ninaminama

OKAY so I need help. I made an account just to ask some opinion from fellow lexus owners. I have a 2000 gs 300 platinum series…first car I ever bought high interest rate as I really didn’t know what I was doing, but ive been making my payments faithfully and im at about $6500. The car has 137,000 miles it was 98,000 when I got it. So my mom fixed a lot of things on it the water pump, timing belt, some oil leaks, and its been runnin good every simce. As of now I need a new key as mine is cracked and I need a door actuator, my cigarette lighter went out….and my kids broke the cupholder in the back…okay so that’s about it other than that it’s a nice car it’s the one that I wanted oh so bad and I went out and got it for myself. Came with rims and all that but I took them off..i prefer tires straight. So now here is my dilemma. I have the opportunity to trade it in for a 2006 gs 300 with 91,000 miles. Should I go ahead and trade it in or keep my second generation gs??? I have been doing a lot of research even asked my lexus mechanic and he told me that the one I have is actually built better than the 2006 as the drive train have many problems…however I have seen then 2006 gs 300 with over 200,000 miles still running…I want something newer as my car payment will stay the same. Also I am concerned with the value of my 2000. I owe 6500 now and I am worried that by the time I do pay it off the value will be even less. What should I do? I want the newer one, really I just like how it looks, but I do not want to get into trouble based off looks…what would u guys recommend? Also I just got new brakes on my 2000 but I also need front struts as they are leaking, never fixed em since I had the car. I could keep my 2000 gs but its going to cost a couple hundred I expect to fix all the little things I need, so I kinda just wanna start over u know? Sooo WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Ps I have seen the the 2006 have some issues with the fuel pump and things leaking… but I still like it  BUUUUT im concerned because there is more stuff to go wrong with the 2006 the push start etc…im used to old fashioned keys lol push start is new to me

I look forward to hearing from you all 



OH YEAH SOMETIMES AT LOW SPEEDS LIKE COMIN OFF A SPEED BUMP AND GIVING IT GAS INCREASING SPEED I FEEL JERKS FROM FROM 2000 FEELS LIKE A KICK FROM THE BACK IS HOW I CAN DESCRIBE IT, BUT I THINK I MAY NEED A TUNE UP.....

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

This is a question to ask yourself. The answer is very much relative! sir.

you cant ask others for their opinion on something that is a personal choice.

You want MY opinion? The 3gs is blah..,. Yes, you're gonna be very much into (and TOO much into) your car moneywise, it should have been paid off by now being that its a 16 year old car, or at the very least, paid in cash! I would never trade my 2GS for a 3gs, EVER.

If you plan on a trade in, you need to go for at the very least a 4gen GS.

The 2GS is a classic and something to keep. Its a platform of excellence and should be treated as so.

SpectraBlu

iTrader: (1)

Well said

liazon

iTrader: (1)

well said mr. jokster.

platform of excellence.....i like that.

ninaminama, you mention the words 'want' and 'prefer' several times in your question. you are upside down on your 2gs300 and it has serious deferred maintenance issues. what you 'want' should not be your focus. what you 'need' should be. focus right now on making a move that makes financial sense for your family so that one day soon you can afford to buy and maintain the car with the options you 'want'.

regardless, please take better care of your car so it can be there for you when you need it. it's your car to do with as you see fit, but it's semi-offensive to come on a lexus enthusiasts site and discuss how badly you've been treating what we consider one of the best cars ever made.

ninaminama

Hey thanks for the replies…and I don’t mean to offend any one with my shoddy maintenance….but yeah. Ive done thing to my 2nd gen gs but I do need more as u can see. As far as buying my car cash I didn’t have enough at the time, they were going for 7000 and up and I only had 3000 and the ones I could get for that price were in poor condition. And well I did it all on my own. Family warned against getting a Lexus due to maintainance etc but I haven’t had any problems. Well that many….lol. and that was the car I wanted. Coming from an 05 accord. I wanted a little taste of luxury….windows that work…..sunroof etc…leather not so much because it gets extremely hot and cold…
Anyhow. I like the 3rd gen gs primarily for the look. But being realistic I guess I should go off what I need. Don’t get me wrong im glad to even have a vehicle and one that hasn’t given me any problems. Even with me not being on top of the maintenance. I just hope that getting the 3rd gen I could maintain it like I did the 2nd . (but better) But I think I should just keep the one I have…it would definitely be cheaper. I just am unsure if I should jump at this opportunity or let it pass. Really and truly I just want a newer one so that it drives smooth. My gs now u feel almost every bump in the road…any suggestions on fixing this?

Ps mr jokester….my reason for asking is to help me reach a more sound decision. Personal preference brought me to both of these vehicles, but logically I don’t know much about the 2006. I see many many older model gs’s though so from that I gather that they run long if kept right. Im just thinkin about my $$$ lol…my intention was to enjoy the 2000 now and pay it off and maybe sell it but im concerned about how much I will even end up getting for it after I pay it off. I could sell it and use the $ for a down on a newer model but I also know once I finish paying this note im not going to want another one. Sooo if im paying a note anyways why not pay on something newer…still used.. but its new to me. U see what I mean? Im just scared of the 2006 giving me more problems than the one I have now.

ninaminama

and 4 gen is out of the question, idk they look weird to me.

ninaminama

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hey i see that u must go for speed. U don’t even touch it unless it’s a 400 huh? My mechanic, works exclusively on lexus cars and even he and his wife have a 1998 gs 300 still going. So idk i can probably just keep it. Put some hid lights in the front, and get on top of my maintainance. I just don’t want to put too much money into it..as if im rebuilding the whole car u know? But when i first got it i had it inspected and they told me it was a good car. I drove twice a week to school for 2 months (it was like 80 miles there and back, that added a lot of miles during that time) but it got me there and back safe. No issues. But that’s probably due to the fact i changed the timing belt, water pump, had a tune up, etc. My mechanic told me that i would get more from this 2000 than the 2006 i just wanted to hear from some of you. I see them(the 06) on the road and im like see they have one lol…but honestly i think too who knows what kind of problems they have had with it.

Mike246

Mr Jokster's reply is spot on. I could not have put it better myself.

I run a '98 GS300 Series 2 with 185k miles and a 2014 GS250. It is almost beyond belief how well the Series 2 has lasted and performs. Apart from one wheel bearing, ball joints and discs, all parts are original.

If you have no major issues with the GS300, keep it and enjoy!

liazon

iTrader: (1)

in between those v8's i've had several toyotas with the v6 (solara, 4runners) and it is a superb engine. you can't kill them if you take care of them so on a budget they are better. i recently lived in denver and required a front wheel drive car. i was paying down some debt and owned a 99 solara sle v6 for 2 years. it was the cheapest car to own i've ever had. amazing stereo, peppy engine, leather, sunroof, etc. if you search hard enough, you can pick up a well maintained example for for a song.

but, we all get lexus fever and as soon as i moved back to the land of endless summer, a bought rwd v8. it makes me happy. but, it is more than just transportation. it is something i take great care of because it is my pride and joy. (probably like your kids are to you)

you sound like a sensible person and i wish you good luck.

having your suspension system serviced (new shocks, struts) will do wonders to how it drives. those leaky struts are like a baby crying...give em some love. a transmission service may be warranted for the 'kick'.
new gaskets where applicable for the leaks. for the little stuff, you'll find very inexpensive used parts on craigslist as there are people in every market parting out totaled cars, just search gs300 under auto parts.

Mr Jokster

iTrader: (8)

Ok, so going by your posts I have the perfect answer. I see you're more concerned about maintenance. Well with that being the main factor, it has nothing to do with what generation, make or model the car is (to a certain extent) Its all about mileage and how the previous owner took care of the car.

You need to find a car with less that 20k miles that has service records and was owned by an adult, or buy brand new. You'll have to sacrifice on preference of looks and style, but at least you'll get a vehicle that will need less maintenance. If you move on to a 3gs with still many miles, then you're just gonna end up with another car that needs maintenance.

No bad intent in my next comment and is intended as a general statement and not personally to you... People need to understand that when it comes to something you want, work is involved not only to achieve the wants, but to maintain the wants' needs. Unless one is rich, this is part of life. I've wanted a GS since it first came out, save up and paid cash! But i wasnt done there. I've put $20k+ to make it pretty (wasnt easy) and probably another $10k in maintenance in the 10+ years I've owned it, but no complaints at all. I Love my GS and will continue throwing money at it

I think your best bet when it comes to cars (which many do and is quite common) is just lease a new car every 3 years. Unless you're a car guy or desire to be a home mechanic and do all your own maintenance, like myself, thats the best route to go. You get a new car every 3 years, its under full warranty for the 3 years (so no money out of pocket) and no worries of breaking down. The downside? You never actually get to own a car. Leasing payment options are almost half of the payment of buying, so you can get an even better car than trying to find an affordable used car of your choice. All you gotta do is save up for a down payment every 3 years

Mcon

iTrader: (1)

IMHO, Well said Mr. Jokster. I still have problem with my A/C and the first thing that goes through my mind is to sell the car. But a minute, I tell myself. It is the best car I've had in my life. So, immediately I decide to fix it and I do not care how much money and time to take me to do it, I just do it. The satisfaction is so great after I see and hear my car working as I want. Only those who have these vehicle for a long, long time and we put them a lot of money and time on these vehicles, we understand that satisfaction.

Just my humble opinion.

MattyG

Most of what you're saying is that the looks of the 3GS attract you and you're willing to go into further debt to maybe get some instant gratification. But then again you have doubts about reliability. It's obvious you trust the Lexus/Toyota brand for reliability and this is your worry, but you think you're missing out on something newer.

Here's what I would look at (I'm the owner of a 2GS430 - spent a few bucks on it). You have a sixteen year old car and it needs a few bucks and tlc. You want to trade, and/or sell to upgrade to a ten year old car which you feel would have fewer problems.

Sixteen year old car vs a ten year old and you have to be in debt with payments for how long? The styling of both these cars is dated. Lexus didn't exactly take any chances on either of them. They often get confused for mainstream family cars on the road. You are really not going to be doing much here. The cars both have similar tech because they were designed in the same era.

Me? I would sit tight and invest in the 2GS. It does run wonderfully smooth and it sounds like you have suspension problems which can be quickly fixed. The 3GS is already a dated style. If you like debt, go and look at other brands with newer contemporary style and make payments on that. But from the inside - I love driving my 2GS. Smooth and high quality is what I describe this car's driving experience. But I would never call it close to an E39 BMW, or a Merc from that era. Now those are cars with personality... and money pits to boot.

ThomasGS4

iTrader: (19)

Don't get a 2006 GS300 - it is plagued with oil consumption and carbon build up issues. If you want the more reliable car, stick with the 2000 GS300.

ninaminama

Ok ok I'm liking the feedback. Sounds like hands down I gotta keeper. I wouldn't trade for an 01 to 05 gs430 bc the body is the same as what I have already . I just like the body of the 06...but I can hold out for a gs460 with the body of the 1 i like now (the 2006). I did pay alot for my car..total was around 11k.....but if I can get 5k for it later that's cool. But as time goes on should i expect it to be much less?? I was thinking about getting my 2000 inspected and go from there. When I first got it i noticed on a certain part of this fwy going down hill the car feels like it brakes on its own....hydraulic brake booster came up during inspection but all I know it's been running good, decent. I want something different but I like my lexus cars, my mom had 3 while i was growing up so ig she spoiled me on them. Anyhow I came across an 07 gs350 115kmiles an 08 gs350 125kmiles & 06 gs430 250998 miles ....which sounds the best?


Since now I am convinced by you all the 06 gs300 is bad.


BTW I appreciate these sincere responses u guys really know alot. I'm just a mom of 2 just got my bachelor's literally 2 months ago now I'm in Grad school. I just feel like the 3rd Gen would be just nice enough not too flashy and bold as the 2014+ . BUT I'm sensible too don't I want to bite off more than I can chew for looks. My thing is just that I'm going to pay a car note regardless so why not get something newer that I like which is the 2006 but I just want to make the best decision

MattyG

This is the key thing in what you're saying. Heck you could probably pay on a new Civic. Nice car, lots of room and finally practical and good looking. No, it's not a rwd heritage vehicle with brand snob appeal but...

If it helps, you can certainly ask this question to members in the 3GS and even the 4GS forums. They are a fountain of expertise and knowledge. I bet they've owned your car, the car you're thinking about and their current vehicles. No harm in asking. One thing to remember is that the 2GS, 3GS cars are whole different vehicles when they have honkin V8's in them. That's what keeps me in my car.

Edit: I see you have already posted on the other forum. And with those scuffed up bumpers, it's gonna be a hard sell on Craigslist or on these forums. That's a $4500 car at best because it's the six cylinder. $6500 is in the V8 GS territory.