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I LOVE the front; HATE the back except for the tail lights. I love the Glacier Frost color it's available in. I love the center dash area with navi. I love the side profile and stance as well as the 430 wheels. I hate the rarity of finding white exteriors with black interiors. The best color combo ever IMO. I like that it's rare. Its just a great car, this coming from someone who's just seen them around and sat in one at the dealership but never driven one!
I think my wife is jealous of my car. I travel quite a bit and always miss my GS350 when I'm on the road... and can't wait until I get back so that I can drive my baby Of course, that thought never goes over well with her. Doesn't help that the voice on the NAV is a female voice. I think it took her 2 seconds to ask if it could be changed to a male voice...
What do I love about it? Fun to drive, very fast, very luxurious, yet still very practical (seats 4 comfortably, big enough trunk, 18~20 MPG).
Interesting discussion - clearly there are many reasons to love the GS. Mine is a 2005 GS430, sold new in Japan and imported to New Zealand, where I live. According to the production data this makes it an early Gen 3. It seems to be a little unusual, in having the adaptive sway bar installation, with the control components in the trunk (see photo). I've been trying to research this, but without much success so far. Can anyone help;
1 I believe the adaptive sway bars were an option?
2 How common is this fit?
3 Where can I get the tech data on it? (I have 2 Repair Manuals, neither cover it).
All info appreciated.
Interesting discussion - clearly there are many reasons to love the GS. Mine is a 2005 GS430, sold new in Japan and imported to New Zealand, where I live. According to the production data this makes it an early Gen 3. It seems to be a little unusual, in having the adaptive sway bar installation, with the control components in the trunk (see photo). I've been trying to research this, but without much success so far. Can anyone help;
1 I believe the adaptive sway bars were an option?
2 How common is this fit?
3 Where can I get the tech data on it? (I have 2 Repair Manuals, neither cover it).
All info appreciated.
Something aftermarket going on there I'm sure
Battery in the trunk?
Is it a second battery or the primary?
Welcome to Club Lexus NZ btw
Are you part of the NZ group?
Thanks for your replies.
I am sure it's factory, not after-market, so I think that you're right about it being an optionibidu1. I didn't know that it was only available for 1 year (presumably the first year of production? - which mine is), or that it's super-rare (which doesn't surprise me).
mrbondy the battery in the trunk (boot to kiwis) is a secondary battery, to supply power to the accessories / electronics. The primary battery is still in the engine bay, and powers starting, ignition etc. One of the reasons I would like to get hold of the tech data is to see from the wiring diagram whether the supplementary battery has it's own bus (I would think so), and whether it is linked to the main bus, or charged through an isolating circuit.
I didn't know there is a Club Lexus NZ, I'm not a member, but would be keen to join. Can you advise contacts please?
2005 japan market and 2006 for US, i remember a member needed a steering column and when I searched for that year models it showed adaptive swaybar, I started to look into it. btw the steering rack is different, and if that goes out well those are pricey
Thanks for the extra info ibidu1. The picture is be coming clearer!
I hope I don't have issues with either the adaptive sway bars, or the steering rack. But hey, the car's done less than 80k miles, and I didn't pay a lot for it, so if I have to walk away or part it out it's not the end of the world. And it's close to mint.
I always thought the adaptive sway bars, in addition to adaptive shocks, are overkill. It sounds like the option wasn't popular and was discontinued.
Cheers.
I love this thing as it manages to get similar gas mileage to my IS200t. Sounds great. And after all these years has held up great. I even enjoy it more than I did my IS200t despite that car being 8 years newer.
I wanted to get a used car with the 3.5L V6 engine as they have proven to be very reliable and bulletproof. I also wanted it to be RWD.
I went for the GS350 over an IS350 as the interior seemed a bit more roomy and more 'Lexus' like.
Haven't been disappointed at all. Very reliable car over the two and a half years so far that I have owned it. And nice to drive too with enough power for me.
03-08-07, 07:21 PM
I travel quite a bit and always miss my GS350 when I'm on the road... and can't wait until I get back so that I can drive my baby 
Of course, that thought never goes over well with her. Doesn't help that the voice on the NAV is a female voice. I think it took her 2 seconds to ask if it could be changed to a male voice... 
