard features list that gets a best-in-class score.

Climate control, tyre pressure monitors, 19” alloys, active cruise control, heated and cooled front seats, leather trim, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, DAB+ digital radio, 10 airbags including driver and front passenger knee airbags, advanced safety technologies including Lexus Pre-collision Safety System, alarm, navigation system and moon-roof are just some of the standard fare.

The F Sport’s ergonomics rated highly thanks to well positioned controls and inclusion of features such as paddle shifters, a heads-up display showing speed and other important driving information, a blind spot monitoring system, and reversing camera.

The heated and cooled front seats offer excellent support and adjustability including wrap-in bolsters and cushion extension to enable occupants to get just the right ‘fit’. Centre rear passengers don’t fare so well though with the seat too hard and an intrusive driveline tunnel robbing lower limb space. Although Lexus claim increased space in the new model, the GS350 only scored mid-field with rear leg room still limited and boot hinges that intrude into the load space.

On the road, the F Sport name had a ring of truth with judges having to remind themselves this was a prestige model, as it would have easily fared well in one of the sports car classes. Not something that would have been said of the old model. Maybe the development work at the Nurburgring paid off.

Lexus claim the naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 is good for 233kW and 378Nm. Our testing showed it’s a real gem offering strong response and performance that will surprise and delight. The purposeful engine and exhaust note goes with its sporting aspirations but may not appeal to all prestige car buyers.

Sport suspension with tuning unique to the F Sports model, plus dynamic rear-wheel steering and some sophisticated adaptive electronic vehicle dynamics control systems are standard on F Sport. A mode selection system allows drivers to customize the power-train and suspension settings.

Judges rated the rear-wheel drive F Sport’s dynamic ability very highly, to garner a best-in-class handling score. A flat stance through the slalom test and twists and turns, plus responsiveness to throttle or steering inputs won praise. Long regarded as masters of vehicle handling, the German makes were outclassed by the Lexus. Brakes impressed too, thanks to four-piston front callipers and larger two-piece front discs, unique to the F Sport variant. GS350 also maintains the high standard of fit and finish Lexus are known for.

Courtesy of Australia's Best Cars