Before getting my 19 GS, I had an 06 IS350 and a 16 IS350. Clearly since I had 2 IS's I really liked them. I like the nimbleness of the IS, and I thought the ML stereo sounded better in the IS than the GS. But the small cabin, back seat area and trunk grew on me after awhile (and as I got older). Also the seat in the IS was never comfortable...very small and could not understand why they didn't have bolster adjustment in the IS seat. I love my GS and prefer to the IS...better seats, larger cabin, back seat area and much larger trunk. Sacrifice some nimbleness but for me the tradeoff well worth it.

 

It sad the GS and IS aren't doing that great. Lexus needs to step it up and get more competitive with the other brands. I hold on to lexus for it's reliability but it wouldnt kill them to be a bit less conservative. The RC Track Edition was a joke and costs way too much. The ISF and GSF are good but there are other good options too.

 

I had a 2011 IS 250 and a 2017 IS 350. I am now in a 2017 GS 350.
I absolutely love the instrument cluster on the second generation IS (but not as much as I love the instrument cluster on the first generation IS).
I disliked getting in and out of the third generation IS. Mine was an F Sport, so it didn't have the easy exit function. I was constantly hitting my head getting into the car. Also, the footwell was tight.

 

Depends on where you live, in MA an IS350 is basically made out of unicorn tears and barely anyone has one around here. Probably because people are too cheap. 99% of ISes in MA are IS250s, 300s, or whatever they call them now with the nerfed/castrated motor, often with the leasing crowd, etc. IS350s, new or old, are very rare around here. Not quite as rare as an ISF, but not frequently seen.

The IS350 would have been a lot cooler if it was actually way faster than the GS is, but it isn't. It might be a tad more maneuverable because its smaller, but not by leaps and bounds.

 

Sorry to hear that.. the IS in California is very popular. I can't say to which model but I likely think I see mainly 250s and a few 350s and a considerable amount of Fs surprisingly. The GS is rare even the 350. I have seen all of 3-4 GS-Fs.

So if your looking to buy a IS350 or Lexus in general, California is the place

 

Ive currently got both and the main reason for me getting a GS was having a bad back, the incredibly firm suspension setup (with low profile tyres) made driving the is350 f sport intolerable. The IS350 is obviously much more nimble and sporty whereas the GS is a big luxo cruiser. I found myself getting fatigued from driving the is350 over long distances from the constant jarring/bumps and shakes. The gs just glides along. If the IS350 had a much softer suspension setup then i would have had no reason to get the GS. Next time round i might go RX or LS, but i think the LS might be too big.

 

I shopped around for both during June and found the IS350s were selling for more than the GS350 with equivalent year/mileage in my market. That and IS350s only stuck around for a few days before being sold where the GSes usually sat for longer.

Was a pretty easy decision on my part to go with the GS considering its an upgrade in just about every aspect with the exception of raw performance.

 

I had a 2015 IS 350 F Sport RWD for four years and really liked it. However, the GS 350 F Sport I recently bought has all the goodness of the IS but is better built, has a stiffer platform, uses better materials, has better fit and finish and is just the perfect size. I really love the GS and plan to keep it as long as I can. The only thing I miss about the IS is that it was a little quieter. I was really surprised at this.

 

Does the IS have the wind noise from the mirrors at highway speeds?

 

My co-worker has a 2018 IS and said it's too small for him. He said he wish it was a GS.

I test drove the IS but felt it was way too small for me. It's too tight but looks pretty good from the outside.

I had another vehicle non-lexus and know that feeling of past vehicles that I should have kept instead of sold. Now, I'm happy with my '20 GS 350 F Sport nowadays.

 

I test drove both when I was looking for my GS - just to see. I pretty much knew I wouldn't fit well in an IS If you're a 6'+ person you have to assume there will never be anyone in the back seat behind you because there is literally no leg room. I do love some of the styling queues from the last IS - I love that line that swoops down out of the side of the tail light, through the wheel and becomes the lower curve of the rear door. I also think the front is a little more refined and some of the proportions are better. From certain angles the lower front of the GS has always reminded me of an aardvark or a 1940s hoover (But I still love it!)

Handling wise, I think it's unfair to try to compare the two - the IS can pull off that go-cart feel simply because of it's dimensions and weight. It will always be hard to make a bigger, heavier car have that kind of agility and a smaller lighter car have never have the feel of a heavier car on the road. I can't think of any car that's the size of a GS that has that go-cart feel. Some may feel more that way than a GS but even a 3 series doesn't have the go-cart feeling of the early (BMW era) mini coopers (I don't know about more recent minis because I haven't driven them).

Over all I think the GS is a great compromise. Without the GS, my concern is that an LS will never feel like a GS, simply because of it's weight and dimensions. Neither will the ES.

Two of the funnest cars I've test driven were an '02 IS with a stick and a '01 Infiniti G20 with a stick. Realistically though I would never own either as a daily driver with traffic While the rear seats in both of those weren't horrible, realistically an adult was not going to be comfortable back there very long.

I find the comments that you can't feel the speed in the GS interesting - personally that's one of the things I love - looking down and going oh *%$# I'm doing 95.

 

But your comment is an example of not being able to feel the speed in the GS. It shouldn't take having to look down and being surprised you're going fast. You should be able to know you're going fast because you feel like you're going fast. I'm like that, too. I'll think to myself, "I thought this car was supposed to be fast," only to look down and realize I'm accidentally going 55 in a 35.