Getting A Little Nervous At The Thought Of Buying A 2000 Gs300

[BimmerJustin]

I currently own a 3 series BMW and am looking at the lexus GS300 and the ES300. My commute is long and I'm finally realizing that the 3 series is not the most comfortable when driving 90 miles a day.

I was reading through the GS forum registry thread and noticed people were listing off problems left and right. I was under the impression that lexus was like the standard for reliability.

I'm currently looking at a 2000 GS300, 1-owner, with 94k miles, well maintained. Should I be worried about getting slammed with maintenance costs?

Also, I am looking at ES300s as well. Could I expect an ES300 to be more reliable than its GS counterpart? Also, the GS is about 300lbs heavier than the ES but with the same engine, how much worse gas mileage should I expect to get?

Thanks

[fordsvtmfl]

i have a 98 gs300 with 150k and have had no major problems...and you are right about the reliability of lexus, its just people tend to only complain about stuff not working..not comment on everything that does. I would go with the gs hands down. My dad had a es a few years ago..and they are just boring compared to the gs, great cars, just not as exciting.

[fordsvtmfl]

Oh and fyi the gs and es dont have the same engines...the 2jz (gs300 and supra) in my opinion is a far better engine. gas mileage will prob be a little less on the gs...but its worth it.

[Matty]

The sense you get when looking at the Lexus forum is what you would get looking at nearly any forum. When people have problems with their cars, one of the first places they look for answers is the forum. Among luxury and sport/luxury vehicles, Lexus is the benchmark for reliability. But as a BMW owner you must know that when manufacturers are fine-tuning cars with so many features, there's always a risk of malfunction. If all you wanted was the most reliable bang for your buck along with good mileage and a comfortable ride, you'd be looking at a Camry. Toyota has taken that level of reliability and put it into a much more complicated, luxurious, performance-oriented car--the Lexus GS.

Bottom line: any used car is a gamble, Lexus is a good one. Good luck.

[sakataj]

fords right.............i used to own a 1993 es300 and it was boring........i now have a 2001 gs430 and i love it! again he's correct they don't have the same motor but i will tell you this.........i think i got better gas mileage outta my es. i hands down prefer my 430 even with its 16 mpg city and all. its a complete different ride though both are comfortable but i found my gs 2 be more comfortable. also depends if you want a front wheel drive car or a rear wheel drive car!

"If all you wanted was the most reliable bang for your buck along with good mileage and a comfortable ride, you'd be looking at a Camry. Toyota has taken that level of reliability and put it into a much more complicated, luxurious, performance-oriented car--the Lexus GS."

Matt is almost right here but the comparable Lexus to the Camry is the es300 it does have the same motor,chassis, etc, etc just think of the es as a MUCH nicer Camry! the gs sadly has no series like it in the Toyota lineup that I'm aware of!

"i will welcome myself back to the forum as im,woo hooooooooo, finally unsuspended! hahaha!"

brian

[BimmerJustin]

good to hear it. Since I posted, I've been scouting GS300's (1998-2001) and am pretty set on picking one up.

I wish I could bring myself to pull the trigger on a GS400, but I drive 90 miles a day, and come winter time I dont have a second car. But I test drove a GS300 and I'm happy with the power, and especially the torque coming from driving my 3-series.

Question though: Is there a difference between the 1998, 1999, 2000, and the 2001 as far as reliability? Were there any problems on earlier models that were fixed along the way?

[sakataj]

im not 100% familiar with the 300 series as i have the 430 series but as far as i know, no no major problems between the years. im sure there were some small ones but nothing major i can recall

[Matty]

Nothing major with the 300's. Of course you're going to want to use the same common sense as you would buying any used car. The 400 is awesome. It can really put your !Removed! in the seat, but I find that my 300 is pretty good too. Clearly, there's a horsepower difference but it sounds like you're going to spend most of your time cruising. Also, I've never felt the need for more when I go to pass on the highway; the jump from 65 to 80 is excellent, especially if I shift down to 4th manually.

I don't know what the winter roads are like in New Rochelle, but up here in Rochester I put snow tires on from November to April. I got Nokian Hakkapolliitta 2's. Nokian is a Finnish company and specializes in Nordic conditions. These are no-sh*t tires. They're performance-oriented (as much as a winter tire can be) and are perfect for a finely-tuned Lexus suspension. They are awesome on the snow, slush, ice, and rain that we get in a New York winter.

BTW, I didn't mean to suggest in my previous post that the GS is a Lexus version of the Camry or even that they are part of the same platform, only that you're shopping in a different class when you're looking at the GS. If for no other reason, then because it's RWD.

Happy hunting!

[sakataj]

:D

[mgbv6]

good to hear it. Since I posted, I've been scouting GS300's (1998-2001) and am pretty set on picking one up.

I wish I could bring myself to pull the trigger on a GS400, but I drive 90 miles a day, and come winter time I dont have a second car. But I test drove a GS300 and I'm happy with the power, and especially the torque coming from driving my 3-series.

Question though: Is there a difference between the 1998, 1999, 2000, and the 2001 as far as reliability? Were there any problems on earlier models that were fixed along the way?

If the car has 90K or more make sure the timing belt has been changed,,,800-900 cost.

[rahjova]

fords right.............i used to own a 1993 es300 and it was boring........i now have a 2001 gs430 and i love it! again he's correct they don't have the same motor but i will tell you this.........i think i got better gas mileage outta my es. i hands down prefer my 430 even with its 16 mpg city and all. its a complete different ride though both are comfortable but i found my gs 2 be more comfortable. also depends if you want a front wheel drive car or a rear wheel drive car!

"If all you wanted was the most reliable bang for your buck along with good mileage and a comfortable ride, you'd be looking at a Camry. Toyota has taken that level of reliability and put it into a much more complicated, luxurious, performance-oriented car--the Lexus GS."

Matt is almost right here but the comparable Lexus to the Camry is the es300 it does have the same motor,chassis, etc, etc just think of the es as a MUCH nicer Camry! the gs sadly has no series like it in the Toyota lineup that I'm aware of!

"i will welcome myself back to the forum as im,woo hooooooooo, finally unsuspended! hahaha!"

brian

The GS counterpart would be the Toyota Avalon. But hands down, Lexus GS is the way to go! Its the perfect blend of Toyota reliability and Lexus refinement.