I'm approaching the end of my lease on my '15 GS350 Fsport. I have enjoyed the GS and thought about purchasing it but thinking I may be ready to move on to something different. I wanted to stay in the Lexus family and the only other Lexus I'm interested in is the RC350. I test drove the RC350 and frankly was disappointed. I like the look of the RC350 but just not impressed with the performance of the car; it just did not feel that sporty to me. I test drove the Q60S and found that I really like the way it drove. I also test drove the Alfa Romeo Guilia. I really like both the look and performance of the car but concerned about reliability. Is anyone else at the end of their lease and debating on what to get next?

 

If you have any kind of size, skip the Guilia - not to mention very questionable reliability. I had a hard time getting in and out of that thing (the B-pillar is very obstructive when getting in and out), but the driving experience was great.

I've heard the Q60s are not really selling all that well so maybe there are some good incentives there.

 

Try the GSF or RCF and see if the F versions are better?

 

Cars I considered before buying a CPO GS 350 F Sport AWD in August -
2015-2016 Acura TLX SH-AWD (CPO) - couldn't find one I liked locally. The new ones look pretty sweet.
2018 Kia Stinger GT AWD (New) - limited availability
2015 BMW 640i xdrive Gran Coupe w/Sport Package (CPO) - fabulous styling, too expensive, reliability concerns
2015 BMW 428i / 435i xdrive Gran Coupe w/Sport Package (CPO) - - ok styling, too expensive, reliability concerns
2015 Audi S5 Sportback (CPO) - liove the seats, dealers too far away for maintenance

 

Thanks for your reply but both cars are out of my budget range!

 

Not an Acura fan. Intrigued by the Kia Stinger GT but don't really like the look and can't get over the fact that it is a Kia. Agree that the BMW 640i and 428/435 gran coupe but might be too expensive. Thinking about the Audi Sportback.

 

I agree that the driving experience of the Guilia was great! Much better than I was anticipating. Just wish the reliability concerns weren't an issue!

 

You and me both.

 

I struggle with the same question, as I too have a 2015 GS that will come off lease in less than a year. I may ask Lexus Financial for a 6 month lease extension while I spend more time figuring it out. I've honestly never had a car I've enjoyed as much as my GS. Usually at this point I am bored with my car and ready to move on (hence, why I lease), but my GS still feels new to me and I still love driving it. I'm not ready to part with it yet.

I've considered buying it out, though that's a poor deal as the value is less than my lease end buyout will be. I could pick up a 2019 GS, or maybe even take the plunge on a GS F, but there are certain concessions I'd have to make with that and I'm not sure I want to.

I could go on a wildly different route and get a GX460. I have a soft spot for those, even though they are not sporty and are getting long in the tooth. I had a 2011 Tacoma that I loved. I have a Silverado so I don't really need another truck, so that seems a bit nonsensical.

A Kia Stinger would be high on the list. I don't like any current Mercedes, Audi, or Infiniti. I would consider a BMW, but have some reservations about them.

So yeah, I dunno...

 

I've been following your posts since I think we got our GS 350s around the same time. The GS 350 has been a joy to drive. Hence, the decision to replace it is a tough one. I've enjoyed it much more than I thought I would but agree that it's not a good value for purchasing. I'm definitely leaning towards a smaller more sportier car. Test drove the Kia Stinger today; not impressed with the interior design of the car or the way it drove. Will be test driving the Audi A5 Sportback later this week.

 

yround - Was the Kia Stinger you drove a GT? Also, have you considered the possibility of negotiating a better lease end buyout? If the car is worth less than the buyout price, you'd be saving the dealer the hassle of prepping and reselling the car (not to mention your own hassle of buying another car).

 

Unfortunately Lexus Financial does not allow you to renegotiate the lease buy out.

 

If you're leasing and throwing away, just look at and test drive a bunch of cars and lease the one you like the most. That's literally the only advantage to leasing- you can have a strictly vanity car and not care. Reliability is meaningless because even the garbage brands will all work long enough to survive a lease. (given that an entire lease is like what, 6 oil changes? lol).

-Mike

 

Tough situation. Is a new ES F Sport out of the question?

 

Exactly... Reliability is essentially a non-issue. I'd even look at Jaguar, Alfa, Land Rover and Volvo (S90)... typically cars I love to look at, but know I will never own.