kam1996

Hi all:

I bought the GS4 last week and needless to say I am loving it.

My prevouse car was an Audi A6 , so getting the GS4 wasnt that much of a step up, as it was a step in the "right" direction. Let me explain....

I had a 2.8 V6 A6 and as much as it was a nice handling car, the power just wasnt there. So driving the GS4 for the first time was an experience in its own. I have owned a 93 RX7 and it was probably the fastest car I have ever owned, so driving the GS4 brings back alot of good memories. I spent the last 5 years racing "superbikes" and "GP" bikes in the Northeast at places like Summit point, VIR and Roebling Road.
So needless to say, club racing at road courses took all my concentration away from exciting cars, since the superbikes are leaps and bounds ahead in speed , due to their small size and high reving-long lasting engines. So there, a little look at what i have been doing for the last few years, now that I have a 1 yr old boy and a girl on the way in a month, racing motorcyles is kind of out of question. I decided to quit racing at the semi-pro, amateur level because of the risks involved.

So since I couldnt race anymore, I needed something half decent to drive..and thats why i decided on the GS4.

- Interior: The interior in my opinion, is very well crafted. The built quility is very much close to my Audi interior, in some caes even better. My friend has a 2002 Avalon, and may i say..there are some similarities, but not too many. I liked the Hard Plastic-substance they used in the Audis, but I also like the way GS's interior is built. The buttons are very ergonomic and the Dual zone temp control is easy to use.
The leather on my Audi was a bit more harder and may have been more durable, but the GS has a nice soft plush leather...i am still trying to get used to the perforated look, which I am not a big fan of.
The interior room is just about the same, the rear leg room is 3 inches less than the Audi, but all in all its very cosy and comfortable.
Wind noise is much less than the Audi, which is a very big plus...I do have some wind noise on the driver door side, which, after searching the forum, I found has happened to some folks and can be fixed.
Steering is a little numb for my taste, the Audi had a very responsive steering and I could feel everything, the GS has more of a soft feeling and so far I cant say that I like that
The brakes are better than the Audi, but the feeling or feedback is not. The brakes feel a little mushy, but the cra does stop a lot faster.
Driving Feedback: The steering feel, as i mentioned above is a little numb. The turn in is a bit slow as well, the car seems to dive alot more during braking, the front end pushes more than I would ike it to, but the A6 had the same understeer problem, the PLUS for GS is that I can turn the VSC off and bring the tail out if I really want to move.
The ENGINE..OH MY GOD the engine..it is sweeeet..I have driven a lot of cars but this V8 revs, runs and sounds like nothing I have experienced before. How did they do it,,I dont know..
-The torque is there when I need, it purrs when I want to just cruise and it revs like a sweet V6 when I get on it...It is amazing...
- The E shift is amazing too.. The A6 had triptronic, but I didnt have the steering control...I do have to say...the tranny in GS upshifts and down shifts fast enough for me to notice..and that is very important...
- Exterior: I don't need to remind anyone how good the car looks..I am not going to say that it looks better than the Audi..but I may be biased...but it is a very good looking car..I like the aggressive look..wish i had 18s or atleast 17s on it..but the plan is in the works...
I like the HIDs..the Audi had them too..but I think the HIDs on the GS work better and the self leveling is much more accurate.

I may have missed few aspects...All in all for me the GS4 is an awsome car..add the Market value(my Audi was worth $31,500 when I bought it and was worth 19500 after 21 months..)and reliability and the GS is the PERFECT ..I know its a big word to use for a car..but its really is as close as you can get..

B_Cruz

congrats!!! I just got my 99 GS400 last week. I love it too.

r00kie

Nice write up....welcome aboard! Also...congrats on the baby!

Wald GS

iTrader: (1)

Welcome to Club Lexus!!! Did you have any problems with the Audi during the time of your ownership?

kam1996

Both valve cover gaskets leaked at 45K..The prop shaft seal leaked at 52K..basically all problems had to do with seals or gaskets..other than that no problems..It had a nice LCD panel which looked like it was starting to fade..which is a known problem with the Audis...
The engines do last ,,may be not as long as the Toyota engines, but they still are pretty bullet proof...I just wanted to protect my investment in a more of a "sure" thing..And at the time Lexus looks like the one to beat...
The customer service was very good at the Audi dealer..although the dealership itself wasnt as extravagent..the service was acceptable...
Have been to the Lexus dealer couple of times already and have been impressed...

I guess the biggest reason for investing in a Lexus was the market value and reliablility...
The audi felt and drove very planted and sure...but was a very heavy car..almost 4000 pounds ..with just 200 or so Hp, I am sure if I could afford the S6 it would have been a good alternative for the GS400..but again..the S6 also looses its value very rapidly...

LS4fun

Welcome to Club Lexus!

mooretorque

Welcome and, personally, thanks for the comp to your A6. Though my GS is my 5th Lex, I considered the A62.7T back when I was shopping for the replacement for my 93 SC300 5 spd. However, at the time, Audi had not had representation here for several years. Even tho I knew a franchise had been given to a local car dealer (who also has Lexus here!), I also knew it wouldn't be constructed for at least a year.

I don't think my decision would have been any different but the Audi was a serious contender between quattro, sufficient power, an available manual tranny, and that gorgeous interior!

But I think you'll be very happy with your GS and your growing family will fit quite nicely, too! Congratulations!

doug_999

I agree with your comments kam1996. I came very close to leasing a 2003 A6. The problem was the 2.7T was just too slow and for 2003 they removed the steering wheel controls (that pissed me off). The steering response was a bit light at low speeds but firmed up nicely. As opposed to the GS which has just terrible steering feel IMHO. I personally think it redefines overboosted and twichy.

I also liked the concept of no out of pocket expenses with the Audi. But the rumors about reliability scared me (although my 2003 GS has seen its fair share of time in the shop). In the end, the GS just seems like more car for the same price as the 2.7T(at least the same lease price). The 4.2 is an incredible car but much more expensive in terms of a lease due to resale and the actual dealer cost of the cars.

All trade offs I tell ya.

Doug