I was in the neighborhood of getting a new car. I own a 01 cougar and its just being a pain in my *** and i wanted something more luxury sport but not too much sport. I was looking at the GS300 and i was wondering what the ride is like, are they quick or not, comfortable for everyday use, dependable etc. Any info would help alot like a general pricing of the car. Ive seen some sell for 15 grand maybe i saw it wrong. But anything you guys can input would be great. Plus this site already makes me want to get one lol. Looks like a great place to car chat!

 

As to your question on comfort...you will have a difficult time finding cars that are such a good balance of luxury and sport as the GS's are. As to the quickness...it all depends what car you are coming out of. The 300 is plenty quick for most people, but coming out of a Mustang GT or a Vette, you are more likely to be satisfied by a 400/430. Pricing will vary depending on CPO status, and the obvious...mileage, year, appearance etc. www.edmunds.com can give you a pretty good feel for going rate on used GS's, but I'm sure there will be a few people with better info on it here as well. Good Luck in your quest to find a new car and once again welcome to ClubLexus.

 

thanks for the info and i agree on the comfort part already just need to see how they perform and 220hp for a GS300 would do me plenty since my cougar only had 170 lol

 

curious:

You can't go wrong with the GS. I've owned my GS 300 since January of 1999. The car is very comfortable and has lots of room for the driver. I don't know about the back seats b/c I never ride back there. Aside from a few minor problems, the car has been great.

I'm sure many members will suggest you go for a 400/430 over the 300. If you can find a used 400 within a few thousand of the 300, then go for the 400. There is a large power difference b/t the two models (300HP for the gs 400 versus 220HP for the gs 300, 225 in the 98 and 99 models). I find the 300 plenty quick for everyday driving, but when I drive my friend's 400, wow!

Early model GS's had a few TSB's, I believe one concerned the yaw sensor and another the ECU. Also, every year brings some new enhancements. For instance, in 2000, the GS came standard with brake assist (not available for my '99). Cosmetically, you' be hard pressed to tell the difference b/t a '98 and the most recent model. However, in 2001, the tail lights and front grille were updated. As for options, I'd try to get a GS with factory HID's, although many members have installed aftermarket kits w/ great results. I believe you can find a comprehensive list of all the changes on the Lexus website.

If you can find a model under 60k, then having the factory warranty would be a nice benefit. I'm not too familiar with the CPO process, but that might also provide peace of mind.

As Johnny said, pricing is all over the place. A lot will depend on where you live. Here in CA I see quite a few used GS's for sale. Good luck, the GS is a great car!

 

GS300 is a great car. The only reason some here will steer you to GS400/430 is because it's a lot faster, but the GS300 is certainly not slow.