damon

These two vehicles drive very differently in my opinion. When I drive my buddies GS I am always startled at at the differences in the steering input. The GS must have a tighter ratio.

The GS is also quicker & in sharp turns & darty maneuvers ,handles better.

LS is more quiet , more refined ride especially over bumbs & a quiet joy on the highway. I get my short term kicks out of the GS , but never mind getting back in my LS.

I also realize that I would have tickets galore in a GS but my Gold LS is practically stealth technology. You really do have to be trying to get a speeding ticket!!

damon

jvcn

This is a very important point. No sense in comparing the two unless you know what you want. If you like the smoothness and refinement of the LS, then the 430 is certainly the way to go.

A choice which would give you more leeway to change your mind in the future is to get a 1999 or 2000 LS400 with low miles. You'd save a bit vis-a-vis the 430 and would lose less should you want to sell in a few years. IMHO, it's also a better looking car and doesn't apologize for its soft Lexus ride. Wonderful as the new 430 is, I am bothered by the tendency to follow the Germans and to push to make Lexi "sportier" (e.g. the new Euro suspension option) which to me is synonymous with hard and unpleasant. Even with that option, everyone agrees that LS430s are no race cars.

On the other hand, if you like the sort of ride you get in a BMW, then the GS is almost certainly the way to go.

Know thyself.

OneOfOne

there is no way to overstate how much better an ls430 is over the gs anything. if youre going to med school and end up doing the double shift deal afterwards then the ls430 will be most likely your only real relaxation on a regular basis. the ls is not a sporty car but then the gs isnt either. the ls is very reliable and when you go to trade it in [which you probably will take a long time to do unless you want a newer one] you will get a much better trade in value. not to beat a dead horse but buying cars is not an investment. how that arguement even started anywhere is beyond me. as someone said earlier in the post [I think] you will be older and more mature and the things you think are important in your car most likely wont be anymore nevermind the possibility that you may have a significant other to worry about too. chances are you can buy a good 2001 non certified ls 430 for around 31 grand next year and take whatever is left over and spend it on a good vacation or something.

unrealii

Definitly the LS. I sat in the gs when the dealer took my family to the other lot to look at the ls. I was quite dissappointed with the gs.

But being in college, I would avoid having a really nice car. I have a maxima and im very cautious where I park etc. Also a lot of my friends want me to drive everywhere since I have the better and bigger car. I had a taurus before I got this maxima. I sorta wished that the taurus lasted longer so I would be out of college when I got the maxima, but that didn't happen.

I also agree with the guys talking about investing. $35k can be turned into a lot of money if used wisely. But if investing isn't your cup of tea, why not go in the other direction and buy a brand new car? The acura tl is a very nice car. I am only 22 and I find it more appealing than the ls430, however lacks the prestige of the ls.

Gojirra99

I think the LS is a much better car than the GS. The GS may be sportier but not by much, the LS OTOH is way more luxurious. The GS IMO is neither sporty nor luxurious enough & is not a good balance between sport / luxury neither -it's on the soft side in stock form & is nowhere close to BMW in driveability. The LS OTOH exemplifies the best in what the Lexus brand has to offer.

DrumProdigy83

Thanks for all the replies guys. I have been scouting out GS and LS cars all weekend and have been successful in seeing at least a few of each. From what I've observed, the LS is EXTREMELY boring on the outside... particularly the lightly colored ones. The real dark or black LS sedans look much better, but if all they offered was a lightly colored LS you PROBABLY couldn't even pay me to take it... The GS on the other hand is extremely sleek and sexy imo, and does a great job looking both sporty and luxurious at the same time. Don't forget also that I am driving a 2000 Honda Accord sedan... which sucks if you don't already know. I can't comment on the interiors or rides of either car as I have only seen them on the road this weekend. I can't wait to test drive them that's for sure.

I also saw the new IS design and it's not appealing to me. It is like and IS / SC cross that looks too futuristic in the lines and curves and stuff. Blah. It will have a 6 or an 8 to choose from, but I don't know if it will be the 3.3L or 4.3L engines... I just know as of the current design it just doesn't really appeal to me.

I was looking at some BMWs too. I could afford a 2000 M5 next year. The 2000-2003 is my dream car (2003 particularly) so it would be awesome if I bought one. I already received an insurance quote for a 2000 M5, which was $4500 without good grades, or $3300 with good grades... so I'd be looking at $3,300 per year to insure. Do you know how reliable the 5 series is? I won't really be driving the car since I'll be in school, but do you think I'd be making a terrible mistake? I think I would be but I don't know for sure, which is why I figured I'd ask you guys.... What do you think?

damon

You asked a good question and deserve a good answer. You were at least smart enough to inquire & self educate. A trait that will serve you well.

Your answers make it obvious that you want something sporty, Then by all means do it!!

The Lotus Elise has a Toyota 1.8 litre & will corner with anything on the planet. If I where 25 & after fun , that is were I would be heading.


I disagree with post I have read here that a GS is somehow second class in build quality. Different car with different goals, the V8 engines remain the same ( UZFE series). Your car may visit the shop occasionally but not for internal engine service like an M3 ( M5's I have heard less about).

best wishes, damon

As for your insurance, Wow!!!

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well i would disagree in some sense. i have gs400 and i think it's a good balance of luxury and performance. the car is definitely far away from the good handling portion (well it's poor may i add), but in terms of comparison, the gs430 would performance better than the ls430 quite a bit i think. the ls430 is just even worse when it comes to sportiness.

but yes, on the luxury side, the ls430 will completely blow away the gs430 any day. it's so much quieter, smooth, and comfortable, it's unreal.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I went with my wife to test drive an LS this past weekend and we TOTALLY agree on the light color. Somehow when we saw the champagne color, we were so turned off!!! No offense to anyone. She quickly ran towards the black color! Ahhhh, much better

The insurance on the M5 is sure making you even poorer. Of course it's based on age and marital status also.

unrealii

If the m5 is what you really want, I would hold out. Why waste your time in between cars, especially when you just said you won't drive it since you will be in school. Unless your accord is falling appart, then that would be a different story. The 03 m5 is also one of my dream cars

DrumProdigy83

I forgot all about the Lotus... extremely awesome cars, but I don't know much about them. You know which model years will likely fit my budget? I don't even know if they make them every year or just every couple years... The most recent Lotus looks REALLY nice, 195hp pulling 1950lbs or something. Extremely quick and light and only costs around $50k brand new, but there is a limited supply as far as I know... blah.

I've been thinking about the LS vs GS a lot lately. Exterior is important to me, but not quite as much as the interior. The LS just has so much extra stuff that I really just don't need. A refrigerator... for what?? Massaging seats... I'm 21 my back is fine! Of course it's nice, but I am trying to keep costs as low as possible. If I don't REALLY need it, then I don't want it. I get scared when you guys mention how 'crappy' the GS is. So now it comes to this:

LS - Very bland exterior (-), excellent ride (+), more luxury than I really need (-), not sporty at all (-)
GS - Sporty exterior (+), luxurious and sporty interior (+), lacks handling (-), lacks ride quality (?)

Each has pros and cons and in the end it all adds up to an overall positive vehicle. I think I expected you guys to prefer the LS to the GS seeing as I am in the LS forum, but I didn't think it was because the GS was 'bad', rather I assumed it would have been more just because you guys have a slightly different taste than what the GS has to offer. It all comes down to a test drive really, since both are very reliable and have the same motors... I think the luxury and quality of the car are really subjective ratings that we each judge slightly different.

Now, as far as the Bimmer goes.... I thought about this a little bit too lately. I've always loved Bimmers... the styling and driving experience are just like none other. The only drawback is the cost (if / when it breaks). However, seeing that I will only put on like 4,000 miles while I am finishing up school it seems that the odds are in my favor such that the car will probably not break during this time. SO, why do I need such a reliable car as a Lexus? After I'm done with school I won't be driving much at all, and if anything did go wrong with the car I could just buy some POS beater Honda or something to hold me over until I can fix it.... I will have options so if the BMW were to break I wouldn't necessarily be out of a car... I'd just be out of the Bimmer for a while, worse case scenario. Then again, Lexus cars certainly aren't lousy cars lol, and just because they are reliable doesn't mean they have to cut back in other areas to get that. It may not be as exciting as the BMW, but I'm sure it will still be loads more fun than my Accord. Have any of you given thought to a BMW before your Lexus purchase? Have any of you owned both a BMW and a Lexus? Is my thinking realistic at all? I will continue to do my reasearch up to the date I buy the car (in a year) and probably even beyond. I appreciate your help guys.


Edit - I just read the post before this... I am ditching the '00 Accord next month and will be buying a 1990 Accord to replace it. This will really help me save money over the next year as insurance costs will be very low, maintenance is low, gas mileage is good, no monthly car payments, etc. By next year I will likely be VERY ready to ditch the Accord lol. I already have the 2000 model, I am kinda dreading getting the '90, but whatever I've got to do what I've got to do. I am keeping an open mind, if I should just wait until after school to get an M5 then maybe I will just do that. Of course it's my first choice, but sometimes reality jsut has to come first before dreams...

Gojirra99

I don't think we( at least I ) imply the GS is a "bad " car, far from it, it's a very nice car, I'll take it over the previous generation E class in a second. Just that the LS is an overall much superior vehicle judged objectively (it should be as it's more expensive, but I still think the LS is a better bang for the buck than the GS when new, $ for $).

I agree that the 01-03 LS does not not look as good as the GS & even the 04 looks more like an old people's car which many young guys don't care for.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i can totally understand, that's why i failed to convince my wife to get the ls430 after all

but yes, if you talk about luxury, features, the ls430 is far superior

SpoonSport

We're talking about two great cars. No car is completely flawless. I have the GS 430 and love it. I also own a G-35 Coupe and love it as well. The LS and GS were built for different buyers. The LS is the only car on the market that I would get rid of the coupe for. The LS does "say" something completely different. I plan to get the LS as my next car but I'm a little older than many of the owners here. I'm only 35 and you guys make me feel like a grandpa :-)

rominl

iTrader: (4)

yeah grandpa just to make you feel better i am 26 and i want the ls430 already