Tarmac88

Hey guys,

I finally drove the lexus gs 350, i drove a 2019 new model. It took a while for Richmond Hill Lexus to let me test drive it since they only had one car in the showroom. But i played it off cool and didnt say anything positive above the car to the salesperson. I was very much surprised as to how well the car drove and I have made a final decision now that the IS 350 is a big no and the gs 350 is a full yes! I relished in the control of the vehicle and the smoothness and of course the acceleration was nothing short of amazing. Currently, i drive a 2017 2.5 outback so the lexus is a massive upgrade.

I know most people on the forum are US based and i am currently in Toronto. I have about $40k or 31K usd to spend on the gs 350. There is not that much of a choice between lexus cpo program, autotrader and kijiji. I already found a wonderful mechanic will do an safety inspection and overall pre purchase inspection that specializes in toyota and lexus. My next step is figuring out which year to purchase and the milage. Well, Lexus cpo overchargers for cars which are selling for thousands less from other automotive sellers. I really like the fsport dash on the 2016+ but i really wonder if its worth the 7-8k CDN increase in cost over a 2015? Also i would like to know from people here on how much room can i realistically take down a dealer from their advertised used price? Also should i do all the negotiations via email or in person? What do you guys think?

VA75067

I have the 2015 f sport and have no regrets. When I purchased in November, I was in a similar boat. ..decided to save the $$ and go with the 2015 as there was not much difference in ride quality.
I did pay a little extra and got a low mileage (22k) but NON-CPO with the exact color combination and features that I wanted. I am very happy with the way this drives. Cant comment on pricing in Canada, but I would start by test driving the car first and then negotiating.
imho, buying a used car is slightly different than a new car.
With a new car, I would start negotiating the pricing over emails before stepping into the shop. But used cars are different as there are more variables.. condition, paint chips, tire condition, brakes, features available etc.

gs350lex

I'm also in Canada and had purchased my 15 GS350 F-Sport from Oakville, their service is terrible after you buy the car but they treat you amazing prior to that lol so i currently service it at Ken Shaw Lexus. I would not pay an additional 7-8K CDN for the 2016 as the 15 has everything the 16 has except for the lfa dash (digital dash), the triple beam headlights different rear tailights, some other minor cosmetic things. Also others have mentioned that the engine is quieter and a little smoother (i can't speak on this as I've never driven a 16 but my friend has one). I personally like the look of the 15 f-sport to the 16 and I completely hate the look of the non f-sports. The GS line up is amazing so you can't really go wrong there.

I also see that your coming from a Subaru outback, have you ever considered a WRX (if your looking for performance) although the interior can't touch the Lexus, the WRX is one hell of a car if you don't care about a lot of room in the interior. Anyways if you do decide on the GS good choice especially since the car has already taken its depreciation (for the most part) and is a perfect time to buy.

Tarmac88

Thanks for the response. I cancelled out the wrx as it doesnt match my needs. Also the wrx has terrible gas milage. My question for those of you purchased your gs 350 f sports, what did you look for during the pre-inspection? Are there any areas of concerns? I plan to have my mechanic remove tires, check discs and brakes, check the computer for any reset codes and etc. I will also look under the hood for rust since we are in Toronto. Record history will be a must, but i plan to buy under 60-70k km (40k miles). The 2015 is in a sweet spot right now and i see a few at $33-34, i have a feeling that i can knock those down to $30-31 pay the tax and come out at about $35k max canadian.

This will be my first time buying a used car, before this it was always new and i had lost a considerable amount of money due to depreciation. So first go to the dealer, drive the car, inspect it, take it to the mechanic get the report, then negotiate? Should i ever feel the need to disclose the report to dealer or reseller? I feel like there is a lot of dealers that offer their own pre-inspection but i don't trust them since their mechanics. Also, can anyone share what they paid for their model year and the miles they had? I have done some reading in regards to the paint job and found out that atomic silver is a 5 stage paint process and is a PITA to color match if you have a fender bender and etc. This leaves me with white or black. I would really like the brown or red interior.

Thanks again!

gs350lex

I would have the suspension checked out particularly the struts which are known to leak for a lot of people with AVS(Adaptive variable suspension). The brakes should be checked they usually go pretty quick 2-3 years on the F-sport. The tires are also another concern which wear out pretty quick so make sure those have been dealth with. Have a look at the sunroof which is known to rattle for many people. As far as gas mileage goes the GS is not good on gas ( i get about 400-450km a tank(mix of city and highway driving) which cost me about $80-90 weekly)). Overall the GS is reliable and won't have much issues if its been taken care of. Bought mine with 29k on the dash and i have about 69k now and its been extremely reliable so far aside from 1 incident with the 02 sensor which isnt common on these models and was taken care of through my extended warranty.

I have a white exterior and black interior because in the past the red interior was a pain to take care of and also when i was searching there was literally no white on red. If it was between white and black exterior i would go with white as a personal preference (easier to keep the exterior looking clean).

Also are you looking at RWD or AWD? RWD has more expensive brakes from what ive heard.

Hope that was somewhat helpful.

charley95

I have red interior in my GS and it always looks cleaner than my black interior RX. Why is red any harder to maintain than any other color?

mpbIS350

Join Lexus Drivers and put in the VIN of the vehicle you are interested in and check the service history...will give you a good idea how well the car has been maintained.

er34

I'd make an initial offer of 29k to start for a 2015(assuming typical mileage), and aim to land between 29.5 to 31k CAD before tax.

Not much you need to worry about with these cars, so just basics:
Shocks
Rear sunshade
Auto door locks
Underbody rust
Signs of collision repairs

Tarmac88

Excellent suggestions. Does anyone have a trusted mechanic in toronto they can share with me?

Also does anyone know any details on the awd system used in a 2015 gs 350? Is its a rear 70 front 30 split? I cant seem to find much details on it? Do you have change the fluid in the transfer box often? Or is it every 100k km?

JDR76

The AWD system is 70% rear, 30% to the front, with the ability to go 50/50 as traction requires.

Tarmac88

Another question. I am noticing similar milage but older gs 350s on auto trader.

For example a 2013 f sport : https://www.autotrader.ca/a/lexus/gs...=4_4_4&sprx=-2
2014 f sport: https://www.autotrader.ca/a/lexus/gs...&urm=1&sprx=-2
2015 f sport : https://www.autotrader.ca/a/lexus/gs...=2_4_4&sprx=-2

All 3 cars have similar mileage between 65-75k kilometers. The prices vary by very little. But if i feel that i can squeeze more out of an older model in terms of price. Buying an 2013 vs. 2015 in 2019 for example, would a 2013 suffer more potential problems down the road like a higher chance of fuel pump failure? Worse gas milage between a 2013 and 2015? With similar miles, a 2013 needs to have more services done then a 2015 since you still have to replace the oil even if you dont drive it as often, correct?

My main concerns is that i want to save money of depreciation but i also dont want to have a higher chance of headaches of wear and tear. What do you guys think?

jdpdata

You got a bad case of Analysis Paralysis. Personally I'd get a 2016+. Or if you get a good deal, 2015. Any car you buy will depreciate no chance in saving anything buying a used car. Just get something you will like for many years to come. These cars are very reliable don't worry too much about unexpected repairs.

AJLex19

Any model year of the 4GS (2013-2019) is going to be reliable. However, the older you go, the more likely the car has seen more wear and tear in general. But if the mileage is about the same, you should expect that the pre-refresh GS from 2013, 2014 and 2015 will have a similar reliability forecast = very reliable. Just look for a car that has a good service history.

Keep in mind that the usual wear/tear items (wheels, tires, brakes, rotors, rubber moldings, window motors, door lock actuators, infotainment electronics) will all be slightly older but with similar high build quality.

• If I were looking to save money, and best overall value: i'd go for a low mileage 2013.
• If i wanted a balance of newer but good value, i'd go with a 2015.
• If I wanted to know that most wear/tear items were replaced and any nagging issues addressed by the dealer w/an active warranty, i'd find a high mileage (65-80km) 2016 Certified Pre Owned from a reputable Lexus dealer.

GSRockstar

bought my 2013 AWD liquid platinum with flaxen interior, luxury package with ML (here its called technology plus) it had 78000 km, i paid 33k with brand new winter tires in saskatchewan at a bmw dealership.did my per peurchase inspection at kal tire since it was last minute and lexus couldnt get me in, everything was good, compression was near factory on all cylinders. once i got it home to alberta i did an out of province inspection with lexus, they found no issues, i got the tranny fluid changed, both diffs and a fuel injector treatment: since owning it i did my own spark plugs at 96000 km, and have been doing my own maintenance, did the front brakes, rears have a long ways to go. ive driven ~ 40000km in the last year, so far so good except for that driver side wind noise, the weather stripping needs to be replaced. the dash and everything doesnt look as contemporary as the 2015+ models but i dont care. i DID. want a 2016 USB but it was 60k and to hell with that lol.

NickMayer

Is that documented somewhere? I swear I looked and looked at one point and didn't find anything definitive. (is that consistent across the 4GS) For some reason I always thought it was 60/40 (i might have made that up in my own head, lol).
Like the 70 rear, because why I would never have a RWD car, I do like knowing I get some of the driving thrills coming out of corners.

I went with a '15 6 months ago (had a '16 ES before) and 13-15 are great, but if I had to do it again, I would absolutely spend the extra money to go '16. Better tech, safety features became much more common (though not standard until '17, but you be hard pressed to find any without them), and overall little improvements. That said, I LOVE my '15.