Rengozu

Hello , I'm new to the forums, but a longtime Lexus owner. Had a 1993 ES 300 for 5 years, and then upgraded to a 1996 GS 300 and had him for about 6 years.

Even being a 96 car with 170,000 miles in 2010, that car was my baby. I loved it. But unfortunately, it was recently a victim of the bad weather in TN and now it's time for me to look for his replacement.

Was hoping you guys could give me a few pointers, do's and don'ts, feature recommendations etc when looking for a newer Lexus. Even dealer recommendations if you know of a deal.

At first, I was pretty set on the 2006 GS 300 since it was the first of the 3rd gen, but the more I looked around, I think I decided the 2007 GS was a much bigger leap for not much more money. (not to mention better Ipod support with Vais, right?)

Think my main wants are the darker wood interior, navigation , Mark Levinson sound (is it a huge difference?), and I think I want to look for an AWD model.

Funny I've been a Lexus owner over 10 years and never bothered to look for a site like this. I accidentally stumbled upon it looking up Ipod solutions when I came across all the how to manuels you guys have here. (looking forward to dismantling the dash and twisting wires as soon as I get my new ride )

Looking forward to spending some time here staring at all your amazing rides. (and hopefully some talented forum members live around TN to hook mine up too!)

- jeff

Rider

Sorry to hear that, and hope you are well. 07 would be a right choice, seeing that it included upgrades from the 06 models like the upgraded engine, newer gen navigation, aux input, and the ability to set off the traction.

LIMS407

ouch,,,glad ur ok,,,

Rengozu

Thanks. I walked away no problem with only a few bruises. The minivan that slammed into me head on at an estimated 70mph wasn't so lucky.

So yeah, I think I'll stay GS loyal after that.

Now if I could only find the one I'm looking for. I find a lot with almost everything, but then I see they're missing something like the ML system.

. . . and I'm starting to hate when sellers claim it has the Mark Levinson system in the ad, but it doesn't have enough speakers or show the ML logo where it should be.

I8ABMR

DAMN!!!! That was a nasty crash. It consumed the entire front end of the car.

I would agree that the 2007 is really the way to go when considering the 3GS. 58 hp, larger brakes, and a few other more minor changes is more than enough to make it the wiser way to go

Bambigular

To be honest I would not buy the GS. It has too many squeaks and creeks. Only owned for only a few months and its been to the dealership to fix the noises but it's still sound like crap. Don't get me wrong there are lots of pros about the 3GS but if i had to go back and do it over. I would definitely choose something else. My wife drives it and her nagging at me about the noises kills me. She really liked the 08 ES..I did to but decided to get the more sporty GS.

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

I would suggest an 08, 07 doesn't have AUX nor turning signals on mirror's. Also these car's have a lot of rattle problem's if you are ok with it then you should be good. About ML im not sure how it sounds but the lexus premium sound system is way too loud and crisp. So that's y i think its harder to find a gs with ML.

Rengozu

Squeaks, creeks, and rattle problems? . . . they're really that bad? That's a huge turnoff.


Not just for the extra sound, I was also interested in the ML package for the DVD playback. I do see it on a lot of the models I've looked at, but finding my perfect combination of features and colors has been tough.

. . . hmm, maybe I should look at the ES's a little harder now. (but damn I love the look of the 3GS)

Bambigular

Yes the noises are that bad just search it and you'll see...the ES would be a great choice if you have a family, but your right the GS does look awesome.

Rengozu

I do have a wife and 2 kids, so I'll definitely look into that more now.

Man, guess that's what I get for being infatuated with the newer GS's on looks alone.

Thanks for the info guys.

link13

RIP to a clean 1GS. Glad you walked away from that and good luck with your new car search, Rengozu. I can't offer much help on that front since I am still driving my '94 GS300.

Rengozu

If I can't find something soon, I may just go back to that era of GS. Never had one problem out of it in 6 years.

dadoody

iTrader: (1)

The current era of GS looks much better than the rest, but the previous generations were better/solidly built from what I've read.

cowsgomoo

iTrader: (2)

Maybe i lucked out, I have an 06 gs430 and have really nothing at all wrong with the car. It's the best driving car I've ever been in or driven. No rattles or abnormal sounds, although when it was cold in the winter a few here and there. Rides smooth, rides safe. Steering its precision and the car is very manueverable.

Are you going more so for drivability and safety versus performance or looks?

RWD for performance, by the looks of those photos I suppose awd wouldn't be a bad idea.

The 07+gs350 get the big brakes, more power, new navigation system, 08+ get the facelift, turning indicators in the mirrors.

If you're looking at an 06gs300 right now. Spend the little bit more for the 350 and drive a very nice car. Certified Pre-Owned would be for the win. FTW

That's what it appears to me too. The 3GS is so much sexier than most cars out there. People who don't know lexus or even luxury cars for that matter always mistake the year of my car.

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

I mean the rattle's and 1 squeak only happens when hitting bumps (at least on my car). I live in NYC and there is nothing but bumps here but with little music everything just disappears.