Price Range: $37,305 to $49,000

Engine: 3.0-liter, 225-horsepower inline 6 or 4.0-liter, 300 hp, V8 Front Engine/Rear Drive

Fuel Economy: 18 mpg city/23 mpg highway

Safety Features Driver and passenger side airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes are standard

Summit Point, West Virginia -- Most Lexus sedans have been criticized for being too soft and placing emphasis on comfort over handling. The exception was the GS300, but it never found its niche as a performance sedan. Now with restyling, more rear-seat comfort and a much larger trunk, it is ready to do battle with the mid-size luxury market. The addition of a V8 GS400 model means that no other brand can claim exclusive bragging rights.

Many people compared the GS300 to the ES300 that shares the same platform with the Toyota Camry. Instead, Lexus went to the SC300 with its more potent rear-drive straight-six as the basis for the GS. Ital design laid out the body, and it was decidedly bolder than the usual conservative Japanese offerings.

The additional 37 horsepower and multi-link independent suspension handled the bulky 3700 pounds rather adroitly. But weight (largely due to comfort enhancement efforts) kept the GS300 from being a world-beater in the performance category. At the same time, there was little demand for sporty four-seaters.

Lexus wisely saw the market filling up with mid-size cars; Infiniti, Mercedes and BMW all have their models with six and eight cylinders and prices ranging from 35 to 50 thousand dollars. Lincoln, Jaguar, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac all have positioned cars in this range.

This is the fastest-growing segment of the market. Things are going well world wide, and people in the U.S., Europe and Asia are buying 25% more of these mid-size luxury cars.

In order to respond, Lexus has softened the Italian styling, bringing the GS more in line with the ES and LS lines. The wheelbase is lengthened, which provides more room in the back seat and a better ride. Wider, taller, and shorter dimensions make the new car more reasonable for people. A rework of the rear suspension along with a gas tank re-located below the rear seats opens up trunk room.