GS 300 is Smart Money's Best Luxury Car for the Buck!!
11-11-03, 07:45 AM
#1
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GS 300 is Smart Money's Best Luxury Car for the Buck!!
2003-2004 Car Buyers Guide
Best Cars for Your Buck
By Sarah Breckenridge
October 7, 2003
Luxury Sedan
Lexus GS 300
If BMW's 5-series is about athletic performance and Mercedes's E-class is about pure, unadulterated luxury, the Lexus GS splits the difference between those two runners-up — and for a couple grand less, to boot. At $39,300 the rear-wheel-drive GS 300 is equipped with a six-cylinder 220-hp engine that sends you from zero to 60 in 7.8 seconds, only slightly slower than the Bimmer or the Benz. Though you may notice some body roll when taking curves at high speeds, it's not a major drawback in everyday driving. For more sporty performance, you can upgrade to the 4.3-liter V-8 on the GS 430, but at a hefty premium. It stickers at $48,400. Both GSs bear the hallmark of any Lexus: an almost surreally quiet, smooth ride, as if you were driving in a splendid isolation chamber.
Inside, the GS 300 has most of the requisite luxury touches: wood trim on the dash and doors, 10-way power adjustable front seats, a sunroof. Its relatively lightweight 96-watt, seven-speaker stereo and cloth seats leave a little to be desired, though. (Leather is standard on the Mercedes.) But adding the optional Mark Levinson 240-watt, 10-speaker stereo and leather seating brings the total tab to $42,210, still less than the base price of the Mercedes. The speculation that Lexus will roll out a redesign of the GS 300 next year — the company has been close-lipped about the matter — could give you some more negotiating leverage right now on this current version.
If, on the other hand, you have your eye on the BMW 530i, keep in mind that the redesigned 2004 model is slated to launch this month (see page 89), so the Total Quality Index scores and five-year costs listed here reflect the older version. The sticker price for the 530i is increasing by 8%, so five-year costs should go up some. But for more money, you're getting a more sophisticated car.
Go my GS 300 brothers and sisters!!!
Best Cars for Your Buck
By Sarah Breckenridge
October 7, 2003
Luxury Sedan
Lexus GS 300
If BMW's 5-series is about athletic performance and Mercedes's E-class is about pure, unadulterated luxury, the Lexus GS splits the difference between those two runners-up — and for a couple grand less, to boot. At $39,300 the rear-wheel-drive GS 300 is equipped with a six-cylinder 220-hp engine that sends you from zero to 60 in 7.8 seconds, only slightly slower than the Bimmer or the Benz. Though you may notice some body roll when taking curves at high speeds, it's not a major drawback in everyday driving. For more sporty performance, you can upgrade to the 4.3-liter V-8 on the GS 430, but at a hefty premium. It stickers at $48,400. Both GSs bear the hallmark of any Lexus: an almost surreally quiet, smooth ride, as if you were driving in a splendid isolation chamber.
Inside, the GS 300 has most of the requisite luxury touches: wood trim on the dash and doors, 10-way power adjustable front seats, a sunroof. Its relatively lightweight 96-watt, seven-speaker stereo and cloth seats leave a little to be desired, though. (Leather is standard on the Mercedes.) But adding the optional Mark Levinson 240-watt, 10-speaker stereo and leather seating brings the total tab to $42,210, still less than the base price of the Mercedes. The speculation that Lexus will roll out a redesign of the GS 300 next year — the company has been close-lipped about the matter — could give you some more negotiating leverage right now on this current version.
If, on the other hand, you have your eye on the BMW 530i, keep in mind that the redesigned 2004 model is slated to launch this month (see page 89), so the Total Quality Index scores and five-year costs listed here reflect the older version. The sticker price for the 530i is increasing by 8%, so five-year costs should go up some. But for more money, you're getting a more sophisticated car.
Go my GS 300 brothers and sisters!!!
11-11-03, 12:01 PM
#7
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wow i use smartmoney to keep up with my stocks, intrestingly i have never notice this comment on smartmoney
Turbo ... GS3 ... calling you ...
). It seems PLP makes a kit for the IS/GS 300 for 305hp. I would like more
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