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If at $35,000 you don’t succeed, why not try $37,500?

That appears to be the motto of Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division that first brought out the LS400 sedan in the 1990 model year at $35,000, then let it soar to $47,000 and now unveils the new GS300 sedan for the 1993 model year at $37,500.

That’s a $12,000 price bump on the LS400 in just three model years. Try as they might, even the U.S. automakers can’t lay claim to having boosted any sticker by $12,000 in just 36 months, though Cadillac came close by pricing its Allante roadster at $30,000 more than it was worth. But overpricing isn’t the same as over increasing, so no cigar for Cadillac.

Chrysler made a vain attempt at pricing immortality by hinting the Dodge Viper would be a $25,000 to $30,000 sports coupe and then pricing it at $50,000. But since the car had not been officially priced to begin with, the $25,000 inflation in the final sticker can’t be considered a price increase as much as a very poor attempt at hinting at future pricing.

So Lexus stands alone in the annals of automotive history as packing one heck of a price wallop. If the Japanese are guilty of dumping cars in this country at prices lower than they sell them for in Japan, the LS400 seems to be what’s referred to in legal parlance as “an exception to the rule.”

But we digress.

We come to honor the GS300, not bury the LS400. The LS400 created a $35,000 market and then abandoned it. The GS300 comes on the market to fill the pricing void.

In Lexus vernacular, the 300 or 400 refers to engine. The 300 means the GS sedan is powered by a 3-liter, inline six-cylinder engine whereas the 400 means the LS comes with a 4-liter V-8.

The 3-liter develops 220 horsepower and the 4-liter, 250-h.p. Other than $37,500 versus $47,000, that 30-horse spread pretty well tells the story of the GS300 versus the LS400. Both come with 4-speed automatic as standard.

Like the LS400, the GS300 is meant to cruise. Climb into the lap of luxury (the steering column motors up and out of the way to provide you with easy entry when preparing to take off and easy exit when preparing to disembark), sit back and relax.

Normally, 220 h.p. means you can expect exceptional quickness. With the GS300, rather than quick, settle for quiet because those 220 horses are asked to perform a bit above and beyond the call in powering a 3,700-pound luxury sedan. The mileage rating is 18 miles per gallon city/23 highway.

The GS300 has the easily recognizable Lexus look-very rounded or aerodynamic and devoid of exterior glitz and glitter.

It also has the typical Lexus feel, a suspension system that’s sprung softly enough to glide over those imperfections in the road without irritating occupants, yet firm enough to minimize body roll or sway when you take a corner or turn at a few miles per hour more than the limit allows.

Lexus boasts that the GS300 is designed to slalom and features a suspension system meant to allow for aggressive handling by nearly eliminating uneven or quirky body movement when the road is not straight.

We felt that the Cadillac Seville STS and the Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe allow more aggressive maneuvering and better performance in terms of more nimble and precise handling than the GS300. The Lexus seems more in character bringing you home in comfort after the long day at the office than in helping you sprint to the club.

The GS300 is meant to compete with the Infiniti J30, Acura Legend, Cadillac DeVille and Lincoln Continental, which, except for the J30, all have new versions coming.

George Borst, a Toyota vice president and general manager of the Lexus division, said the automaker expects to sell 25,000 copies of the GS300 in 1993.

Asked whether the GS300 might spur a GS400 with the larger and more powerful 4-liter, 250-h.p. V-8, Borst rep ied with a firm, “No, because then it would compete with the LS400.”

The GS300 features driver- and passenger-side air bags as well as four-wheel anti-lock brakes to cover safety concerns. Another system that probably won’t get the attention it deserves is the speed-sensitive power steering, which provides more assist at low speeds, like while maneuvering in the tight confines of a parking lot, and less assist when you are cruising on the interstate.

The rear-wheel-drive GS300 also offers as standard four-wheel, independent, double-wishbone suspension; gas-pressurized shocks; front and rear stabilizer bars and 16-inch all-season tires, a package that accounts for the smooth ride and handling.

Also, there are power disc brakes; dual power outside mirrors with defoggers; rear window defogger; intermittent wipers; first-aid kit; tool kit; walnut wood interior trim; outside temperature indicator; power windows with driver-side express down and 60-second retained accessory power so you can raise or lower the windows for one minute after the ignition key is turned off; power door locks; power front seats; cruise control; power tilt and telescoping steering column with automatic tilt-away; automatic climate control; AM-FM stereo with cassette; dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors; remote electric trunk lid/fuel filler door release buttons on the lower dash; and center console with storage space for a cellular phone-but not the phone.

Another clever touch is a small fold-down sun visor above the rearview mirror to ward off the glare that sometimes peeks in the window at that level.

Our test car also added carpeted floor mats for $115, carpeted trunk mat for $68 and wheel locks for $50. The sticker with a $430 freight charge came to $38,163.