Hi all,

First of I am a newbie and first time here....Quick history....I had owned many cars before and never had any luck with cars. Just sold my last car and thinking to buy either '00 or '01 GS300, GS400 or GS430. Can someone please be kind let me know which one is better is other? Does any of these cars have any problem history that I should know up front? Any known problem with Lexus that i should be concerned before buying it? I know Honda is known for tranmisstion problem CEL keeps coming up, so i am staying away from it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

Hi, I don't know much but I just got mine 8 months ago
I have not had any problems yet...
I drive an 01 GS300...I got it with 98k on it
runs like new! love this car, now I have about 110k
lucky mine was well taken care of...
only problem I really have is my driver door & rear passenger door
don't unlock with my remote, I have to do it manually
Good luck with finding/buying your GS
I know I'm sold, I will never buy other car.
GS's all the way

 

First, I'd like to welcome you to ClubLexus.

98-00 Have ball joint problems, just make sure they've been replace and you should be good to go.

98-00 GS300 - Don't have that much to spend, and don't have a need for speed.
98-00 GS400 - Don't have that much to spend, but do have a need for speed.
01-05 GS300 - Have money to spend, but don't have a need for speed.
01-05 GS430 - Have money to spend and a need for speed.

I personally wanted something quick, but didn't want to spend too much on a DD, so I picked a GS400. Like I said, it all depends on your preference and budget.

 

Personally i think these cars are some of the best built ever. Many will disagree but i dont care. The car is flawless, It looks great and if you decide to go with a v8(400 or 430. Which you SHOULD!) these cars are really quick!

 

Ditto!

I don't mean to get off topic, but if we combined our cars, it would be AWESOME!

 

LETS DO IT! Haha. It would be awesome. Hmmm now for the tough part... How are we guna do it lol

 

Come on over! I have a guest bedroom for you. Lol...

 

Hi I'm a noob too,
Got my 2000 GS400 6 mo. ago. I've replaced the balljoints on spec, as per the advice here. Recently replaced the starter and it was pricey as the Delco re-man I bought didn't fit and I had to get OEM.
My impression is that these are extremely well-built cars and they'll go forever with proper maintenance. What keeps you interested in keeping up with the maintenance is what the car gives back, which is: a beautiful ride, wonderful handling, a supremely comfortable cabin, peace of mind, bragging rights among your friends and a little swagger in your step when you walk away from it.
I've had my work done at a Ford dealer where my friend is service Mgr. His techs aren't fazed by the car and he said it's a nice car to work on because of how it's built.
I think the 2GS is basically what Jaguars should have been.
So, the final question is, I6 or V8? If the price of gas is an issue get the 6 and enjoy every other aspect of the GS. If not dive in to a V8.
Hope that helps.

 

The gas mileage difference is not that big, maybe 1-2 mpg for most people. Well worth the extra power of the V8 IMHO, the main reason I see to choose the 300 is if you plan on going turbo or supercharged later. In that case the I6 will be much easier and cheaper to work with.

Here's a review/ comparison on the 400 vs. 430 that discusses many of the updates (mostly cosmetic other than the engine change) done in the '01 facelift. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...-analysis.html

 

Welcome to Clublexus. Overall the GS 300/400/430 are equally reliable. My suggestion is find one that was maintained with the lowest miles. Good luck

 

WOW...Very impressive with all the replies. Thanks to all for the welcome and advises. I thought I was heading to the right direction, but wasn't really sure. First I was choosing the GS300 but I used to drive a CLK430 (v8), so I need power and also noticed that only 1-2 miles in difference in MPG between V6 and V8, so decided to get the V8. Then after research I found that 430 is really the fix for all the "bugs" in early 400, and with everything everyone said here matched with what I've read, so I will definitely stick with GS430 (prob. '01 since newer costs more). Again thanks to help. This is very helpful.

One last question. Most '00 or '01 that I really like has $144K miles. Is it way too much? If history was good and I am taking care of any of my cars, will this last me awhile? Is it advisable to buy GS this high mileage?

Thanks

 

Welcome to CL! There are a few minor differences between the 98-00(GS300/400) and 01-05(300/430). Also there are members on here with 200,000+ miles on there car. With proper maintenance these cars will run forever.

A few things you should keep in mind when decided which model to buy. If you want stock power out of the box, then 98-00 GS400 or 01-05 GS430 is the way to go. If you plan to do a motor swap then the 300 is the way to go. GL

 

Thanks for the heads-up. It'll be all stock. I am done with the mods stuff, now just want a reliable, comfort ride...Never owned any sedan in my life...all my cars have been sport cars, so this will be the first :~).....This is why I want to make sure I am making the right decision....