sistrunk05

First of all, Lexus made a great compact sports sedan with the 3G IS. I have '15 250 F Sport with 33K miles and being in my mid 40s with 2 teenagers it has been one of the best cars I've ever had. Now my son is 12 years old and already 6 feet tall so I need a bigger sedan. The LS is not my type of ride so I test drove 4 different Lexus CPO 2014 GS 350 F Sports including 2 with the dynamic handling 4 wheel steering and I can back home with my IS. I figured with the extra leg room, more power, and the Levinson sound system I would ready to sign the papers and hand over the keys to my IS but I just couldn't do it. Here's why:

- the GS looks bland and slightly boring inside and out even with the F Sport enhancements
- the 4 wheel steering provides an awesome feel in the turns but the IS seems to communicate better with me even with 100 less horsepower.
- IS has a more cohesive design and the build quality is amazingly​ solid. I didn't get that same feeling from the GS.
- and who can forget the LFA gauges in the IS F Sport!!!

So now I have a dilemma. Due to my mileage so far and my lease is up in 2 years, I will need to turn the car in early probably by next March. Lexus currently doesn't make anything else I would buy and I need to purchase something used because my work/family responsibilities now make leasing not feasible for me anymore. I'm a sports sedan guy so I have limited options especially needing extra leg room. Going German scares me because maintenance alone can be a killer. I would love a 3 year old Audi s6 or A8 Quattro but again...it's German....

Thank God I have 9 months to figure it. Open to suggestions.....until then I'm still rollin' in my IS.😎

sonatine

Nice ride, are those tints legal?

I don't recommend buying a used German car. You either buy new or lease those cars because maintenance is killer after warranty ends. I'm guessing you won't consider the ES350 since it's the most boring out of all the sedans. The only route left are the Lexus SUVs which I do think are pretty attractive for what they are.

Solara350

If you concern about space, get an SUV "NX 200T" is way to go" or better power with RX 350, GS and ES looks so old man ride, ES design is like Camry and GS design is like Avalon.

Your son 12 and he's 6 feet already ? damn my son 13 and he's only 5'11. what you feed him why he so tall lol

sistrunk05

Yes the tint is 35% which is legal in Texas. And indeed the ES is not a consideration since it is the 'anti - IS'.😀. I may have to look at a RX or GX.

jkonquer

Have you looked at the new 2017 GS350? They had a facelift and change the interior as well. Looks a lot like the IS with its spindle grill. GS and IS's drive train is essentially the same thing, same suspension and engine, but 300 lbs heavier. And has the F Sport LFA style cluster.

BostonIS

Did you test drive the GS F? Not the f sport. It's such a sexy car but so out of my price range. I bet that one will have the enhancements you're looking for and they're so roomy. I only sat in one at the dealer and it's so much bigger than my current IS.

sistrunk05

Yes I have driven the GS F and it is a beast!!!! But even used/CPO, it is out of my price range. After driving the GS F, it is hard to settle for a GS F Sport.

chyeea03

I'm somewhat in the same dilemma as you are. My lease is actually ending this December and I'm trying to determine whether I should buy the car out at the end of the lease or step into a bigger car (to keep for 5+ years). I was looking into a wide variety of cars: Highlander Hybrid, RX, GS (both pre-refresh and current refresh), and now I'm actually looking into the Genesis G80 Sport (with its 3.3T 350+HP engine) as well.

I am surprised you felt the IS was built more solidly than the GS as I've seen many people state the GS is extremely well-built. I've noticed the plastic in the center console is starting to creak a bit in my IS which is rather disappointing to me.

peteharvey

Because the IS and GS use essentially the same platform, the GS is a stretched wheelbase wide body IS.
That's why the GS isn't much heavier than an IS, while the old 2010-17 5 Series was substantially heavier than the current 2012-19 3 Series, because the two BMW platforms are radically different.
Back to the Lexiis, the greater the span, the greater the decrease in torsional rigidity and bending stiffness.
I own 3x IS's and 2x GS's, so I am able to compare them directly.

However, I find that the GS has superior quality plastics, superior quality leather, and superior quality stitching.
Probably through the use of special engine and suspension sub-frame fluid-filled mounts, the GS has a greater degree of engine and chassis isolation.
At 40 & 60 mph, the GS cruises much more quietly than the IS.
The full size LS is better again.

However, do take note that the GS is deliberately sprung more firmly than the IS, supposedly because Lexus already has the midsize front drive ES to provide a soft ride.
Despite being more firmly sprung, the more compact lightweight IS still outhandles the GS.

It's a case of horses for courses, but the midsize GS is often preferred by the more middle age set who has a children, greater income, and a greater need for comfort that comes with age...
_

sistrunk05

Yes I happened​ to drive a 2016 GS 200T and it was nice but was a tad out if my price range plus you can't get the park sensors in it from the factory. As a result, having time to wait until March of 2018 may be a good thing so the depreciation can work in my favor. Time will tell....

JDR76

I had a '14 IS350 and now a '15 GS350. Both are just awesome cars. I can't agree with you on the materials and build quality, as I find the materials to be a definite notch higher on the GS and equal on build quality, but absolutely agree that the IS is the better looker. My GS is the first car I've loved so much I will likely buy it out from the lease and keep it long term.

Good luck in your search!

nathantse

GS200t....thank god no one buys it. I have only seen ONE of these in my life.

But the GS350F is a very nice car. Interior is far superior than the IS. And THE SEATS BRUH! Its 18-way adjustable, the side bolsters are my favorite part.

dizlex

The IS is sprung more firmly than the GS.

JDR76

My GS is more firm than my IS was, but it's not a "fair" comparison because my IS had the standard suspension whereas my GS has AVS. But despite those suspension differences, in my experience I found that the two cars more or less drive pretty similarly.

sistrunk05

​​​​​​Agreed. The seats in the GS are very nice!!!! I'm​ just going to have to wait until 2018 and purchase a CPO 2016 or 17 HAS 350 F Sport with the triple bean headlights.......They should be in my price range by then.😎