What's goin on everyone I'm jus wonderin I'm sure a bunch of you guys came from a 2nd gen to the 3rd was wondering what you guys feel is better quality ride comfort handling and everything like personal reviews and comparisons just curious. Because it seems the quality wasnt as good as the 2nd gen like the leather and wood and body integrity but they stepped it up on the 4th gen but I want some personal experience. Thanks everyone.

 

I had a 2001 gs430 kept it till i put 200k on it and currently i have an 06 gs430 with 110k on the clock. I will say suspension wise the 3rd gen is much better built, i had gone through like 4 sets of lower ball joints plus replaced the front upper control arms twice... Also changed a lot of other miscellaneous suspension parts on the car, toe arms etc... BUT i think i still loved my 01 more. I will say it was faster, probably due to the 2nd gens being lighter and although the handling was much more "boat like" i could push the car to the limits without getting scared. My 06 is stock my 01 just had SRT intake/piggyback ecu, Ltuned springs , 20x8.5 and 20x10 Maya DTM's, and bilstein sport struts. I tore a small hole in the rear seat leather on my 06, i wasnt nearly as careful with the 01 and never tore a hole so i can see what your saying about the interior... Just one last comment the brakes are a lot better on the 3rd gen and suspension deff is stiffer in hard cornering.

 

i had gs400 and then gs350.

gs400 was far more spacious and much better build quality. more solid as well.

gs400 rides softer because of the wheels, gs350 with 18s rides harder but more responsive.

won't compare engine performance coz' one is v8 and one is v6

handling, gs350 handles better for sure, can't beat technology on newer cars.

overall, gs400 totally wowed me, nothing short of impressive. gs350 was a decent car, but i wasn't impressed by comparison

 

I would agree with the two above. I had a 99 GS300 and now own a 06 GS300 AWD. Also spent a lot time in a 1st gen that my grandfather owned.

There are obviously differences because of drive train but Quality does seem to have diminished with the 3rd gens. The only reason I gave up my 99 was my Ex gave up my retirement for it. It had 170k on it and the only real problem that I had with it was the rear main seal went out and started to cover the exhaust and underside when driving down to drop the car off to her.

The 1st and 2nd gen both felt like “solid” cars where the 3rd feels more hollow.

1st and 2nd gen seemed less noisy

Enjoyed the responsiveness of the 2JZ over the new V6’s

Really think they could have improved on the Gen 3.

 

I'm curious to know what years were your 400 and 350, lol

 

I went from a '98 GS3 to an '06 GS300 AWD and I totally agree with the all the others. The 2GS quality is better than the 3GS, and I spent a lot more time on the 98 than the 06. The straight 6 in the 98 is way more quiet and IMO had better pick up.

 

I'd rather have a straight 6 than a V6. Those BMW guys know what's up.

 

Aha I knew I wasn't the only one that noticed the diminished quality on the 3GS with everything from the leather to wood to build quality in general even in pictures in interior looks much cheaper made more plasticky. So I guess the only thing better is the handling since its newer technology. Guess I'm gonna hold out til I can afford the 4GS since that has some real Lexus quality in it

 

wow seems like everyone loves the 2GS

 

Yea inline 6 engines r so much more responsive then Vs

 

2GS to 3GS to 4GS..you can search on my thoughts.... The 2GS is still awesome but the new features of the 3GS to me outweigh the negatives. A big factor is the GS 350 is as fast as a GS 400 and more efficient. GS 350 also has HIDs standard, LED's standard everywhere, power closing trunk, ventilated seats and other things not on the 2GS.

 

I did not like the materials used in the 3GS, I always felt the built quality of the 2GS was much higher. The 3GS was not a bad car. Compared to my 2001 GS300, it was much faster and handled better. Loved the tech and Mark Levinson system.

 

+1 I had a GS 430 and I felt there was more room than the 3GS I had, the interior was updated obviously and the tech was the other great feature it had, I still loved the 2GS. Make sure when you choose the GS model you want you fix the rattles first those will drive you mad other than that it wasn't a bad GS was softer I think than the 2GS.

 

1998 gs400
2008 gs350

wayyyy more room in the 2gs, both front and rear cabin space as well as trunk space.

the 350 engine is definitely great, good gas mileage and it's fast. but when flooring, the 350 is louder and does not sound as refined as the v8 (400 and 430) imho. plus, my buttometer still feels from 80mph to 120mph pull, the gs400/430 still edges out a little.

 

Went from an 01GS 430 to an 09GS 460. So far no complaints. Loved both cars. Really enjoying the fuel economy. Get 2 to 3 better MPG on the highway due to the extra gears. 3G is quieter and of course has more gadgets. Also better drive by wire feel on the accelerator. The 01 had a lag that could catch you out, especially if you had been doing a bunch of in town heavy traffic driving and it learned that scenario.

No complaints on the 3g except the paint. It is so soft that even taking special care, it is hard to wash it without leaving scratches.

Tex