Stevied23:

First, you are in the right place for good advice for noobs like us. I haven't been on the board much since this summer when mine was new, but paying attention now that I'm approaching first service and the cold weather dash creaking. I'll just hit points not yet made above:

Pros: I also shopped the M35, and besides the much better looks of the GS (IMO), Lexus brings a whole other level of luxury beyond Infiniti - compare the paint, wood and leather on the two and you'll see what I mean.

Cons: I assume in ND as in MA, the majority of '08 versions you'll see are AWD. The stock runflats are a bad choice by Lexus, the stiff sidewalls make every bump feel like a mountain. This is my biggest complaint so far.

The other thing not mentioned is the visibility and headroom. The good looks outside come at the cost of tight visibility around the A and B pillars and rear view mirror, and I'm only 5'8.

Good luck!

 

The GS suspension is fine, its the steering feedback that feels slightly distant.

 

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and advice. Since I live in ND, I'm not too concerned with how the car handles on curves or mountain roads, since it is flat as flat can be here. Because of the terrible winter weather we get here, I would also have to go for the AWD version. I would maybe look into replacing the run-flats. The dash noise that some people are complaining about concerns me quite a bit. For one, there is no Lexus dealer in ND so I would actually have to look to Minneapolis or beyond for a GS. Also, since there is no Lexus dealer, I'm assuming I would have to go to Minneapolis for any service work, unless another import dealer could work on the car or the Toyota dealership.

 

Toyota dealer cannot do Lexus warranty work.

 

Agreed. However the OP could have Toyota do the work and pay for it out of his pocket, and see if Lexus is willing to reimburse him out of good will. It sounds stupid to do it this way, I know, but if he really wants a GS, this would be an option to consider (not a great option, but it is an option)

 

How far is the drive from where you are to a Minneapolis Lexus dealership?

If they do warranty work, just take a loaner!

The service at Lexus is outstanding...

 

isn't there a mod that you can do to get better steering feedback? i vaguely recall reading something about this on the 2nd gen forum (i could be wrong tho)..something about boots?

 

The drive to Minneapolis is about 3 hours from here so it's quite the haul if I ever needed service work done. That's a big reason why I drive a Nissan right now because if I need it serviced I can get it done right here. Fortunately I've never had to have a lot of service done on any of my cars. If I get one of these, hopefully that will remain the same.

 

IMO the positives are the ride quality, quiet interior, reliabilty, fit and finish, and amazing service. The cons would be the insane body roll and numb steering. Its a great luxury car not a performance sedan. It pulls in a straight line, but my old G35 would leave this fat girl in the dust on a mountain road. If this car had an aftermarket sway bar of considerable thickness this car would be better in the twisties. I basicly changed my driving style for this car. I slowed down a bit and mellowed. I had several criminal speeding tickets in my G35. The GS doesnt inspire that kind of craziness. It inspires me to cruise and listen to nice music. Mind you it will run with many V8's ...in a straight line. In the end I think this car is a great compromise . The exhaust and kidney bruising suspension set up in my G35 was a bit much after a long day of work. I love my GS and am currently hitting craigslist for an old rsx , integra, or 240 sx that I can make a weekend drift/autocross car. I am getting that itch again. This time I will scratch it only at the track and avoid the criminal speeding tickets

 

i didn't know of such mods on the 2gs, but then again i stopped modding my gs400 since probably 05? i know on the 2gs you can tighten the steering wheel pretensioner and get tighter feeling, but can't tighten much otherwise you start losing the power steering capability. i did mine and it was very noticeable improvement

 

that's why you get the one with VGRS that tightens up under aggressive driving

 

lol, i had vgrs on the ls460l. granted the ls460 steering is more loose, but i never really felt much of a difference, haha...

 

lol, i knew you were gonna say that!

It is very noticeable to me when I am taking a sharp turn on ramp at 60-70 mph, the steering got VERY tight and had to use some muscle strength to hold it. cool stuff

 

I thought varible power steering is on both the 460 and the 350, but the vgrs have the varible steering ratio.

 

ok i swear i need to take the gs460 out for a real drive