My BMW did have runflats but the ride didn't feel like the GS at all. That said, I believe what you are saying. Will have to consider swapping out the tires. Any suggestions as to which ones?

And yes, I wish I could've gotten the V8. Unfortunately, the V8 doesn't come with AWD.

To put things in perspective, the GS is a moderately priced car so I have to compensate for that.

 

The reason BMWs ride better than the Lexus on runflats is because BMWs are designed with run flats as the standard tire. So their whole suspension design is geared to absorb the vibrations that come from having a very stiff side wall.

Lexus did something very stupid. They designed the car to run regular tires. Most of the GS models on the lot have regular tires and some proportion have runflats depending on the option package selected. However when they offered run flat tires as an option they didn't offer a different suspension to go with it. So when the car is optioned with run flat tires you have a tire that is much stiffer than what the suspension engineers had in mind! The result is a terrible ride.

Common sense would say a car should be engineered around one type of tire and then only sold with that type of tire. Lexus is the only company I know which offers 2 dramatically different tires on a car with a single suspension option!

My advice on tire choice is this:

If you want car to ride firm (not jarring but firm) like a BMW then get the Michelin PS2 or Bridgestone RE760AS. This is what I have and the car feels firmer than a Benz and similar to an Audi or BMW. The Continental ExtremeContact DW is also popular for people who like this kind of a setup.

If you want a more Mercedes like ride get the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity tire I mentioned in my earlier post.

 

GS 350 offers tops in acceleration with the 535 and tops in fuel economy. That is no small feat and sadly overlooked by most people (many idiot mags) over "handling" like people really drive these cars like GT3s. They don't.

I'm happy as hell with my GS but I knew I was going with the 450h when it debuted years ago. Its not perfect but I've never owned a perfect car.

I know other brands like it as so many have copied the look of the GS

 

I went from a Dunlop run flat to Michelins (Pilots?). Made a huge difference.

Check w your dealer to see how they can help you out. I had an irregular wear issue and they swapped them for free...had about 10,000 miles on them.

Its worth asking.

 

Can you provide links of that?

 

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...us_gs_350.html

(Auto vs Auto)

 

The GS isn't perfect but I like it. It's looks really cool, drives smooth, has power and lot's of style. Handling is a weak point but is better with mods, obviously. I'm planning to keep mine, even after getting another car.

 

Yeah, that was correct! Cool link!

I was curious cause I know the 335i traps at a higher speed than the 535i, but wasn`t sure how the 535i perfomed, but looking at this facts you see how despite the 535i still traps at a higher speed than the GS350, the difference is minimal and the 1/4 mile is the same!
And yes, the observed fuel economy is a tie.
But you know, the article says the BMW was a manual, not an auto.
Check the specs.

 

This is why I got the dealer to switch them out; otherwise, I would have walked away from the deal. I did some research online, and found nothing but negative feedbacks on the run-flats. This is also a reason why I didn't buy a BMW. I believe starting in '07, they all come with run-flats.

 

Hi, I am new to this forum and I am in the market for a GS350 AWD as well. I am curious as to what fuel people are running in their cars and what they notice for fuel economy. I will be doing mostly highway driving but would also like to know city driving as well as I frequently visit NYC. Thanks for your help in advance!

 

The run-flats don't feel as bad on BMW as they do on Lexus.

This is another example of shoddy engineering by our friends in Japan. BMW designs their suspension around run flat tires, and so it works much better to absorb road imperfections. Every car goes out with run-flats - so the suspension design and tire choice is in harmony. It may still be a hard tire, but the suspension does absorb some of the road imperfections.

Lexus offers runflat and non run-flat tires on the same car. So the GS suspension is designed around normal tires. Then when they add the run-flats the suspension and tire are out-of-harmony, and the result is an exceptionally jarring ride.

 

My '07 GS350 has been problem-free for the past 38 months and 33,000 miles. I've had it in for the brake dust issue - fixed. I've had no rattles, but in reading the posts I largely attribute this to living in AZ. I am anticipating the letter requesting it be brought in for the valve spring issue, and am of the opinion I will wait and see. It's running perfectly, and I'm getting over 32 mpg on the highway. If this car continues to perform in the future as it has since I've owned it, I will definitely get another exactly like it (including color - graphite whatevertheycallit!).
BTW, I also own a '10 3 Series BMW Coupe - my heretofore favorite car and my third 3 Coupe since 1995. Although I love both cars for their individual attributes, the GS would be the keeper if I was forced to make a choice.

 

I believe the owners manual says to use premium fuel.

I hope I don't hurt anyone's feelings....I don't understand all the fuel economy stuff. Anyone who cares about mpg...why are they driving a GS?
Why not buy a Civic or Sentra or something that drinks a whole lot less gas?
I don't know what the mpg is on my car and don't care. When I start to care about things like that, I will buy a 4 banger or a way lighter car.

 

It was more curiousity than anything else. I have a rotary and I don't think there are many cars that get less mpgs than that so anything is better than it, I do like midsizers as my secondary car and like the size and style of it. If I can get above 27mpgs on the highway I am happy. Currently I'm lucky to see above 18mpgs on the highway. I run Premium in it, and I don't mind running premium if I get a GS, it would just be nicer to be able to run regular in my next car.

 

I run mid-grade (89) and it runs fine.