Hey guys I知 currently looking to buy my first vehicle and the 2013-2014 GS models gave caught my eye. I知 very impressed on how they look and was looking into purchasing one. Only problem is most of the GS I see are typically high mileage around 100k + and they still cost roughly around 15-20k. I just wanted to know if this would be a good purchase considering how expensive they are even with high mileage.

 

These are 200k mile cars even if they aren稚 meticulously maintained. Having said that I would search for a private seller who has all their maintenance records, check the vehicle history online, and get a PPI before you buy one. My guess is you値l find ones that you壇 think only had 30,000 miles on them, based on the condition.

I知 a life long car lover, on my third GS 350 if that tells you anything. There痴 just no better modern mid size luxury sedan on earth, when you factor in reliability, technology, performance, and value.

Also try to find one with the advanced safety features. My guess is there won稚 be much difference in price. I would also suggest not getting an F Sport unless you have your heart set on it. 1) it was probably driven harder, 2) the cost of tires and brakes may not be worth it to you.

 

Do your research. If obvious things like brakes, and tires are neglected, other things will be as well. These are reliable cars and not much goes wrong (rattling sunroof), but that is fixed with a new seal or lubing your old one to buy more time.

 

In that model year range, it's super hard to find the advanced safety features, but not impossible.

As for F Sport, the OP is in NY so most GSs there are likely AWD, which means tires and brakes are not an issue.

 

Interesting points. I know the AWDs do not have the staggered wheels but with my F Sport I was of the impression that the brakes were more susceptible to squeaks and squeals, and shorter life span that on the standard GS.

The other thing to consider with F Sports in 2013-2014 is they have the aluminum accents inside rather than the dark wood accents, and the aluminum tends to getting dings and creases in those places, while the wood accents in the standard GS tends to hold up better over time.

 

Welcome! The GS is very reliable but obviously you want to find one with a great history (per Carfax) that has been looked-after. Most GS owners are very good to their cars but you still need to have the car checked by a mechanic. The '13-'14 model years present a good overall value but with any car with some age and mileage, you should expect a few repairs could pop up compared to something newer.

You didn't really mention the top end of your budget but you should be able to find cars in the NY (and surrounding) area with under 100k miles for around $20k that have a clean history. Here are a few examples:

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...9980/overview/
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...5472/overview/
https://www.carvana.com/vehicle/1621522

 

The biggest problem with the GS is that I can't seem to keep it under 100 MPH.

 

The AWD F Sports have the same brakes as the non F Sport versions.

A lot of people didn't like the striated aluminum on the 13-15 F Sports and there were definitely reports that it could get dinged up. Funny enough, that's one of the things I miss about my 15. I loved that aluminum trim, more so than the Naguri trim I have now. Thankfully I never had any issues with it getting dinged up.

 

I would look and get a 2015 model if I were you, all the small quirks and some refinements where made in those model years like a better improved infotainment system for what it's worth. Although not a huge significance difference, having the last model before the 2016+ refresh, its in opinion the best GS of all time in both design and driving experience before they went a bit soft on the refresh models.

 

Im trying to find the best option at the cheapest price lol. When I narrowed my search I致e seen two models around 115k miles selling for 14k. Still pretty hesitant though.

 

I hear ya - unfortunately, you may need to up the budget to find something with a little lower mileage to give you more peace of mind. The 4GS holds its value fairly well in the mid-teens even with high mileage.

 

They're great reliable cars. However, don't stretch yourself too thin. I would have several thousand dollar headroom buying a car 100K miles and over just for regular maintenance and repairs. Even though a car is solid generally sometimes things can go wrong and you need to make sure to account for those possibilities so that you still have reliable transportation. In my opinion for a $14K 100K mile car I'd probably have around $3-4K extra in cash on hand allocated to potential repairs. Also from what I find, if you are buying one of the cheapest in the area or country be prepared to drop a bit more on repairs. They are cheap for a reason. Cars have a pretty well defined price range etc so most people selling know what they are worth.

 

100K miles is a lot of miles and u don't know what that car has been through with all those miles. If ur the one that racked up those miles from zero then it's fine but most people don't take care of their cars and u could be buying problems.