My family is looking at slightly used GS300s as their next car. We found a 98 and a 99 that are both in mint condition.

The question is, are there any major and minor differences between those two cars? Both have the premium package, etc.. Are there any interior trim differences, power wise, different suspension calibtrations, etc..? Did they have the Nakamichi sound system or the Mark Levinson?

Also do these models come with HID? I haven't seen the car yet and my dad forgot to ask them about it. Also these cars are dead reliable right?

 

i don't think there are any real differences. if differences exist, its gotta be small, and not something to judge a car by.

these are pretty reliable, more then bmw apparently. never owned one, but people here sure do pick on bmw servicing

 

I don't believe there are any physical differences. However, 98's and some early 99's had some problems w/ the yaw sensor and also had a hesitation problem that was corrected w/ a new ECU. HID's were available on '99's, but came as part of the Nakamichi or Nav packages. The premuim package only came w/ halogens. Also, the '98 and '99 GS's will either have the Pioneer or Nakamichi sound systems, as the Mark Levinson systems were not produced until a few years later.

 

Thanks for the reply. I thought the premium package included the Nakamichi sound system? Btw, I'm in Canada so maybe the GS300s are optioned differently for the Canadian market. I seriously doubt that any Lexus of that year has NAV in Canada.

Glad to see that both the 98s and 99 had the same items and appointments. Also this ECU fix, is it done under warranty? Or actually, can it be done for free if the car is out of warranty?

 

I have a 98 GS300, and it has HID headlights, and navigation. The 99 GS is identical, with no additional features. The sales rep told me the only difference is something about a mechanical part (pump, or something like that) being a little larger.

 

lexus.com has a listing of the different YM vehicles that includes changes from year to year. For the 1999 GS300:

CHANGES MADE TO THE 1999 GS 300

Daytime running lights
50-state emission certification
Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle (T-LEV) certification
Floor mats standardized

http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model.html

 

99 has the DRL feature. I have a GS4 with the Navigation package that includes the HID. With the Navigation, only the Pioneer system is installed. 98/99 have the Nakamichi system as the sound upgrade. HID is an option if the car doesn't have the Navigation package.

 

Well in Canada, all cars have DRL standard, its the law. I know my 91 Corolla had it standard. So that's a non-issue. Thanks for the info guys!

Now onto opinions of the cars. I know the response will be largely biased, but how do you feel about your 98/99 GS300? Does it have adequate power, althought thats a non issue since we have a 99 Maxima.

Is the car quiet? Like dead quiet on the highway? Also how does it drive in the winter? Our previous car (that the GS will be replacing) was a 95 240SX (RWD car) that my dad got into an accident with. We drove it in the winter with winter tires (Nokian Hakka1s - great tires btw). I'm hoping the GS will drive better than that in the snow (although the 240 drove fine..i still miss that car...sniff..

anyway..thanks for the repsonse. The three major concerns are: 1) reliability 2) driveability in snow 3) comfort

Now I know Lexus is known for their comfort and reliability...but most of that is assoicated with the LS400 right?

 

Not sure about the power of GS300. Other cars in my family are 03 Maxima and 02 TL Type-S, GS400 is faster than both. A stock GS300 from various tests by car magazines are slower than 03 Maxima and Type-S. That's why I got a GS400.

GS400 is quieter than my Maxima and Type-S. I don't drive the GS in the winter. I drive my FWD

My previous Lexus was a 93 LS400 and didn't have a single problem so I expect my GS as good as my LS and built quaility is much better than Maxima and Type-S.

 

I wouldn't say the GS300 is dead quiet but you won't hear the engine at highway speeds. You will hear some tire/road noise and some wind noise. What is the speed limits in your part of Canada? I've been to Vancouver a few times and if you go by that speed limit it's dead quiet. Here in Northern California it's reasonably quiet although it's not really comparable to the LS400 of the same years(98/99). But then again, it's not as floaty as the LS but that seems to be solvable with the propert struts/springs(so I have read). I drove a 2002 Max Se with a four speed auto for a couple of hundred of miles and the GS is quieter then that. And tje GS doesn't have that rear axle hop that the max had. And it was more comfortable. The Max was fun when I popped it down from four to three on the highway(went 70 to 90 pretty fast) but the GS300 can feel similar when you drop it from five to three. Keep in mind that the GS is a much heavier car then the Max and you won't get as good of gas mileage on the streets or highway.

I don't know how it is in the snow but it's fine in the rain. Decent traction considering it's a rwd car.

My GS300 is very reliable but it does have some rattles that I hope the dealer can resolve during the next service. I have had the dash/steering column rattles since day one and it's gotten a little worse. I would pay attention to that when/if you look for one. On the freeway, if there are heavy crosswinds, it becomes a little unstable but I take into account that I still have the stock donuts, I mean 16" tires, on it. I suspect that lowering it and dropping some rims/tires and a steering ecu will take care of it. At least that is what I have read.

The hood does seem to chip easily and so does the paint on the bumpers. But I read that BMW 5 series has the same issues with the hood so no car is perfect.

Hopefully, this has been helpful. Good luck with your search.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

Our highway speeds are officially 100km/h (~62mph), but the regular speeds are usually between 110km/h and 125km/h. I'm in Toronto btw.

Less windnoise wouild be nice. Are rattles common for all GS300s or just yours in particular, cause I hate rattles with a passion.

Oh I forgot to ask, the 98/99 GS300 had 5-spd autos? I was under the impression that only the V8s got those tranny?

Also, what would be a better deal, a 95 LS400 or a 99 GS300? Given that hte mileage is almost the same.

 

Some people have complained about rattles and I think some reviewers had mentioned it as well. If the car you're looking at doesn't rattle, it probably won't later on. I had a 95 LS400 for a short while and it was quiet but it was a little floaty. I liked the dash a little better in the LS. The GS300 will have a five speed auto versus the four in the LS and VTI so it will be competitve speed wise with the LS400. But the V8 loafs on the highway. You probably would be looking at around 3k rpm on the tach on the freeway. Not very high but low like the V8s. I think at the speeds you will be going the GS will be fine as far as quietness. Depends on what you want. The GS does look nice with lowered with rims. But the LS400 can look striking lowered with big rims. Again, tough choice.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I sure it will be nice either way.

 

CHANGES MADE TO THE 1999 GS 300

Daytime running lights
50-state emission certification
Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle (T-LEV) certification
Floor mats standardized

 

Thanks for the responses. We looked at the car, it was a 99 GS300 with 113k km and the premium package. I don't know if it has the Nakamichi sound system since it wasn't written on the head unit. It had "Lexus Premium Sound System" writtin on it with the cd changer in the glovebox and a subwoffer in the trunk on the rear deck.

It looked nice...after we test drive it, we may be potential GS300 owners

 

yeah, those differences aren't anything to write home about