LEXUS GS Saloon 2005‑2011

I'll start with the known negative - the wife can't get a lot of shopping in the boot; oh that's a positive. Yes the boot is small (think small super mini) but you already know that . For me it is not an issue because the space is taken by the 40 cells of electric power makes the difference when the right foot goes down. As for economy, i average 23 - 25 around town and 28 on a run. For some this is a negative, but the performance delivered is fantastic and i am more than happy with the MPG. The only other negative is the sat nav - it is far from intuitive - in fact it is a nightmare to operate. I'm a tech freak but this had me beat. So the pros - Mark Levinson ICE is OK with radio, play a CD or FLAC file on a quality media player/ cable and it is fantastic. i have the SE-L with all the toys and i never get bored. It is the quickest car ever to demist but to increase the cabin temperature takes ages - you have to hold a button as it counts up in 1/2 degree stages. This car is not designed to throw around - I've tried and all sorts of bells and whistles go off. It's smooth, fast and comfortable and great value for money. Had the BM, Merc and the boring Audi - this is not better or worse just different. Very happy man who will buy Lexus again. PS the dealers are a revelation.

I bought a 2nd hand '07 plate with 42K on the clock. Having had a BMW 530D, 325i and a 335i not to mention a couple of Audi A4's I wanted to see what else was out there with more kit, for around the same price, £14K - £20K.

I did, for a while think that there would be no better car in the executive market - in that price range, than the Audis and BMW's. These two vehicles are great with fantastic engines that deliver performance with good economy. Some of the torque values on the performance diesels are astonishing. Not to mention the handling and road presence that comes with the prestige of owning a BMW.

Having owned the BMW 530D and loving its acceleration and power I thought that this car would last me a while. Disappointed I had to get rid of it because of continuous DPF problems. Decided to buy petrol and went for the 325i - got rid of that quickly as it felt so under powered compared to the 530D- Ended up getting a 335i - absolutely fantastic car, super quick, fantastic handling and not too bad economy.

There is a point to me writing this brief history....

The point is this. If you drive in a place where the roads are free, and where you can go around corners clipping apexes at the cars limit before the back slips out - then most definitely the BMW would be the choice. But the plain fact of the matter is motorways are usually long straights with no challenging bends, the A and B roads are congested unless you drive when most others are asleep and the state the roads are in you will probably be looking out for and dodging pot holes because the ride comfort has been compromised for handling.

So I decided on all-round performance, not so bad handling, supreme levels of equipment and exceptional comfort that would suit the environment and conditions I would be using the vehicle in day in and day out.

PROs: Power, Good economy (for size and engine), Comfort, Equipment levels,

CONs: Boot space very small.

Can't comment on reliability or service as I haven't owned the car for that long, but one of the factors that convinced me on buying the Lexus was reading other reviews about reliability and that their customer service levels are one of the best.

Has it All - a very happy owner.

This is the most comfortable car to drive, and to be a passenger in I'm told! It looks excellent and drives superbly. The car is extremely well equipped - far better than German rivals, and in my opinion, the Lexus looks much more up market too. It has great road presence and handles well. It has a big boot and has been great for trips to IKEA! Crucially, the GS300 is surprisingly economical for a 3.0 V6 and is quick of the mark too! The Lexus has also been extremely reliable with no problems to date. I certainly recommend one!

Bought as a family car on the arrival of our first, a 6 year old GS300SE, 50k miles, from Lexus for a smidge over £10k. Bargain I think. An odd choice? Well, not really. Tremendously safe car, 10 air bags, very good NCAP test results, peace of mind for transporting the dearest one. Not being a hybrid, I find the boot plenty big enough. Plenty of room inside to fit the car seat. Plenty of room in front for the parents. All reports also say they're a superbly reliable car too and so it's proven so far. So 5/5 for practicality and reliability. Obviously there are cheaper cars to run but road tax is cheapish being a pre March 2006 car, insurance isn't horrendous (over 40 clean record) and economy day-to-day is about 32-33mpg. I know people with diesel 4x4s and MPVs who barely manage that! For what the car is I don't think the costs are bad. Cheaper to buy but more expensive to run than other large cars. Pay your money, take your choice. It's relaxing to drive, reminds me of my dad's old XJ, and lets you waft along in serene comfort. It’s not a sports saloon but it IS a 250hp car when you want it. Plenty of toys and gadgets even on this version, don't need the few extras on the higher models. Only cons are the curious omission of see-you-home headlights, no auto door locking and a trip computer that choses when IT resets your fuel consumption and average speed. Also, some surprising squeaks from the dashboard over (truly) bad road surfaces. Would certainly consider another one although I remain unconvinced about hybrids and CVT gearboxes. Maybe Lexus made the new GS250 for me. All in, well recommended and it’s not the unimaginative Audi, BMW or Merc choice.

I have had this car for nearly three years and 26,000 miles and it has been a pleasure to drive from day 1.

While this is a lowish mileage car my previous Lexus GS ((300) did 120,000 without a hint of a problem.

I can drive 400 miles in a day in this car and get out fresh and relaxed. It is quiet, comfortable, practical and reliable and gets admiring glances wherever you go.

I have had Mercedes E Class, BMW 5 and Audi A6 and none of them compare with the driving luxury of the 450h.

My car averages around 36mpg with around 48-50 on long runs and 20-22 on short runs. remember it is a very powerful 3.5ltr petrol with an electric assist so it really accelerates away from stop very very quickly.

I have my car serviced at the main dealer in Sheffield and and like most Lexus dealers the service is truely superb.

If I have any gripes it is that the boot is a little small and it is an expensive car to run but that comes with the quality of the vehicle.

I would reccommend this car to anyone.

My Lexus 450h SE-L was a good car. You must note this is a 3.5L engine with Hybrid technology.

The Hybrid could assist in giving the car fantastic acceleration but not the best mpg around town.

We took the car across France and Spain and it delivered 50 mpg. Local supermarket journeys 18 mpg. On the long journey the Hybrid easily kicked in but on local runs at above 15 mph the 3.5L engine came to the front of the activity. Traffic Crawling the Hybrid worked until the pressure of other cars and the expectation when the traffic lights turned green and the car was just a 3.5L engine working very well on its own. If only the Hybrid could have kept in to accelerate to 50 mph. On the long journey and now easily doing in the 80+ mph and with a light-foot the car went in to electric mode and delivered the 50 mpg. Around town it will not give anything but a 3.5L economy. The extras that are standard on this car are superb and I now know later cars now have an extra charge for some of these extras. Another problem that does not help this economy is the weight of the Hybrid battery. Find a low mileage 1 year + used car and the depreciation make it a good buy. If you look at the new price of this car it is around £53,000 and one year or eighteen months old you can see them around £35,000 and so on down to now with over 143,000 miles at £8,000 or £12,000. This is a good car but at its new price there are so many good cars that are cheaper. On reliability I cannot fault the Japanese or this Lexus.

This car will never leave you short of power, it's a Lexus always reliable, full of diagnostics so it tells you when things need attention.

It's practical in all meaningful senses, centre part of rear seats fold in to get long items into the car (even without that, golf clubs and cart will fit comfortably in the boot anyway).

MPG varies depending on how you wish to drive, if you use all the tools in the car (too many to mention) you can get excellent mileage for the class of car.

Comfortably seats 5. Myself, spouse and three teens, have had many trips to Cornwall with no complaints.

Very good work horse for 5 years and over 100K miles, sporting and good for fast driving. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Fast, safe,reliable, economical and reliable. Better to drive than BMW 5 series at two thirds the price and you will be let out at junctions

This car is as smooth as a Jaguar, similar looks, more reliable and lower cost. When cruising at high speed its almost silent inside. All of the 'toys' on some cars come as standard on a Lexus - with blinds, power / defrost side mirrors, auto-dimming rear mirror and so on all included. its big enough, but not too big (easy to park in multi-story car parks).