Skipper55

i have had 3 Benz 1996 s420 e230 24 value and finally a s500 in 2000 I will not buy another I traded the last Benz for 2006!gs 430 fantastic car so impressed I purchased a is 250 for my wife which she loves quite virtually nil road noise sound system in the sports luxury ie Levinson and at the time the hand free comfort and safety 10/10 the Gs was my pleasure driving home at 10.pm at night was total joy I could just keep driving .

Now ow I need another Lexus GS 350 and this Es 350 has me interested . I need top level sound usual safety minimal road noise and lexus quality .

i plan to do road trips and not be in pain at the end as I am now 60 , I am looking at 2014 year with 35k on the clock what is the better car to buy , in the GS I am going the S model as opposed to luxury , buy the discussion on this site indicated the ES maybe a better car

can I get some insight as to which way to go GS or ES

pacmanmmc

ES for a softer , quiet drive. The GS in my opinion will have more comfortable seats and the Mark Lev sounds better in GS.
Obviously a test drive is the best indicator of what works best for you. Good luck!

dchar

This topic has been discussed extensively.
Go for the GS if you want a better handling/driving dynamics (RWD or AWD), better performance, and better quality interior. Rear seats are kinda cramped and the ride isn't as smooth (F-sport).
Go for the ES if you want more rear legroom, cheaper price, and smother ride. The ES handles like any FWD car...kinda boring but comfortable. Interior isn't as nice when you start feeling around and touching some hard plastics.

If you want the safety systems like pre-collision, Adaptive Cruise Control, lane departure alert (ES)/lane keep Assist (GS), etc., it's more easily found in MY2016+ ES and GS as part of the Lexus Safety System+. Prior to those years, its more difficult to find cars with those features since they were much more expensive and weren't standard (MY2017).

Both are great cars! So good luck on choosing.

rijc99

You've always had rear wheel drive cars so based on that I'd go with the GS. The ES still does not seem as solid as the GS when on the road. Take a look to see if there are any used LS that fits your budget.

modad

Well, being that I am 60 and JUST traded a 2016 ES for a 2017 GS (lux, not F Sport), I think I can now give you a current comparison. First, I thought the ES was a great car. Period. There was a feeling of spaciousness, extremely quite, smooth ride and quality build. But, you really felt the size and cushy suspension in any kind of drive where handling was aggressive (read: curves). I wanted the ES to be THE car for me that I would drive for years with satisfaction and reliability. However, I really missed the spirited driving opportunities that just fell flat with the ES (I have a BMW Z4 that kept reminding me of what I was missing in the ES). So, before I had taken the full depreciation 'hit', I decided to just trade and get the GS that I expected to have the ride AND the handling I wanted. I could not be happier with my decision! This GS is a dream in the curves, has a quiet, compliant ride that does not feel harsh at all, and the lux package is truly a cut-above that has all the goodies and safety features that I had really wanted in the GS; this will be the car that I keep for the years that I had wanted in the first place.
You can't go wrong with the ES if you know what to expect. You certainly can't go wrong with the GS if it checks the boxes for you as it does for me! Good luck with your buying decision.

spoogenet

I second the suggestion to check out used LS, you didn't state your price range.

The ES is definitely a bit more plush, for better or worse. If you want an equally reliable car with a lower price tag, you may want to check out the Avalon (which the ES is built upon).

Every body (literally) is different and what may be super comfortable for one person on a long drive could leave another in agonizing pain. For road trips, honestly the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in were in a ~ 2004 Yukon XL.

AJLex19

Agreed 100%. Most comfortable seats to me was an '11 Range Rover I drove from NYC to CT. The LS, GS and ES seats are pretty top notch..the key difference is the car's purpose as the LS is the ultimate smooth cruiser, the Lux GS seats and 18" wheels are comfortable (but not as much as the LS/ES), and the ES's wheels/tires/suspension are just tuned for softness and comfort.

The most "uncomfy" lexus i've driven was my '11 IS350. The most soft riding and comfortable lexus i've ever driven was a 2007 LS460.