Tarmac88

Hello Everyone,

Long time lurker and after a while, I have decided to finally sign up and ask some questions of the knowledgable people of this forum. I am currently looking to purchase a 2015 GS 350 F SPORT in about 8-12 months in Toronto. I have always been a bmw guy but that has come to a screeching halt due to the insane expenses that it costs to run 4-5 year old bmws. I have never liked lexus because i used to think they were boring and my mom has driven the RX for 11 years now, and never any problems. I am at a point in my life where i have a kid on the way and with a busy work schedule i am not interested in spending time at dealerships and always fearing to go to a dealership for maintenance since something always ends up broken or needing work $$$$.

For the actual question. Buying a 5 year old lexus a year from now, for example, a 2015 with 70-80k kilometers for about 31-33k CDN dollars worries me is the miles. I know this forum says that a lexus can run a lot more especially since everyone buys 4-5 old lexus with 70-80k miles, but i guess i need re-confirmation that the GS is a solid car even when purchased used with 80,000 kilometers? Also is a CPO worth buying?

thank you in advance

PlPete

I just recently purchased a 2014 F Sport model which had 58k miles on it. Having looked at several models previously with similar mileage I was surprised by how clean the engines were with minimal dusting and no signs of real leaks anywhere. These engines have been using for a number of years and are really quite stout. Just look at the maintenance schedule requirements - it's all pretty simple stuff.

Being in Canada I would inspect the under-body and look for any signs of rust and excessive wear on suspension components. CPO will definitely give you additional piece of mind but as long as you ask the right questions and do your due diligence you should be fine. You can always get a 3rd party inspection.

AJLex19

I have a '13 GS with 57,000 miles (an early build where the first owner started driving it in April 2012). The car was CPO'd when i bought it in 2015 and I never made any claims under the CPO warranty (I had the AWD whining noise fixed under the TSB which fell under the powertrain warranty). I've never had any major issues requiring dealership work other than the covered whining noise. My biggest expense to date has been tires. Lots of members have GS's with over 100,000 miles here in the US. The GS is very solid as i'm sure you've seen if you've been reading any of the many posts on the 4GS forum.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of owning a GS outside of the warranty period, the CPO will be worth it for you. It's one of the better programs offered (loaner cars, trip interruption, emergency services, no deductible on warrant-able repairs, 2years and no mileage limits) as many major components are covered. You can buy an extended warranty if that helps (not sure if you have done this with your BMWs).

Don't hesitate...just buy the GS, change the oil once a year, follow the maintenance schedule and it will be worry free for years to come

jonathancl

I bought my 2013 four years old w 72k miles, no CPO.
I'd do it again without hesitation. I've never had CPO on any of my Lexuses, don't see it as necessary.

As long as you have the service records to validate routine maintenance, esp oil changes, and you can see evidence of care when you view and drive the car, you're good to go.

Higher mileage Lexuses are among if not the best deals on the road.

Tarmac88

Awesome, thank you for the response. I want to purchase the 2015 mostly due to the fact that its cheaper and has taken 50% depreciation at that point. Besides the face lift and safety features over the 2016, is there any mechanical difference between 2015 and 2016 GS lexus? I like the f sport LFA Gauge cluster on the 2016 and the face lift, but in toronto the 2016s are still keeping their value in the 35k range plus hst = $40k cdn.

Also my wife and i have been talking, we have already a big car (subaru outback), would a 2015 IS 350 cost less on maintenance between 75,000 km to 150,000? I know the IS 350 has a notorious problem of eating tires, but any chance it would cost less in ownership?

JDR76

The 15 GS is great, and should treat you well.

Other than styling, the biggest difference between the 15 and the 16 is that the 16 uses a different engine, but even that isn't such a big deal. They're still pretty equal.

As for cost of ownership versus an IS, I would not expect a difference. Same powertrain, same chassis, and largely the same maintenance schedule. You may find insurance on the IS is slightly more (mine was) than on a GS.

Tarmac88

I completely missed the fact that the engine is different on the 2016. They squeezed more hp out of it? But the fuel economy is still terrible.

JDR76

Yes, 5 more horsepower, which is no big deal.

As for fuel mileage, I get slightly better gas mileage with the new engine, but it's still not that great. You do not buy a GS350 for efficiency.

Tarmac88

Do you happen to know if this car is decent for infant baby car seat? Is there enough room in the trunk to fit a baby stroller and etc?

JDR76

I had an infant seat in mine for awhile and it was fine. Major upgrade in space from my IS. I did have to have the front passenger seat slightly more forward than preferred, but it was still totally fine for family duty. We used a BOB stroller and it fit just fine in the trunk, though we usually used a smaller fold-up stroller for errands that fit easily without taking too much room.

As of right now, my kids are 4 and 7, so we have one forward facing child seat and one booster seat. I'm looking forward into getting my 4 year old into a booster, as that's when it gets really easy.

Tarmac88

I take it you love your car? I never realized in a million years that i would fall for a Lexus, but boy after owning a BMW and a Mazda, my experience has been so negative in terms of financial cost. I can really appreciate reliability as a major factor.

Tarmac88

Also another question that is on my mind, i plan to buy the Lexus from authorized Lexus dealership. Does anyone ever do a 3rd party inspection when buying from an authorized dealer?

gs350lex

I am also around the Toronto area and when i purchased my vehicle i didn't do a pre-authorized inspection (but it was certified and i took on a test drive and did my own inspection). I have a 2015 GS350 F-Sport. I bought my car in 2017 with 28,000 kms on the clock(something around there) and I have 65,000 kms on it currently. I know its not the same as what you are looking for because yours will have a lot more kms than what i currently have however I can tell you in the 2+ years that I have owned the car it has been phenomenal. I come from an e46 m3( yes its older so I can't really make a fair comparison here) and my best friend has a 2017 M4(can't be compared to the GS350 but its just for argument sake) i am thankful everyday that I didn't go back to BMW as this guys car loves the dealership(constant problems with the door locks and a few other things granted its under warranty but its a huge nuisance). The only issue I had with my Lexus is the sunroof rattling but I demanded they fix it and it has finally (knock on wood) been taken care of under warranty. Other then that the GS is not cheap on tires or brakes (but this can be relatively cheap if you can do them on your own or take it to an independent mechanic).

Other then that I don't think you have anything to worry about I have a feeling this car will last a long time with relatively few or no problems. After all i came to Lexus for reliability and if they let me down what other brand is left?

JDR76

Yes, I absolutely do love it!

Tarmac88

When you say tires and brakes are a big expense. Since these tires are not staggered and they can be rotated, how much do you find it lasts you and what is your annual km driven? My bmw because of rfts was brutal, i would spend about 900-1000 just on the rear wheels, so i hope its not that bad...