jbonez89

Hey guys, my 2004 LS430 is running great and I love it. 125K on her. At the time i debated getting a GS but liked the LS more. Now it seems you can get a GS350 around the same price as 04-06 LS430 with nav. I'm having second thoughts only bc the gas mileage is better than our cars and it has the same if not more horsepower. Now if i were to get a gs350 it would be AWD as i already have rwd and in NJ it could come in handy. I guess what I'm asking is....any reliability concerns with awd gs350? trans? axles? engine as strong/reliable as the famous 430?

I bought the car with 124k: put seafoam in it, changed cabin and air filter, 8 spark plugs, and hood struts. runs great. Just wondering the issues GS owners deal with and how they like it

Sodium

GS350s are generally very reliable. The only thing to watch out for is that the water pump needs to be changed every 80,000 miles. Also, even though Lexus says the transmission fluid is "lifetime fluid", it should ideally be changed every 60,000 miles

The only issue specific to AWD drivetrain that I've seen here is that the stock wheel gap is fairly large, and you'll likely get vibrations if you decide to lower it

tcr101

iTrader: (2)

Having wrecked my 2001 ls430 (260k iirc), I ended up purchasing a 2006 gs430. Cant chime in to your reliability concern questions, but I personally do not believe the gs350s motors are as bulletproof as the 3uz, but only time will tell. I should mention I also have a gs350rwd with ~50k on it. I haven't had any problems with it, but that ticking for DI gets annoying.

My .02 for what its worth:
GS doesn't feel as well built? Maybe because I slammed my gs430 (bc w/ swifts), even the gs350(not modified) has some rattles. The LS (oem non-airride) never had a rattle or much road noise.
GS has a much nicer interior than the LS (even compared to the 04-06 ls430s)
GS feels much sportier. - The gs350 has more kick up top, but you have to rev them up to really "feel it" compared to the torque of the 3uz
GS has less headroom, you lose the power seatbelt height adjustment, passenger seat adjustments for driver, oscillating vents, and under-seat storage bin

That being said, I think 3gs is a great car, but sometimes I wish i had my old LS. Sounds like you'll have the benefit of both!

703

Or gs460. Smoother than the gs350

iJDMTOY

iTrader: (5)

I agree the GS350's are really reliable.

speedkar9

I briefly had the same debate between the LS and GS before I bought my GS two months ago.

I couldn't wrap my head around paying the same for a 2001-02 V8 luxury sedan with the money I got my newer 2007 GS for.
The styling of the 3rd gen LS is classic, which was great for its era, but not exactly what I wanted, I prefer the more modern design of the GS.

So far I'm liking it, though I can tell you its pretty bad in the snow, especially with all-season tires and RWD.

tayslexus

I have an AWD with 68k with no issues whatsoever. But as sodium said you need to change the ATF and when you do you'll get slight vibration from 20-25 MPH in the first month and I have no idea why. Other thing is the 350 engine has almost no torque below 2000 rpm and I hate it. My old ES had much torque in that range. Other than that I absolutely love it and I think all Lexus engines are very reliable.

Sodium

Interesting, I didn't noticed any vibrations after I did my ATF. Did you do a flush at the dealership, or drain/fills?

And yeah the low end torque isn't overwhelming, but it makes up for it at 3500+ RPM, and especially 4000+!

tayslexus

The vibration is limited to the AWD cars and you can see lots of threads about that. That's true but how many times I get to rev. my car up that high when the speed limit is 70 kmh? haha maybe once a week.

Sodium

Yeah, I've seen many posts about the AWD vibration but it's always been in the context of lowering the car, never about vibration following ATF replacement

And yeah those damn speed limits – great for raising revenue, but useless for making roads safe!

Aron9000

I've heard the 2006 GS300 had some problems, along with a weaker V6 engine, so I'd avoid that model. Personally I just do not like the styling on the 3rd gen GS, it looks like a Jaguar XF. The interior I find a bit of a downgrade from the LS430 and previous gen GS in terms of materials/fit/finish IMO. Also this is personal preference, but for an early to mid 00's car, I'd much rather have one without a touch screen. The graphics just look so dated on these older cars, I'd much rather have buttons to do my climate control, radio, etc.

tayslexus

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...low-speed.html

lexman52

I have had 2 LS430s over the last 4 years 03&04 though I might try a GS350. Picked up a 2007 AWD with 66k. Nice car but no comparison to the LS. Come spring time I am going back to the LS. JMO

jbonez89

Believe it or not I think the LS430 is pretty good in the snow. I have Michelins on the car and with LSD and both tires spinning i never got stuck. Yea it fishtails but coming from daily driving and delivering pizza in a C4 corvette and a 2005 corolla (no LSD or ABS I got stuck in snow)

chrispy

iTrader: (21)

After my 05 LS430 UL got wrecked I picked up an 08 GS450h and 02 LS430. The GS is fast and great on gas but I feel it's not as well built as the LS. The cabin is much louder and has more rattles even being a hybrid. Even though the LS is much older it still feels smooth and solid. I miss the extremely wide headlights, auto closing doors, radar cruise control when I drive my GS. Both cars are reliable and require little maintenance.