what to get?? GS awd or IS awd?? *help*
 

hey clublexus members,

so i have a dilemma in which i need some advice from everyone on the forum. There are 2 cars that my father is looking at and can't decide if its worth the price difference.

Car 1 : 2006 IS 250 AWD w/ premium package (moonroof,heated/ac seats)
- $27,800 all in with about 6 months warranty left over. Car has no accidents what so ever and has a clean title. Mileage = 40,000km (canadian car)

or option 2

Car 2 : 2006 GS 300 AWD w/ ultra premium package (navi, backup camera etc)
- $38,000 all in with no warranty but is lexus certified cause i'm getting it from a lexus dealership. 1 owner, with all paper work and no accidents. Car is in immaculate condition Mileage = 30,000 km (canadian car)


what do you guys think i should suggest my father get? We currently have a LS430 and a ES300 so we are very familiar with the reliability of the cars so the warranty issue isnt so important.. but is it worth 10 grand difference?

any HELP will do!

thanks

Jimmy

They are very different cars. I'm not sure I've met people who like both close enough to consider both models. IS is a VERY VERY small near-luxury sporty sedan, whereas GS is a significantly bigger luxury sedan with a small bit of sportiness in it.

2 Different categories. Can't really compare apples to oranges. If it's for your father, I think a GS would be better for him, imo. An IS would be a a bit too much sporty for your dad. But that's just me.

^ i agree.. GS all the way if he's coming from the LS UL.. not sure how much it really worth it US $$, but if money is not an issue and AWD is what he's looking for, i think GS is the way to go.

I would really look for a GS 350 AWD is possible....(I know its not one of the two)

The IS 250 AWD is smaller and more nimble with some cool gauges. The GS 300 is faster, quieter, more spacious more luxurious.

I think 38k is way to much though.

Edit...oh its Canadian dollars....

Should test drive both models then decide. We had the same dilemma, but after test driving both, it was easy to decide. :thumbup:

Keep us posted. As suggested above, test drive GS350 also. :D

I don't know where you live but around here you can get a 08 GS 350 AWD Nav/ML for about $34,000 in the Chicago area. Test drive the cars to figure out which one you want, then shop around.

I had similar dilema a year ago, I was trying to decide between the IS350 and GS350. My heart wanted me to get an IS, but my brain went with a GS, so I ended up with a GS350 AWD. The AWD was not important for me, it just happened that the car I liked had it. To this day I still like the looks of the IS, but GS beats the IS in interior size and comfort.

So, if it is for your father, and I assume he is around 45-50, I'd say the GS is th way to go.

Had both. Love our GS, the IS was just too small, and cramped. If you're tall, and I'm over 6 foot, there's no way you can carry a passanger behind the drivers seat. All that said, the IS was a hoot to drive, very tossable, and got excellent mileage. One thing though, even with AWD, with the low air dam on the IS, it doesn't do for crap in deep snow, tried to act like a plow - for a short distance, than you come to a total stop.

If he can't tell then just get the cheaper one.

I would do the IS because the GS AWD is well know for not being the most reliable of the Lexus vehicles. Actually I think its the most problematic if not top 3 most problematic Lexus vehicles. It would be a shame to spend all of that money then get burned

In terms of what? I can only think of vibrations that some AWD owners have that is really different between RWD and AWD.

I have both and would recommend the GS. The IS is nice, but I noticed 90% of them are driven by females. No need to worry about vibrations if your father has no intentions of lowering the vehicle. After seeing all these pictures with cars covered in snow, I now see the reasoning behind making the GS AWD higher that the RWD.

Test drive both.

GS300 2006 AWD is known by all to have problems with rattle noise - it took the 06GS reliability ratings down a few pegs in consumer reports or some car rating magazine. I forget, but you should do a google on that.

$38,000 for that car is TOO MUCH. At least $10,000 USD TOO MUCH. You can find better for much cheaper, and it comes with no warranty? WAY TOO MUCH.

And "lexus certified cause i'm getting it from a lexus dealership" means nothing. Seriously.

I bought my 2006 GS430 in July of 2008 for $30k with 23k miles from a 3rd party independent dealer, FULLY loaded and have had no problems, while people who paid thousands more than me from an actual Lexus dealership have had rattles, noises, engine issues, and I remember one guy on this board got a "Certified Pre-owned" one from a Lexus dealership only to find out it had previous collision damage.

Don't be swayed by marketing.

And, yeah. $38,000 is, at least, $10,000 too much. And I see you're Canadian, and really, there is no difference between our currencies at this point.


Looking around, I see that you can get....

Black 2006 Lexus GS430 NAVI, BLUETOOTH, CAM & SENSORS with Mileage : 22K for $29,990

Silver 2007 Lexus GS350 LOADED NAV BLUETOOTH & CAM with Mileage : 25K for $29,990

I see a White 2008 Lexus GS350 LOADED W/NAVI FULL POWER with 17k miles for $36,990

and a bunch of others.

The car you're looking at, I see going for 27k to 28k.


And these are all cars I see from the Southern California area - which means no exposure to road salts (no snow here).

i agree with Mike. 38K for an 06 GS300 is way too much money. You can find them for about 26-28K with that kind of milage.

A GS is probably the better choice for your father since its more of a "grown up" car compared to the IS which is more sportier.