I've been watching the TMS corp sales over the past few months and the GS line has been down compared to last year. Are Lexus buyers apart of a dying breed?

 

i have been looking for a new GS.I have been seeing the same inventory for the past month or so.The inventory they have in my area is very limited.There isn't too many color combos to choose from.I would like the Mark Levinson audio system.There are none with that option.The so called December to remember sales event last month was kind of joke with incentives.They had 2000k off in my area or .9%financing.Couldn't have both which would of sold me.I remember seeing .9% financing in november.So it was just a carry over.They also don't have any 2016's in my area.When i asked a local dealership about incoming inventory with options i want.All i got back was we might be able to get one or you have to special order it.They will not share what they having coming in soon.Makes me think Lexus just isn't building many GS 350's especially f sports.Are you looking to buy a new one?

 

Purely my opinion but I think GS sales are generally low for a few reasons:
1) Size. To some it is perfect, but for the size of the exterior it doesn't have the most roomy interior. You can get comparable passenger room in a much smaller vehicle (Civic, Corolla, Camry) or considerably more in a marginally larger vehicle (ES, Avalon, LS). Face it, Americans are trending toward midsize SUVs and crossovers, so the 'family sedan' and certainly 'sport sedan' are getting pinched.
2) Misunderstanding. Many compare it to BMW or Audi, which are much more 'spirited' or edgy, compared to the heavy refinement of Lexus. To some, the car feels sluggish, despite having ample power due to a relaxed throttle response. I love that refinement, but others will walk away thinking the car is slow or too muted.
3) Competition. There's lots of it. See #1 and #2.

I love the GS and what it is. I sure hope they keep making them, because I'll have a hard time picking among a GS, GS-F, and LS next time I'm shopping for cars.

 

I purchased a leftover GS last January so I'm not in the market. I've just been watching to see if Lexus had the same kind of deals available now. With sales so low I'm wondering how there aren't more 2016 leftovers available.

 

well, a lot of the answers have been chatted about on the forum a lot recently,
but some include
subjective styling
front grill design some love some hate
no recent upgrades to powertrains
the car is heavy
the car averages 20mpg combined not what consumers are demanding.
the bullet proof reliability of old is not there any more so that diminished a small buyer base
competition is stepping it up and surpassing.
the car purchased new is 5-8 k too much many compared to market segment and what you get
the lease factors from the manufacturer are not subsidized excluding the recent december event and there not leasing out with aggressive numbers

lexus needs to step up the game, the 3.5 v6 in my rx that i have had for 7 years should not be whats in a 2017 model at 58,000 consumers want more

small sampling of why

 

I got $11k off a base model in Orlando...loving it!

 

You can find threads just like this for the past several years. It's just not a volume car and really never has been. The U.S. is an SUV country. Almost nothing in this segment sells very well.

 

Interesting info. GS sales are down 36% for 2016 compared to 2015 and were down 61% for month of December compared to December 2015. This explains why the dealer last week quoted $9000 off MSRP in the first 3 minutes of me asking for a price on a new 2016 GS350 F sport. I ended up getting $11K off MSRP. I have seen a couple of people posting on this board they got $13K off MSRP for a 2016.


You can view Audi's sales here. Looks like their sedan sales are way down and SUV sales are way up for the most part.
https://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/new...secutive-month

BMW sales way down across the board
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...300321608.html

 

I would say no V8 other than GS-F could be a factor.

A detuned GS-F V8 or LS460 V8 would be a good option.

 

I think they need to make a major update to interior as well as performance. I currently have a 2013 that's in for service and my loaner is a 2016. The exterior styling is subjective so I won't get into that but the interior is very similar as well as the driving dynamics. If I was going to get a new car right now, I would not get another GS because it would feel like I got the same car again with a new steering wheel.

 

I think there are a few things going on.

Not to be dismissed is the large push of the buying public away from coupes and sedans. It's pretty much across the board at all manufacturers. Most sedans are down this year while SUV and CUV sales are up. The GS was never a huge seller, so taking a hit like this is not easily absorbed.

Specific to the GS, as noted above, I think there is an inventory issue. I was at my dealer last week and they didn't even have one on the lot.

I think the ES is a huge competitor for Lexus sales. While most enthusiasts would avoid it, I think FWD is a big carrot for lots of people who don't want to take the fuel and up front cost hit of AWD and are scared of RWD in inclement weather. RWD can be just fine in poor weather, but in places where winter weather is an issue, many RWD GS trims are coming with summer tires so right off the bat, people need to switch either to all-seasons or winter tires, and many don't want the hassle.

Furthermore, the ES offers more interior volume in some obvious areas (rear seat room, trunk), offers a much smoother ride more typical of Lexus of the past, and can be had much cheaper. So when my dealer has few GS models to offer, I think it's because they can more easily put a typical buyer in an ES.

The GS caters to people looking for a more engaging drive. For many, they will find it "harsh" if that sportier handling isn't what they are after. In short, I think the GS just caters to a worthwhile but small audience. If there were no GS, I doubt I would still have a Lexus in my garage.

 

Many good reason why and resale value isn't good also.

 

I don't think the new GS facelift is appealing at all. I have a 2015 and love that its classy yet modern looking. I think the BMW 5 and MB E is really competitive in pricing now vs Lexus. It is always about the social latter too. I have owned many cars but Lexus has been the easiest and smartest decision in longevity but most fun drive was my MB.

 

Well you're not going to get 20% off sticker on MBZ or BMW. So while these cars sticker at similar prices, if you get one of these deals on the GS at 20% off, it is a bargain for such a great car. While the new E class MBZ is beautiful car, I would not pay $60-70K for a car with a 4 cylinder 240 HP engine.

Other problems with GS are as stated above by other posters.

 

I like the low sales number. I enjoy not seeing my car on every corner.

I don't agree with the statement that BMW and MB are close in price. Look at how much the price will go up for a similarly equipped car. Plus, you can only get a turbo-4 in the E300 for the price of the GS350 now. Lexus still offers the best bang for the buck.

MB recently did an overhaul of all its interiors, and Lexus will probably reveal its new direction next week with the LS. If you want to see an interior that hasn't change, BMW has been doing basically the same style for several generations with some new tech integrated.