Tieber

Before I start I wanted to comment that if you want a GS350 the dealerships absolutely have them but they are not allowed on the lots for one reason or another. Don’t expect to pay under MSRP unless you have a deep relationship with a dealership, which I do have.


Before driving the GS350 I went over to my dad’s house to “borrow” his 300 so I could do a proper comparison. Needless to say I pounded it in the “3modes”. I have also “test driven” and many others as well, because I enjoy doing it. If you want me to compare it to another vehicle just ask.

Styling:
Shark fin very noticeable right from the start. The back lot also had 07 ISs which also have the shark fin. Also the 18” wheels are very nice. Outside of that there are no real other styling queues. So if you liked the look before you will like it just a little better now.

Suspension:
No real changes between the 300 and the 350. It does not have the “connection” as some German cars, but heck this is a Lexus. I would have to say it still feels planted and could easily meet most reasonable street cursing, key word “most”. Adding performance 19” tires and springs is another story.

Brakes:
Although, I know that the brakes are a carry over from the 430, I really did not notice too much difference. It did feel a little smoother to a stop however.

Engine:
This was the most interest to me and probably to you all. The Sale rep said that the 350 has the 430 transmission, I had not heard that before and was wondering if you all had heard that? Let me just say you will not be “wowed” by the acceleration from the 300 to the 350, however there is a small noticeable difference in 0-60. If you have never driven a GS before I think that you find the acceleration will meet your needs, especially if you turn on the ECT and turn off the traction.  By the way I would like to thank this board for bringing this up! The one thing you will notice or should notice is how this engine is matched to the transmission. Like I said I was not aware of a new transmission, but this was hot! Shifting points in all modes was quicker and very smooth. Kick down was immediate and fast. So whatever is the cause for this change I give it a 2 thumbs up! This car is now the total package, very nice. If you waited you made the right choice.

Well now for the agonizing part. I walked into the dealership to buy the GS350, waited like some of us. It is a very long story but my main contact at the dealership jumped to a BMW dealership. Even though I still have the hook up at the dealership I am now killing myself as I ended up speaking to her the same day and she made me an offer on a BMW that will make the choice difficult. I have owned both BMW and Lexus so I know the differences and have enjoyed the ownership of both. Arhggg!

LeslieRC

As for the Lexus to BWM thing, I recently traded-in my `04 SC430 for a CPO `05 BMW 645ci convertible. What a car! It was purely impulse. I had gone to the BMW dealership because I had seen the 645/650 cars, liked their looks, and was curious to see them up close. It happened that it was about 10:30am on a Saturday and there weren't many customers around, so I had the full time and attention of a salesman. We took the car out on a very long test drive (with the top down) and the deed was done. I had had no complaints or problems with the SC, it was just that the BMW was a lot more powerful and roomy, not to mention the sports package 19'' wheels, Bluetooth, voice recognition, adaptive headlights, remote top, and 325hp! We're still part of the Lexus family though, as we do not intend to part with our `04 GX470 for a while yet.

Good luck with your decision! It sounds like you may have the best of both worlds, given your relationships with your Lexus and BMW dealerships. At the least, you will have a lot of fun driving those cars while you are making your decision.

Nauticalx

Congrats! The 6 Series is a hell of a car. I hope that the next-gen SC takes after it in styling and room. One thing that worries me about them is reliability but since you're sitting on a CPO thats not a problem for the forseeable future. Enjoy the ride! Mind posting pics??

purebliss

Told you so. The power seems the same you might feel it more if you drive it up a hill. I can't understand why it doesn't feel like the GS430. However I can tell you in the AWD version that the tranny is the same from the 06 and the RWD version shares the same tranny as the GS430 which was the same in 06. Like I posted before if you are on the fence with this car jump at the 06 steal it because dealers need to get rid of them.

LeslieRC

Thanks! The 645 pulls away effortlessly and sounds like it has a set. I'll try to post pictures.

LeslieRC

Here's another picture.

LeslieRC

Here's one more picture.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I was one of those that posted saying how stupid it was for so many to virtually ridicule us GS300 owners for having it. I didn't think 50 more hp would be a big deal and I'm glad to hear that it isn't. However, I won't ridicule people for waiting. Especially since I think half of those who were so-called waiting ain't buying a car anyway. In advance, I'll give props to anyone who picks up a 350. Don't mean they got a whole hellava lot more than I do with my GS300. They're all GS, they're all Lexus. Let's just enjoy the cars.

PS....I miss the GS so much. Being in the shop after the accident....seems so long ago. I really miss it.

*wishlist*

the tranny from the gs350 and gs430 have different part numbers and i think gearing too. also, supposedly the tranny from the 06 gs300 has been discontinued (another diiferent part number). so i don't think they are the same. i haven't checked yet but i wonder if the tranny in the is350 has teh same part nubmer as the gs350. i have to test the gs350 to see what you guys are all saying. it seems everyone thinks it's about the same. have you guys seen the power curve graph that lexus has shown for both 3.5 and 4.3?

V8Lexus

the reason you dont notice the extra horsepower all that much is because theres not a huge increase in torque. the 430 feels faster because it has a lot more torque even though its supposedly 6 horsepower down from the 350s. anyway ill stick with my 430 until the 460 comes out. Cant beat a V8! Hence why the new M3 will now have a V8, Mercedes C/SLK class AMGs now have V8s. Lexus really needs to consider dropping the 3UZ-FE into the IS if they do decide to start up their performance division. EDIT: Consider the fact that our GSs weigh in excess of 4000lbs so whats more important is how much torque the engine has and where that torque band is than the horsepower.

flipside909

They already dropped the 3UZ-FE in the IS aka IS430 built by Rod Millen. There is an all new V8 which is called the 1UR-FSE which will make its way to the LS460 then eventually the GS. The 5.0L V8 which will be a larger version of the 1UR-FSE is already being used by the Lexus Daytona prototype cars and will filter its way to the IS...dubbed the IS500.

flipside909

I was the one who brought up the TRAC OFF, ECT PWR mode on the 06 GS300 when it first came out in early 2005, the IS250 & 350 that Lexus Corporate gave us the pleasure of driving before it was released to the public in August 2005 and of course the latest short write up I did on the GS350 a few weekends ago. For most people it wont make a difference, but there is a difference and it is really apparent when you are in the car by yourself and you see the speedo dive to the triple digits effortlessly.

V8Lexus

i wasnt talking about the old body style IS. i was referring to the new body style one. everyone has already heard of the IS430 that RMM did at the LA Auto Show years back. it would be nice to have the luxury of the new body style with the tried and true performance of the 3UZ-FE. cant wait until the GS460 comes out. Hopefully it'll crack 4.x 0-60 with that extra 80 horsepower. I did notice though that unlike the 4.3L this engine has more HP than torque, so perhaps its bored and maybe slightly stroked? hopefully the numbers were skewed and lexus hasnt ventured into the land of gobs of horsepower with not enough torque to get out of its own way.

LexFather

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WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA, Ryan, WTF?

Bocatrip

If 50 more HP does not give a noticeable increase in acceleration... why the hell did I wait to get the GS350? I guess I need to test drive the car for myself and see the scenario. If I agree with this thread, I'm sticking with my present car. For me, I would miss the punch that I'm used to with my G35 Coupe. Very disappointing.