Chocolate

There is a lot of good information on the engine families on Wikipedia if you are interested in the technical details. Some improvements incorporated into the GR engine.

mmatheny

And cup holders! It holds an unopened Coke can fine!

Chocolate

Oh yeah, one of those improvements being the move from timing belt to timing chain. That is not a cheap maintenance item unless you do it yourself.

Chocolate

Loved my 4ES, would have kept it if I could justify a 2nd car and the cost to insure it. Great car.

speedkar9

LeX2K

I approve.

hypervish

Very nice! Congratulations!

surgeon0

Really nice. It does not look like you need mods on that too. Haha. You will have much free time.

speedkar9

Thanks guys.

So I just picked up my GS350 last night and drove it to work today. It's a very nice car for the money!

The transmission does not have the jerk shift or lag that the ES330 does. While there is a tiny bit of initial throttle lag off the line, the transmission programming is much more sorted out on the GS350 with its 6 speed auto. There's only a few times when it gets confused and shifts abruptly, especially if you suddenly stomp on the pedal.

I absolutely love the feeling of being pushed with RWD vs the handful of torque steering with FWD. Not having to hold onto the steering wheel during acceleration is an amazing feeling. You also feel like your back is being pushed into the seat.

Speaking of seats, the GS350's seats are so much more comfy than the ES was! The seats seem even softer and surround my back. There's much more thigh support than the 4ES (and my brother's 2GS for the matter). I'm still getting used to my driving position and where everything is on the car, it definitely feels like a wide car when looking across to the mirror to change lanes.

Visibility is decent too. The 5ES has a higher belt line and slopping roof line which makes it difficult to see out. The 3GS has a slightly lower belt line which is great - obviously not as good as the 4ES or vehicles older than it though.

Finally the build quality of the 3GS is a much higher step up than the 5ES is, and if not on par or better than the 4ES. You can definitely feel there's something luxurious and special about this car, and the 5ES by comparison is rather boring. The ride quality is smooth and quiet - though not as super quiet as a 5ES but still fairly comfortable. The electric power steering is super light and smooth, but there's no feedback.

I'm also still getting used to all the features it has - from the smart keyless entry system, to the navigation screen, backup camera, parking sensors and sound system.

Since my brother has a 2GS I'll probably make a side by side comparison Youtube video between the 2GS and 3GS to see the differences in generations.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

Congrats, I made the switch from a 3rd gen ES, to the 2nd gen GS, to a third gen GS, and also have a 2004 ES330 and agree with you completely. The seats and driving position in the 3rd gen GS are great. Despite mine being 10 years old, it feels like a new car, and there have been several instances when people didn't believe me when I told them how old it is. That being said, I always felt that the 2nd gen GS had a more solid feel, at least on the highway. Maybe it was because it was just such a heavy car, or because it was a sport design, but the thing was more LSish than the current one, at least I thought so. The difference might be minimal between the two, and I definitely like the current one more, but I do miss that tank like feeling the old GS had. Enjoy it though, I'd tell you what to look out for, but I know you know more about the car than I do ha. Surprised you were able to get a RWD one in Canada, I wish I was able to find one, but in Buffalo everything was AWD.

speedkar9

Thanks,
I agree the 2GS has a more solid feel to it because of its stiffer hydraulic steering, which offers more feedback and a stuck-on-center feel. The electric steering in the 3GS is too smooth and offers no feedback or resistance.

I specifically wanted the RWD and not an AWD for better fuel economy, less mechanical components, better turning radius and most of all, more performance! I still have the Solara with winter tires for when it snows.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Nice! These are getting quite common now that they're cheap-ish. Been looking at some recently, found a few that are beater-worthy...

I've looked at a few, and got outbid on numerous ones... the quirks big & small scared me off of them to be honest...
Not to say you'll have issues, with yours, but I have really ****ty luck, so I know whichever one I'd end up with would be the runt of the litter...
I just didn't want to get a Toyota and have to get a warranty for it.

Happy motoring!

speedkar9

Here's a few pics I took today, I also posted a few more in the 3GS forum:













I felt the same way coming from the good ol' reliable ES to the GS. But sometimes if you want something different, or better, you have to spring for it and the price of these quirks is the price you pay to get what you want.
The main known issue with the 3GS has been rattles. Mine isn't as bad as people seem to make it, there's some slight squeaking from the passenger side door, but it doesn't sound much worse than if you had the car loaded with grocery and it was flopping around anyway.

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

Yeah, for sure. Rattles are whatever. I'd diy those... But I was more scared of the ****ty transmissions... And certain engine problems... And the batteries in the gsH... Lol
​​​​​​
PS. I saw you're in the camry group on FB lol... Had no idea it was you. I commented on your comment regarding the interest rates

hypervish

Yeah, I swayed away by the oil consumption that seems to be common in the GS350 around that time. The GS300 from that generation, which was only around for a year was even worse as it was plagued with carbon buildup problems.

Regardless, I'll be in the market for a 2013+ GS350 late 2017!