Kam7001

Hi guys, I'm a 20-year-old college student studying business. I recently purchased a house. Currently, I'm looking to buy my first car. I've been looking at the 2016+ GS 350 F sport model years and they look great. I've also been eyeing the IS 350 F sports. I want to purchase one and was hoping you guys can help me out.

This is what I know about the two cars (correct me if I'm wrong). IS and GS share the same 3.5-liter corporate engine. They both get around the same gas milages and take premium. Both look similar, have high-quality leather interior, have optional Mark Levinson audio systems (Audiophile), and come in optional AWD (Upstate NY).

I test drove both the IS but it was 2011 and the GS 2015. The 11 has a very small rear seat, making me not wanting to buy it on that alone. But I heard they updated the size of the IS in the newer models so this shouldn't be an issue anymore.

So why is there a 10,000$ price gap between the two models? Does it drive better? Have something special about it? I'm not seeing it. Please help me out here. I'm looking to buy around January-April. The perfect car would be IS/GS 350 F Sport 2018 with around 30,000k Mileage and mark Levinson included.

JDR76

Having owned both, I will give this a try.

Size - The GS is just a lot more car. The current generation of IS is definitely bigger than the 2011 you drove, but it is still very small inside. As I recall, it gained about 1.5" of rear seat leg room over the previous version.

Refinement - Just worlds different. The GS has a lot more sound deadening and insulation material. The engine is much quieter, as is road noise, engine noise, and wind noise. Many GSs come with dual pane front windows which are not available on the IS.

Interior quality - Again, worlds different. You cannot get leather on a current IS. The seats are not nearly as adjustable (10 way versus 16 way on the F Sports). Pretty much everything in the GS is padded, even the lower door panels are soft touch, rather than the hard plastic in the IS. Also, the GS has the 12.3" navigation display versus 8".

Options/Features - Here are the options/features I gained by going from an IS to a GS: rear window sunshade (optional on IS), parking sensors, HUD, climate concierge for seat ventilation/heating (AUTO feature, not available on IS), headlight washers, heated wipers, dual pane windows, LED interior lighting, power trunk, 19" wheels, heated steering wheel, memory seating, power folding and dipping mirrors, and more. Over the years, they've added some of these features as optional on the IS, but my 2014 was not available with them. So it will depend on exactly which year you choose. For example, on a 2014, you cannot get an F Sport with ventilated seats, only heated. Ventilation was added for 2015s.

I love the IS and had a really good time with mine, but I could never go back. On paper the two cars do have a lot in common, but in real life, there's just a huge difference.

HUSKERnKS

Agree with the above. Not even in the same class of car. GS is much higher quality interior and bigger.

GibbsLexus

iTrader: (1)

Definitely agree.

LexusGSboy

If you want a usable back seat and you're even close to 6' an IS is out of the questions. I've driven all but the most recent release and they're certainly a fun. The first gen with a stick was a total blast to drive and I thought long and hard on that one back then. For me the backseat alone is deal breaker on almost any car unless it was something like a play thing for weekends, etc.... I love driving so when ever I'm with folks and we're headed somewhere I'll always volunteer to drive. I want a passenger about my size (6'2) to be able to sit back there and be reasonably comfortable for an hour or so. When I tried to sit in the previous body style of the 3rd Gen I literally could not even get in the back seat when the drivers seat was where I needed it.

The interior dimensions of cars are always a bit tricky by the numbers. I've heard everything from "there's no over all standard, each company does it their own way", to "each car even within a company can be measured differently", to "yes, there is a standard and this is exactly how you measure". In real life though it definitely doesn't seem to work out scientifically. My Infiniti is said to have 36.2" of rear leg room, my GS is said to have 36.8". When you sit in or even just look at the two they are worlds apart (I'll try to get a pic in the light tomorrow to show the example). The Infiniti seems like a living room couch compared to the GS.

I never paid enough attention to the finishes to really be able to pick out the differences but I'd totally trust everything folks have said on here. I think I always knew the car was just too small so when I looked at it I was looking half heartedly.

Again, that's not to say the IS isn't a nice car - a lot of folks love the feel of how it drives - much more go-cart like but it's lighter shorter wheel base car. I do admit - I think Lexus did some styling on the car that's better than the GS - the front is more cohesive and proportioned, the way the side of the tail lights visually tie in to the curve near the lower part of the rear door are all nice touches. Not that I think all the Lexus should simply be size variants of one another but I think that design team did a great job working most things through.

Im2bz2p345

I would allow those who have experience with both to better explain the difference. I can say that I cross shopped the IS350 F-Sport before I bought my GS450h in 2014, so to summarize, you basically get a whole lot more in the GS and it's more luxury/upscale orientated without losing too much sportiness. I consider the GS the perfect combination of luxury and sportiness in a full-size sedan (the IS is more of a compact sedan and competes with different cars). Beyond the GS, if you still want to stick with getting a 4-door sedan.. for more sportiness - you'll need to go GS F; for more luxury - you'll need to go LS. Both are different ends of the spectrum, which is why I consider the GS350/GS450h to be the perfect combo of both.

Just to add a point that I don't believe has been mentioned - if you think you'll ever need more trunk space:
Maximum Cargo Volume: 10.8 Cu.Ft. (IS 350) vs 18.4 Cu.Ft (GS 350)

Both are great, reliable, and fun cars. It just depends on what you value and how much you'll willing to pay for it.

~ Im2bz2p345

Kam7001

Thank you for your in-depth reply. From what you told me, the GS sounds like the perfect car for me. I don't really enjoy hyper-fast cars like Camero Zl1. I drove them and was considering getting something similar to that sporty type but I found that it was lacking in luxury amenities.

I'm new to this forum but I can see that you owned a Lexus GS 350 F sport AWD 2015, 2019, and 2020. Are there any major upgrades throughout the years that I should be watching out for? Or will I be fine with anything around those model years 2016 and up? I looked at the brochures and they seem to be very similar. Looking at youtube reviews and Reddit reviews, I saw people complain about the 2016 model years being "ruined" due to emissions regulation. Is there any validity to that? Asking this mainly because I don't want anything too old. Something newer will give me peace of mind. At the same time, I don't want a "ruined" driver's experience.

Kam7001

Hey LexusGSboy, thanks for the reply. 5 foot 8 inches is my height. I'm on the shorter and still hated the 11 IS rear seats. The size increase from 11 to newer models seems to be major since from what you said, a small amount increase would make big difference.

JDR76

I'm 5 years in a GS now (well, it's been 3 GSs but they were pretty much the same) and that's the longest I've ever enjoyed a car without getting bored of it.

There are significant differences between the 15 and later years. I loved my 15 and my only real complaint is that when I picked up that GS, some features that I wanted were not common in my area, such as HUD and radar cruise. Radar cruise became standard (along with other safety features) in 2017 and, at least around here, HUDs were much more readily available as well. So my 15 was awesome. It was just missing a few features.

I have enjoyed my newer models as well, though. In the 2016 refresh it got more refined (quieter, smoother). Some people may feel otherwise but I have no issues with how any of them have driven, including my 15. And there's nothing about emissions regulations that "ruined" the 16s. The 16s got a slightly more efficient (at least on paper) engine with an insignificant 5 horsepower bump. It's a great engine (all three of my cars have this same engine) and I really enjoy it.

If I were looking for a used GS right now, I would simply test drive a few and purchase the combination of the newest and best conditioned one I could afford.

My 2014 IS350 (Starfire Pearl)



My 2015 GS350 (Atomic Silver)



My 2019 GS350 (Smokey Granite Mica)




My 2020 GS350 (Atomic Silver)

LexusGSboy

Yeah, and the numbers seem arbitrary and meaningless. My general process has always been get the drivers seat where I want it and do the test drive. After the test drive, I get in the backseat and see how it feels - thinking that that will be the worst case scenario most of the time since most of my friends/family are my height or shorter.

That rear leg room was the key reason I looked at and test drove both the previous and current ES too. I wouldn't say the GS is spacious in terms of rear legroom but it's ok. I'm happy sacrificing a bit of rear leg room for a car I really enjoy driving. I could probably ride in the back of the GS and not be miserable and not worry about bumping the driver every time I moved. The other issue is rear headroom - the new ES seemed to have better rear legroom than the previous gen ES but the headroom is noticeably worse. I guess with the legroom you're supposed to slouch?

If you haven't done it already and the IS is still peaking your interest in some way, you might pop over to the IS forum and get their thoughts on the IS vs GS. They're the ones who will tell you all the things that suck about the GS

AJLex19

@Kam7001 Congrats on the new home! I had an '11 IS350 AWD and traded it for a '13 GS350 AWD. I paid almost exactly $10k more on the trade and it was worth every penny. I'm not taking anything away the IS - its a great small car and you probably won't find anything as reliable in the segment. I thought the only edge on the IS was it felt a touch lighter on its feet.

As other members have mentioned, the GS is a step-up in every way especially in terms of fit/finish. It almost drives like a smaller car. I felt the IS was too small after owning it for a year. I've had a few 3IS's (2014-2016) as loaner cars and still thought it was still too small for my liking.

I've always felt the GS excels because it has dual personalities - can be a calm, smooth, luxury cruiser but when you're ready, it can be a sporty, enthusiast car with exceptional handling characteristics. You should drive both and see which suits you best in terms of your priorities, budget and needs.

My previous 2IS:


My current GS:


AND...Just for fun, i found a pic of my GS430 from maybe 15years ago

BlueIS05

Agree with everything that everyone wrote above. Having owned a 2015 IS350 and now a 2020 GS350, everything is just a step up in the GS vs. the IS, as it should be. For me, I love how the GS drives just about as nimbly as the IS but with quite a step up in materials (metal interior accents, leather, soft touch plastics, etc). Having 3 memory seat settings in the GS is also a convenience - never could understand why Lexus deletes the memory seats when you opted for the F-Sport in the IS.

jsch222

I've owned both. It looks like you are in NY - if that's the case i would give more weight to the GS, as it handles the winter weather much better. If snow is not an issue and you're 20 - buy the IS350. Sell it in 4-5 years and find a GS when you're ready for something bigger yet sporty.

GNS

In case this wasn't mentioned, one major difference between the IS and the GS is that the latter's rear seats do not fold down. This could potentially change your decision, if you need folding rear seats at all. I find them very useful to transport long items (most recently a piano stand), or even a mountain bike if necessary.

Otherwise, the GS is more luxurious, has more room inside and has more features.

GNS

Some model years of IS350s (here in Canada anyway) have 3 position memory seats in F-Sport trim.