Dolo

I didn't say the GS has less wind noise that the 5 but less road noise. I agree the GS and 7 are completely different cars - a comparison between the GS and 5 is fairer so here goes (I owned a 2000W 528 Sport for 12 months and my GS is 2000X): Road noise : GS wins - the firmer suspension of the 5 lets in more road noise. I don't think it's tyres as my GS has 235/45 all round (Goodyear GSD3) and the 5 had 235/45 front with 255/40 rear (also Goodyear GSD3). Wind noise : 5 wins - Anything over 65-75 in the GS creates a very irritating wind noise around the front and driver side windows. Seems this is not a problem with the GS, just the way it is. The 5 had better isolation from wind noise (but not as good as the 2000X E class I had before that). Ride : 5 wins - As mentioned by NickF, the GS just can't manage on anything other than brand new smooth roads - twitches around continuously on less than perfect surfaces and lets you know about all the imperfections in the road. The 5 rode over bad surfaces very well although you could really feel speed bumps with it's stiff suspension. ColinBarber asked which Lexus I had - I believe it is the 2001 model year as I have the new style rear lights and DVD satnav and if this is an improvement over the first version of the GS II then all the more shocking that Lexus could not make this any better. Surely the LS doesn't behave like this? Handling : 5 wins (just). Both cars feel pretty precise in handling and agility, but as the 5 rides better over imperfections, one feels more secure in rapid changes of direction in this car over the GS. Comfort : GS wins (just). The GS seats feel more cossetting - very luxurious. The 5 (I had sport seats in mine) feel firmer at first but are comfortable for long journeys. However, I prefer the GS seats. The climate control in both cars seems pretty good to me, although I think the GS has better air distribution (like the little channel which blows under the steering wheel right between your legs ) ICE : GS wins. The standard stereo on the GS is unbelievable. The 5 has a very ordinary amp and with the lack of a standard sub as the GS has, lacks any real impact when the volume is pumped up. The Mark Levinson equipped GS cars must be out of this world. Interior : 5 wins. The GS looks a bit ordinary on the inside - except for the binnacles that the instruments sit in, the rest of the dash could be from any Toyota, and it doesn't have flowing lines as in the 5. The 5's dash is very ergonomic - I really like the way it flows and the slight angling of the centre console towards the driver. Exterior Looks : 5 wins (just). I like the 5 series (E39) looks - a classic shape I think, but when fitted with the sport kit, looks a lot like an M5 so even better looking. But the GS is very nice - even the GS Mark I still looks good. A GS in sport trim looks even nicer that a GS SE, but still not quite as cool as a 5 series with full sport kit. Running costs : 5 wins. I've not had to service the Lexus yet, but from what I've read it appears servicing costs are not that different - but the GS needs servicing every 10k whereas my 528 was averaging 15k service intervals. So even if the 5 cost 50% more that the GS to service, it would work out the same over a long time. The fuel consumption in the 5 was better on the motorway that the GS (average 30mpg at 90mph in the 5 but only about 26-27 in the GS). I could go on, but possibly at the risk of boring everyone to death (if not already done!). But overall, I think I still stand by my opinion that while the GS is a decent car, it's not as good as a 5 series. From what I recall, I believe the 5 series took WhatCar executive car of the year for 5 or 6 years consecutively, and I think there is much merit in this fact.

I know what you mean adz about a bit of diversity, but then again this is a Lexus forum The 7 lacks heated seats of the GS (and sat nav is not widescreen), but it gains front and rear PDC and rain-sensitive wipers (which I had on my previous 528 and thought was the most useful day to day gadget). Always perplexed me that the GS was so high in spec and toys but lacked the rain sensor and PDC. I refer back to wills post though - it can be a bit worrying having lots of toys on a bimmer! Fingers, toes and everything else crossed :duh:

wills is kind of right - the wheels look ok so don't worry. I think there is an important point about wheels from an insurance point of view - I know a personal friend (not Lexus owner) who got screwed by the insurance company because when the recovered his nicked car the wheels were not standard (aftermarket alloys which looked pretty innocuous on a Ford Mondeo). But no worries here - I'm sure these wheels were available as a Lexus option sometime in the past.

and will not be present in the LS400 . A BMW 7 series is not as quiet or relaxing as an LS400. The motoring press criticise the LS for being too "refined", but for me thats the point of a luxury car. Drive one and you'll see what I mean. Good luck with whatever you buy. ← Hi adz I can't afford the current generation of LS - although in general the LS looks too imposing. The previous generation LS (pre 1999 I think) doesn't do it for me in terms of interior cabin styling. I'm sure you're right about the LS being quieter and more relaxing that a 7-series (probably also beats an S-class in this respect also). Unforunately the only Lexus which I really felt I could relate to in terms of image and styling probably was the GS, but you all know what I think about that already. Hopefully a couple of years of bimmer ownership then pick up a great deal on a used 2005 GS (assuming it's as good as the current 5 and E).

Hi wills Agree with the rock solid engineering behind these cars (still a take back a bit with the panel fit on mine though) - nothing in the slightest indicates that my car is unreliable in the 4 months I've had it. I just think the drive is not up to what I would have thought for a vehicle squaring up against the 5 series. But, looks like some have taken the time to tweak their cars (including wills) which may mean you get the perfect driving experience - but I've found I haven't got the time (or money, to be honest) to be able to do this. I'm not saying that the GS is really that bad - just not as good as I thought it would be. Of course, by saying all this I've probably invoked Murphy's Law and thus the bimmer I'm getting in place of the GS will be an absolute bag of spanners....

100k service is the belts I think. only 11k away though! ← depends on age. 1998 and some 1999 are service every 9k miles and the cambelt change is 63kmiles not 100k miles. ← Firstly, I saw wheels like that a few months ago on a GS300 being sold through the Lexus approved used car network - so I'm pretty sure the wheels are legitimately available in the UK. Second - I understand the service interval was changed to 10k with the belt change at 100k late in 2000 - When the GS Series II had a minor facelift (satnav went widescreen, rear light cluster updated). I think my car was one of the early (October 2000) of the facelift GS II so I would guess anything older is very likely on a 9k service interval with 63k for the belt change. You should be able to see from the service record of course - also, get the VIN and call your local Lexus dealer who will confirm.

Hi All, Sorry for a slightly negative post.. I was initially a proud Lexus GS300 owner (used - registered October 2000) back in October 2004. Just over 4 months later, I'm trading in for a BMW. The Lexus has some great plus points - Comfortable seats, high level of equipment, solid engineering, great sound system, marvellously smooth engine. However the minus points weigh more heavily against the GS in my opinion - Very bad ride, lazy auto box (although very smooth), wind noise in the cabin, poor panel fit (started getting a little paranoid that I had an accident repaired car), very inelegant interior (solid but feels a bit tacky). The main thing is the ride and wind noise. Even though I had a BMW 528 Sport previously and the road noise was much greater, I find wind the wind noise in the GS is just unacceptable for a car in the executive and luxury segment. I've today signed up to do a part (actually full) exchange for a BMW 735. It has bigger wheels but the road noise is still significantly less - it also has a much better ride quality, and even though the seats aren't as nice, I think the family will find it a more relaxing place to travel in. Sorry, but my either my expectations of the GS were too high, or I got a Friday car... From studying this forum over the past 4 months, I think my expectations were too high (common themes around wind noise, fidgety ride etc.). I really hope the new GS is a lot better...

Wow people - what a response in less than 24 hours! So you all know, I have not had the brakes, fluid or anything else checked by a professional (I just drove it around for a bit then bought it!). The car has just over 70k miles on the clock and was serviced less than 2k miles ago at Lexus Hull. I might call Lexus Hull to see whether the last service found anything. The advice looks to be to get it professionally checked - I will get in touch with my local Lexus dealership and see what they find out. Thanks again for the quick responses - I'll post back soon to let you know.

Hi All, I'm new to Lexus ownership, having got a 2000/X GS300 as a replacement for my BMW 528 Sport which was stolen. I got the car from an independent garage rather than a Lexus dealership (not worth the premium I thought, especially my vehicle has a full Lexus history). I didn't notice the following characteristics of the car at the time, but after 6 weeks, it's starting to get on my nerves: - The car just doesn't feel anywhere near as stable on the road as the BMW. I didn't expect it to be as good around corners as the BMW, but even in a straight line on relatively good roads, it feels a bit twitchy. - The twitchiness I can live with, but this is more annoying: When braking, the car has a subtle sensation of hesitating (sort of a jerkiness in the braking force) and the braking sensation does not feel linear. I don't think it's as noticeable if one is the passenger rather than the driver, but I definitely notice it. I wonder whether seasoned Lexus owners out therre can tell me whether they think this is normal or if there may be a problem that needs looking at? Apart from these two issues, I am fully enjoying Lexus ownership - Yes the BMW was a better handling car, but the GS is quieter, more comfortable and the stereo is just superb. Thanks in advance for your advice.