Just traded my 2010 LS Sport Edition for 2013 GS 350 AWD Luxury. Lease was coming up soon and wanted something new. I loved my LS but to be honest, it was not thrilling to drive. It was, however, a wonderful car in so many ways. Comfort, quiet, looks, etc. I had a GS in 2000 when it was a straight 6 cylinder and loved that car. I was not crazy about the subsequent GS line. Initial impressions of my new GS are as follows: Interior is fabulous. I love the detail work, the dash, the lack of rattles (plastic is gone thank goodness), fantastic NAV and the excellent fit and finish. Exterior is nice but nothing "WOW" about it. Elegant but conservative in my view. I prefer the front to the rear as the rear is somewhat bland. Driving impressions: wonderful connection between the driver and the road. More so than any other Lexus I have owned (and I have owned all of them). Great throat sound from the engine and suspension, steering is right on with just the right amount of resistance, great grip and lack of lean in turns makes this a real winner. I know many are comparing the 5 series to this car and saying German technology is better, etc.. The 5 series is fantastic. However, I feel that this car is for those who love Lexus (like me) but want something with sport, fun and excitement. I find driving the car a real joy. Pure and simple. I miss a couple of the luxury features on my LS (auto trunk open/close and auto door close when you pull the door shut), but other than that I'm very happy. Can't wait to see what they do on the new LS. Bottom line, if you are like me and love Lexus reliability, quality and service but want a bit more zip in your ride, check this out. I think its a home run!

 

congrats on the switch, i would figure it will be a bit of a transition going from a lux car to a more sporty lux car.. i also wonder how would the new ls will look and if theyre would be a fsport model for ls.

 

Thanks. It is different indeed but I missed the sportiness. I'm excited to see the new LS as it may be the best of both worlds. Need to wait a while, however. Meantime, the GS fits the bill.

 

congrats and great feedback

 

Nice writeup and congrats. Lexus stated they intended to get some LS buyers to now consider a GS so this is good to hear.

 

wow interesting story coming from an LS Sport with its awesome tranny and brakes. Congrats on your GS!

 

awesome, with you being more of a driver person, the gs will definitely satisfy you far more than the ls, even when it's a sport

 

Do you have the pre-collision system? Did you have it in the LS?

It' seems impossible to find a GS demo that has it, and the on line manual leaves much to be desired.

 

CArfanMD That was a great write up and says very eloquently just what I feel about my 4GS. Thanks.

 

I think I'd stiffen the LS suspension before I down graded cars. Long as you're happy I guess that's all that is important.

 

congratz,,,,,,, enjoy your GS4. i know i am enjoying mine.

 

Do you find that you are missing the quietness of LS? Or do you find that LS was at all much quieter than this new GS?

 

I miss some luxury features of the LS but quietness is really not one of them. Part of my attraction to the GS is the engine noise that you hear which IMHO is fun. I really liked the LS but after years of use I wanted something more sporty. The LS is a great car that does a lot of things very well. However, it is not all that sporty to drive, nor was it really designed for that. It is very luxurious to drive. This change is what I was looking for and I may go back to the new LS when it comes out (assuming they have made it more sporty and edgy to drive) but who knows. In the meantime I'm enjoying the GS. It really is the best driving Lexus I've ever owned taking all things into consideration. The LS was the most comfortable and luxurious. Each car has its own purpose and each driver has his/her subjective opinion. Hope that helps.

 

very well said