A thin, graceful roofline arches back to a stubby rear deck. A chrome strip surrounds the side windows and accents the shape of the glass. This strikes an interesting contrast with the flat black window posts. For engineering reasons, the rear side glass is divided into a third window, which breaks up an otherwise graceful sweep of glass.

Large multi-lens taillights wrap around to the sides, making a strong design statement from the rear. Small, separate brake lights adorn the rear. The $440 optional rear spoiler that came on our test car heightens the car's appearance as a high-performance sedan. The spoiler serves as a small status symbol among GS 400 owners because getting it requires ordering one of the premium option packages. The bottom of the rear fascia has a gentle race car-like curl between the twin tailpipes for improved aerodynamics.

From a practical standpoint, the trunk lid raises a full 90 degrees and the lift-over height is low for easier loading and unloading. At 14.8 cubic feet, the cargo capacity is comparable to other cars this size.

Our $46,000 GS 400 came with the $3,055 Premium Package, which includes a CD changer, power moonroof, heated front seats and the HID headlamps. The total came to just under $49,500. Since we were spending that much, we may also have considered the $215 upgraded tire package, which swaps the 225/55VR-16 Michelin Pilot HX MXM tires on 16-inch alloy wheels for a set of 235/45ZR17 Bridgestone Potenza RE030 tires mounted on 17-inch wheels. The shorter sidewalls of the 17-inch tires might degrade the superb ride quality, but we did not get a chance to try them out.