Pretty decided on a GS300h but some advice and insight please?

[R.S.C.]

Hi All,

I’m new to the forum and have been looking at getting a Lexus. Obviously heard great things about the cars.

The IS seems great but I like the idea of just a little more room throughout with the GS. So, I think the GS330h it is!

I am quite keen to go for a high spec one.....so either premier or F-sport then realised the cost!

It got me thinking about whether an IS would be the same as the GS with just the size difference if bought in the same spec. 

So a few questions to the experts on here (everyone here, except me!):

• Is an IS300h Premier/F-sport the same as the GS300h Premier/F-sport other than size?
• Seen a low priced GS300h with FLSH. If I go for this, 2013 with ~90k on it, would you recommend getting an extended warranty?
• Would you get an extended warranty anyway regardless of which Lexus and mileage? Is there anything in particular it does cover that is a known issue? Assume having this and buying the car from a non-Lexus dealership is a pretty safe bet??
• What are the associated running cost? Services etc and I assume with the warranty the sting is taken out of it a little?
• I have heard about the very firm suspension on the F-sport (I am not too concerned about this coming from Subaru’s) But aside from premier would any other trim be recommended -I would quite like a very luxury feel -its going to be a daily drive in mixed traffic and the unpredictable standstill around london!

Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give - its much appreciated.

 

R

[Ala Larj]

52 minutes ago, R.S.C. said:

Hi All,

I’m new to the forum and have been looking at getting a Lexus. Obviously heard great things about the cars.

The IS seems great but I like the idea of just a little more room throughout with the GS. So, I think the GS330h it is!

I am quite keen to go for a high spec one.....so either premier or F-sport then realised the cost!

It got me thinking about whether an IS would be the same as the GS with just the size difference if bought in the same spec. 

So a few questions to the experts on here (everyone here, except me!):

• Is an IS300h Premier/F-sport the same as the GS300h Premier/F-sport other than size?
• Seen a low priced GS300h with FLSH. If I go for this, 2013 with ~90k on it, would you recommend getting an extended warranty?
• Would you get an extended warranty anyway regardless of which Lexus and mileage? Is there anything in particular it does cover that is a known issue? Assume having this and buying the car from a non-Lexus dealership is a pretty safe bet??
• What are the associated running cost? Services etc and I assume with the warranty the sting is taken out of it a little?
• I have heard about the very firm suspension on the F-sport (I am not too concerned about this coming from Subaru’s) But aside from premier would any oth er trim be recommended -I would quite like a very luxury feel -its going to be a daily drive in mixed traffic and the unpredictable standstill around london!

Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give - its much appreciated.

 

R

Hi and welcome to the forum. I had an IS220 and was planning on trading it in for an IS300h but took a GS300h for a test drive and was smitten and now have one. In general I feel that the GS is a down market LS rather than an upmarket IS. The difference in quality is noticeable. I have the premier of 2014 and can't think of anything I'd replace it with. 

 

More specifically, in regards to your questions here are my thoughts.

1. It's a different beast entirely regarding quality and feel good factor. Not as 'sporty' as the IS but in real world terms not a slouch either. Definitely a more relaxing and comfortable proposition.

2. I've had extended warranty since I bought it and have never needed it but it's a great peace of mind. Like any insurance you hope you never need to use it. But if something did go wrong it would be well worth it. I have 28 way adjustable front seats. If they were to pack up I'd hate to think of the cost!

3. No real known issues except maybe the shocks but this is covered by extended warranty.

4. Not cheap but similar to IS.

5. Go for the premier ! It's lovely and luxurious. 

Good luck in your search!

 

[200h]

i recently had an IS300h F sport on a 17 plate and part ex'd it for a

66 plate GS300h all beit an executive model , i've now had it for 2 weeks

and love it , the only thing i dont like is the interior lighting even though

its LED its still quiet dim i am trying to see if i can change it for something brighter.

test drive both cars before you buy thats my only advice i am sure you will buy

one of the models

[R.S.C.]

Thanks for the replies...hope I get to enjoy the car as much as you have! 

Not a huge amount of choice for the budget I was trying to stick to.....£12k-ish. Was hoping for a 300h for economy and tax but not much choice....

Options GS450 Premier 2012 107k miles, GS450h F-sport 2012 105k miles, GS300h F-sport 2013 87k miles.

Would the mileage be a put off? If I add on a Lexus warranty and continue to cover then that should be a pretty safe bet for future repair costs etc??

Thanks

 

[200h]

3 weeks ago i test drove a GS450h on a 63 plate 36000 miles

and to be honest the returned mpg was far better than expected

and not much worse than the 300h version i have now

combined round town & motorway i probably had a 20 mile test drive

and the car averaged 42.9 mpg

i had a bit more to spend and still wasnt much choice i think 7 cars in a 100 mile radius

i bought my gs from lexus sheffield that was an 86 mile drive each way for me

its either there arent a lot of GS's on the road or they are so good you dont want to sell them

[Shahpor]

As a GS450h Premier owner, I can highly recommend it

I've had mine (almost exactly) 2 years now and, apart from a few 'glitches', it has been faultless so I have not had need to use my extended warranty yet.  I still wouldn't own one without a warranty though.

For reference, it now has 92,000 miles on it (20k of which in my ownership), and a mixture of motorway and A road commuting gets me high 30's mpg.

[ColinBarber]

23 hours ago, R.S.C. said:

Is an IS300h Premier/F-sport the same as the GS300h Premier/F-sport other than size?

Same engine/transmission but the GS in both F-Sport and Premier have Adaptive Variable Suspension standard whereas it was only an option on the IS300h F Sport. The suspension is only very firm on Sport+ setting due to the AVS being softer in normal modes.

The GS300h F Sport lacks the advanced features found only on the GS450h F Sport (rear wheel steering and variable ratio steering).

 

[Zotto]

My former Lexus was a full specced GS300h and I confirm it was a wonderful car, it had also night IR vision and Mark Levinson stereo was astounding, I traded it for RX to come back to a V6 engine and try a SUV (never had one before).

[Werewolf1976]

19 hours ago, R.S.C. said:

Thanks for the replies...hope I get to enjoy the car as much as you have! 

Not a huge amount of choice for the budget I was trying to stick to.....£12k-ish. Was hoping for a 300h for economy and tax but not much choice....

Options GS450 Premier 2012 107k miles, GS450h F-sport 2012 105k miles, GS300h F-sport 2013 87k miles.

Would the mileage be a put off? If I add on a Lexus warranty and continue to cover then that should be a pretty safe bet for future repair costs etc??

Thanks

 

Just my 2cents but I skipped the F-Sport (this coming from a guy who had a gs350, really wanted a 250/450h F-Sport and ended up getting a gs250)

When I drove the F-Sport, I found the suspension overly harsh with wear components (brakes, staggered tyres) a bit much of pricing

Given the general character of the car (long luxury saloon with decent handling) I think the F-sport doesn't make sense unless you pair it with a larger engine (450h). That said, drive them all (if you can) and look at the body condition, service history. Chances are one of them will jump out at you as better than the rest, GL 

IMHO, selling a vehicle with 100k+ miles is difficult. Have a think about how long you'll keep the car and how far you drive to arrive at an exit age and mileage on the vehicle.