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THURSDAY, August 22, 1996
liSAUTO SHOWCASE
Test Drive
1996 Lexus GS 300
Lexus still satisfies enthusiasts
The sports car market is still
taking a beating. The casual
ties so far are Nissan’s
glorious 300ZX and
possibly Toyota’s
Supra (it won’t say
for sure). Who know’s what
will be next.
Lexus, Toyota’s luxury divi
sion, isn’t giving in, however.
It’s committed to making the
stunning GS and SC series
sedan and coupes, respective
ly, for some time.
The ‘96 version of both give
subtle improvements over the
previous models, which didn’t
need a whole bunch of
changes.
The GS 300 gets the most
significant changes. The exte
rior gets a freshened rear
panel with new combination
tail lamps. The GS 300 badge
is also a bolder typeface. This
adds to the overall beauty of
the car. It’s always been a look
er, possibly the best looking
sedan Lexus makes. It’s even
better looking now.
The major addition is a slick,
five-speed automatic trans
mission. It’s about the same
size and weight as the previ
ous year’s four-speed unit.
Lexus engineers inserted
another gear between the the
former first and second gears.
This pushed 2nd, 3rd and 4th
to 3rd, 4th and 5th. The final
gear ratio was raised from
4.083:1 to 4.272:1. The higher
the ratio the better.
What all this does is make
the car’s ability to pass much
quicker than it was. Zero to 60
time is improved to 8.3 sec
onds down from the low 9.0
second range.
The setup sounds simple but
it took a complicated computer
program to make the shifts
smooth and seamless, which
they are.
Is it actually faster? Yes, but
the car’s major fault still lies
in it’s engine. It is the same 3.0
liter in-line six cylinder used
in the lighter, naturally aspi
rated Supra and the SC 300.
It’s output is 220 horsepower
with 210 pounds-feet of
torque. That’s more than gen
erous in the SC 300 which is
110 pounds lighter with the
standard five-speed manual
transmission. It’s not quite so
with the GS. It needs a bit
more torque to deal with the
additional heft.
The obvious solution would
be to drop the Supra’s turbo
engine and (now defunct) six-
speed transmission. That
would be stunning. Actually,
that would be the Aristo, the
Japanese version of the car.
Alas, it’s too expensive for EPA
emissions certification, so it
won’t make it to these shores,
dam it.
But speed is a relative thing.
The GS 300 is fast enough.
And it’s big enough. The 109-
inch wheelbase allows for gen
erous interior space. Head
room is plentiful as well. Big
people will appreciate the
wide, sporty front seats or the
comfortable bench in the rear.
Amenities? Please, this is a
Lexus. The only thing missing
was the kitchen sink, a rest
room and a telephone. You can
get the phone, but the sink and
lavatory will have to be farmed
out.
It’s handling and ride are on
par with the best in its class.
It’s a touch light footed in cor
nering and has a little more
mind and road noise than
other Lexi, but its still better
than most in that department.
I wouldn’t turn one a way as a
gift. Hint.
The GS is a tad expensive at
$49,668 plus. But it will hold
it’s value and your attention
for year’s to come.
If a sporty sedan doesn’t tick
le your fancy as, say, a tightly-
fitting sport coupe, simply
sample the SC 300, one of the
sexiest looking car’s on the
road. Your desires will be
answered and then some.
The SC 300 is the twin sister
to the phenomenally smooth
SC400. The major difference
lies under the hood. It’s two
cylinder’s shy of the 400’s 4.0-
liter V8. But with a five-speed,
its performance numbers
aren’t far off. Zero to 60 can be
claimed in 7.5 seconds. The car
will top out at about 146 mph.
These, of course, ’are Lexus
numbers, but I think the num
bers should be very, very close.
I’ve had the pleasure of dri
ving the SC since it’s introduc
tion back in 1992. This car
never fails to delight. The five
speed stick is one of the
smoothest shifting transmis
sions I’ve ever driven, The
clutch take up is a bit too light,
but the driver can adjust to
that fairly quickly.
Blasting down a straight
away or just cruising a city
street gives you the same feel
ing of supreme confidence. The
car tracks like a guided mis
sile. Cornering is splendid.
See TEST DRIVE Page 15B
Lexus SC 300
Car pooling becomes lost art
THE ASSOCUTED PRESS
WASHINGTON
Commuters are walking, tak
ing car pools and using public
transportation less often, and
relying on their cars more, a
new study says.
In addition, people are com
muting almost as often to the
suburbs as to cities, according
to a study of U.S. census data
released Thursday by the Eno
Transportation Foundation.
About 73 percent of com
muters drove to work alone in
1990, up from 64 percent in
1980, the report said. Just 13
percent of workers used car
pools to get to work in 1990,
down from 20 percent a decade
before.
In order to car pool, you have
to have somebody where you
live and going where you’re
going and going at the same
time,” said Alan Pisarski,
author of the study,
“Commuting in America II.”
The first report, “Commuting
in America I,” was published in
1987.
People who used public
transportation to get to work
dropped from 6 percent to" 5
percent in the same time peri
od; and the number of people
who walked to work fell from 6
percent to 4 percent.
Bus and trolley use fell 12
percent between 1980 and
1990, but subway and elevated
rail use climbed nearly 15 per
cent, the study said. Also rail
road use increased about 4
percent.
The decade has also seen a
rise in the commuting from
and to suburbs, the study said.
More than 44 percent of com
muting trips are between sub
urbs, and city-to-suburb com
mutes rose from 9 percent in
1980, to 12 percent a decade
later.
In addition, 50 percent of all
commuters and 41 percent of
all jobs are in the suburbs, the
study said.
Other findings in the study,
which was reported in USA
Today and The Dallas Morning
News:
The average commute
climbed about 30 seconds to
more than 22 minutes in 1990.
Just 6 percent of commuters
travel for more than an hour to
get to work.
New York still has the
longest commute, about 31
minutes, down from about 34
minutes in 1980. Washington
followed with about 30 min
utes, and Los Angeles with 28.
The 19-minute commute in
Buffalo, N.Y., was the shortest
of the major cities.
The number of cars ovraed by
white Americans exceeds the
number of white licensed dri
vers. In contrast, 30 percent of
black households and 19 per
cent of Hispanic households
did not own a car in 1990.
Cadillac slashes -i»nce#o®r 1S
THE ASSOCIATED TBBSa
WAEEEN, Mich. (AP)_
Motors Corp. armouiicedFndj^ifcia
lowering the price of its 1997 SevttkP
and Eldorado model Cadillace.
GM cut the price of its 1997 SeY02e
SLS to $39,995. The 1996 modelsold
for $42,995 and GM previously had
announced the 1997"model would
sell for $43,9^
The Seville STS has dropt^ in
cost firom $47,495 to $44,995. GM
had said it would sell fbr
And the Eldorado and the EMorado
Tburing Coupe prices wift dropr by.
$1,600 each. .
The cuts come asm
Motor Co; announced it vi’SESTlrup
ping prices and makim| sewat,,
^tions standard on its XineohK^
Continental sedans IJnecoltr^
Mark VHI cdupes. "
“Cadillac is focused cm
brand equity by offering c^sstomers
state-of-me-art techrmic^ and an
outstanding ownership eiq|>eri€soce,"
said John Grettenberger, Gadilh^
general manager. “We want Oadi&Kf
to be regarded as the best lustury
value in the industry.”
Grettenberger said the price sav
ings will not come by remofving con
tent from the cars, adding that all
equipment standard in 1996 is agmn
standard in 1997.
%V ym
Mercedes-Benz Alabama plant could build
Porsche-brand sport utility vehicles, M-Class
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
STU'TTGART, Germany -
Mercedes-Benz is considering
allowing Porsche to use part of
its new Alabama factory to
build its own brand of sport
utility vehicles, a Mercedes
spokesman said Monday.
We’re currently studying
whether it would be possible,”
the Mercedes spokesman said.
But he added that no final
decisions have been made yet.
According to a weekend
report in the German maga
zine Der Spiegel, Porsche
would base its model on
Mercedes’ M-Class vehicle,
which is to be launched in the
U.S. some time next year.
Spiegel cited a memo from
Michael Bassermann, head of
Mercedes-Benz of North
America, to Mercedes dealers
as saying there will be a
Porsche model of the sports
utility vehicle in addition to
Mercedes’ M-Class.
Porsche’s model would have
a somewhat different body and
a different motor, and is to be
more expensive than
Mercedes’ model, Spiegel
reported.
A spokesman for Porsche
couldn’t be reached immedi
ately.