Thanks for your input. Im definitely going to test drive the Gs before i buy it. I dont see myself in a hyundai, i love the reliability of lexus too much to give up. Ideally i would jump on a gs f sport and not look back, but im worried im going to miss the LS, and thats why i asked for everyone's opinion. I really appricciate everyone's input and feedback.

On a side note, as i understand, all gs's have an active damper, with the f sport having the best one. If thats the case, dont you loose that function when u change to coilovers or airbags? My wife's MDX has a sport, comfort, and normal mode and i love that feature. I typically drive it in sport (makes the steering wheel stiffer and corners better), and she drives it in normal or comfort (its a softer ride and plushy steering ). Thats a feature i am really looking forward to.

 

It's all physics, the GS won't have the large, ponderous drive feel the LS has. And you'll feel like you're in a cockpit in a GS than a lounge area, as with the LS.

 

GS is A LOT different from LS in my opinion. ES or LS would be your better comparison. The ES feels like 80% of LS at 50% of the price. The GS would be akin to IS. And the new 2016 GS F sport would be a ton of fun!! You'll 'feel the road' more and staring is way more engaging, which may be a benefit or detriment based on your personal preference and roads. When I see F sport GS 350 here sitting in same traffic on cruddy roads as I sit in I cringe. Unsure where people can go to enjoy the 'performance'. and would stick with another LS or ES. The LS getting a little long in the tooth in current version though.

 

Your going to miss the power, smoothness, and characteristics of the V8. I just test drove a new GS350 and was disappointed with the V6, felt kind of lethargic and nowhere near 311hp, felt more like 270 or 280hp and was kind of struggling when trying to pass. When I got on it I was like where is the power/nice shove in the back like I am used to with a 300hp V8, I thought I was in economy mode and power was being held back but I was in sport mode. I guess I am just too used to a V8 in my older GS though I remember when driving the 2nd Gen IS350 it felt much more satisfying with better feeling of power/passing ability.

After the test drive I am thinking my next car may be a used LS460 instead of a new or used 4th Gen GS350.

 

What you felt was the lack of torque. It's too little and comes in too high in the RPM range to be really usable in day to day driving. Even my wife's 15' RX 350 feels faster in daily traffic.

 

I've been on vacation or I would have chimed in on this sooner.

I traded my 2013 GS for a new LS about a year ago, so I'm pretty well suited to make this comparison.

First the GS is a fabulous car. I loved mine, it was one of my favorite cars out of the cars I've had. I was surprised by how much I liked it being that I prefer a cushy riding car. Mine was a luxury model and I upgraded from the ES really just for the better interior. Car has a great duality, it's a great riding car at speed, very smooth quiet and refined.

Now with that said, I prefer my LS obviously overall. It's really the car that I've wanted, although I do miss some things about the GS. Seats were better in the GS luxury, even the leather which is my overall top complaint about the LS (my GS had semi-aniline leather and my LS doesn't). The GS is overall a newer car and has a couple features the LS doesn't have, No s flow in the LS. No windshield humidity sensor. Smart key is still the old style with the black buttons on the door handles.

The ride and drive is where the LS really differs. The GS is former, tighter, a lot more fun to drive. The LS is much more refined, much smoother and quieter. Powertrain is much smoother and more refined.

As for the ES, the Es is a nice car (had two of those too) but it pales in comparison to the GS let alone the LS when it comes to overall product quality and refinement. I would go back to a GS if I decided I wanted a sportier ride, but I would never go back to an ES after having the higher end Lexus cars.

So I'm short, I prefer the LS but I can understand why someone would prefer the GS. Would the OP be happy with the GS if they wanted a sportier ride? For sure. If they don't? Probably not.

 

Thanks for your feedback. Im hoping to test drive a GS tis coming weekend, just as soon as i am able to drive again. What year is your new LS?

 

It's a 2015. Try and find a GS with the luxury package to drive. Coming from the LS you'll appreciate the interior finish of that with the dark glossy wood, wood leather wheel, etc over the metal trim of the F Sport.

 

You are dead on my scenario, with your $35k OTD price tag as thats exactly what i was trying to do and is why i went with the 2013 GS F Sport with 13k miles. To answer your question above yes the car does have the adjustable dampers and if i go to coilovers, which i did i lose this but i wouldnt use that feature anyway to be honest so going to coilovers wasnt a problem for me. You will miss your LS, trust me as i do every day. The LS was the car i always wanted to have, and because of the body style not changing much i didnt want to get into anything other than the 2013+ face lifted ones that are well out of price range for me personally. I have settled for the GS Fsport, and are trying to force myself into liking it by modifying it to my liking but its just not the same. I drove quite a few cars to compare too before buying this GS... BMW 7 series, Infiniti Q70, Hyundai Equus, and i simply came back to Lexus. I stayed away from the ES because its front wheel drive, so the GS it was. Ill likely be selling my GS as soon as the newer body LS's go down in price in another year or two, and who knows maybe you will end up doing the same. Is getting the previous body style just not in the cards for you? Sorry your in this tight spot my man... i had this fight with myself for 2-3 months before pulling the trigger. Good luck my brotha and wishes for a speedy recovery.

 

You might want to study the reliability and warranty of the Hyundai. They are actually very highly rated for quality now and have by FAR the best warranty. But I get the stigma issue.

Only the Luxury and F-Sport GSs come with active dampers.

 

And also just so you know the GS AVS system has no "comfort" mode.

 

Thanks. Funny, its like you are in my head lol. I Loved my ls460, but the gs f sport really grabs my attention. If i could u would get a 13 LS and call it a day, unfortunately its out of my comfort zone. Im currently debating between a 2012 ls or a 2013/14 gs f sport. There are a few out here for less then 35 OTD. I really don't want to regret getting a GS. I have a few more days to decide before the insurance check comes in the mail. Well see what happens.

Btw there is a 2013 ls460 for sale in Nashville for 34k. It has 87k miles.

 

I agree that the GS 350 is lagging a bit in terms of trying to pass someone and wasn't as smooth as I remembered from previous generation GS. I leased the GS 350 for couple years and returned it and got a V8 and it's like night and day.

 

Yes, the Lexus V8 is so much smoother than the Lexus 3.5L V6 engine!

I prefer if Lexus can make their V6 smaller at say 2.5 or 3.0 for lower reciprocating mass for increased smoothness, and to compensate for the lower cubic capacity with twin turbo forced induction.
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A V8 is always going to be smoother than a V6...the V6 is plenty smooth.