I have rare black on black 2004 GS430 with all the perks. I THOUGHT I would want an IS but after getting into a 06 yesterday...not so much... way to small..felt totally boxed in like toyota paso boxed in.... cheap looking... and the hood...well...I cant see the road the hood was sticking up so high...
So unless they got bigger... Im looking at buying another lexus. I just dont know what type. I didnt want a big car but i also did not want a tiny car. Im really bummed about the lexus IS being so small. It looked bigger on the outside...
Any ideas on what else to get in the lexus field. :

 

I've been contemplating it myself.. I had a few options I was looking into. I want something slightly more sporty but still luxurious, and reliable.

S2K (too small, not really into hondas)
G37 (test drove a coupe, drove nice, good brakes, good transmission feel, handled well, good power, looks nice, and maintenance seems to be pretty cheap)
335i (great power, drive great like almost all new 3 series, great looks, reasonably priced now [25k and under for reasonable miles], the only downside really is maintenance costs and they seem to have a decent amount of common problems)

Still trying to figure out what I want, kind of leaning towards a 335i because they are just so great to drive even in stock form, but I have a feeling depreciation, maintenance, etc, will come back to bite me in the ***.

Its disappointing that Toyota/Lexus hasnt offered anything up in that market that really competes. The new IS doesnt really do anything for me, too small, slightly cheap feeling in some aspects. Plus the new 250/350 powerplants do not seem to be as reliable as the 2JZ and UZ series motors from what my buddy in the service department has told me.

I would save the G37 is the most practical choice for a good all around car, 335 if you want a little more fun and a little more upscale car.

 

Just don't keep it out of warranty. I got rid of my M3 and said good riddance. There was always something wrong with it. The construction materials were cheap too. Honestly it was like domestic car quality. S2000 wasn't much better. There's absolutely no room in an S2000. It's shorter than a Civic.

IS is 3 series sized so, I'm not clear what you mean by small.

Sounds to me like you want a newer GS.

 

Another 2GS? 3GS?

 

I'm sorta in the same dilemma. Ls430? Sc430? Unless you got the budget for something newer m5 e55/63

 

the new IS250/IS350 interior just seems very small, my friend had one that I drove a few times and seemed much smaller than my friends 335i. The E92 had much more room up front, and my other friends E90 had more room in the rear as well.

As for keeping it out of warranty it can be costly absolutely, from what I saw the main issues were turbos (still covered by BMW up to 82k) and also high pressure fuel pump (also covered) there are other small issues, coil packs, evaporator cases, injectors, etc. But I suppose thats the cost of owning a car that provides as much as the E90/E92 does in factory form.

From what my friend at Lexus said, the new 350 platforms are not the greatest and have some pretty big common issues which is why I would steer away from them, although the newer 13+ GS's are very sharp looking and have some great interior amenities. But then again the reason I want a new car is I want something slightly more sporty and quicker.

 

I'm just speaking from my BMW experience. A 740il, M3 and 2 128is (wife's car). The 740 and M3 were nothing but trouble. The first 128i, was fine, only had it while under warranty. Tail light fell off one day. The other 128i is still pretty new and the only issue is that the passenger window spontaneously shattered and BMW wanted a $1000 to fix it. I ended up fixing it myself for $150.

They just recalled the IS350's for a cam gear issue.

I like Honda too. Might be time to try an Acura. See if they have anything you like. Honda and Toyota are pretty much neck and neck quality wise.

 

I drove a brand new is250, and drive a new 328 and c350 very often and i honestly like the lexus more than both. To be honest, i like the c350 more than the 328 (which some might call me crazy for). This thing is that while i enjoy all of them, they all drive very differently than my gs300. Its hard to compare them, wouldn't it make more sense to compare to a gs350/460, 535, or e350?

 

Get the 3rd gen GS350 if ur going used and want a newer car. It has the same powertrain as the current GS.

Drop it on some coilovers and u gotta a real nice car.

Whats the reason u want to get rid of your 04GS?

 

my vote. classic car.

 

i did that after i totaled my sportcross then i bought my 2gs several months later. a win-win for me!

 

If I were to trade in my GS 400 it would be for a 2010 LS460 awd. I know you said ...not too big of a car, but what a car!

 

It sounds like you're mixing multiple model lines and years so that's why it's tough to make a choice. Not a bad conundrum, though.

That 04 GS was a late 90's platform in the 5 series, A6, E series, M45 class. The Lexus IS and G35/37 ended up in the Bimmer 3 series arena. Much smaller cars.

So really it depends on you. Are you buying an 06 and up car? What's more important? Road feel and absolute handling/driving pleasure? That's the 335. G35/37 there too. Larger sedan with more comfort? GS, 5 series, A6, E.

I wouldn't touch anything German without a CPO warranty. Lexus/Infiniti are reliable and mostly trouble free once they're off warranty.

Like the other posters... Bimmers? Stay away from an off-warranty example unless you know it's history. Any of the ones that end in "5" will be money pits because of the turbo/twin turbo setup.