is300 vs gs300
10-09-11, 04:40 PM
#16
You should probably be asking yourself what do you want. If your not happy with your nimble and sporty IS, then perhaps cruising in a more luxurious sedan such as the GS is the way to go. Honesty you should go drive one and see if it's what you want. Of course if your going through the "i want that", maybe you should hold off because what happens when something better than the GS comes up. If you can afford switching up your cars then more power too you, otherwise just enjoy your IS.
10-09-11, 08:22 PM
#17
Well, this is the same debate I went through in my head before I bought the IS300... I chose the IS as it is smaller, sportier and tighter... GS in my eyes is larger and more of a cruising machine than sporty (stock that is)...
10-18-11, 04:37 AM
#18
i had GS300 before sold it and bought IS300 last night, GS300 big & sloooow. if u wanna get into GS, consider GS400/430, same mpg pretty much and respond faster obviously.
yes, the back seat is same size as IS, i already can tell last night when i sit in the back.
yes, the back seat is same size as IS, i already can tell last night when i sit in the back.
10-18-11, 09:19 AM
#19
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I have owned a gs400 in the past and I currently own an is300. Here are some of my thoughts on both cars:
gs400:
-love the body style. beautiful car and looks awesome when modified.
-very comfortable seats.
-lots of accessories/mods/body kits available for this car...at least in my opinion, a better selection than for the is300.
-possible issues with the starter have been reported. I had to have mine replaced.
-steering wheel shake/ wheel vibrations when upgrading to larger sized rims. I had this issue along with other people here on CL. There are a few threads on this issue. I had 20's on my car.
-weak power window and power lock motors although there is a nice DIY write up in the GS section to resolve.
-I had a problem with the motorized tilt steering wheel column. Mine stopped working leaving the steering wheel in an akward driving position. Lexus dealership gave me an estimate of about $800 to fix so I left it as is.
is300:
-looks great although there aren't as many body kit options available like the gs.
-I have 18's on my car. Of course these are a lot cheaper than buying 20's, plus I haven't had any steering wheel shake/ wheel vibration issues.
-Of course, the car is more nimble and the suspension is tighter. On the gs400, I had the tein supersport coilovers and those were pretty nice. On the is300, i recently had megan ez streets installed and they are a little too soft for my taste (I have the fronts adjusted to the stiffest setting). These aren't too bad, just wish they were a little more stiff. The stock is300 suspension is pretty nice though.
These are just some of the differences from my experience with both cars.
gs400:
-love the body style. beautiful car and looks awesome when modified.
-very comfortable seats.
-lots of accessories/mods/body kits available for this car...at least in my opinion, a better selection than for the is300.
-possible issues with the starter have been reported. I had to have mine replaced.
-steering wheel shake/ wheel vibrations when upgrading to larger sized rims. I had this issue along with other people here on CL. There are a few threads on this issue. I had 20's on my car.
-weak power window and power lock motors although there is a nice DIY write up in the GS section to resolve.
-I had a problem with the motorized tilt steering wheel column. Mine stopped working leaving the steering wheel in an akward driving position. Lexus dealership gave me an estimate of about $800 to fix so I left it as is.
is300:
-looks great although there aren't as many body kit options available like the gs.
-I have 18's on my car. Of course these are a lot cheaper than buying 20's, plus I haven't had any steering wheel shake/ wheel vibration issues.
-Of course, the car is more nimble and the suspension is tighter. On the gs400, I had the tein supersport coilovers and those were pretty nice. On the is300, i recently had megan ez streets installed and they are a little too soft for my taste (I have the fronts adjusted to the stiffest setting). These aren't too bad, just wish they were a little more stiff. The stock is300 suspension is pretty nice though.
These are just some of the differences from my experience with both cars.
11-06-11, 09:09 PM
#20
thx for the input fellas
well test drove almost a dozen gs300, car is slow. i know, its the weight. my IS feels better for driving enjoyment. then test drove gs400. wow i like it, i like the way the power is, just like when i was looking for a is300. seat wise, it is more comfortable and relaxing on GS than IS, all because of the more cushion/padding seats.
I am just a lil worried about maintenance on GS400, found this black on black, 160k. $6k. no record of maintenance but owner claims timing belt& water-pump replace around 140k. the timing belt does not look old/need to be replace. I know this because when i bought the IS early this year, timing belt looks old, so i replace it right away at 120k and other maintenance while at it. runs better, really enjoy the car.
so hard to find reasonable GS
well test drove almost a dozen gs300, car is slow. i know, its the weight. my IS feels better for driving enjoyment. then test drove gs400. wow i like it, i like the way the power is, just like when i was looking for a is300. seat wise, it is more comfortable and relaxing on GS than IS, all because of the more cushion/padding seats.
I am just a lil worried about maintenance on GS400, found this black on black, 160k. $6k. no record of maintenance but owner claims timing belt& water-pump replace around 140k. the timing belt does not look old/need to be replace. I know this because when i bought the IS early this year, timing belt looks old, so i replace it right away at 120k and other maintenance while at it. runs better, really enjoy the car.
so hard to find reasonable GS
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