In fact I almost bought an L-tuned version of GS300 about 2 years ago. The only thing that put me off in the end was a very limited boot/truck space for carrying my family around.

Screw the poor!!!

The 1st gen IS has its own platform not shared with the GS. The 2nd gen is a shortned GS platform.

You really ought to stop putting the wife in the trunk... it's not good for her back.

Are you sure about that? I've read about the first generation IS - GS chassis connection in several reputable publications. Maybe it's just the suspension components and some brake hardware, but I remember reading it was more than that.

Want to change the face of men's health? Movember!

Velie funnay! I'm raughing my alse off.

Screw the poor!!!

I will never forget going to the Lexus dealership in my SC 400 and there were 1 page brochures the summer of 1997 "something wicked this way comes" and all it showed was the front end with the HIDs on and the quad lamps.

I was intrigued At the time a car that was faster than the SC with more space with around the same sport. I was naturally looking at 540s but was very happy in the past with the Lexus experience. Having driven a 1st gen GS many times, I loved the looks but it wasn't very "wow" in the driving experience.

I remember seeing my first one on the road..HIDs blazing from behind in 1998 and trying to figure out what it was....black on black GS 400....it looked amazing at the time.

The reviews poured in and it either won or placed 2nd in every comparison. It won tons of awards and was a 10 best winner multiple times. The GS 300 fared just as well.

No it wasn't the first RWD, V-8 sedan but it was the first from Japan to tackle the 5/E class head on. This gen GS uses a slightly longer wheelbase but they moved the gas tank to the bottom, so the trunk room increased 30% as the car lost 5 inches in length. So yes it WAS indeed AHEAD of its time. No other Japanese sports luxury sedan dared do what this GS did. It also made the new STS at the time seem not bold enough.

It was the fastest automatic sedan in 1998. Edmunds got 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. Most claim the 5.7 second runs.

I'll never forget driving it in 2000 (didn't want to drive b/c I knew it would be bought) and how the car pushed me back. The car was just as well built as the SC and the front end was influenced by the SC. Tons of room and gadgets and the wood dash was different the way it wrapped around the gear selector.

Oh those gauges!! They took the Maxima "white on black" theme to a level 10 with the Optitron gauges. They are wonderful.

Needless to say the rest was history. I loved that vehicle and when I wrecked my 400, I got a 430. I prefer the e-shift on the 400 as the 430 lost it.

Complaints, very few. When the miles get up, like all cars some things wear, bushings and ball joints are big. Electronics are fine sometimes door actuators are a problem. Otherwise the car is built rock solid.

I took both to the drag strip and ran 14.5s as my best time, on par with the mags. I tracked as well and they did great for such a big car. A/C still blew cold and it could hold a ton of stuff.

The AFTERMARKET is HUGE for this vehicle and thus I dumped some $$$$$ in both.

I have to say I didn't search for Clublexus until I got my GS. The GS forum is the most popular there. That V-8 GS 400 brought A WHOLE NEW BUYER to Lexus. It is a great success story for them. I tell them all the time if there was no V-8 SC or GS, I and tons of others would not be on that forum and on probably a BMW forum.

Here are random pics of my two.

dyno

rear ugo CF brace

At a Lexus event
http://www.clublexus.com/galle...x.jpg

With blackwood and black mats

As for safety, I got in a wreck with 4 friends and we all walked out with no injuries, just soreness. The car was totaled.

I can't help but recommend the vehicle. I've had buds add S/Cs or even go custom turbo. Its just a fun all around car.

Oh that's so not right.

100% certain.

Quote, originally posted by 1SICKLEX;1266669 »

Well, many of us here thought the 1st gen IS was a shortned GS platform, like the next generation. I was searching and found a speech by the old Lexus VP Bryan Bergsteinisson where he states the IS is platform specific! Now we can finally lay to rest any rumors about the IS. It also won Japanese car of the Year as the Altezza. The IS is the safest car in its class and is built like a bank vault, rattle free. Now we know why http://pressroom.toyota.com/ph...0408b The IS is a front engine, rear-wheel drive sports sedan on a platform unique to this model. The car is lightweight and stable. Lexus engineers designed the sedan with the best possible weight distribution, placing heavier components such as the battery and fuel tank toward the center, and moving the engine back behind the front axle line. Double wishbone suspension on all four corners allows for precise handling and a comfortable ride. Extensive testing was conducted on the roads of Japan and Europe, including the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Responsiveness was a primary goal for the chief engineer and his team. The result is a package that delivers outstanding performance and razor-sharp handling that will fill a niche Lexus has not addressed before. You can compare the IS to the GS in terms of sportiness and performance, just as you would compare the ES to the LS in terms of luxury and comfort. The IS will be positioned below the GS and will compete against vehicles such as the BMW 3-series and the Audi A4. The target audience is younger educated professionals who are also enthusiasts seeking a car that makes them feel connected to the road.

300-hp was a rocketship, 0-60 under 5.9 seconds was nuts.
Shift buttons on the steering wheel was very cool too.
HIDs were new tech then
17" wheels looked great too.

I loved that car. He liked it too but as he got older traded it on an RX300.

Ah. I dug around on edmunds.com and found what it was that I must have originally read:

"The IS 300's suspension is a slightly modified version of the GS's, consisting of a double-wishbone design front and rear, with A-shaped upper arms in the front and L-shaped upper arms and unequal-length lower links in the rear. The front 11.65-inch vented discs and 12.09-inch solid rear discs are also pulled from the larger GS."

Anywho, this isn't about the IS - GS connection, so carry on.

Want to change the face of men's health? Movember!

The current one, then?

Quote, originally posted by MikeNoGo »

Great feedback guys. I've really got to make the trip to the local dealer with a 430 and take a drive. That thing's been sitting there at least a year and a half, maybe even two years. Needs a home Mind you I'd probably prefer a red 400 with the E Shift...

Having both here is my detailed write up between difference of the 400 vs 430
http://www.clublexus.com/forum....html

Dr. Chew went to the Chevy dealer, and was told there were no Vettes available to test drive, he'd have to put himself on a waiting list and color? You get what you get. Um, no. Next he went to the BMW dealer. They were happy to let him test drive both an automatic and manual 540. He decided that C/D was right, the 6-speed was altogether a different car and he might like to pull the trigger on this one. Well, they wanted to gauge a bit over MSRP. He decided to sleep on it, but not before investigating the Lexus GS400.

Arriving at the Lexus dealer, Dr. Chew reported that he got the red carpet treatment from second one. You want colors? We got every one! Drive 'em all! After buying the GS400 for well under sticker, he was introduced to the dealer GM and service director, they sent flowers to his office the next day, he got a recent ES300 for a loaner when he came back for his first scheduled service... The niceties just didn't stop.

My recollection of this guy's story may be a bit off-focus for the thread, but it's worth noting that Lexus dealers tend to have this kind of reputation. If they made more three pedal models, I'd gladly consider one.

Modified by TJSwoboda at 6:26 PM 11-3-2009

Quote, originally posted by TJSwoboda »

Ten years ago Car and Driver printed a letter, from a dentist named Dr. Chew , in which he described his experience cross-shopping the Corvette, BMW 540 and Lexus GS400. Dr. Chew went to the Chevy dealer, and was told there were no Vettes available to test drive, he'd have to put himself on a waiting list and color? You get what you get. Um, no. Next he went to the BMW dealer. They were happy to let him test drive both an automatic and manual 540. He decided that C/D was right, the 6-speed was altogether a different car and he might like to pull the trigger on this one. Well, they wanted to gauge a bit over MSRP. He decided to sleep on it, but not before investigating the Lexus GS400. Arriving at the Lexus dealer, Dr. Chew reported that he got the red carpet treatment from second one. You want colors? We got every one! Drive 'em all! After buying the GS400 for well under sticker, he was introduced to the dealer GM and service director, they sent flowers to his office the next day, he got a recent ES300 for a loaner when he came back for his first scheduled service... The niceties just didn't stop. My recollection of this guy's story may be a bit off-focus for the thread, but it's worth noting that Lexus dealers tend to have this kind of reputation. If they made more three pedal models, I'd gladly consider one. Modified by TJSwoboda at 6:26 PM 11-3-2009

Lexus dealers are the $hit! Chevy dealers are terrible for the most part

Great PR agency!

Quote, originally posted by TJSwoboda »

Ten years ago Car and Driver printed a letter, from a dentist named Dr. Chew , in which he described his experience cross-shopping the Corvette, BMW 540 and Lexus GS400. Dr. Chew went to the Chevy dealer, and was told there were no Vettes available to test drive, he'd have to put himself on a waiting list and color? You get what you get. Um, no. Next he went to the BMW dealer. They were happy to let him test drive both an automatic and manual 540. He decided that C/D was right, the 6-speed was altogether a different car and he might like to pull the trigger on this one. Well, they wanted to gauge a bit over MSRP. He decided to sleep on it, but not before investigating the Lexus GS400. Arriving at the Lexus dealer, Dr. Chew reported that he got the red carpet treatment from second one. You want colors? We got every one! Drive 'em all! After buying the GS400 for well under sticker, he was introduced to the dealer GM and service director, they sent flowers to his office the next day, he got a recent ES300 for a loaner when he came back for his first scheduled service... The niceties just didn't stop. My recollection of this guy's story may be a bit off-focus for the thread, but it's worth noting that Lexus dealers tend to have this kind of reputation. If they made more three pedal models, I'd gladly consider one. Modified by TJSwoboda at 6:26 PM 11-3-2009

Lexus dealership washed and vacumed my 9-5 Aero while I was test-driving an IS250.

Screw the poor!!!

I never understood this. Being nice to me won't make me want your product anymore than I would otherwise. Certainly, if some dealer was especially mean to me, I'd take my business elsewhere, but in the end, it'd come down to what I read about the car and especially what MY impression of the car is.

So... how did you like the IS250? Very different from an Aero.

Didn't like it at all. First off, visibility was absolutely shocking, it had no steering feel whatsoever and manual gearbox was a complete afterthought.

Most definitely not my cup of tea, but I sure understand why so many people keep on buying their cars.

As I already mentioned, the only Lexus I came very close to buying was an L-Tuned GS300.

Screw the poor!!!