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Howdy Y'all,
I'm a prospective owner looking at getting into a 4GS shortly. I've been "lurking" these forums for about a year now, only just now making an account and my first post. I've searched, read, and researched almost everything technical that I need to know about this car, however, I do have a few subjective questions that I would like some current opinions on. Before I get into those questions, I should provide some background.
Currently, I drive a 2008 E93 M3 (6sp) and while it's been an awesome experience, its beginning to show its age. It's an amazing machine, it truly is, the S65 is an engineering marvel. However, on a daily basis, driving the M is getting difficult to live with. At nearly 70,000 miles, the maintenance isn't kind. In other words, it's pricey maintenance has been burning a hole in my pocket for quite some time. I've always been able to afford repairs (reluctantly) at a trusted local indy. As of recent, I've left the workforce to pursue an MBA and need to readjust my situation. This is what truly prompted my decision to start looking at 4GS's (always loved the looks, style, and comfort, luxury first, sports sedan second). I've decided that it would be best to move into a luxury sports sedan, for the time being, until I can get back into a newer sports car (5 years down the line or so).
Since I've done all most of my objective research already, I've narrowed down to 2015 F-sport models (those two options are a must), but I'm having second thoughts on two things: Color and Mark Levinson.
1. Color
What are y'all's opinion on colors? My primary interior is cabernet and I'm having a tough time selecting an exterior color. Originally I had thought my preferences were: ultra white: SFP, LP, NGP, AS, red, black (in that order). After looking at some pictures, it looks like the lighter colors (white) don't show off the lines of the GS as well as the darker colors. Do y'all find this true as well, or is it different in person? From pictures alone, Black is seeming like a better option, however, I've never owned a black car as I always thought they were extremely difficult to keep clean and free from swirls, scratches, etc.
2. Mark Levinson
I am not a self-proclaimed audiophile or anything, but would I be missing out if I skipped out on ML? By luck or nature, all the cars I've ever owned (including family cars) have all had some variant of a premium stereo option. I'm sure Lexus wouldn't put a bad stereo system in the GS, but is there such a stark difference between the two systems? I don't listen to anything too bassy/ stark highs and lows, so I'm leaning towards not waiting specifically for a car with F-sport and ML (as I understand, they're not very common on the used market).
So those are my two questions. Once again I'm simply seeking new/recent opinions on the two questions. Also, if there's anything else that I should be considered as a prospective owner, please feel free to fill me in!
Thanks for your time and I can't wait to introduce myself properly when I make my decision on a 4GS.
Whats up dude, what part of Texas are you in? I previously had a 5 series for about 9 years and had a Dinan E46 M3 for a while. I got rid of the M3 a few years ago and the 5 back in March. The M3 was alot of fun with raw power and was fun to drive, but I honestly couldn't really ever use the car to its potential on the road. I was also always sweating about maintenance and stuff breaking on that car, rod bearings, smg pumps, subframe issues. I was always stressed out with any little noise. I eventually just got rid of it. I got tired of repairs over the years on the e60. I had bought my LS430 a few years ago and had been very happy with it, my parents had a ES300 for a long time that had been very reliable. Decided I wanted a "sporty" Lexus, ran across a deal on ebay for my GS and blind bought it without even driving it. I've been very happy with it, I wish I had f-sport but for the deal I got I couldn't be choosey. A buddy of mine had a GS and I had never even thought about it until I saw his.
The car feels BMW like to me, I was considering alot of stuff, even going into a E60 M5 which I've always wanted but didn't want to go that route when thinking of maintenance costs. Ended up on the GS and I've been very happy with it. If you are itching for more power a supercharger is about to come out for the GS if its not already out yet. The Lexus/Toyota ECU has been locked down forever and it was finally cracked leading the way for supercharger/turbo modding. The only thing I didn't care for on the car would be the electronic steering, but ever modern car has it and I've gotten used to it now.
For color, I have black on black, and I would NOT recommend black if you care about how clean it looks. I can't always park in the garage and black gets very dirty constantly. My 5 series was white and it always looked clean. I would totally go with White exterior and cab interior. Theres also a number of mods that can make it feel even better like the apexi accel, similiar to the sprint booster on the BMW's but better, almost a instant throttle response. Transmission feels good to me, the shifts are quick with it. The interior of the 4gs looks better than the other stuff in the class IMO over the f10 5, benz e, and audi.
Whats up dude, what part of Texas are you in? I previously had a 5 series for about 9 years and had a Dinan E46 M3 for a while. I got rid of the M3 a few years ago and the 5 back in March. The M3 was alot of fun with raw power and was fun to drive, but I honestly couldn't really ever use the car to its potential on the road. I was also always sweating about maintenance and stuff breaking on that car, rod bearings, smg pumps, subframe issues. I was always stressed out with any little noise. I eventually just got rid of it. I got tired of repairs over the years on the e60. I had bought my LS430 a few years ago and had been very happy with it, my parents had a ES300 for a long time that had been very reliable. Decided I wanted a "sporty" Lexus, ran across a deal on ebay for my GS and blind bought it without even driving it. I've been very happy with it, I wish I had f-sport but for the deal I got I couldn't be choosey. A buddy of mine had a GS and I had never even thought about it until I saw his.
The car feels BMW like to me, I was considering alot of stuff, even going into a E60 M5 which I've always wanted but didn't want to go that route when thinking of maintenance costs. Ended up on the GS and I've been very happy with it. If you are itching for more power a supercharger is about to come out for the GS if its not already out yet. The Lexus/Toyota ECU has been locked down forever and it was finally cracked leading the way for supercharger/turbo modding. The only thing I didn't care for on the car would be the electronic steering, but ever modern car has it and I've gotten used to it now.
For color, I have black on black, and I would NOT recommend black if you care about how clean it looks. I can't always park in the garage and black gets very dirty constantly. My 5 series was white and it always looked clean. I would totally go with White exterior and cab interior. Theres also a number of mods that can make it feel even better like the apexi accel, similiar to the sprint booster on the BMW's but better, almost a instant throttle response. Transmission feels good to me, the shifts are quick with it. The interior of the 4gs looks better than the other stuff in the class IMO over the f10 5, benz e, and audi.
Hey there! I'm in the Houston area. How was your Dinan E46? To date, that's my favorite M3 in the looks department, as I never really had the chance to drive one. I feel the same way with the E93, there's just not enough road to fully experience and unleash that V8. Considering it's a high-revving NA motor and that it doesn't really open up until about 4k RPM, it's tough to use it as a DD without getting into any trouble. My car is chugging along, nothing majorly wrong with it. I've kept up with all of the maintenance, but the future is what worries me. If it really came down to it, I can afford repairs, but no sense in wasting money.
What's appealing to me about the 4GS is its overall value for what it is. I realize it may not be the fastest amongst its competitors or even at that price range, but I thoroughly enjoy the way it drives and how it looks. I think it's the perfect compromise that I can see myself driving for the next 4-5 years. I'm assuming the maintenance is normal and nothing out of the ordinary? The 4GS doesn't require any special parts or fluids, correct? For most maintenance and service, can we use Toyota dealerships for most services?
In regards to modding, are there any must-do mods that the 4GS needs when one first gets the car? I'm not too keen on performance mods, considering that I'll be hopping out of an M3. More focused on the reliability and comfort aspect, performance second. Kind of backward, but it'll be a nice change for me.
Lastly, so no to black is what you're saying? I'll leave white on the list then, but I would still prefer LP or NGP because I don't think white properly accentuates the car's lines...I could be wrong!
Welcome to the club! SFP is the most popular color you’ll find in F-Sport guise I believe. I have LP and although most see it as just “silverâ€, it has incredible depth to it, especially in the sunlight. Dirt is easily hidden on it too. If you don’t mind waiting for the right one to come around I’d definitely recommend the ML. It has amazing clarity, even playing through Bluetooth. I’ll add that the HUD is a great feature to have too if you can find it. Happy shopping.
I love the Mark Levinson system. It’s far better than the basic one.
I love liquid platinum. It shows the lines of the car better than white, and it doesn’t show dust dirt or water spots as much as white.
You didn’t ask about interior but I went with black over the Cabernet because I thought I might get tired of the red/brown after a couple of years and I know the black will hold up well on top of that.
Hey there! I'm in the Houston area. How was your Dinan E46? To date, that's my favorite M3 in the looks department, as I never really had the chance to drive one. I feel the same way with the E93, there's just not enough road to fully experience and unleash that V8. Considering it's a high-revving NA motor and that it doesn't really open up until about 4k RPM, it's tough to use it as a DD without getting into any trouble. My car is chugging along, nothing majorly wrong with it. I've kept up with all of the maintenance, but the future is what worries me. If it really came down to it, I can afford repairs, but no sense in wasting money.
What's appealing to me about the 4GS is its overall value for what it is. I realize it may not be the fastest amongst its competitors or even at that price range, but I thoroughly enjoy the way it drives and how it looks. I think it's the perfect compromise that I can see myself driving for the next 4-5 years. I'm assuming the maintenance is normal and nothing out of the ordinary? The 4GS doesn't require any special parts or fluids, correct? For most maintenance and service, can we use Toyota dealerships for most services?
In regards to modding, are there any must-do mods that the 4GS needs when one first gets the car? I'm not too keen on performance mods, considering that I'll be hopping out of an M3. More focused on the reliability and comfort aspect, performance second. Kind of backward, but it'll be a nice change for me.
Lastly, so no to black is what you're saying? I'll leave white on the list then, but I would still prefer LP or NGP because I don't think white properly accentuates the car's lines...I could be wrong!
I haven't had to do much maintenance on the car except for oil changes. Nothing fancy fluid or maintenance wise or really even many known issues like the BMW's. These engines have been around for a while so they have been continually improved to the current state. Its nice not having to deal with turbos either and have all engine. For my mods I like the Apexi and the Takeda intake for sound. I have alot of other visual mods I've done on the car and stuff like custom steering wheel which feels much more sporty. I'd either go white or the planium silver OR the blue if that was a option, I think its only on 2016+. I could park my white car outside and it would always look clean. I keep my black car in the driveway for 1 night after completely detailing it and its filled with dust and looks dirty. I think the GS is the best for comfort, sport, functionality and reliability. It also hasn't been updated too much except for the front grill and lights visually on the new models so it looks new still.
I just purchased my 2016 LEXUS gs 9 months ago and have been extremely happy with my purchase. I previously drove a 2008 bmw 650i (I actually still have it but drive the LEXUS as my daily). I was reaching 128k miles on my bmw and it was constantly having issues and a burden to keep up with.
I don’t have ML package but have been happy with the current sound.
Congratulations you practically stole it, great find how do you like it so far? Is it AWD?
Thank you! It was a long process to find it and secure the deal. In another thread, I explained how I sourced the car from a Mannheim auction. Fortunately, everything was as advertised and in excellent condition. My car is RWD and I like it a lot. I'm coming from an E93 M3, so the ride and comfort are certainly appealing and superb. However, if you've ever experienced the S65 motor, you would know that it's an absolute jewel of a power plant and the noise it makes is heavenly. The induction noise of taking it up to 8600 RPM is intoxicating. Aside from the lack of engine noise or "character", the car is a wonderful cruiser that handles surprisingly well for a car it's size. I am very pleased with the GS and will be sad to see my M3 go, but I'm sure I'll be back when I'm in a better financial position.
Thank you! It was a long process to find it and secure the deal. In another thread, I explained how I sourced the car from a Mannheim auction. Fortunately, everything was as advertised and in excellent condition. My car is RWD and I like it a lot. I'm coming from an E93 M3, so the ride and comfort are certainly appealing and superb. However, if you've ever experienced the S65 motor, you would know that it's an absolute jewel of a power plant and the noise it makes is heavenly. The induction noise of taking it up to 8600 RPM is intoxicating. Aside from the lack of engine noise or "character", the car is a wonderful cruiser that handles surprisingly well for a car it's size. I am very pleased with the GS and will be sad to see my M3 go, but I'm sure I'll be back when I'm in a better financial position.
congratulations on your GS purchase and welcome to the Club Lexus 4GS family. The GS is a unique proposition amongst the crowded midsize luxury sedan market. I too was more concerned about reliability and fuel economy for a car that will be used as my daily driver. The 12.3” screen sold me on the car, with the exception of the newest E class I think our 4GS still have the largest infotainment screen in the business.
11-28-17, 07:22 AM
Prospective New Owner with a Few Questions
