703

Fuel mileage is great on the GS450h. You’ll get better than EPA figures.

Now on to the bad. Seats are not as good as my ES and RX. Rear room is not good for a car of this size. Paint is thin and soft. AVS shock will leak. Joy Stick too sensitive, you can overshoot menus. Pre 2016 models are looking dated and has none of proper active safety features.

greys0uled

@703

450h's are so rare and stressful to find (especially if you're looking for an exact spec).

If I ever come across a 17+ with Luxury package in Liquid Platinum with black interior I'll trade in my 13' F Sport in a heartbeat.

charley95

I disagree on the seats being better in the RX. I'll take my GS seats over my 14 RX seats any day especially with the extended thigh support in the GS.

firelikeiy

GS350 has a much classier interior than the ES350 and their selling price is about the same. SUV will cost significantly more in this market.

What I dislike about the GS350 is the nuluxe fake leather. Mine is holding up but I am doubtful it will hold up like the real leather in my older IS250. I would definitely opt for the Luxury package.

OUT FOX EM

There’s still that 2017 triple beam Luxury GS listed in IN. It’s black on black, so while it’s not Platinum it’s a unicorn nonetheless. I drove across country to get the exact same thing but mine was a 2016 (pictured below). Well worth it no question.

initial

The only issue that I have is with the sunroof rattle issue and the fact they killed off the GS line lol. Overall love the car. Do not cross shop the GS with the Q50. Two different cars in two different classes. The Q50 competes with the IS because they both are compact sized sedans. The Q50 is pretty tight in terms of space unless you're under 5'4'' lol. The TLX is good depending on what year you plan to look at. Pre 2019 TLX's have pretty much outdated interior tech and infotainment. Looks very dated compared to let's say a 2016 GS. I would only consider a TLX if you're getting the new 2021 which is very superior to the semi "old" TLX's. Just my 2 cents.

OUT FOX EM

My insurance company rented me a "comparable luxury car" while my GS was in the body shop when someone hit it while parked. That "comparable luxury car" was a Q50. Let me tell you, they are in no way "comparable". They are worlds apart in so many ways. That was my first experience with an Infiniti, and it will be my last. I know it's a Nissan at heart, but I felt like all they did was swap badges. The GS is on a different planet from that thing.

So yeah I agree, don't cross shop those two. That's a massive insult to the GS.

gopherman

Hey everyone!

First off, I just want to say thank you for all of the feedback and advice that you provided. I'll admit, I was surprised to login tonight and see so many people willing to share their experiences. Thanks a bunch, I really appreciate it. I'll also admit I was not at all expecting a whole lot of criticism, but even so, I've done some research on these already and before I even decided to ask I knew that the GS was not going to necessarily garner a lot of scorn. The critiques regarding CarPlay, and the lack thereof was probably one of the biggest downsides for me. That seems like a minor thing though especially since, as a couple of you have mentioned, the aftermarket solutions out there do a good job resolving it. The only thing left unresolved for me really is the joystick but meh, the Siri voice control stuff has gotten to be pretty good. I doubt I'll hardly use the joystick. To be honest, other than infotainment, the only con for me specifically is the 6 speed automatic, but when I've looked at performance specifications, it doesn't seem to hurt it that much. Besides, the higher ratio ZF and ZF-licensed transmissions, or even the Jatco RE7 have both been flagged as having their issues. I rebuild my own transmissions when I need to so it's not that big of a deal, but the modern transmissions I mentioned are getting incredibly complicated to work on. This six speed

While I'm not expecting to be auto-crossing or anything like that with this, how does everyone feel about handling performance? I know these are somewhat softer than say...maybe a TLX or BMW 440, but it seems like the GS still handles as well or better than most of its competition. This isn't a major concern especially since we're looking for something that's well rounded (i.e. comfortable ride but can still handle the curves without a ton of roll and drama).

There were a few comments regarding my choice of a sedan over an SUV. That's a good question but one that's hopefully simple to answer. We currently have a '19 Subaru Outback 3.6R. I love it and so does my wife...there's nothing wrong with it...but both her and I wanted something a little less station wagon-like. We'll be keeping the Outback, this car is simply replacing a VW that I've had enough with. We were looking at getting an SUV for towing but I'm also going to be buying a Tundra once the iForce MAX engine is available on the 1794. That may change if the new Sequoia looks promising. Either way, it's going to be a while before that happens due to production delays, etc so for now, a nice sedan to replace our sedan is all we're looking to do. I've spent an incredible amount of time wrenching on my own cars, from Fords to Honda/Acuras, to this Volkswagen. I just don't have the time for it anymore. My hope for the Lexus is that it'll be a good, reliable, addition to our garage alongside our other cars.

I'll admit the TLX Type-S is still a candidate but my wife, as much as she loves it, thinks it maybe a bit too flashy. The GS seems to fall right in the middle in terms of styling and I don't think there's any doubt in my mind, the interior is of superior quality when compared to its competitors.

Also, thank you for the links and other comments. Hopefully I'll be back soon once I've made the purchase.

BMGS

iTrader: (1)

I think the handling is fantastic, although tire choice will primarily drive that. I have Michelin PS4S and even without the F Sport package, I couldn't ask for a better balance between a comfortable ride and a sharp handing car.

Concerning the joystick, an option I went with was screen mirroring through my phone. I am using a Bluetooth mouse to control my phone when it's mirroring to the screen and it's much easier to use than the joystick which I rarely use.

Generally in response to your question, any minor negatives on this car I fixed with an aftermarket solution, whether it was the infotainment upgrade, led turn signals, better tires to improve handling or a tune for more responsiveness. The only unchangeable downside I can think of is limited rear legroom but I also like the perfect size of the wheelbase for my garage and parking in general.

The only comment my wife has when she gets in occasionally is how low she feels to the ground, even with stock suspension.

CLuser

the GS handles quite well for a big heavy sedan- it rides on double wishbone suspension up front and stays pretty flat through corners. It grips well provided the right tires. Ride/handling balance is excellent. My GS is equipped with AVS though, I’ve never driven a GS without AVS so I can’t speak to how those handle and ride.

jsch222

I've owned with and without AVS. without rides much softer, even when AVS is in normal mode. Part of that may be the 18" tire vs the 19". I prefer the select-ability of the AVS - if i'm driving more aggressive i can dial it in.

I've owned 3 GS over the years. It's a fantastic car with dated tech. Close to german handling with much lower cost to own. I loved the model so much i bought one of the last produced in November of 2020. I plan to keep for 10 years and put 200k on it as my commuter.

ItzFilyO

U really can't go wrong with the GS. Pick one up while there are still some good ones left before they all get turned into rice boxes.

JDR76

I may have missed it if you said what years you are looking at. The 4th gen GS came out in 2012 and has had some nice updates along the way. This article is OLD, I admit, but still one of my favorites, comparing the then new GS350 against the Infiniti, BMW, and Audi.

It's a fun read.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/s...luxury-sedans/

jeverett72

But the OP lives in Minnesota so that means TONS of snow. ES doesn't come in AWD unless you get the much less powerful 4 cylinder ES 250, but the wife may not care about power and like the much better fuel economy of the ES. Admittedly the fuel economy on my AWD GS is pretty terrible. 14-17 city and 22-24 highway on premium gas only.

jeverett72

Toyota's 6 speed transmission is literally bulletproof since it's been in production since 2006 I think. The shifts from the 6 speed are pretty fast, but not super responsive when you give it the beans b/c it is an old school torque converter and not dual clutch but that means the reliability is second to none. The shifts are buttery smooth around town. Paddle shifters are fun. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone with a 4GS having transmission issues.

As for the handling its exactly how you described your wants. Very smooth, very comfortable ride (mine does not have the variable suspension). You only feel the worst potholes. It is a big, solid, heavy car (AWD is a shade under 4000 lbs) but the cornering is extremely neutral. Little to no body roll and very confidence inspiring in the twisties esp with AWD. I frequently take it out on the weekend to a twisty road and use the paddle shifters. It's still good fun despite its size.

I road tripped from TX to CA and back and the seats were very comfortable and I only have the premium seats not the luxury package seats which are some of the most comfortable seats in the industry short of the LS.

The induction sound from the engine is fantastic but not too loud.

The rear seats don't fold down. That is the biggest bummer about the car to me. And the paint seems to be pretty soft and chips easily. At least the Riviera Red color that I have is. Can't speak to the other colors.