Another thing to keep in mind is that there are always small issues with the first year of a new model. I bought my GS the year it came out and have not regretted it. I had to that year though so I could not wait for the 99s.

If you lease a new Lexus not, you will be able to get the next gen GS (if it suits you) after a 2 year shake out period.

 

i really don't want to praise the BMW 7, but i am defending the exterior look... IT"S VERY NICE.. can't really say the same however about the interior, which i personally hate. Fortunately, we own a LS430, a GS300 and (i'm ashamed)... the BMW 745i.

But i do have to thank my dad for getting the 745. Now i know to steer clear of BMW.

 

How about a Mercedes CLK55??? Or a CLK430??? That is a really nice ride, has about the same power, or more inthe 5.5 one, and looks are killer.


BMW 540 sport 6-speed- great car, faster than the GS, and looks like an M5... its beautifull.


BMWs dont fall apart as much as people say they do, and the same goes with mercedes.

 

Since my wife got her Audi A6, I have really been taken by it. Reliability is not in the Lexus league but we have had good luck. You can get it with the 4.2 V8, or go with the twin turbo V6. Stock it is nearly as fast as the GS400, chip and up to 330HP and watch out.

Interior is at least as good as the GS, much more trunk space, and Quattro driveability in all weather conditions. My GS is nearing 80K miles, and I know once I get to the 100K range it will be really hard to sell. So I need to decide whether to sell it or stick with it to 200K miles...

 

I can answer this by just saying what's caught my eye as a potential GS430 successor.

The new E500 looks gorgeous, both inside and outside. I'm a little miffed that MB hasn't updated COMAND to a more user-friendly interface or DVD-based database, but that car looks sweet.

I'm also a fan of the 540i-6M, but with a complete restyling coming out, I don't think I'd go that way personally.

As noted above, the Audi A6 2.7T Quattro with an APR chip is a beast. Nothing like 330HP + AWD + 6-speed manual tranny + Audi quality interior. Again, I just wish Audi would update their telematics to something modern.

If interior space isn't a huge concern (and since you looked at the M3 and SC430, I assume it isn't), consider the MB C32 AMG. That car is a hell of a performer and looks pretty good.

Oh...and there's also the new Jaguar S-Type 4.2 and S-Type R, depending on your budget. Now that they've completely redone the interior and bumped the performance (especially on the R!), I have to admit...that car has caught my eye in a big way!

For the next few years I think I'll stay with my '01 GS430. After two years of ownership I'm still elated with the car...something unusual for my short attention span. I'm genuinely looking forward to it coming out of warranty so I don't have to agonize over mods like a torque converter, intake/ECU, or limited slip diff anymore!

Good luck shopping!