Lexus GS350, anything to watch out for with these cars?

[JulesMaximus]

I stopped by my local Lexus dealer and was looking at a 2011 GS350. They are asking $36,993 for it. It is silver with grey leather interior, moonroof and nav system. It only has 19,000 miles on it. I took it for a spin and really liked it. Very comfortable, smooth, quiet, well appointed and it had plenty of power.

I think this may be my next car.

 

[KentState]

Beyond that fact that it's not an M3, I really haven't heard anything bad about them from the owners I know. That's about the only car in it's class that I would feel comfortable owning long term.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Beyond that fact that it's not an M3, I really haven't heard anything bad about them from the owners I know. That's about the only car in it's class that I would feel comfortable owning long term.

:thumbsup:

The car is immaculate inside and out, not a scratch on it anywhere, and Lexus offers a 3 year 100,000 mile extended warranty on their CPO vehicles. I really really liked it.

Zero pressure from the sales guy too. I love dealing with Lexus dealerships and their employees.

 

[sontakke]

Absolutely nothing except may be smallish trunk, does not allow you to enter navigation address during driving (there is a small hardware mod to defeat that) and run-flat tires (very expensive when the time comes for replacement); I came very close to picking one up but at that time Acura was doing aggressive incentives, so I ended up with brand new TL instead of used (CPO) GS350. I went through the CPO warranty details and compared it with BMW and MB. Lexus has the best CPO warranty.

You can not go wrong with it for next 10 years + 150K

 

[T2urtle]

You can not go wrong with it for next 10 years + 150K

As long as its "COVERED" a hate those list of exclusions.

 

[mafia]

If a silver M3 pulls up at the stop light next to you with a funny looking guy inside; you will need a flame suit. Either way, I think the 2011 GS350 is a pretty rock-solid car.

 

[luv2liv]

i had a 2007 GS350. the dashboard made this creaking annoying sound every winter. went to many Lexus dealerships and none could fix it. hope the 2011 models dont have that small but annoying issue.
also, it looks like you are going for the AWD model. i was told it is best to replace all 4 tires even if you only need to replace 1. get ready to spend money on gas, tires and some other maintenance.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Whoops!

 

[SandEagle]

drove one and loved it. love the display and the little mouse that controls it. going from normal to sport mode is cool. 36k is still too much imo

 

[JulesMaximus]

i had a 2007 GS350. the dashboard made this creaking annoying sound every winter. went to many Lexus dealerships and none could fix it. hope the 2011 models dont have that small but annoying issue.
also, it looks like you are going for the AWD model. i was told it is best to replace all 4 tires even if you only need to replace 1. get ready to spend money on gas, tires and some other maintenance.

Pretty sure it isn't AWD. Absolutely no reason to get that in socal.

It is rated at 19mpg city and 26mpg freeway which is actually a little better than my 3.5l engine Maxima gets.

 

[Arkaign]

One of the companies I work for, the lady who is the CFO has one of those. She's had it since '08 (it's either an 08 or 09). I've ridden in it a few times, it's very nice. I don't believe she's had any trouble at all from it. Her husband the chairman drives an STS that's also been pretty sound (06), but I think the STS screams senior citizen

 

[nerp]

Decent car but I don't know what it is about Lexus styling but it is so boring looking. But I guess if you're buying a Lexus, you don't want to stand out.

 

[AdamK47]

How many fast does it go?

 

[JulesMaximus]

How many fast does it go?

Engine puts out 303 hp and reviews put it at 0-60mph in 5.7 seconds so it's no slouch.

Not nearly as fast as my Ducati though. :sneaky::awe:

Decent car but I don't know what it is about Lexus styling but it is so boring looking. But I guess if you're buying a Lexus, you don't want to stand out.

I think it's quite good looking. The size of the car is perfect for my family of 3.

 

[nerp]

It's not ugly. And its a vast improvement over what Lexus was doing up until recently, that's for sure. Previous generations really just looked like Toyotas with different badges and some chrome here and there.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It's not ugly. And its a vast improvement over what Lexus was doing up until recently, that's for sure. Previous generations really just looked like Toyotas with different badges and some chrome here and there.

The GS has always been unique from anything Toyota sells. They've also always been RWD platforms. I rented a GS300 from Enterprise around 1996 for a trip my wife and I took to San Diego before we moved here and we both loved the car. That model had a very smooth in-line 6 cylinder engine and was a real treat to drive. Comfortable, quiet, smooth, luxurious. I've always liked these cars and you get none of the German reliability issues.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Not a fan - they were universally panned by the car-rags for being incredibly soft, interior shines, but smaller trunk, backseat, tight headroom compared to the Germans. Great highway cruiser, just not a "sports" sedan.

You are also looking at the last generation as an all new model just came out. Depreciation hit.

Nothing wrong with it, just nothing exciting.

 

[zoiks]

Looks like something my uncle would drive.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

+1... Great grocery getter and highway car, but completely uninspiring.

It would compliment a sports car quite well, but I wouldn't want it as my only vehicle.

 

[deejayshakur]

Did you end up getting one?

I bought my 2008 GS460 in 2011 with 44k miles for 34k, before TTL and Lexus factory extended warranty.

I've loved the car so far, don't miss the lack of manual transmission, and have had zero problems so far. With the V8, the power is plenty and most days the tach never surpasses 2500rpm. Some days I wish I had bought the hybrid GS450h but 19-20 mpg combined is damn good for an 8 cylinder. The standard semi-aniline leather and adjustable suspension are nice touches.

The money I have saved vs maintaining a German car is making me itch for a second car...SC430, SL550, 911 cab. That's a good thing.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Did you end up getting one?

I bought my 2008 GS460 in 2011 with 44k miles for 34k, before TTL and Lexus factory extended warranty.

I've loved the car so far, don't miss the lack of manual transmission, and have had zero problems so far. With the V8, the power is plenty and most days the tach never surpasses 2500rpm. Some days I wish I had bought the hybrid GS450h but 19-20 mpg combined is damn good for an 8 cylinder. The standard semi-aniline leather and adjustable suspension are nice touches.

The money I have saved vs maintaining a German car is making me itch for a second car...SC430, SL550, 911 cab. That's a good thing.

Nope. Looking at a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C350 Coupe now.

 

[KentState]

Isn't a new C series coming out or was that for 2012?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Isn't a new C series coming out or was that for 2012?

That was 2012.