Amalan

iTrader: (1)

what are the differences between these cars besides the engine? i am thinking of purchasing a used gs and the 300 is significantly cheaper than the 350 so im just wondering what the main changes were from the 300 to the 350

socalJD

Quick list off top of my head:
- 350 has bigger F/R disc brakes
- Does it have Navi ? 350 has better graphics and better res
- 350 has a VSC cutoff switch
- 350 has a front passenger airbag cutoff sensor for smaller passengers
- 350 has sharkfin antenna (love/hate thing)

IMHO, go for the 350, since the 300 is already obsolete, and with the historically low residual values of the 3GS and current economy, you should be able to dictate pricing . . .

The G Man

I hear a lot about the low resale value of the 3GS but now that I started looking at other sport saden's resale value, the GS is not that low after all. In fact, its near the top, right up there with MB E class and Audi A6.

socalJD

^ E class is not a good example, the E500/550 is in the top 10 worst in residual value over 5 yrs. Dunno about Audi, and Bmw 5 series is among the best, the GS is somewhere in the middle. . .

drpepper

Test drive, test drive, test drive...

I think that because there aren't major differences aside from the engine, you might consider the engine change relative to what you're looking for and what car you're coming from.

If the main thing is the style of the 3GS and you're a more reserved driver without real horsepower cravings, the 300 is more than adequate. It's not as though it's a slouch of some kind, relative to everything out there.

What car are you coming from? An I4? A 190HP V6? Something with 300+HP? As nice as the ride is, a 300 not going to feel as good as a 350 if you're used to more.

I was coming from a 275HP V8. I test drove a couple of 300's, and while I'm sure I would have been happy with one in the longer term, I just found them to be lacking some of the feel I would have hoped for.

Good luck with your search.

The G Man

Thats what I used to think too, after doing more research, the BMW 5 series' resale value is no better than the GS. Looking at a 2 years old trade in value from KBB and Edmunds a 07 GS350 is worth around $32K and the 5 series is worth $32.5K. If you consider the BMW actually cost $10K more to buy, then the GS actually have better resale value than the BMW.