hey guys,
i had an unfortunate accident, and the insurance might total my 2GS3..

i found 2 cars i like and wanted your opinion.. im not familier with the 430 and the 350 motors.

at the same dealer i found
1. 06 GS 430 Grey w black interior and navi with 63k
2 07 GS 350 Black w black interior and navi with 64k
both are asking $24,995... price wise i can more then likley talk them down, but my biggest question is which car should i go with..
i think they have about the same HP but are there any advantages to either model?

thanks in advance.

 

This topic has been covered quite often but here's my $.02.

I say go for the 350 for a couple of reasons. It has the same amount of power (except for torque), better fuel economy and has the Gen5 Navi which has a much higher resolution screen, etc. I went through this exact decision when I got my 350 and I couldn't be any more pleased with it. 07's tend to have less rattles that the 06's were really prone to but they still do have some.

In the end, though, you can't go wrong with either. GL! Hope you're OK from your accident.

 

sorry about your 2gs, hope you are ok

i would also say the 07 gs350. the better gas mileage and most important the gen5 system (higher resolution, better graphics, capability to play mp3 cds) simply make it a better car for me.

power are about the same between the two, of course the gs430 will have more punch and tq on pick up speed at around 80mph

 

There are a few features that the gs 430 has that the gs350 doesn't have. First, the gs430 has the EBC brake system (more powerful braking system) it's neccessary to have this in the luxury sport sedan, the sport suspension mode( both of these options only available to the gs430 or gs460 models). You have a more sport feel when drive in this mode, less of that soft floating feel. And of course the big V8 with that extra growl when you hit the gas pedal.
For me, I'm all V8 for life. It's a luxury car so V8 is neccessary, imho.
About mp3 concern, if you have the Nokia N900, it's bluetooth connected, so no need for physical wire connection. So you won't have problem playing mp3 directly from your phone. I have to admit though, the 07+ gs350 has a better resolution nav system.

 

I say 350 all the way for the same price

 

i was in a similar position when i was in the market for my GS. i have the 350 now and im happy with the decision i made so far

 

Huh? There is no way to stream MP3s from your phone.

 

Sorry to hear about your 2GS as well and I would recommend the 07 simply based on the Gen 5 NAV.

 

i don't see why ebc is necessary. granted it gives the system a faster response, but i don't think the brakes are anything more poweful. i drove both (with and without), i think it engages faster, but not more poweful

and maybe you can tell us more about mp3 streaming, i don't think there is anyway you can stream mp3 songs from phone to stock audio system in 06-09 gs

i will agree v8 is always cool (in fact my gs350 is our first v6 in a while), but i will have to be honest and say the 4.3L is a bit dated (2001)

 

I think your opinion is a bit biased because you own a gs430 and not a 350. I think the braking in the 350 is perfectly fine unless you want to go track the car or something. The suspension is sportier but again 350 suspension is just fine unless you want to track the car. I was all about having V8 power too but the 350 V6 is more efficient and just as fast as the 430 so more mpg with equivalent power is a + in my book. For a daily driver, I would def pick a 350 over a 430 and that seems to be the general consensus.

 

The #1 reason I chose the 350 over the 430 is probably the Gen5 Navi. Sure having the 4.3 would be great. If I was able to find an 07 GS430, I probably would've gone with that. But nope, no dice. Not able to find one. They are rare because the 350 is that good. Many more 350's sold over the 430 in the same model year.

 

I bought the 430 because it seemed quieter and better insulated than the 350...the car also had a more solid feel on the road with the sports suspension option. just my .02...

Drive them both and see what you think- nobody can say for sure which YOU model you will prefer other than you. They are both great cars!
Cheers!

 

gs430 is better insulated? can you provide more info?

 

He used to word "seemed" so prolly he cant back up this info :P. Anyways, I own a 460, so cant comment powerwise since I can own em both . If i where in your position, I'd prolly go with the 350 since it has the new NAV, better mpg, and almost the same speed. I myself had no choice but to go with the V8 since we do not have 350s here -,-, only 300s. However, even if there was a 350, id still go with the 460 just because its a V8 and due to the better brake system and suspension.

 

The 350 sold more than the 430 because a 2007 430 is rated at 290hp and a 2007 350 is rated at 303hp. Besides those who want to say yeah I have a V8, there was very little logical reason to justify spending that much more for the 430 over the 350.