williakz

An astute comparison and assessment. Owning both models, I agree entirely.

SW17LS

On another note, the tag on the mirror marked it down $8k, I'm sure one could get another couple K off of it. In short, if someone is in the market for an LS there are great deals to be had. If I were closer to the end of my GS lease I would have let them take a crack at me...

That $88k LS460L is a LOT of car for $79k...

LexFather

My wife has a 2013 GS F-sport and I have a 2014 LS F-sport. The GS's outstanding trait to the LS is it is a far sportier drive with a chassis to die for. I do wish my LS had HUD and the rear steer option. I think her ML sound system is louder but not as clear. I do with the LS had the clear handle door handle entry and not those black squares. The GS F-sport seats are better to me.

Outside of that, the LS is completely superior and we are not talking about pulling teeth here. I mean its pretty damn obvious why the LS is considered one of the finest cars on the road compared to the GS which competes extremely well in its appropriate class.

It begins with the door. The door of the LS is one of the best doors I can think of. Mind you the GS door is very well done and well built. The LS door feels like its built out of something three times as strong.
The GS aluminum is amazing but it is thin and can get small dents. The LS aluminum is much more solid.

The LS just has a build quality that is as good as it gets. The fit and finish of panels and body gaps have extremely tiny tolerances. The LS has the auto close doors. The glovebox feels heavier and more secure. Everything just feels more substantial.

The GS changed my perceptions on how a Lexus should drive. The LS changed my perceptions on how all cars should be built.



That summarizes it for me.

sarantis

My dream car would be the Maybach since I like big and luxurious.

DarKnight

iTrader: (3)

I just bought an LS but have wanted for years. If you're comparing the LS to the GS then you're not comparing apples to apples. Someone that gets an LS is looking at the S-class, 7 series, A8, etc. The feel of this car is amazing. It's really about preference. If I want to feel isolated and pampered I get in the LS. If want something "sportier" I jump in my G37. I call the LS my old man car.

Littleguy

As far as dream car, I would say that after driving my LS around for a couple of days I decided that it is a dream daily driver, and that I will probably drive an LS car as a daily from now on. I've always been a big body/full size car fan and the fact that I get a V8 and Lexus reliability makes it a no brainer.

dlbuckls10

I had my 460 several years and it still turn heads and I still get complements. The 460 have always been my dream car and I still enjoyed it today just like the first day I got it. It still make me feel special when I drive it. Its a beautiful automobile.

R Z

I've driven the 2014 GS. I'll keep my 08 LS.

rudyH

Today's BMWs might surprise you. They're more reliable than ever, but still very expensive to maintain. Skipped maintenance leads to BMW being very unreliable. I still like my Lexus better though.

comotiger

I agree completely. It feels real good driving my LS, my dream car ever since its debut in 1990. I bought my first Lexus a year ago. What I can't figure out is how to keep my eyes on the road while still checking whether the car is turning heads....

Vinh0309

Lexus LS = C L A S S

superdenso

The LS is less sporty, but add coilovers and/or 20+inch wheels and things can get a bit more interesting. It amazes me how agile a 4,ooo lbs car can become with a few adjustments.

7milesout

I've driven cars that actually do perform. Heck, I had an FD3S for 10 years, until last year. As good as an LS may handle stock or with suspension upgrades, it's still a land yacht. But oh what a land yacht it is. I don't for it to be a "sports" car. Because regardless of what you do to it, it will always be a "sports" car ... with the quotes (in my opinion). I'd rather it just do what it does. Although, there are some various things I've seen done that just makes the car look LIKE A BOSS (big wheels, lowering, etc).

But until I have money to burn, picture me rollin' with Pandora flowin' out the Mark Levinson ... OEM style. No regrets that I cannot slalom around soccer moms pushing shopping carts at the grocery store as fast as most other cars.

Don't get me wrong superdenso, I have no issues, and don't think it's wrong for others to do what they want with their cars. More power to ya. I'm just sort of locked into thinking that the car is so good at what it does, why would I want to change it? If I want to autocross, I'll get a Miata, S2000 or another FD.


7milesout

rld14

One of the awesome things about my job is that I am lucky enough to drive pretty much whatever Lexus I want, whenever I want. So, I get to compare models back to back and that's a lot of fun.

Comparing an LS to a GS is really kinda unfair... The 4GS (Notwithstanding the evil 3rd gen GS) is a shockingly good sports sedan, especially in the suspension department. Lexus has done an absolute kick-*** job on the suspension of this car. Period.

This, however, assumes that you drive like me, and I drive in a, shall we say "spirited" manner?

The LS is no sports car, not at all. It has a floppy suspension and while an F-Sport LS dialed into Sport S+ is acceptable in the corners the car is no Jaguar XJ or Audi A8. And that's perfectly fine because the LS isn't trying to be that.

IMO for what the car is, the LS is absolutely fantastic. It's a quiet, serene, smooth riding traditional luxury car, and for that it does an amazing job. It's also bulletproof reliable, extremely durable and reasonably priced.

When I drive one on a highway road trip.. there's really no better car that I can think of.

seanl

Looking at the used market, the 2013-2014 GS is about the same price as '10-12 LS. Let's call it mid to low $30s.

And while I haven't driven a 4GS, it would have been THE perfect sized daily driver for me *if* it had the LS460's V8 (and I'm not referring to the special GS-F either). That 306hp V6 just doesn't do it for me, So the LS460 (replacing my '97 LS400), was the only option that worked despite the 2012 being a few inches longer than my LS400 (196.7" vs. 199.2"). Living in SF, it's relevant as it's tough to park a bigger car on occasion--thankfully, we also have Uber here.

So 2 months in (about 1500 miles) and absolutely no regrets. I could have easily lived without the sport suspension and those pain_in_the_ass to clean 19s, but my favorite thing about this car is the sport interior. I love it, and everyone who's ridden in the car is impressed with the simplicity and style (and mine's a dated 2012!). The only thing I need to address is the stock brembo brake pads, they're killing me with dust, but based on recommendations here I'm about to order a set of PowerStop ceramic pads.

Most, if not everyone who buys the LS460 (sport or not) aren't looking for agility and performance, it's simply not what the car was designed for. And while I wouldn't call it my "dream car", I really am enjoying it for what it is, an awesomely reliable luxo cruiser. I am really looking forward to my first real road trip!