rhwimmers

I have an 03 gs300 with 170k and its time to upgrade! My wife drives a highlander hybrid and we love it. I've been looking around for a new (used) car for a long while now and nothing has really caught my attention - as lame as it may sound, I really like headlights. The nissan 370z is my "dream car", but need 5 passenger car!

I've found that I really still like the GS models with the 4 seperate headlight/running lights, mine has the circles, and ive seen a lot of 06s and newer with the more square version of the headlights, but still individual. Ive seen the brand new ones that are all one piece, which I don't care for too much.

Wondering about the 450h now...Found an 07 and it has the headlights I like, but wondering differences between the years of the 450h's - I thought I read fuel economy improved a lot, so wondering when that happened and by how much.

Also wondering if the 450h are a solid car - I seem to recall lexus only making a hybrid version of one line only for a year or two then quit, so not sure which model that was or what the "deal" was...Just starting my initial research on the 450h!

Thanks!

natnut

2013 (current) GS hybrid has much better fuel efficiency compared to previous generation GS hybrid. It is slightly slower but has much better ride and handling. It is also roomier.

The hybrid-only sedan that Lexus made and then quit the US is the HS, completely different model from the GS.

There are 4 generations of GS : 1991-1996, 1997-2004, 2005-2012, 2013 onwards

The hybrid concept started with the 3rd generation. The current 4th generation GS has the new and improved Lexus hybrid drive with myriad improvements, chiefly being improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions as well as less intrusion into the trunk space due to better packaging of the rear hybrid battery pack.

For more see :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_GS

neurocity

iTrader: (17)

The new hybrid is not the same as the 07 you're looking at. (If that 07' is in the NW burbs of Chicago. Its the one I just traded in.) assuming since you live in IN.

The 3GSh is not meant for fuel savings... its meant for killing cars on the highway. Its a short list of cars that took my GSh down.

The new GSh is larger. But not to the point I could tell on the inside. Which in my opinion is the best part of that car. The inside. The trunk is bigger. Which is nice.
The car feels bigger than the 3GSh. Feels a little more floaty when you drive it. I felt like I was driving a LS that had been lowered.

People say its slightly slower than the 1st gen GSh.
Well it felt substantially slower doing a 0-120 run... To the point I was turned off by the whole car.
After owning a 3GSh... If I had to buy a 4GS today. I would get a RWD 4GS350 Fsport in white. Then do some of the exterior mods that people are doing here.

natnut

I've driven both the 3rd and 4th Gen GS and I have to disagree about the handling : the 4GS is worlds better than the 3GS.

Where the 3GS is both unsettled and vague, the 4GS is planted yet agile around the corners. Reviews have been unanimously in agreement with my opinion : the 4GS is arguably considered best-in-class in terms of handling in the mid-size sports-sedan segment where before the 3GS was ranked behind the Germans.

The only place where the 3GS is objectively better is that the 3GS 450h is faster in a straight line compared to the 4GS 450h since the new GS hybrid powertrain is engineered towards better fuel efficiency while giving up some straight line acceleration.

neurocity

iTrader: (17)

Unanimously...huh. I, however was talking about my personal experience. I felt the new 4GSh is big and floaty. The new 4GS350 however is a much better handling car. Like i said... I would get the GS350 over the new 450h, hands down.
Again I don't have any reviews backing my opinion "unanimously", cause its.... my opinion.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

That part is incorrect, it's actually 2011. There was no 2012 model as there was a 1 year hiatus between 3GS and 4GS