sbrown02

Hi everyone,

Here's my situation. I currently own an 05 Infiniti G35x that I've enjoyed driving for its sporty ride/handling. However, I've been very disappointed with Infiniti customer service, and have decided to move to Lexus (this will be my first; my brother has owned several and swears by them).

Anyway, when I started researching Lexus the ES350 first caught my attention with the pure luxury aspect of the vehicle. It has a beautiful look, sharp interior (I love the clean look and layout of the instrument panel), and aside from some concerning posts here I hope would have a smooth quiet ride.

However, the GS is a sport luxury car so perhaps it would deliver the sporty drive I've come to enjoy but also deliver Lexus's signature smooth, quiet, quality ride.

So here’s my question, aside from the fact that the GS and ES are in completely different car categories (pure luxury vs luxury sport) and really shouldn't be compared head to head, did any of you out there consider the GS350/300 in you buy consideration but then purchase the ES350? If so, what were your reasons for going with ES?

I've test drove both cars once but feel I need to go on at least another 2 or 3 drives to really form a better opinion. I'm pretty blown away by some of the deals (as low as $43500 for an 07 GS350 with Nav no ML, not including Tx, title) folks are posting in the GS forum.

Thanks for sharing your experiences/opinions.

MD350

I did not consider a GS due to the price, interior space, etc. I need a roomy interior for my family. However, I did want you to make sure you really drive an ES for a while and make sure you are happy with the ride and handling. I came out of a 2004 Acura TL (similar to your Infiniti) and going from that car to the ES was a huge adjustment in ride for me. I love the ES, and feel the trade off in luxury outweighs the loss of the sporty handling. However, that is my opinion. Maybe the Lexus dealer will let you take the ES home for the night and drive it a good 50 miles or so.

The only thing I do miss on my TL is the sporty ride and handling. The ES beats it in all other categories.

Good luck!!

sbrown02

That's funny, your advice on taking the car home for the night was the same advice my wife gave. I've test driven both cars only once and on the first drive I have to say I found myself liking the GS handling more than the ES.

One more thing. You pointed out the interior space of the ES as a plus, but earlier today I did a comparison of the two cars on Lexus.com and I was blown away to see the GS having more head and leg space than the ES. I'm not sure how that is, as I've sat in both cars and the GS just didn't feel like it had more head space with the way the hood slopes down.

Here's the specs as listed on lexus.com

GS350 / ES350
Front Headroom 37.8 in. / 37.4 in.
Rear Headroom 37 in. / 36.8 in.
Front Leg Room 43.5 in. / 42.2 in.
Rear Leg Room 36.4 in. / 35.9 in.

Anyway, very interesting. I'm interested to hear what others have to say.

Thanks for responding.

amf1932

I never could figure out how Lexus got those interior dimensions.
I drove an '06 GS300 AWD before I ended up purchasing the ES350. The first thing I didn't like about the GS was the cramped cabin. I felt very claustrophobic driving it, compared to the ES. I also preferred the ES ride much more then the GS. Naturally, if your looking for a car that has a "LITTLE" more sporty handling at the sake of losing a smooth quiet ride, then go for the GS. I had my share of "sporty" cars in the past, and now I wanted a car that was as smooth and quiet as possible with great acceleration, great gas mileage, nice toys, etc. I got this in the ES350!!

MD350

If I remember correctly, the center console in the GS sits higher betweeen the driver and passenger seat than the ES, so the front driver and passenger don't feel so cramped the in ES. Also, take a look at the back seat on the ES, there is no hump in the middle of the floor. Lastly, I have the UL package and I believe the headroom on the UL cars is a little better because the sunroof opens outward (glass roof).

DaveJ

After looking a a few ES350s today, I must say I'm impressed! I haven't driven one yet. The ES has come a long way and it looks to be a beautiful car.

Even though I like my '06 GS300 very much, it made me think about trading in my GS for an ES350. Anyone here done that?

Of course I would have to try one for a weekend to know if I would really like it.

Gloval

I definitely considered the GS when we were in the market for a new car. The only thing that stopped me was that I knew the 3.5L V6 was coming out for the GS in the fall and we needed a car for the summer. Also, I felt that the interior in the GS was bit more cramped than the ES, which is why I'm surprised to hear that the GS actually has larger interior dimensions.

Ingram4868

My wife did not like the little buldge near the drivers right leg. I guess it is needed to make room for the driveshaft tunnel? And the seats are so much larger that my head would almost touch the top of the door jam.

The ES just seemed to have more leg room for the driver and more head room.

2thfixr

I have both and can definitely say that the GS is a better car in every respect. In fact, I have been driving both around all day today running errands. The ES is very smooth and quiet but not as smooth as I would have thought. Or should I say, not smooth enough that I would want to give up the performance and handling that the GS offers. Both cars are very different. The ES is definitely geared towards luxury and little details like the door pulls show that. The ES has padded door pulls, I have never seen this in any other car but it's a small detail that Lexus engineers did not overlook. The feel is distinct and emphasizes the ESs mission. The GS definitely does not have padded door pulls. It's a sports sedan that is aimed more at the BMW 5 series than the softer Mercedes E class. The first few times I drove the GS, I felt like it was much firmer than the ES. Now that I have spent a couple of days driving around town and one long trip home from the dealership, I can say that the ride and handling is simply perfect in every way. It rides firm and you get great road feel but everything is muffled and all the hard edges are removed by the superb suspension settings. The more I drive it, the smoother it feels and the more I appreciate it. In fact, in an hour or two, I will be leaving town on a 2 hour drive to my office. I have been driving the thing all day and I can't wait to get back into the car.

When I say that everything about the car is better than the ES, I mean it. The engine pulls harder, it's effortless off the line whereas the ES strains a little. Simply tap the throttle and the car lunges forward. The ES is a little buzzy and the engine is surprisingly noisy under acceleration whereas the GS is insanely quiet. The dash is layed out a little nicer IMO. The GS is just a nicer package. The trunk has a power soft closer, the ES does not. Some of the smaller dash controls are concealed in a panel that flips down, the ES has them exposed. The heat/cool dials for the seats are concealed when you slide the center armrest forward, the ES has them exposed. The center armrest itself has bi-level storage, the ES has just one large compartment. The rear seats are contoured like a true sport sedan, the ES has flat rear seats. The drivers seat has 3 memory positions, the ES has 2. The Passenger seat also has 3 memory positions, the ES passenger seat has none. I'm sure there is more but that's all I can remember at the moment. Overall, it's a very impressive car and definitely worth the extra money.

That being said, the ES isn't exactly chopped liver. It's an impressive car that I would love to have as a daily driver/long commute if I didn't have the GS.

amf1932

I don't find this so at all. My ES accelerates extremely quietly and powerfully, with absolutely NO signs of straining or buzziness. Maybe you should break in the engine a bit more.

This has been proven to be more of a hindrance than a feature. Read some of the GS's road tests. It's a pain in the butt!

It's always much easier to re-adjust these controls when they're out in the open, rather than having to open the center console everytime you want to make an adjustment.

Wrong! There's a sliding upper tray that you probably failed to notice.

My UL Edition ES has 2 memory positions in both driver and passenger seats.
Since basically I'm the only driver of my car, I find that a third memory position is totally unnecessary. It's overkill!

I'm glad you're happy with your GS, but I had the use of my cousins '06 GS300 AWD for a couple of months before the ES350 was released to the public in March. I found that the run flat tires on the GS gave the car a terrible ride, especially when the car was loaded with passengers, and the car also developed numerous rattles after only a couple of thousand miles on the odometer. So after test driving the ES350 it was a no brainer which car I wanted.
I guess I wasn't the only person that felt this way, since my dealer had a whole bunch of '06 GS's that were traded in because of the aforementioned things......plus the cramped cabin.
To each their own.

2thfixr

Buzzy relative to the GS without a doubt. Don't mean it in a bad way, it's just that the GS does not do this and it has nothing to do with breakin as both cars are new

Purely a matter of personal preference. I like the clean look. It's probably considered to a hindrance because you can't see any of the buttons with the steering wheel in the way.

You don't have to actually open the armrest to access the controls. The center armrest slides back to reveal the controls.

Agreed, did not notice it. I will have to check

Agreed, nobody drives my GS but me so even 2 memory positions is overkill for me. Just an observation.

The GS300 AWD is not the same car as the GS350. That's like comparing an ML350 vs a ML500. Same cars but entirely different feel. My earlier post was not to bash the ES. That would be very stupid and pointless don't you think. To get a lot of help and useful info from ES guys and then crap all over their choice of cars? I think not! Especially considering the fact that I bought one. If I honestly did not like the ES, I would be posting about how I made a terrible choice. Instead, the purpose of my post was to merely respond to the thread starter while stating some personal opinions regarding the differences between the GS and ES. Trust me, I am one of you guys, I now own an ES and I will stand on top of the highest mountain to state that it's a great car that I would definitely purchase again. That being said, although you had the opportunity to drive a GS300 AWD for a couple of months, that's not exactly the same as alternating between the GS350 and ES350 back to back on the same roads during a 2 day period. When I say I was running errands all day, I literally mean that I was all over town with both cars. The difference between the cars is not subtle. It's a night and day difference and as a matter of personal preference, I feel the GS is a better car. Maybe I should clarify, "A better car to me." Once again, if for some reason, the GS was to magically disappear one day and someone replaced it with a ES, I would not exactly be crying in my bowl of Rice Crispies. It's a fine car, maybe even the perfect car for some, and definitely a car that I would purchase again without hesitation for my mother in law. Seriously, please don't infer anything from the "mother in law" part either. The ES is perfect for her and her needs. I am not calling ES owners a bunch of old ladies.

2thfixr

Oh, I forgot to mention. I have to agree completely about the interior feel of the GS. It feels smaller than the ES. Even my wife commented that she feels like she is sitting really low to the ground in the GS even though they are both about the same height. Also, I am 5'11" and I am maxed out in the car. If I were a inch taller, I would not fit unless I really leaned the seatback and drove gangster style. My hair touches the headliner on occasion depending on how I'm sitting. There also appears to be less rear seat legroom because I am laid back a little more than usual.

It all goes hand in hand with the sporty feel of the car and it suits me just fine.

LexBob2

2thfixr, thanks for your interesting observations on GS vs. ES. It's smart for Lexus, or any other mfgr. to have as much differentation as possible between their models. It sounds like both ES & GS are going about their assigned missions in the market. ES-Entry level luxury and GS Luxury Sport.