Yes, the GS body is heavy and the torque makes a difference. That said, GS's are automatics so both will likely be disappointing vs the m3

 

GS400 or 430 buddy. I have a few buddies that own the gs300's and they do have regrets. Can't go wrong with either the 4.0 or 4.3. Good luck in your quest for a lexus and welcome.

 

Yeah, the M3 handles like a dream but the ride is harder than a ZO6. I have had the car only 11 months and I'm tired of it already. I just want a all around reliable luxury car. I don't want any big repair bills or car payments for a while. I'm looking to meet some new friend that are not ****** (most bmw kid owners). Here is my for sale ad. I have a guy coming buy my car on Tuesday for 23.5k. I'm upside down 2k but whatever.

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=253867

 

I am totally there. With a lot of Euro cars, repair is the price you pay for the finely-tuned performance. When my father's Jag broke down he called it "character." Drive the GS3 and GS4 and see what you think. As for the suspension and power mods, it's obviously a personal thing. One thing is sure though, the Japanese know how to build a car and they can do it without having you in the garage every other month. I loved my 5 but I switched to a Lexus because that's what the garage always gave me as a loner when the BMW was getting another thing fixed. I began to feel like a Lexus owner before I had one. I also noticed one day that the owner of the shop I took the 5 to drove an LS, and his shop did everything from Infiniti to Ferarri. I figured he may know something.

 

You had an 04 M3 which is probably the best looking M3 in the history of M3's, handles better, is faster, and looks way better and you prefer a GS300 over that?


Can I have some of that crack you're smoking?

I saw that car in that BMW forum...damn that's a beautiful car.

 

I have 430 and loving it....wouldn't give it up...unless they throw in a bottle of wine...lol..

 

so you're in S.FL huh? theres some nice lexus' down there. you should check out the Florida section for the meets. those guys are a lot better than those ***** bmw kids you were talking about

anyway i have a 300 and i say its fine power-wise. though i admit im not crazy for speed and its my first car and ive never rode in a 400/430. but whatever is cheaper man get it hopefully i get to meet ya at one of the statewide meets soon

 

here are some updated pictures with tint:

 

Your M3 is very nice. I love E46 M3s and would love to get one but I just could not deal with BMW reliability/overcharging. I would still consider one if I found a fantastic deal on one and it would be more of a weekend toy that I rarely drove. I was also looking to get a 01 or 02 5 series when I was looking for a GS and every 5 series owner I talked to said don't get one unless you don't care about poor reliability and high maintenance bills and the number of expensive repairs getting really old really quick. That steered me away from a used 5 series really quick even though I liked the interior and the way it drove better then the GS plus they were a good deal more expensive used then a GS.

The GS is not perfect but it should be more reliable and a much softer ride then your M3 if that is what you are looking for. As for handling it will be a shock going from a M3 to 2nd Gen GS, hell going from a 96 Accord and driving my parents 99 TL was a kind of shock going to the GS as the GS is pretty floaty and not exactly crisp or confidence inspiring in the corners at higher speeds.

If you are into faster higher powered cars the GS300 will feel a bit sluggish and underpowered but it is no slug and they are easier to tune for more power going the turbo route plus it has wheel mounted shift buttons. The GS430/400 feels much stronger and gets pretty much the same gas mileage as the GS300 which is a bonus but you end up paying more for the v8 so the GS300 is still probably the more economical car. The cosmetic aftermarket is pretty good for the GS and suspension/handling aftermarket is pretty decent, power upgrades are rarer and generally really expensive and unless you go FI don't net much power gains compared to what you pay.

 

Man, if you were in CA, i would do a trade with you plus cash and I got a 01 GS430, which is probably something you are looking for..