LS to GS?? Opinions welcomed
#16
Pole Position
Get the new 2016 ES. Cheaper, plenty of space and since sporty driving isn't a priority, you won't even miss the sporty dynamics of the GS.
#17
Lexus Fanatic
#18
Lexus Fanatic
Personally, I would keep my older LS vs trading for a new ES.
#19
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
i thought the front end of the 4gs was bad enough, but the refresh is (imo) even uglier.
#20
Pole Position
Stunning. I think this is the best the GS has ever looked. Yes even better than the 2GS. And I say this as a hopeless fanboy of the 2nd Gen GS.
BTW, one HUGE compelling reason for getting the 2016 ES is that it aced all the IIHS crash test protocols including the infamous small overlap test and it's roof strength is tested to be one of the highest in the industry. Say what you want but one thing advancing tech does bring is ever increasing safety and chassis rigidity. The current gen LS is probably not as safe as the 2016 ES. The LS as it exists right now is 2006 tech, the current GS, IS, RC, NX, RX and ES have Lexus' latest safety advancements.
BTW, one HUGE compelling reason for getting the 2016 ES is that it aced all the IIHS crash test protocols including the infamous small overlap test and it's roof strength is tested to be one of the highest in the industry. Say what you want but one thing advancing tech does bring is ever increasing safety and chassis rigidity. The current gen LS is probably not as safe as the 2016 ES. The LS as it exists right now is 2006 tech, the current GS, IS, RC, NX, RX and ES have Lexus' latest safety advancements.
Last edited by natnut; 11-29-15 at 07:59 PM.
#21
Lexus Fanatic
BTW, one HUGE compelling reason for getting the 2016 ES is that it aced all the IIHS crash test protocols including the infamous small overlap test and it's roof strength is tested to be one of the highest in the industry. Say what you want but one thing advancing tech does bring is ever increasing safety and chassis rigidity. The current gen LS is probably not as safe as the 2016 ES. The LS as it exists right now is 2006 tech, the current GS, IS, RC, NX, RX and ES have Lexus' latest safety advancements.
As someone who essentially went from the LS to the ES...I will not do that again. I did it because the LS was a family car, it was not my personal car, and I was at a time in my life professionally where I could not afford the LS, and I didn't want to buy used because I needed to lease for business, and I did not want the additional upkeep cost of the LS over the ES. The ES is a good car, but in any comparison to the LS the LS blows it completely away. Going from the LS to the ES is hard, believe me. If you're accustomed to the ES and you don't really know what you're missing, thats a different matter.
The only LS I would consider trading for a 2016 ES would be an aging LS400. If I had an LS430 in good repair, I wouldn't trade it on a 2016 ES, and I certainly wouldn't trade any year LS460 on a 2016 ES, unless for some reason financially I had to...
Now that I have my own LS that I've had from new, if I get to the end of the lease and cannot get into a new LS for some reason, I will just buy this and keep it. IMHO a 10 year old LS is significantly more car than a brand new ES.
#22
Lexus Fanatic
I can't imagine that the 16 ES350 is that much safer than a 16 LS460. The LS has a lot of safety features. You are absolutely right about the LS being 06 tech, when a 16 tech is 5 years old it be riding around on a chasiss that will be 15 years old at that point. It's hard to believe that the current LS is in its 10th model year when the first gen LS went 5 years and 2nd/3rd gens went 6 model years each.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 11-29-15 at 10:36 PM.
#23
Lexus Fanatic
#24
Pole Position
OP says his budget doesn't include a brand new LS. Considering his priority is space and comfort and presumably safety on a semi restricted budget, the ES fits his needs better than a GS. Lexus never submitted the LS to the full battery of IIHS tests unlike the 2016 ES which I take to mean that they know current LS won't pass the tests including small overlap. So if he wants a sedan and wants to stay in the brand, the new facelifted ES is his best bet.
#25
Lead Lap
you basically just gotta ask yourself which one comes standard with a V8 and the choice will be clear
#26
Lexus Fanatic
OP says his budget doesn't include a brand new LS. Considering his priority is space and comfort and presumably safety on a semi restricted budget, the ES fits his needs better than a GS. Lexus never submitted the LS to the full battery of IIHS tests unlike the 2016 ES which I take to mean that they know current LS won't pass the tests including small overlap. So if he wants a sedan and wants to stay in the brand, the new facelifted ES is his best bet.
If anybody thinks an LS460 isn't a safe car I don't know what to tell them.
Originally Posted by LexsCTJill
I would go for a 16 ES over a 16 GS.
#27
Lexus Fanatic
My LS is in for the 10k service, I have a 2015 ES loaner with 5k miles on it.
Just to reinforce, I would never trade an LS for an ES, even an older one unless it was just totally at the end of its life and I needed a new car. The ES is a nice car, but it is a considerable downgrade in all areas.
Just to reinforce, I would never trade an LS for an ES, even an older one unless it was just totally at the end of its life and I needed a new car. The ES is a nice car, but it is a considerable downgrade in all areas.
#28
Lexus Fanatic
The LS is two and maybe three times the price of an ES so it would be expected that the ES is a downgrade in all areas. But, it is still very disappointing that the LS is still riding on a decade old platform where as the ES was updated with a new gen chassis in 2013. The ES is also using an engine that debuted in the 05 Avalon. The decade old LS and the older 3.5 ES is engine is disappointing any way you look at it.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-07-15 at 04:55 PM.
#29
Lexus Fanatic
Of course, the only reason I would even compare them is that natnut recommended to the OP that he trade his older LS460 for a new ES.
The old platform doesn't really bother me, the car had nearly half the platform replaced in 2013. I think if the car had gotten an updated powertrain at that point it wouldn't be as big an issue. Even though its an old platform, the LS still compares very favorably with the competition especially from a value perspective, I know I just drove them all. The LS still rides the best and is the most refined feeling out of everything but the new S Class, obviously I have not driven the all new 7 it was not out when I was shopping.
Lexus has launched a LOT of new product between 2013-2016, I don't really begrudge them trying to get some extra mileage out of the LS. What is an issue is their refusal to update powertrains.
The old platform doesn't really bother me, the car had nearly half the platform replaced in 2013. I think if the car had gotten an updated powertrain at that point it wouldn't be as big an issue. Even though its an old platform, the LS still compares very favorably with the competition especially from a value perspective, I know I just drove them all. The LS still rides the best and is the most refined feeling out of everything but the new S Class, obviously I have not driven the all new 7 it was not out when I was shopping.
Lexus has launched a LOT of new product between 2013-2016, I don't really begrudge them trying to get some extra mileage out of the LS. What is an issue is their refusal to update powertrains.
#30
Pole Position
Stunning. I think this is the best the GS has ever looked. Yes even better than the 2GS. And I say this as a hopeless fanboy of the 2nd Gen GS.
BTW, one HUGE compelling reason for getting the 2016 ES is that it aced all the IIHS crash test protocols including the infamous small overlap test and it's roof strength is tested to be one of the highest in the industry. Say what you want but one thing advancing tech does bring is ever increasing safety and chassis rigidity. The current gen LS is probably not as safe as the 2016 ES. The LS as it exists right now is 2006 tech, the current GS, IS, RC, NX, RX and ES have Lexus' latest safety advancements.
BTW, one HUGE compelling reason for getting the 2016 ES is that it aced all the IIHS crash test protocols including the infamous small overlap test and it's roof strength is tested to be one of the highest in the industry. Say what you want but one thing advancing tech does bring is ever increasing safety and chassis rigidity. The current gen LS is probably not as safe as the 2016 ES. The LS as it exists right now is 2006 tech, the current GS, IS, RC, NX, RX and ES have Lexus' latest safety advancements.