USED Lexus GS Saloon (97 - 05)

My car

I have had a 92 Lexus ES300 (which I don't think is available in UK) for many years. It was (and is) so good I recently bought a 98 GS300, which is even better. Quiet, comfortable, superbly finished, excellent performance and no problems. I paid a little more used than I would have done for the least expensive brand new Hyundai.

With the increasing price of gas, 6 and 8 cyl cars are not selling quickly and bargains are available. Yet their lower prices more than offset the higher cost of gas. Great car.

My car

I have owned both a E-Class Mercedes E320 and BMW 530i. They are good cars no doubt about it, but the Lexus is better built than both, comes with more kit than both and has the better auto box then both. It's also more reliable.

I had my first Lexus last year and have covered over 10,000 miles with great pleasure.

Lexus is the true perfectionist and has built a better machine than the Germans.

My next car will be a Lexus: the techno marvel 450h. Awesome.

My car

It's a good car to look at, with flowing lines. It's very reliable and well engineered. I have an R-reg, so latest versions may be better.

Lexus has a good reputation, but this model is a little disappointing in its driving abilities.

Good points: A comfortable cabin with a wide range of settings for the passenger and driving position, and heating controls. An excellent sound system combined with low noise that makes crawling on the M25 a pleasure. A gentle automatic, that is most suited to long distance travel. Nice self-dimming rear view mirrors. Reasonable power from the 3 litre engine.

Bad points Throttle response can be quite uneven: it sometimes takes-off when floored, sometimes doesn't (lots of revs, no action). This can be quite disconcerting, but may be a fault on my car. Cornering is not as leech-like as a BMW 5 or 7-series. I've never slid it (traction control would probably have some effect here), but it simply doesn't feel as if on rails as the BMWs do.