LeXuSrAcIn

As some of you know I was debating between a GS300, M45 or LS430. Well I'm very glad I didnt go for the GS300 and chose the 430 instead for more than I originally wanted to spend. Having the 430 a couple days made me already realize how much I'm going to miss my 545. I love Lexus but it has way too many shortcomings in this competitive segment. My biggest gripe on the car is its handling. The ride is so much more rough than my 545 sport, yet theres so much body roll. With the bimmer I can take sharp right turns at 30 mph with the body staying stable. The GS I find myself having to brake on many curves let alone taking a turn even at 20 mph. I just dont understand why Lexus would make the ride so rough without improving handling. The sport suspension button just seems to make the ride even harder without doing anything for handling. The sad part is my 95 SC300 had better handling, granted that I did put coilovers on it. Still, I think an 11 yr newer car should be better than the SC. Second gripe I have is speed. Even with 300 hp the 430 seems very sluggish. The last 2 things I dislike about the car so far are the very sensitive brakes and ridiculous sized trunks. The GS I got is fully loaded with even the pre collision system. It's got some pretty cool features. The interior is one of the best I've seen. And it's a relief not having to deal with the BMW's iDrive anymore. One thing I was a bit surprised with was that the ML system in the GS doesnt seem as nice the one in our GX.

In conclusion, I think the GS430 is a pretty nice car, and I would LOVE it if I weren't coming from a 545. I dont know if the 545 is too high of a benchmark to compare this car to considering it generally wins nearly every magazine's award of top sports sedan. I tend to agree though that the GS is near the bottom of the class. If Lexus made a car that can give the feel of a 5 series, coupled with its great reliability, I have no doubt it would win a HUGE share of the market. I know a lot of you might not agree with me, but if you've test driven the others in this segment you will understand.

I8ABMR

No youre right. When I got my GS I hated the handling coming from a G35 with a fully tuned suspension. I wouldnt ever say that the cars rides ruff but I will admit when I drove the BMWs I remember telling the salesman that I was amazed that it felt as smooth as the ES or GS but out handled them both by a mile. BMW sprinkles fairy dust on their suspensions. I agree that Lexus needs to step it up. We want it all , not just the floaty ride that the elderly covet . I want solid handling AND LS ride quality

chauss

The GS is more of a highway cruiser than a canyon carver....
If that was you in another thread asking what to do- I believe I suggested keeping your 545. 8-)

KevGS460ML

After much debate, and you still have all of these surprises? It sounds like you've bought it without even test driven it. If there was truly much debate, then you would have test driven those cars multiple times, and for a reasonable length of time.

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I would've kept the 545 as well if there is no major issue. I also would've test driven all of the cars before I made the switch. The handling problem would've come up instantly...

ivanz

I believe the only difference between the GS 430 and GS 350 is that the V8 has ~10 HP less and ~30 ft/lb torque more, so I can imagine that a newer than ~2000 (when the 4.3L engine came out) 545 would definitely have more power. Handling is a given, I personally find it more than adequate for everything I do. Lexus doesn't advertise the GS as a performance king, and plenty of reviews out there state that.

LexFather

Thanks for the update

HotShotEng

I have a 2006 GS430 and if you have the Advan tires on the car you will definitely get a rough ride, but a good set of tires will make a big difference. Also, if you put the car in "Sports Mode" rather than "Normal Mode" it will handle a little better around corners. All said, it is still more of a luxury car than a sports sedan. It will not match the handling of a 545, but will be a lot more reliable.

Amalan

iTrader: (1)

agreed the advans gave my gs an awful ride since they were rubber band tires. Tossed on some pilot sports with 45 height tire instead of the 35 advans and the ride improved vastly.

BMW is known for their great performance. Lexus aims their cars toward a different character of the market. If you were looking for a more performance oriented car, you should stick with BMW.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

The GS won't ever handle as well as a bimmer but put on some 19's, drop it and select nice tires and the ride and handling improves a lot.