New Gs430

Rillo · January 2, 2006

Picked up a new GS430 2 weeks ago so thought I'd share the experience with the club.

GOOD

- very very comfortable seats

- interior to die for

- gets lots of appreciative glances from other motorists

- bling alloys :)

- quick - very quick :D

- on a long cruise at 70ish it gets about 30 mpg

- quite quiet - not upto LS standards (what is?) but still good

- it looks a whole lot better in the flesh than teh photographs.

- easier to park than the LS

BAD

- very stiff ride - crashes over potholes etc.

- this causes no end of creaks and groans from the leather seats and any loose items over rough ground

- after 2 days the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System died

- fuel tank is quite small so range is limited to about 300-330 miles on a long journey

- Bluetooth for phone works well but is very quiet - Lexus claim there is a simple fix for this

- mpg on short journeys can be eye watering

- don't even think about driving in snow - got stuck on a slight hilll and needed 5 people to dig me out and even on flat snow it was terrifying...

Overall - very very pleased with the car. But wish they could have included a little more of wafty ride of the LS rather than go for the "Germanic Sporty feel"

Telephone man · January 6, 2006

Had the GS430 for 6 weeks now (ran it for 4 weeks in the dealer for 2 weeks), last proper run car was a 730d preceded by a new 530i and before that a Merc E 220d (Merc was a company car)

My 2p worth:

GOOD

- very very comfortable seats - agree nice and comfy

- interior to die for - way off BM / Merc quality, black trim scratches easily, rattles from the dash and a cheap feel to the stalk controls. Int lights gimmicky and not that bright, switches poorly illuminated - quite disappointed TBH

- gets lots of appreciative glances from other motorists - I find it quite low profile though it looks good in the silver when the wheels are dirty black :D

- bling alloys :) - Need to be 19" look a bit lost in the arches from some angles

- quick - very quick , Linear power delivery is deceptive but the engine could get you into situations the chassis cant help you with.

- on a long cruise at 70ish it gets about 30 mpg - 22 my all out best BUT I do rag it everywhere

- quite quiet - not upto LS standards (what is?) but still good - Lot quieter than anything else I have ever had, its like a library compared to the 7

- it looks a whole lot better in the flesh than teh photographs. - Agree and its growing on me - just needs bigger wheels

- easier to park than the LS - little camera helps

BAD

- very stiff ride - crashes over potholes etc. - agree but very accepatble compromise, the handling needs all the help the ride can give it.

- this causes no end of creaks and groans from the leather seats and any loose items over rough ground - mine rattles like a mondeo

- after 2 days the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System died - didnt know it had one, must re-read the manual

- fuel tank is quite small so range is limited to about 300-330 miles on a long journey - stupidly small, needs to be 50% bigger (its a 3.0 litre tank I guess)

- Bluetooth for phone works well but is very quiet - Lexus claim there is a simple fix for this - mine is quite loud and very workable, just cant trandsfer the phone book. better than the new 5 set up and miles better than the dual sim card 7 series

- mpg on short journeys can be eye watering - 13 the lowest :duh:

- don't even think about driving in snow - got stuck on a slight hilll and needed 5 people to dig me out and even on flat snow it was terrifying...

Overall - very very pleased with the car. But wish they could have included a little more of wafty ride of the LS rather than go for the "Germanic Sporty feel"

This is the biggest surprise to me, the ride (on normal) is (to me) very soft and wallowy, even on sport its way softer than all 3 German cars had recently and I like it for being so soft BUT the body does not feel so well controlled and I dont feel as confident in it -- YET!! Once (mis) managed to lose the backend in the wet and the dash lit up like a xmas tree, nice and easy to control though as the car just takes over !!!

Overall I am a bit disappointed the "legendry" Lexus build quality is a myth but its a great car, a bargain for the high 30`s I paid for it and I LOVE the HiFi combined with an inaudible engine (no V8 thrum - nowt)

This Lexus is going to stay with me for a while and I will rid it of all rattles and squeaks if it kills me.

Rillo · January 8, 2006

Sorry to hear about your rattles. Only noises I get are from creaking leather on the seats.

If you do fix please post how you got rid of them just in case they turn up in mine

My previous car was an LS which was whisper quiet and ran on air suspension so in comparison teh GS is very hard ride and noisy :D

rolandrock · January 10, 2006

Done 4000 miles in my new Gs300SEL - here's my view (in comparison to a MK1 GS300Sport - never had a Mk2)

Delights

- Handling good (but still not brilliant)

- Sound system breathtaking (even if its only a 6CD)

- Lights excellent

- Performance - faster, quieter and more economical - 30 on average and 38 on the motorway. At 70mph its only pulling 1850 rpm.

- Keyless entry - clever once you get used to it and just lurrv the Start button

- Reversing camera - very very clever once you learn to trust it.

- Parking sensors accurate and useful

- Auto recirc on climate control very effective (but see also Disappointments)

- Interior handle on boot lid handy (the simplest things are often the best)

- Bluetooth phone works a treat

- SatNav is good but doesn't accept a full postcode

Disappointments

- Leather nowhere near as good and lots more plastic

- Build quality not on par with a Mk1, both inside and out.

- Sorry - don't take to the instrument panel - at night motorway overhead light reflection swirls around the dials

- Cheap plastic catflap behind the rear seat armrest

- Drop down panel of switches are flimsy, hard to see and on the whole, pretty naff.

- Rain sensitive wipers are just a nuisance

- Climate control overall harder to use and less responsive

- Auto recirc - watch out in muggy weather behind a bus- you'll steam up in 5 seconds - almost crashed twice trying to clear the screen

- No better in the snow and ice (although couldn't be any worse than the MK1)

- Miss my 275/35s on the back (but don't miss the punctures)

Overall

We are used to such high standards so I gotta say this is a very very nice Toyota, with lots of clever toys, but if you took away the badges I wouldn't guess it was a Lexus.

Chris Skelton · January 10, 2006

Well, the LSs still win then, huh?

maneesh · January 10, 2006

So the bottom line to Mk1. and Mk2. owners is, don't bother trading up...Telephone man, if you want legendary build quality, I'd advise you spend a bit on the side and get yourself an old mk4. LS400 as a weekend car. Now that model is what LEXUS is all about.

maneesh · January 10, 2006

Why have the designers made the boot of the new GS only 430 litres, when the old GS was 515 litres, the new IS has 378 litres and the current LS has 552 litres?

Seems a bit strange to me, when even Mundanos and Vectras come with 500 litre boots on the saloon versions..

(All figures taken from parkers website)

Rillo · January 10, 2006

"So the bottom line to Mk1. and Mk2. owners is, don't bother trading up...Telephone man, if you want legendary build quality, I'd advise you spend a bit on the side and get yourself an old mk4. LS400 as a weekend car. Now that model is what LEXUS is all about. "

Actually the bottom line is to check one out for yourself :)

- Sorry - don't take to the instrument panel - at night motorway overhead light reflection swirls around the dials - not had this problem as I set the lights quite low

Leather nowhere near as good and lots more plastic - my humble opinion only but I found interior of Mk1 and Mk2 to be ergonomically fine but built from some awful 80s plastics like you find in 15 year old Carina mini-cabs :)

- Drop down panel of switches are flimsy, hard to see and on the whole, pretty naff - difference of opinion perhaps but it seems fine in my car. I actually find interior quality a match for current 5 series and way above the rubbish in the E-class (fiddle with Merc heater controls these days to see what I mean).

- Rain sensitive wipers are just a nuisance - as they are on every car :)

- Climate control overall harder to use and less responsive - same as my LS so can't really comment ).

- No better in the snow and ice (although couldn't be any worse than the MK1) - bloody awful in the snow :D

Overall I think it's a great car, but like any car you could always make it better with hindsight. However the GS is a fantastic car that competes on a level playing field with 5 series, E Class, A6 - something the previous versions could never do.