HI guys,
I am about to purchase an 06 gs 300 and I know the 350 is coming out. Are the two major differences the 5th generation Navigation and the horsepower; will the car look exactly the same though?
Since I live in Los Angeles, I can't speed, and I don't need the navigation since my work is only 15 minutes from my home, so I think it's better to go with the 300. What do you guys think?
thanks for the input
Adam

 

Hi Adam, there really is no simple answer. If you are the type who doesn't need the latest and greatest, then by all means get a GS300...you should be able to get a smoking deal. Exterior wise, I can't imagine there would be any changes.

But if it were me, I'd wait for the GS350. The combo of the new engine and 5th gen nav would make it a no brainer for me. Although you may not think you'll use the navigation, it does come in handy at times. And the new display is just so nice. Of course, you'll pay more for the 350 than the 300.

IMHO, if you are planning on buying and keeping for a number of years, get the 350.

 

The more I think about it, I am think about just leasing a car, and in a couple of years move up to the new LS 460. See I am going back to school for my MBA, and I should be definitely financially secure in about 1 year because I just got into private equity. So if I just lease the 300 and once I am doing very well, I can always trade it in, and get the LS. And like you said there are great deals on them right now!
thanks for the feedback.

 

Sounds like a good idea. You should be able to get a killer lease deal on a GS300.

You won't miss the upgraded engine and nav as much knowing you'll turn in the car in a few years. Good luck.

 

The 07 450H has no external changes, so it's safe to asume the 07 350 won't either.

The only difference between 06 and 07 I've noted are the Gen 5 Nav, ML now plays MP3 & WMA - don't know about non ML, the leather on the steering wheel is much smoother, and the cabin is much quiter.

I can give you two more reasons to choose the GS 300 now: Less power = lower insurance rates and better gas milage.

 

Thanks for all the help, but since I am coming from a 1997 jeep cherokee, there is no way I can complain about anything on the lexus gs 300 ever. That is unless I am stupid enough to go drive one of the higher end models with all their amenities I won't be able to resist leasing one of those. So I have to make sure I keep myself out testing driving on of those

 

what's the difference between the 300 and 350 lease rates? $100 per month max? (thats about a $5k diff in cap cost)

Personally if you can afford the extra $100 a month for the 350 i'd go with that. Plus the 350 prob wont depreciate as fast as the 300, and therefore you might get a lower cap cost on your LS in a couple years if you decide to turn in your GS early.

just my $0.02.

 

No it would be definitely more that. I am already finding some GS 300's for $38,999 and the dealer said they can negotiate another $1-2 thousand. Now I guarantee the new GS 350 will be over $50,000 brand new, with tax, license, etc.. so if you think about almost $12,000 price difference the payments will be around another $200 a month or more. I can definitely afford that, but I rather have that money for miscellaneous stuff you know. Also, by the time I trade it in, I will be further in my career, and I won't care if I lose a couple grand, but right now I rather save a little, before spending

 

M26...I am in the same boat as you are, going back to school to obtain my MBA and deciding whether to get a 350 or 300. If my employer covers my MBA costs 70% chance they will, then I am getting the 350 if not the 300. So my decision is in my employers hands, not whether or not GEN 5 is better.

 

my sentiments exactly!

 

well, cabin is quieter because you have GS450h :-)

 

FWIW: I just got a 300 for this very reason. I needed a car now (end of another lease) and got such a good deal on the 300 I figured "what the heck". I'll drive it CHEAP! for the next 2-3 years, then roll out of it and into an LS 460.

Sure the 350 would be nice..but the 300 will get up and go just fine. Dont get me wrong it is no speedster, but it will get you in trouble if your not careful. The Gen5 nav would be great, but.....the Gen4 works just fine, it will still get you there, just not as pretty.

Good luck with the decision..

 

The cabin is quiter even when the ICE is running, so it's more than just the fact that it's the 450H. To expound a bit further, when you have both an ICE and an electric motor running as you frequently do with a hybrid, you would expect more noise, not less. This is not the case with the 450H so far.

Lexus seems to have eliminated many of the rattles and squeaks that I had in the GS300, although it will take a few months to be certain they're really gone. I also believe they've added a bit more sound isolation to dampen engine and road noise, but I'm still adapting to the hybrid experience, and that could just be my imagination. I'll keep you updated over the next few months.

 

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{Quote=jwa} Lexus seems to have eliminated many of the rattles and squeaks that I had in the GS300, although it will take a few months to be certain they're really gone. I also believe they've added a bit more sound isolation to dampen engine and road noise, but I'm still adapting to the hybrid experience, and that could just be my imagination. I'll keep you updated over the next few months.[/QUOTE]

This being the case.............should we believe then that the 07 GS350 might be rid of many of those horrible snap, crackle, and pop demons?

 

That's my assumption. The cabin of the 350 and 450H should be identical, so I can't believe they would resolve issues on one and leave them on the other. However, I must confess that I briefly heard a slight rattle in the front passenger door today.