Sold my IS350 back in August and bought the car I've been dreaming of since I was 14, the E46 M3. Purchased a 2003.5 M3 6SPD w/ 60k miles. Worlds apart compared to the 350 in terms handling and driver focus. Its an all out, uncomfortable, driving machine. It cannot be leisurely driven; it creaks, cracks, and rattles and hearing all the mechanism adds to the whole driving expericence.

But I do miss the comfort, the options and amendities of the Lexus. How I do miss the comfort of cooled seats, ESPECIALLY the pwer lumbar support! The fast rolling windows and the cool in's and out's of their cars.

So I am considering getting a GS430 as a daily. Maybe an 06-07 model. Can any of you guys give me some info on it? How do you owners like it? How is power compared to the IS350?

Thanks!

 

powerband is similar... torque in the gs430 will be higher, but hp is rated lower than the is350... the gs should pull with less effort on the freeway. other than that it will be about the same... i'd go with a gs350.. cheaper and about the same power as the 430...

 

the car will not be much faster than is350. on high end speed pick up the v8 tq will help, but otherwise the is350 is very close

 

I thought the 430 would be a little quicker than the IS350. Doesnt the GS350 have the same powerplant as the IS350? Anything else about the car? IS is very comfortable, even after I lowered it on H&Rs. Knowing the GS is a bigger car the backseat will actually be useful.

 

gs has even softer suspension and will be even more comfortable, but handling won't be as good as the is350 of course

gs350 has the same powerplant as is350 correct, their performance is very close, but of course gs350 is a tad heavier. gs430 is producing the same 300 (roughly) hp, so it's not really any quicker, especially at lower speed. but like i said at high speed pick up, say from 80 to 120, the gs430 will pull.

also of course, with the v8, the engine doesn't need to work as hard so ride is smoother imho

 

not cheaper... 06 gs430 is actually cheaper, because they make gs350 07+ and also it comes with awd option.

 

GS430s are hard to come by. I see mostly AWD 350s. The 460 is another option I'm open to.

 

Most 430s are 2006 models. Honestly if you REALLY want a V-8 I would skip it for the 350. The 350 is as fast with much better MPG and it simply is a much newer engine. NAV is also updated. 07 430s are rare only about 100 or so made since the 450h came and then the 460 came in 08.

 

why would you buy a AWD if you plan on modding it, this is like say I want to buy a cadillac Escalade and bagging or dropping it to the ground really no reason for AWD then imo

 

If your going to lower get the rwd, the awd sits way to high everytime I pass one on the road I can't help but notice it's fugly stance!

 

Oh Yes! I can never go back to an AWD car unless its an suv or an audi S/RS. If I find a 430, 450, or 460 at a good price I'll jump on it. Critera has to be: black on black. Then coils, tint, and a set of polished staggered wheels. ohh...now thats sex!

 

Good deal, keep us posted on the decision, the buy ,and then the build!!!!

 

judging by your sig pic your gs looks pretty clean. we think alike. haha. got any extra pics?

 

The V8 is nice, but as others have said, I'd look at the 07 GS350's or even perhaps a GS450h. The nice thing about the 450h is that you can get pretty good deals on these and they tend to come with all the goodie's. The only negative would be the CVT, it does take some getting used to.