I am so very close to making a final decision on a new vehicle. Right now, I own a 97 BMW 540i which is a little rocket ship.

As of this moment, a 2004 Lexus GS 430 (fully loaded) is the front runner, but mainly because of price. The new BMW 2004 545i similarly equipped is a sweet ride, but it's another $10k and I'd have to wait a month or two; same thing with The Mercedes E500.

Please tell me why I'm nuts to consider the other two cars and why GS430 is the way to go. Also, please be honest and let me know what the most common complaint is with The GS. Is there a common problem with the new GS430s at all?

Thanks.

 

Hi there,

Here is MY opinion. The GS series is doing a redesign, so if you really really like the body style, i say look somewhere else. Pick something you'll be completely satisfied, don't figure out later on, only if i saved a tiny bit here and there, i could have gotten a BMW 545i. I like each of those cars you are deciding on, but figure out how long you are gonna keep the car and how satisfied you'd be with the car you are thinking of buying or you can just save your money and save it for a rainy day or perhaps an M5 after investments . Those are just my thoughts.

 

Howdy!!

 

Howdy!! I'd have to say there are no really consistent issues with the GS other than something that is supposedly solved now and was minor to begin with, eg, sway bar mounting bolts that would loosen making the car sound as if the front suspension was about to let go. The mechanicals and electrics are, to all intents and purposes, bulletproof.

The motor is a jewel, just as the 4L in your 540i. It has an elastic, torquey feel, as if the acceleration is generated from thrust rather than horsepower. Handling, stock, is not up to par with your 97, much less the new 545. The interior is opulent compared to the BMW's.

That said, I agree with gsnav; even tho the new 5 is a little more (and a new GS is not due till next year.....see other threads here for various pix), if that's what your heart wants, that's absolutely what you should get. Otherwise, EVERY time you see one as long as you own the GS, you'll find yourself wishing you had held out. And that's a very annoying feeling which will tend to sour your feelings on the GS or whatever you compromised on. You obviously hold on to your cars a while and that strategy does minimize total cost of ownership over time, so I'd say go for the 5 (if you can live with the much vilified iDrive, simplified though it is compared to the 754i).

Good luck! The nice thing about the cars you are considering is that there are no bad choices!!!

 

i was looking at those choices you had as well, and i decided on a 03 GS430.

the factors that swayed me toward the lexus was reliability, popularity (more mechanics would know how to fix it), power, handling and interior comfort. i think the lexus wins out completely on reliability and popularity. interior comfort is top notch, but it might not be a quiet as the new 5 or the E. the power is as good as i'll need, but it isn't as fast as the german counterparts. nevertheless, i'm totally happy with my car. the only annoyance i have is some dashboard rattles when i hit a big bump in the road/highway. i also just love the fact that lexus/toyota engineers are absolutely brilliant at designing cars that can last longer than almost anyone will own them for. since the E and the 5 are new, i was worried that they didn't totally work the bugs out of the car, so it might give me reliability problems above what you'd normally get with the german marques.

those were my reasons. yours will vary. so go with what you feel is important for you since it's going to be YOUR car.

Best of luck and let us know what you decide on!

 

Rattling in the dashboard would **** me off in a $50k car. I agree with most of your assessment, except for the GS being superior in handlilng. My take is the Lexus is much softer than either of the Germans...

You really have rattling in the dashboard? Geez. What about tires? I've heard GS tires don't last long at all, or was this a problem with the older versions?

 

SFbaybum, sorry if i didn't elaborate on the handling issue. while the GS handled okay, it wasn't bad enough for me to be turned off by it. the 5 and E i believe are great handlers (although i did not test drive the new 5, i extrapolated the handling prowess of the current models to have an idea of the new 5. the stock lexus definitely doesn't handle as well as the other two, but it's adequate. once i get my daizen sways and new shocks/springs, i think it'll catch up.

as for the dash rattle, it's annoying, and i am going to talk to my service advisor about it on my next scheduled maintenance. i'm wondering if it's the contents of my glovebox because i have two cd cases and a tube of touchup paints in there right now. when i had it packed full of cd's, i don't think the rattle was there.

the tires are okay. the stock bridgestones are noisy. i've got almost 17k miles on my car now, and they're still holding up okay. i haven't been drag racing every stop light, and 80% of the time, i'm relatively conservative. freeway onramps and interchanges are where i do most my spirited driving i'm thinking of switching to Michelin Pilot Sport A/S as soon as my tires go, which i hope is soon. but i might be getting another 6-10k out of them... this is the first time i've wanted tires to wear out!

 

There are many European and Japanese vehicles with 300+HP. The primary reason that I selected the GS4 is the reliability of Lexus vehicles. None of my colleagues who own BMW, Audi, VW and Benz ever mentioned the reliability of their cars.

 

Considering the whole, the GS is an ultra-reliable, great-looking, powerful, and elegant vehicle. However, here are a couple of common issues with the GS:

1. The handling of the car is about average. It's not quite up to sports sedan standards, but if you like a nice plush ride, the GS will suit you fine--however, it's probably too soft from someone coming from a 540i. Further, I think in stock form, it sways to the side more than you'd expect. Of course, you could upgrade the suspension to make it ride much firmer and sportier for a nominal fee.

2. GS430 throttle lag. I've read from others that the GS430 (2001-2004) has a lagging throttle response (due to its electronic throttle). That is, the accelerator pedal does not respond as fast nor as telepathic as you'd like. The earlier traditional cable-linkaged accelerater pedal GS400 (98-00) did not have this issue.

3. Front sway bar bolts loosening (as someone has mentioned). Minor issue and can be fixed easily.

Take the car for a test ride, and see if it fits your fancy. I don't know what you value most in a car--reliability, sportiness, luxury, visual appeal--but in the end, you should go with what you feel best fits you--maybe it's the GS, maybe an MB, or another BMW. Again, as someone mentioned, an all new 2006 GS will be released (in V6 AWD hybrid form, and V8 versions with a 6 speed auto--search this website for pics of it), and if that is more your liking, I think it would be worth the wait. And of course, if you can wait a mere few months and you really like the German vehicles--just wait it out, and you'll be happier in the end with your choice.

For me, despite my 2 gripes (actually for me, it's only 1 as I have a GS400), the GS4 in the whole, is a very satisfying vehicle.