zerocypher

I went with the '13 over the '14 since the '13 had all the options I wanted but mostly because of the 6-speed. Still not as responsive as my previous car (335i) but still better than the 8-speed.

atrac7

Yes, DFW and I live in downtown Dallas.

I noticed the same thing. Only real way to get lucky is to just spot out a low starting price in the first place.. My experiences were very difficult as well in terms of negotiating. I eventually bit the bullet and decided to go with a 3rd party dealer rather than an actual Lexus dealer. I was able to snag a 2013 model with the Luxury pkg with HUD at only 36k miles on it (lease return). Sewell CPO prices were very high, as well as the dealership in Plano. The 2013 model I got, basically fully loaded came in much cheaper than many 2014 models with less features. Saving $3-4k was worth more to me than the additional refinements in 2014 models. I knew i was sacrificing some of the warranty benefits of the CPO buy, but hey...the reason I am buying a Lexus in the first place is that I don't anticipate many issues with the car..

Regarding acceleration...I would be wary to say the 2013 has more grunt than the 2014, as I'm sure that is not the case. The PERCEPTION of acceleration felt different to me however. With the 2013, i could physically tell that my car was dropping gears when driving aggressively, more so than the 2014. With the 2014 and up, given the gear ratio, it was harder to notice a marked uptick in RPMs when downshifting.


Addressing your final comment: If power trunk is a must have, you need to automatically eliminate the 13s, since that is not an option at all for that year.

madrussian

Also worth mentioning that the 8-speed is RWD only. The AWD still have the 6-speed trannys.

Afrosheen

Yeah, it's just halfway impossible to even find an AWD Lexus in North Texas. They're pretty regional, majority of cars we get are RWD. I'd say 99/110, at least for the GS. Dealers here tend to only have mostly or fully loaded models as well since it's a hot lease market.

dat dude

I myself went with a '13 mostly because I needed a car to offset the miles I was putting on my two leases (CLA and Rapide). If you don't necessarily care about those small upgrades, I'd save a few $$ and go with a '13, but if you have that "intrinsic value" and would appreciate those upgrades, by all means go with a '14.

trinhchau

agree, 6 speed tranny make you feel batter when you accelerate

spoogenet

I generally recommend a newer or lower-mileage car above many other factors. It's up to you. I have the '14 and love it. For the way I drive, the 6-sp and 8-sp isn't much difference, except at 45 MPH on some roads the 8sp does oscillate a little between gears.

Sewell will work with you if you play hard and aren't in a rush. While I wouldn't say I got a good deal, I got a reasonable deal. Here in TX we don't find the good pricing markets like CA or FL have. If you're clear on the specific vehicle you want, don't hesitate to call & make an offer. You can always walk.

Don't compare a GS to an IS, different animals. The GS is refined luxury, and to many feels sluggish, but it gets up when you get on it.

You will certainly find the GS louder than an ES. Wider tires alone make a difference, but it'll also depend on which tires are installed.

myLexus007

@ spoogenet I find Sewell better to work with, as I bought my '13 ES300h CPO there. Park Place Grapevine on the other hands is the worst! I was looking at a "performance" car (GS F-Sport) and the lady was showing me how to adjust the seat. The second guy helped me acted like he didn't want to be there and never a follow-up call. The general manager has no interest in making deals.

Anyway, I found a 14 GS F-Sport that I like, but it's in FL. This one has black roof. I know it's not panoramic, so does anyone know if it is a wrapped or does GS F-Sport has option for carbon fiber roof?

JDR76

There's no factory option for a black roof on the GS. Probably wrapped by the previous owner.

iJDMTOY

iTrader: (5)

In my opinion, if you can afford the 2014 Lexus GS by all means get it but if you can't then the 13.

spoogenet

Wow...so did you finally figure out how to get the seat adjusted?

My experience with dealerships (multiple brands) lately nets down to the following:
* Walk-ins get the worst pricing, and walking out doesn't help much.
* Phone calls get middle-road pricing, they want you to come in.
* The "internet" sales department gives the best pricing, they want to make a deal.

More background...
(you've guessed by now, I didn't buy the Avalon, I got a beautiful GS instead) Seriously, I had a Toyota dealership try to convince me that a 9000-mile Avalon was "new" and commanded the same price as a 14-mile car that was otherwise identical. "Oh, but it was driven by a Gulf States Toyota Executive, it's been well cared for!" they told me. Hahahaaaaaaa. After explaining it is not new nor worth what they wanted, being patronized by a sales manager who was obviously bad at real math (he tried to convince me that MSRP is the cost of the car), and walking out, my price improved by ~ $300. It was still $5000 higher than a competing dealership's internet department on the 14-mile car, and all I did to get that better price was 1 email after an online inventory search.

Dignityy

Didn't have time to read the whole thread, but I would never buy this car from a non-lexus dealership. Considering how expensive the radio and damping shock system is you want to buy a certified pre-owned model no question. I purchased the '13 GS350 F-Sport and i have full warranty until June of 2019, I sleep well at night.

myLexus007

It's been a while since I last posted this. Ready to pull the trigger in the next few weeks.

I've narrowed down to 2 vehicles.

2013 with 21,000 miles (BSM, Park Assist)

2014 with 40,000 miles but LOADED for $1500 more (ML, BSM, Park Assist, Lexus Dynamic Handling, and HUD). I don't really care for Lexus Dynamic Handling but apparently it is $1770 option when new and the guy keep pointing that to me. I love HUD and it's hard to find on an GS.

Anyone experienced with Lexus Dynamic Handling? Big difference with that option?

Which one should I choose? Both F Sport

JTMav

I'm in my mid 60s and drive a 2013 GS, some of us "seniors" 🏌still like a little fun in our rides🚀Just sayin
JTMav
YMMV

Dave144239

How many miles per year do you do? Is 19,000 miles a couple of years worth? That's partly how I look at it. For me, 19,000 miles is close to three years, so I would probably hold out and keep looking for a lower-mileage car with the options I really want. If you tend to only keep your cars for a few years, the mileage doesn't matter so much.