consultant

In the market for a used GS 350 or Acura RL. Of course the majority on the Acura forum say the RL is more trouble-free, looks better, yada yada. Both cars are going to be more reliable than your average sedan. But I have seen some indication the GS350 maybe be a little more problematic than you would expect from your average Lexus?

I'd be curious to get the scoop from existing GS350 owners on how the car has treated you, especially compared to other Japanese makes you've owned? I did see the recall notice regarding engine issues but they appear to not have been widespread?

The last thing I need is to be going to the dealer every 1-3 months for little nagging issues.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Rider

IF your car will be miraculously rattle-free, you'll be a happy person.

consultant

So I'm translating this to be saying "other than rattles the car doesn't have any issues?"

One trick is to go to the car forum for the car you are interested in and sort the threads by number of replies and see how many of the threads are discussing problems. I went through the first two screens here and saw very little issues.

But, it seems Toyota may have possibly had a dip in build quality/engineering in the mid-late 2000 cars, sort of like Mercedes had in the 90's. Although many parts are shared it usually depends on the specific models. I'm coming from a Volvo S60R and an Acura TL Type-S prior to that. Looking for something more of a freeway cruiser than a sports sedan now and don't want to keep the Volvo now that it is out of warranty. No serious issues but several trips to dealer over the years for little quirks was a pain. Only trips to the Acura dealer was to get the oil changed! Also concerned about resale value and Lexus/Acura/BMW are pretty much the top of the heap for that.

I'll shoot myself though if I'm going back and forth to the Lexus dealer for little nagging issues.

dunnojack

then i don't think you're a good potential owner.


better stick to acura.


if you're looking for a freeway "cruiser", this is not it. you will feel the bumps and cracks more.
but it's fast.

redwhisky

I see you have 2 posts.

I have owned a 1990 VW GTi Wolfsburg 8v, 1993 Civic Si Hatch, Dodge Durango R/T, Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition V8. The 4runner and the civic were the best vehicles i owned thus far.

What do you currently own and drive?

Ive had a GS for 5 years. I bought the '06 as it was rolled out. I do have the annoying dash rattle, it has since disappeared since i lowered it with wheels. I also drove it daily for two years. The last 3 years i turned it into a garage queen. I've done nothing but maintain it. I have not had any issues, yet. Though no car is perfect, my expectations are high for this vehicle.

My younger brother has an '06 RL. Between the two I prefer the interior cockpit and interior look of the acura. I should say the exterior is not bad at all, as i considered this for a second car. The lexus interior is very simple and toyota-like. Which is not a bad thing. The feel of the drive is very sporty compared to the lexus. You can feel the road better...more response in the wheel.

I have also ridden in a few different '06 M45's. The interior is also more snazzy than the lexus. Ride is good and sporty also when comparing the two.

These are the 3 japanese competitors. They are all in the similar in size and class, but very different to someone who knows what they are seeing and driving.

IMO, out of these 3, you cant go wrong. On another tip, i would bet my Lexus rides a lot longer with fewer issues, if there are any. So, you can say I am a bit biased in that department. And, just to clarify, i drive an acura everyday. I love that car to death as well. All in all, im not as picky as someone else may be.

stvincent

iTrader: (5)

rattle is not too bad compared to the g35 i had.. most of my rattles disappeared after 2 years of ownership, strange.. i'm lowered on awd too.. i'll have to wait and see until this winter though .. so far can't complain about my GS other than vibration..

charmz

There is something about the faux wood interior pieces that turn me off from infiniti's. Looks cheap, I was seriously considering a m35 and just could not get over it.

LexFather

Welcome to Clublexus. The TL Type S is the best Acura product in the decade. What year GS 350 are you looking at? No car is perfect, the RL has issues as the GS has issues. Some owners complain of rattles while others don't. The GS has been a very reliable car for most owners. Neither will have you at the dealer often. Lexus dealers are of a higher standard than Acura dealers (though both have some miss dealers).

The engine recall issue is completely precautionary. The failure rate is below 1%. It is one of the fine parts of owning a Lexus.

Comparing GS 350 AWD to RL AWD the GS has two huge advantages. It has a new engine and transmission compared to the RL which uses a dated engine and tranny so it has much higher MPG and it is significantly faster. GS 350 AWD has gotten tested as low as a 0-60 run in 5.4 seconds. The RL is a mid 6 second to 7 second car.

The RL has the MPG of a V-8, high teens. The GS will get you mileage in the low to mid twenties and even 30 on the Hwy.

Both are built in very high quality plants in Japan. The GS is its own platform and the RL uses an Acccord based platform.

The GS AWD has a 30/70 RWD bias and the RL has a 70/30 FWD bias.

The RL has SH-AWD which is a better AWD system since it can shift power to one wheel.

The RL has real time traffic which is useful and you can use the NAV on the move compared to the GS.

The GS offers 3 different types of REAL wood according to what leather color you choose. The RL is some odd mix of fake and real wood.

If interested in adding sport to your car you can add F-sport parts with the GS. The GS has tremendous aftermarket support if you want to mod your car. In comparison the RL is for old people and has nearly no aftermarket support.

Looking at values, the GS has held its value very well, the RL resale value is nothing short of pitiful. It never sold well and never was well received by the public.

Apperances are subjective. The GS has influenced other cars looks and won design awards. The RL looks like an Accord. The Hyundai Genesis and Kia K7 have much more luxurious proportions than the RL. If you don't want to be noticed, the RL is a great choice.

Acura, Infiniti and Lexus all make good cars but its clear why Lexus is heads and shoulders above the other two.

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I haven't problems and don't have the rattles others complain about. I really dig my GS
Lowere on stock wheels I thought it was the best riding car I've ever been in. I drove it like a madman. Zipping and speeding and weaving. So mych fun. But I had to put wheels on it cause that's what I do.

consultant

So is the rattles the most common issue or are there others? On the rattles has it been determined if it is a particular year or production range? The RL is probably better suited to my personal needs. But the reason the GS is so attractive is for about the same year and mileage there Lexus is just a little more expensive. They have both taken a beating on depreciation as all lux sedans have in his economy. You can get an 07 g350 with 40k miles for about $26-$27k and the Acura for about $24-25k. I think the gs will depreciate less further though. TL type s is best resale on Acura models. But the ride is very firm. Steering super heavy. Has rattles too according to tl owners. And has torque steer. I've done 1 hour test drives in both acuras and he g37 Infiniti. Like how the infniti drives best. Good compromise between sport and luxury. But I trust Honda reliability more.

bigL

iTrader: (3)

Let me just tell you what I saw as a service consultant for Lexus and Acura both. As stated the Lexus may have a silly rattle or minor issue from time to time as does any car.But during my time at Acura I saw those cars come in plagued with issues and there was no consistency to the problems. One may have an electrical problem where the next identical vehicle may have power steering issues.There was no rhyme or reason.Also when I was at Lexus customer service was #1 and we did alot for people. While at Acura I was amazed at how little they cared whether you left happy,mad or if you came back.Also I noticed Acura was alot more likely to turn down warranty claims and try to make it customer pay.Heres an example. My brother had a brand new TL he bought and serviced at the dealer.During every service he complained about the transmission and the warning lights that would come on.They always said it was a fluke and not to worry about it.During his last service they said yes it is your transmission that needs replaced and your 15 miles past warranty so thatll be 5k.He took it up with the regional rep for Acura.My brother told him he didnt feel this was right and that Lexus wouldnt do this to one of there owners and the rep told him "if you think Lexus is so great then you shold buy one".So he did and now hes a member here on CL.In addition Ive owned my GS4 for ten years and love her and would never sell her.Lexus all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bavaria

My '07 GS350 has been problem-free for the past 38 months and 33,000 miles. I've had it in for the brake dust issue - fixed. I've had no rattles, but in reading the posts I largely attribute this to living in AZ. I am anticipating the letter requesting it be brought in for the valve spring issue, and am of the opinion I will wait and see. It's running perfectly, and I'm getting over 32 mpg on the highway. If this car continues to perform in the future as it has since I've owned it, I will definitely get another exactly like it (including color - graphite whatevertheycallit!).
BTW, I also own a '10 3 Series BMW Coupe - my heretofore favorite car and my third 3 Coupe since 1995. Although I love both cars for their individual attributes, the GS would be the keeper if I was forced to make a choice.

tekjunkie

I have the '10 GS350awd. Just got it a few months ago. I was first disappointed with it for several reasons. Since then, I've gotten used to some of the shortcomings. Considering the price, I guess its ok. But some of the issues I've had with mine is lack of acceleration(I don't get anywhere near the 5.4 0-60 that someone mentioned), there is a lag when hitting the accelerator, the ride on my runflats is terribly hard, not being able to set navi when car is in motion, ventilated seats are useless, navi doesn't work simultaneous with phone, etc. I've owned many sub 6 sec 0-60 cars and I miss it. That's the downside. The GS does do a few things better - blutooth connectivity is quick. As of now, I'm not so sure I'd get this car again.

bigL

iTrader: (3)

Are you using premium fuel? Cheap fuel could cause the poor response time and 0-60 performance. Also your navigation can be set while driving by using your voice commands.its probably best for everyone that your not manually entering while driving!

tekjunkie

I only use the premium. And I got the K&N filter.

I personally don't like to play with the Navi while driving even with the voice. My point was that if you had a passenger, it shouldn't block the passenger from entering locations. I take my family on trips frequently and it's a pain when you have to pull over to enter a new location. Haven't played with the voice.