2017 GS350 AWD Reliability/Cost of Maintenance
01-28-20, 08:55 AM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
2017 GS350 AWD Reliability/Cost of Maintenance
Trying to decide between a 2017 IS 350 AWD and a 2017 GS 350 AWD. I知 aware of the size/market audience/tech differences between the two - my question is mainly reliability and ownership costs. The IS apparently has severe treadlife issues on the front (10-15k life), does the GS suffer from this? Any significant issues with the 2017 GS? I drive 20k miles/yr so reliability is critical.
01-28-20, 09:24 AM
#2
Lead Lap
@GoodRevs reliability will be about the same for both cars, as well as low ownership costs as both are utilizing essentially the same proven drivetrain and transmission. The GS has more expensive parts and fit/finish is a bit better.
Seats and interior appointments are definitely better. In the category of reliability, these two sedans are at the top of the list compared to their competition (even though the comparable Audi/BMW/MB competition has gotten better lately in terms of reliability).
Truthfully, I had an IS and now a GS - the IS was too small and I traded it in. The GS feels a step up in every category. If you are typically driving larger sedans, the IS won't satisfy that roomier feeling you get.
Both cars in RWD form with staggered wheels/tires suffer from additional wear - AWD treadwear is fine in my experience since its a square setup. If you drive a ton, get a good set of touring tires that have a higher mileage rating.
Seats and interior appointments are definitely better. In the category of reliability, these two sedans are at the top of the list compared to their competition (even though the comparable Audi/BMW/MB competition has gotten better lately in terms of reliability).
Truthfully, I had an IS and now a GS - the IS was too small and I traded it in. The GS feels a step up in every category. If you are typically driving larger sedans, the IS won't satisfy that roomier feeling you get.
Both cars in RWD form with staggered wheels/tires suffer from additional wear - AWD treadwear is fine in my experience since its a square setup. If you drive a ton, get a good set of touring tires that have a higher mileage rating.
01-28-20, 09:28 AM
#3
Was that issue on the IS350 due to suspension that made the front tires drag in a way that the inner section of front tires get worn?
If I'm correct the GS sedan share suspension and platform with the RC couple, not the IS sedan. Haven't seen any report of tread life issue on the 4th gen GS.
If I'm correct the GS sedan share suspension and platform with the RC couple, not the IS sedan. Haven't seen any report of tread life issue on the 4th gen GS.
01-28-20, 09:53 AM
#4
Instructor
Thread Starter
@GoodRevs reliability will be about the same for both cars, as well as low ownership costs as both are utilizing essentially the same proven drivetrain and transmission. The GS has more expensive parts and fit/finish is a bit better.
Seats and interior appointments are definitely better. In the category of reliability, these two sedans are at the top of the list compared to their competition (even though the comparable Audi/BMW/MB competition has gotten better lately in terms of reliability).
Truthfully, I had an IS and now a GS - the IS was too small and I traded it in. The GS feels a step up in every category. If you are typically driving larger sedans, the IS won't satisfy that roomier feeling you get.
Both cars in RWD form with staggered wheels/tires suffer from additional wear - AWD treadwear is fine in my experience since its a square setup. If you drive a ton, get a good set of touring tires that have a higher mileage rating.
Seats and interior appointments are definitely better. In the category of reliability, these two sedans are at the top of the list compared to their competition (even though the comparable Audi/BMW/MB competition has gotten better lately in terms of reliability).
Truthfully, I had an IS and now a GS - the IS was too small and I traded it in. The GS feels a step up in every category. If you are typically driving larger sedans, the IS won't satisfy that roomier feeling you get.
Both cars in RWD form with staggered wheels/tires suffer from additional wear - AWD treadwear is fine in my experience since its a square setup. If you drive a ton, get a good set of touring tires that have a higher mileage rating.
01-28-20, 10:28 AM
#5
Lead Lap
Appreciate the feedback. Current daily is a 2001 ES300, weekend car is a 1993 Cadillac Seville, so I’m use to mid/large interiors. However I’d like a change, and the tighter cockpit feel of the IS is refreshing and sport. Acceleration seemed great too. But it’s hard to say from a 15min test drive how I’ll feel after daily commuting in a smaller IS-like interior after 6mos to 1yr. The GS definitely feels more familiar in terms of size, and the tech was amazing, but as I mentioned in my other thread in the IS forum as a 29yr old/unmarried/no kids the IS makes more sense financially and drivability wise.
I traded it in after about a year for a '13 GS and have no regrets. However, if the dealer lets you take the IS for a day then you'll get a better idea if you'll like it.
Last edited by AJLex19; 01-28-20 at 10:53 AM.
01-28-20, 11:09 AM
#6
Lexus Champion
I've had both.
Other than tires, maintenance will be a wash, but yes the IS eats tires.
My IS was a fun car but as with others, it became too small over time and I grew annoyed that features like memory seats, power folding and dipping mirrors, and headlight washers were missing.
Other than tires, maintenance will be a wash, but yes the IS eats tires.
My IS was a fun car but as with others, it became too small over time and I grew annoyed that features like memory seats, power folding and dipping mirrors, and headlight washers were missing.
01-28-20, 11:13 AM
#7
Appreciate the feedback. Current daily is a 2001 ES300, weekend car is a 1993 Cadillac Seville, so I知 use to mid/large interiors. However I壇 like a change, and the tighter cockpit feel of the IS is refreshing and sport. Acceleration seemed great too. But it痴 hard to say from a 15min test drive how I値l feel after daily commuting in a smaller IS-like interior after 6mos to 1yr. The GS definitely feels more familiar in terms of size, and the tech was amazing, but as I mentioned in my other thread in the IS forum as a 29yr old/unmarried/no kids the IS makes more sense financially and drivability wise.
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01-28-20, 12:37 PM
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
I've had both.
Other than tires, maintenance will be a wash, but yes the IS eats tires.
My IS was a fun car but as with others, it became too small over time and I grew annoyed that features like memory seats, power folding and dipping mirrors, and headlight washers were missing.
Other than tires, maintenance will be a wash, but yes the IS eats tires.
My IS was a fun car but as with others, it became too small over time and I grew annoyed that features like memory seats, power folding and dipping mirrors, and headlight washers were missing.
I am a 30 year old unmarried and with no kids and felt as though the IS was way too cramped for me when I got one as a courtesy loaner. The GS is definitely more useful in size if you have friends you want to drive around or just want to carry bigger stuff in the back seats. I agree the IS is different and refreshing initially but I had one for 2 days and that wore off quickly only to realize it is really small in the back. In terms of financially they both should be similar in costs of maintenance which will usually be really low for a Lexus.
01-28-20, 01:07 PM
#9
I have also done the little Lexus Drive event where you go around an autocross track with an IS-F, RC-F and a LC500 and they felt fun to drive but not particularly fast around a track. Lexus makes great looking, reliable cars but they more or less all feel the same.
01-28-20, 01:11 PM
#10
Lexus Champion
I'll see if I can help.
My IS350 AWD was a 2014, so the first year of the current gen. It was not an F Sport.
The driving/seating position in the IS is so much fun. You sit low, in the seat, rather than on the seat, if that makes sense. It's small and you feel like the car becomes an extension of you. I loved that. The car is feels a bit heavier than its size, but handles really well and dispatches defects in the road with ease. I always felt that the acceleration was good and strong, but when really pounding on it, I found the engine to be fairly smooth, but fairly noisy. In normal driving and on the highway, I'd say interior noise is on the better side of average. Not loud, by any means, but I wouldn't define it as quiet either.
The tipping point for me was that our family grew from 3 to 4 while I had the GS. Because the rear facing infant seat takes up so much room, I had to push the front passenger seat so far forward that my wife couldn't ride in it, so the 4 of us could never go out in it together. It was fine, though, if I used it for just me and the kids, like when I pick them up at school.
My first GS350 AWD was a 2015, and now I have a 2019. The main driver for the 15 GS was for more interior room, and it delivered that to me, just as I needed. All 4 of us could go out in it. Now that my kids are in boosters instead of full-on car seats, they have tons of room back there.
You sit much higher in the GS, so you don't have that low feeling you had in the IS. But the GS is easier to get in and out of (I'm sounding old). On the road, I find that, opposite of the IS, the GS seems to drive lighter than it is. It feels small when you're engaged in spirited driving. It doesn't drive much bigger than the IS. I can have just as much fun with it. This may be due in part to the fact that my IS was not an F Sport, so it didn't have AVS, where my GS does. I just find that the GS drives really well and hides its size easily.
Despite being the same engine, it's much more insulated in the GS. So the sound isn't as intrusive and is more muted. I think it sounds more refined. Acceleration is just a tick behind the IS, and doesn't seem to be noticeably different. On the road, the GS is a lot quieter. Interior quality and features is on a much higher level.
I loved my IS and have nothing bad to say about it, but I would not choose to go back. The GS has spoiled me in a way that the IS did not.
Hope that helps.
My IS350 AWD was a 2014, so the first year of the current gen. It was not an F Sport.
The driving/seating position in the IS is so much fun. You sit low, in the seat, rather than on the seat, if that makes sense. It's small and you feel like the car becomes an extension of you. I loved that. The car is feels a bit heavier than its size, but handles really well and dispatches defects in the road with ease. I always felt that the acceleration was good and strong, but when really pounding on it, I found the engine to be fairly smooth, but fairly noisy. In normal driving and on the highway, I'd say interior noise is on the better side of average. Not loud, by any means, but I wouldn't define it as quiet either.
The tipping point for me was that our family grew from 3 to 4 while I had the GS. Because the rear facing infant seat takes up so much room, I had to push the front passenger seat so far forward that my wife couldn't ride in it, so the 4 of us could never go out in it together. It was fine, though, if I used it for just me and the kids, like when I pick them up at school.
My first GS350 AWD was a 2015, and now I have a 2019. The main driver for the 15 GS was for more interior room, and it delivered that to me, just as I needed. All 4 of us could go out in it. Now that my kids are in boosters instead of full-on car seats, they have tons of room back there.
You sit much higher in the GS, so you don't have that low feeling you had in the IS. But the GS is easier to get in and out of (I'm sounding old). On the road, I find that, opposite of the IS, the GS seems to drive lighter than it is. It feels small when you're engaged in spirited driving. It doesn't drive much bigger than the IS. I can have just as much fun with it. This may be due in part to the fact that my IS was not an F Sport, so it didn't have AVS, where my GS does. I just find that the GS drives really well and hides its size easily.
Despite being the same engine, it's much more insulated in the GS. So the sound isn't as intrusive and is more muted. I think it sounds more refined. Acceleration is just a tick behind the IS, and doesn't seem to be noticeably different. On the road, the GS is a lot quieter. Interior quality and features is on a much higher level.
I loved my IS and have nothing bad to say about it, but I would not choose to go back. The GS has spoiled me in a way that the IS did not.
Hope that helps.
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signdetres (01-28-20)
01-28-20, 01:29 PM
#11
Pole Position
I've always liked the IS styling. They look really good in the F Sport version and I love the lower rocker swoosh at the rear. I wish they would've incorporated that styling cue to the GS.
01-28-20, 02:26 PM
#13
Reliability - GS has more bells and whistles (asuming you don't buy a poverty packaged GS) so theoretically there is more to break but there aren't any widespread issues.. They're both very reliable and very expensive to fix when they break!
Ownership costs - do an insurance quote, you'll probably find the GS more expensive? In reality general maintenance in the GS shouldn't be more expensive given you're after an AWD model - the RWD Fsport has the expensive consumables. It's a more expensive car than the IS so some parts are generally going to be more expensive to reflect the higher purchase price. The IS is a better looking car but I love the big screen in the GS
Ownership costs - do an insurance quote, you'll probably find the GS more expensive? In reality general maintenance in the GS shouldn't be more expensive given you're after an AWD model - the RWD Fsport has the expensive consumables. It's a more expensive car than the IS so some parts are generally going to be more expensive to reflect the higher purchase price. The IS is a better looking car but I love the big screen in the GS
01-30-20, 03:11 AM
#14
Do the IS forum participants also advocate for their cars?
Your 29? I’m 58 and feel my new Fsport is an old mans car in a nice way. All my cars until t his one were Manual Trans and that drove my decisions. SInce We still have one in the driveway to play with I went with practical route and this is why I have Lexus. I’d want a manual in the IS Fsport but I doubt they even exist? Be nice o row the gears with this motor.
I think your getting good opinions here and food for thought. Let us know wha you choose.
Your 29? I’m 58 and feel my new Fsport is an old mans car in a nice way. All my cars until t his one were Manual Trans and that drove my decisions. SInce We still have one in the driveway to play with I went with practical route and this is why I have Lexus. I’d want a manual in the IS Fsport but I doubt they even exist? Be nice o row the gears with this motor.
I think your getting good opinions here and food for thought. Let us know wha you choose.
01-30-20, 04:43 AM
#15
Nalod, I知 35 and currently stalking the forums considering a GS 350 F Sport or a 2015/2016 LS460. Guess I知 an old man at heart 
Admittedly the LS460 is much more of an old mans car but I still love their clean look. I think the GS is has awesome styling that痴 pretty relevant for any age myself. Mature enough for the older generation, but still cool enough for a younger person looking for a luxury sports sedan.
Everyone has opinions though!
Admittedly the LS460 is much more of an old mans car but I still love their clean look. I think the GS is has awesome styling that痴 pretty relevant for any age myself. Mature enough for the older generation, but still cool enough for a younger person looking for a luxury sports sedan.
Everyone has opinions though!