from Toyota to Lexus

[Maverik]

Hi everyone!

   I am new here, I am not yet a Lexus owner but I certainly want an upgrade for my Avensis. I have discovered a few years ago the Japanese Trinity (Toyota-Honda-Mazda) as a better alternative to German Supremacy and I will never look back.

   I am happy with my Avensis but my Fat Harriet is quite old and I think it's time for me to switch from diesel to hybrid. I have been yesterday for a test drive with the new Mazda MX30 full electric. Fantastic car, but a bit pricey for 120 mile range. The same for a new Toyota Camry so I thought I can trade off the new car smell with some luxury options for a used IS or GS which in my opinion are the best choices for me.

  I would appreciate any buying advice from you guys, what to look for and what to avoid. I would love a car with the ML sound upgrade.... Does it worth it?

[serbarry]

Hi Maverick and welcome. A GS or IS with ML is certainly worth it. I have been looking for a MK3 GS450H for months now but in Ireland there is really little choice. If I lived in England I would have bought one already. Personally I prefer GS450H rather than IS300H and in general I prefer hybrid than pure petrol. 

[Mincey]

1 hour ago, Maverik said:

Hi everyone!

   I am new here, I am not yet a Lexus owner but I certainly want an upgrade for my Avensis. I have discovered a few years ago the Japanese Trinity (Toyota-Honda-Mazda) as a better alternative to German Supremacy and I will never look back.

   I am happy with my Avensis but my Fat Harriet is quite old and I think it's time for me to switch from diesel to hybrid. I have been yesterday for a test drive with the new Mazda MX30 full electric. Fantastic car, but a bit pricey for 120 mile range. The same for a new Toyota Camry so I thought I can trade off the new car smell with some luxury options for a used IS or GS which in my opinion are the best choices for me.

  I would appreciate any buying advice from you guys, what to look for and what to avoid. I would love a car with the ML sound upgrade.... Does it worth it?

Fat Harriet is simply an excellent name for a car - well done Sir! I've had ML in an IS250, Premium (or whatever one level down is) in an IS300h and an ES300h. ML's is very good but I don't miss it. The "Premium" systems are good enough for my ears, albeit ones which have been damaged by lots of gigs...

[Maverik]

1 hour ago, serbarry said:

Hi Maverick and welcome. A GS or IS with ML is certainly worth it. I have been looking for a MK3 GS450H for months now but in Ireland there is really little choice. If I lived in England I would have bought one already. Personally I prefer GS450H rather than IS300H and in general I prefer hybrid than pure petrol. 

Why GS? For more power or more space?  Or something else? 

 

[Las Palmas]

Welcome to the forum.

When the Avensis came they were among the cars that was worth looking at.

If you want something beautiful the GS is something that please my eyes.

If you also want about the best music in your next car, the Mark Levinson in the various Lexus cars is hard to better. I have installed audio in cars for competition and though they were all having several times the output power, none of them were better when coming to sound pureness. The hybrids from Lexus are all so quiet that sound power is not at all something to look for, unless the car is supposed to be a rolling disco.

Enjoy your next Lexus.

[serbarry]

8 minutes ago, Maverik said:

Why GS? For more power or more space?  Or something else? 

 

I love MK3 GS450H and I don't like much the MK4 one. I think GS450H is roomier than IS300H even though the boot in both is not big compared to the dimensions of the rest of the car. Moreover the 3.5 cc V6 in the GS is much more powerful than 2.5cc in the IS300H.

[Mossypossy]

Had my GS450h for coming up two years.

Wife is not a petrol head at all. Pulled up next to her by the roadside to give her a lift, she obviously did not recognise the car. All she said was this big black sexy looking car slowed down next to her, before realising it was just me!

[peniole]

If you were looking at the camry, then ES300h should be on your list. At the time I got a better price on an ES than I could on a Camry. Not to mention that the ES is considerably better built.

[-Error-]

MK4 GS is a thing of beauty. Great fuel efficiency, outstanding build quality and passenger comfort. The later, facelifted models came very well equipped and the only thing you could miss would be Android Auto/CarPlay available only in the latest Lexus models.

One thing I can definitely confirm is that you don't chose the GS if you're reliant on the versatility and ability to fit many strange items into your car. Small boot for its class and non-folding rear seats could be a deal breaker. But if you can get past that, a GS is a class above the IS with regards to pretty much everything. It's also worth noting that they are one of the quietest interiors tested at time of production, long journey comfort is second to none!

With regards to Mark Levinson - to me it was a must. Standard radios fitted are very pedestrian and although you won't complain about the lack of bass if you turn it up enough, don't be expecting any decent performance. If it is already something you're contemplating on, I would not go for a vehicle that doesn't have one (good luck finding an IS with ML by the way).

One thing to also note, ML system installed in the GS is very much inferior to those installed in the later Lexus vehicles. If you have a chance, make your way down to the dealership and compare '16-'19 GS with same year RX and you will see what I mean. Whilst you're at it, some dealerships might have a few GS to look at, especially down south.

[Maverik]

Thank you guys for your thoughts. I have booked a test drive this week and I am excited 😁. 

I will get back to you with news, although I have spoken with Santa and he advised me to wait for next year. He's got only bigger prices for this Christmas 🙉

[Las Palmas]

1 hour ago, Maverik said:

Thank you guys for your thoughts. I have booked a test drive this week and I am excited 😁. 

I will get back to you with news, although I have spoken with Santa and he advised me to wait for next year. He's got only bigger prices for this Christmas 🙉

Here Santa does not deliver cars as presents, so maybe cars could be a bit cheaper in this time where everybody are busy buying other things. The big centres here that are selling all we need and a lot we do not need are having new shining cars on display at reduced costs according to the labels on them.