Yes, this is a booze blog.  I hear you loud and clear … something seems a little weird here.  BUT, I am known to DD from time to time and [GASP] … not drink.  That said, I enjoy a nice drive every once in a while, and I was lucky enough to get a schmancy, brand new, fast as hell Lexus GS200t for my travels to the San Antonio Cocktail Conference last month.  I’ll just say this: thanks to the car (and, sure, the company) I really enjoyed the drive.

This beauty got us there quickly (thank you, tollway around Austin!) and with an surprisingly small amount of gas.  From Dallas we were able to drive to San Antonio and a quarter of the way back on one tank.  The handling was also second to none, which is helpful since its acceleration is also impressive thanks to the 241 horsepower in the engine that got us up and moving to 60mph in just 7 seconds.  (Ok, we didn’t test that feature … but we were tempted.)

So we’re checking boxes: fast, fuel efficient, handles like a dram dream … but this baby is more than just performance.  The inside of the car is more like a cockpit than a car thanks to the seemingly endless features, and was much more spacious than expected.  The trunk alone could have fit nine, maybe ten cases of wine and my two yoga mats.  (Because that’s how I measure.)

The hardest part of the week with this car has been the time since they took it back … my neighbor that I park across from just got a brand new one–black exterior, black interior, just totally sexy.  And I have to see it every damn day when I back into my garage.  (Talk about torture.)

In general, especially for a low emission sedan, this car really raises the bar.

LEXUS GS200T
Five-passenger sport sedan
8-speed direct-shift automatic “Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and paddle shifters”
Rear wheel drive
143mph top speed
0-60mph in 7 seconds
17.4 gallon fuel tank capacity
22 city/32 highway MPG

Disclosure: My team was provided use of a Lexus GS200t free of charge. Opinions are all my own.