Hey guys, im looking to sell my ES right now and get myself some nice GS around 2008-2012 model. Personally i like GS body up to 2010, it just seems so much better for me. I drove GS at work a couple of times, i seem to really like the car. I wonder if its reliable, how does it drives and whats up with it on a long run you know, i cant judge a car just by driving it for like 20mins total. Some reviews of pros and cons would be really appreciated. Im going to a bunch of lexus dealerships next week to see the cars, test drive etc. So thx in advance for any comments!

 

anybody???

 

Dash creaks and that's pretty much it for my 07 350.Its very reliable and comfy, just keep up with regular maintainance and you're golden.

 

Least reliable car I've ever owned although to be fair its now fixed and I got VERY unlucky.

Comfortable seats, good stereo, good nav, rear seat is a bit tight. Incredible in the snow (AWD), gas mileage isn't that great. Fast, brakes and suspension not as good as the Europeans but the ride is softer.

I'm at 75k on my 07.

 

The GS isn't as cushy as the ES in terms of the suspension, or even just the seat cushions. Ride quality is excellent though. People who aren't accustomed to a car like this always, always remark on how smooth the car is.

I suffer dash squeaks/rattles on my 2007. I have heard that it's not as bad from 2008+ which is also when they did a refresh on the interior and exterior trim in a few places, so if the rumors are true then I suppose they took care of the noises at the same time.

In terms of actual drivability it is far and away better than an ES. I was given an ES350 as a loaner car and I absolutely did not enjoy it. I have the GS350 AWD, but I have also driven the GS450h and really enjoyed it as well. It's a special car. Not just as a hybrid, but for any car. If I didn't need the trunk space I would trade up for the hybrid in a heartbeat.

What's with the assault rifle in your pic? Please don't shoot me if you get the GS and end up not liking it...

 

The engine was running like a champ even at over 300,000 km on it(2006). Get +07 if you don't want the potato resolution nav haha and a bit faster. Other than that, my baby was awesome, seats aren't that great for long drives, I'm talking 2+ hour drives, but the rest is very good, I appreciate it a lot because it was everything I was looking in a car, not the best of the best but it fit my needs and it did its job in a nice fashion.

 

@anewname Lol Ak and 9mm, well i like guns, i own a couple just as a hobby lets say.
and thanks guys, seems most of you like it, so i guess i should be good, in terms of maintenance and taking care of the car in general, well i do my best, regular maintenance, cleaning, my car is always good and clean and as for parts if i need somethin replaced, i go with the originals from Lexus, think its better to pay bit more but get better things rather than cheaper stuff. my friend orders always cheap stuff for his maxima, and he goes to the shop every other week cuz they keep breaking...

@rld14 why youre sayin its least reliable ??

I went to few local dealerships to see what they got, the best deal they offered me was for 2010 GS350, AWD, fully loaded, black outside and inside, 40k miles for 30k, But its city, prices are always bit higher here, im gonna go upstate and NJ next week to see what they got, the cars are usually better there, people dont kill engine over there as badly as in the city, but what you think of that deal?

 

Yurka,

Blown engine due to water pump failure. No warning whatsoever.

Sunroof rattles.

Blown wheel bearing

Stereo shuts off and ejects CDs on occasion. I thought I had this fixed...

Side mirrors have a mind of their own although replacing the mirrors seems to have fixed this.

Occasional transmission slip.

I've given up on the memory seats ever working.

Dash is rattling again, it was fixed twice for this.

Suspension has a slight pull regardless of alignment specs.

Brake caliper slide bolt issues.

Windows rattle when down halfway.

New engine is burning oil.

On occasion it won't recognize the key, key battery has no effect.

Lousy gas mileage, my 97 740iL does about the same or maybe a hair better.

Sometimes the radio ***** for volume and tuning don't work, sometimes they do.

Sometimes the car decides that it doesn't have XM

Sometimes the Navigation has me as much as 2,000 feet off course.

Every few months the alarm goes off in the middle of the night. That's fun.

And I know I'm forgetting a few. To be fair the vast majority of my experiences at Lexus dealerships in NJ, Missouri and Kentucky have been very frustrating so I will put a lot of it down to dealer incompetence.

As far as the car itself goes, and comparing it to comparable cars (XF, 5 Series, E Class, A6):

It's got a smooth and comfortable ride, comparable to a Jaguar. The cornering stinks, the suspension is too soft and the steering has the feedback and feel of butterscotch pudding. This I am OK with as I have cars that corner much better. It's a Lexus, they aren't known for having really sharp suspensions and on the other hand they have a much more comfortable ride than, say, a 535xi.

It's fast. Really quick, and the engine has a nice roar to it. The transmission is quick to downshift and the manual shift mode is simple and easy to use and generally does what I ask of it.

The navigation is great, much better and easier to use than Jaguar, Mercedes or especially BMW. The stereo is also pretty darn good and I don't have ML.

The seats, to me, are quite comfortable and its one of the few cars in its' class that I have enough legroom in as I am nearly 6'3". I wish the heated seats got truly hot though.

The HVAC works well.

It's a good looking car IMO, the first Lexus that really appealed to me styling-wise.

The gas mileage is really disappointing. It used to be pretty good, before the engine blew it was bad, and the new engine is really no better. Ill chalk that up to break-in but I'm not holding my breath. On a highway trip I should do better than 22-23.

The back seat is tight for adults of decent size.

The trunk is smallish.

It is absolutely incredible in the snow. I live in north jersey and the car sees snow regularly. Two years ago when we had over 2 feet of snow the car was parked on the street and plowed in. I cleared the windshield, shoveled apath to the door and in 2 tries drove the car right onto the street. Probably the best snow car I've ever owned aside from a Land Rover product.

 

rld14, have you had your battery checked??? My GS had some of the Sam symptoms as yours,Mario ejecting cd's and etc...and a my battery ended up having a bad cell. Once I changed out the battery they went away.

 

car I ever owned and thats been aot of cars.t

 

This is my first Lexus. 2007 GS350.

Was looking at the new 2012 GS's initially due to my previous car getting totaled by a Sherif not paying attention on his way home.... Decided to go used for a lengthy Lexus test drive prior to spending much on a 2012 / 2013 and brand that I had zero history with. Basically the car is just a filler until I find what I really want. I have always liked the design/styling however.

Purchased used, private sale from a friend. She had it since day one and all Mx performed at the local dealer. Very clean/perfect car with exception to some minor rim scrapes on the passenger side..
- From day one she dealt with the squeaky front brakes that never got resolved. I fixed that myself with aftermarket pads and the OEM shim kit.
- She also had the dash rattles yet never had the dealer pull the dash and perform the fix.. I have remedied most of that as well.
- From the service history she did have the valve spring and cam gear fixes performed. No "strange" noises, runs near perfectly smooth, decent mileage and doesn't burn oil (62k miles) yet I must mention this is by far the noisiest luxury brand (or other) car engine I have ever had. When cold and even completely warm it has excessive valve train noise (not fuel injectors). When at operating temp it's OK yet when cold it sounds like an old truck with solid lifters all out of adjustment.
- Steering, has a tad bit of a notchy feeling as many have mentioned. Has to do with a steering rack issue that involves a $1000 replacement unless under warranty.

Other than the above it drives nice and gets me to and from work in a stylish manner. . I'm a bit disappointed overall in the Lexus quality and customer support yet its a sign of the times and something to consider when purchasing any product. No car or manufacturer are perfect nor would i expect that, but would I consider it the best car I have owned, not even close (just a normal car yet expensive to maintain if something goes south).

Just drive each one you're looking at - both city and highway speeds. If able keep it overnight or at least check it out when completely cold to see if the engine has any strange noises or piston slap etc. Overall, don't think it's a Lexus and it must be of a higher standard.. Treat your used purchase like any other and go in eyes wide open.

I'm a GS350 fan but will speak frankly about it.

Good luck