Lexus GS. 20+ years old and still better than many new cars | ReDriven used car review 

It truly warms the heart to see a car of this age in such good condition - kudos to the owners, past and present.

The GS 300 is such an underrated car. Has been my daily driver for years and has never let me down. Great to hear I'm not the only one who likes them and appreciates how well they drive.

I own one of these. The main issues that I’ve ran into with it are: - ball joints need replacing and should be checked regularly. - bushings for motor mounts in JZ engines often need to be replaced based off the age of them now and can break which can lead to serious damage in some cases. - suspension bushings are all getting worn and crack. - radiator are getting old, brittle and crack. Common issue with JZ engines as they age and are obvious as the radiator starts to turn yellow. - does handle like a boat. For those wanting a stiffer and more responsive ride then there are lots of aftermarket options that make a big difference. - headlight ballasts (HID) can sometimes fail and can be costly if you are going OEM genuine. - air con can have a little servo motor that has its gears stripped and so it will spin and make a buzzing noise when trying to switch between air vents (ie from upper vents to defog or to feet). - when replacing spark plugs, also replace plastic connectors as they are very brittle and can cause short circuiting if they break. - valve cover seals start leaking oil. - replacing the headunit is not that straight forward. It’s a bit more work than some other cars where it’s just plug and play. - for the modifiers, the engine is a 2JZ-GE VVTI which is the only engine of the 2JZ that has the thinner connecting rods. When under boosted applications, these can bend at around the 325-350hp. They also have a compression ratio of 10:1. - only came as automatic. There is no easy manual swap available. Can be done but requires a lot of work/money depending of the transmission you go for. - emergency brake is a foot brake rather than a hand brake. If this is something that you like but are looking for more of a turbo option then you can check out the Aristo (which they mentioned), Chaser, Crown JZS171, Blit and Mark II. They all are 4 door and are 1JZ-GTE twin turbo (with the exception of aristo which is 2JZ-GTE). Overall though, I absolutely love the car and have no plans on selling it.

I currently have a 1999 Gs400, 6 owners and 410k miles. Original everything. Still runs like a top and has cost me next to nothing. The GS400, in my not so humble opinion, is leagues better than the GS300. It's such a wonderful experience. BUY IT!

Another MINT example of how Lexus just outdid themselves in the 90's. Great review!

I love my gs! Owned it for 3 years as my daily driver. Mine has 360000 miles on it and it runs like new. It is well maintained of course. Best daily I've ever had. Such an underated car and has car guy cred from the 2j and rwd.

I recently bought a 2000 GS 400 from its original owners with 132,000 miles. Your review lines perfectly with my ownership experience right down to the problems with the door actuators not locking or unlocking the car.

Definitely has the 90s cool black leather jacket vibe inside 😎

The book states that the timing belt is replaced at 100,000Miles which is 160,000km. Tech you missed, auto on headlights which also have auto tilt according to the terrain. Auto dark tint rear view mirror and side mirrors at night when someone behind you and has their lights on. Valet lock. VSC - vehicle stability control, and a snow mode button, which I thought would be useless but turns out to be brilliant in congested traffic doing constant stop start driving and it's very useful on gravel tracks .....at wineries of course :-), and 6 delay wiper speed settings. Stereo sounds great, plenty of power, handling is great and smooth as butter.

EVERYTHING he said was spot on. 👍🏼 I've had a 1993, 1998 & 2006 GS 300. Amazing cars. Actually still have the '06, & like he said, it feels brand new when I drive it. It's smooth as silk & drives like a dream. Not a rattle or squeak anywhere. I've never had a problem with it. Just regular oil changes & maintenance, replace the tires & battery now & then & that's it. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive it I'm like, I LOVE THIS CAR. 😃 So sad they've discontinued it. Guess I'll drive this one until... 😊🚘💘

Nice review and that interior does look superb. With the longitudinal engine these would be pretty easy to do DIY maintenance on; there's a heap of forum posts and youtube vids for anything Lexus of this vintage.

I've had 1998 GS400 for 10 years. Great car all around. I have had the 2jzgte vvti engine in it for over a year and it's fantastic.

Great video! Great car! My wife and I had an ‘05 SC430. Bought new, sold it with 210,000 miles with the only thing ever to fail was the mirror motors. Great daily driver!!

Just bought a Lexus GS300 2006 and I must say I owe this choice to your great review! What an amazing car, so happy right now!!

I worked at a Toyota dealer in the late 90's, the bosses drove Lexus's I remember when the Dealer Principle showed up in a red GS300 with the ivory interior simply awesome, I fell in love with them, but by then I was hooked as I got to drive his LS 400, the General manager's ES300 and other cars like the SC430. I finally got my first Lexus this year..a red with Ivory IS 350 second gen 2013MY (last model year for that shape ad it it truly great. Only gripes are not the most comfortable seat bottom (which is funny as my neighbour's 2011 feels more padded and more comfortable..and awful AM reception ..which again odd as I have the Mark Levinson Audio (it's a SPorts Luxury) and my neighbour has a Prestige (base model) with no AM reception issues. Other than that the car is MINT, is built like nothing I have ever experienced and is smooth as silk, truly phenomenal car. It's great to see how a '98 GS STILL stacks up!!

I've not commented on one of your vids for a while, but still watching and liking all your vids. This one, the quality quips and character laiden description of the interior were spot on. Big grin over here. 👏😁 Keep up the bloody great work.

I really appreciate and endorse reusing, recycling and continuing these maintained older cars. Environmentally, keeps them out of the bin and helps your pocket book. 😶❤

I own the exact car in this video. Transmission is smooth as butter after 24 years. 2 oxygen sensors, tires, and brakes after 7 years. This is the best car I've owned by a country mile. The engine and transmission combination is almost unbeatable. No rust after leaving outside for years as well. Everything just makes sense in this car.

Awesome reviews.Keep up the good work.

Love this channel, honest useful reviews. And yea, these are outstanding vehicles. I had an IS300 about 15 years ago and that car was just amazing.

Bought a Lexus GSF this year and absolutely loving it. May not be a 2s 0-60 like the EVs and supercars out there but as a daily commuter and a throaty v8, I’m very very happy with my purchase.

I agree and felt supported by this video. I just got myself a 1998 Lexus GS 300 with just 60,500 km here in Perth WA this august. Though with slight almost non-visible scratches on the sides near the rear tires, I still can't avoid myself driving it to work than going back to usual public bus trips.

I have a 98 GS300 in the UK and love it. I did have to replace a door lock actuator (video on You Tube to follow) and the aircon doesn't work but that hardly matters in the UK. It is a smooth, refined amazing car don't make them like that anymore. I have the GPS model, although limited use with 1998 maps, cool retro piece though. Oh, petrol costs are a bit of a nightmare though.

Decided to get a 01 Aristo for my first car and im in love with it. Glad I watched this video as it gave good insight on what to look for an expect. As a fan of 90s jdm couldn't be happier with the car, my mates all thought it would be a shitbox but keep saying how much nicer it is in person compared to photos. Just wanna keep driving it

I have one as my daily and I love it so much. I'd even recommend it for somebody who is trying to get into working on cars. The engine bay is massive and very intuitive. If something ever happened to my GS, I would look for another one.

You enthusiasm for this car is addictive. I imported a Toyota Soarer /Lexus SC of the same era back in the day (in 2000). That thing was carved from stone. Before I decked it out with the Apexi catalogue, stupidly large rims and turbo. It didn’t miss a beat.

I bought a 3rd gen GS cuz all the second gen are so high km and pretty crap in my area but I’m so happy with my purchase, the gs350 is such an underrated car and just any GS in general is super underrated

Great video , one of the best cars ever made , i own 2 GS 2nd gen and i never get tired of driving them . It is a 4 dr Supra with excellent engineering , design and material .

my lexus is25 years old exceptional performance reliability & comfort what a car

I've spent, most of my hard earned Saturday watching Lexus videos. This is easily, hands down, the BEST I've seen! You had me at "wanker". Funny, informative, high prod. value, excellent. Cheers lads, from London Tahnnnnnn.......

My late uncle Joe bought one of the first Lexus LS 400 to land in Australia. It was a magnificent car. He had personal number plates, LEXUS4, personal plates in Victoria were pretty new in the mid 90s. The plates would be worth a mint today, my Aunty might still have them 🤔 I met up with my Aunty one day whilst I was on duty, I parked my fully marked police WRX in the shopping Centre and took the big Lexus for a spin. A few eyebrows were raised seeing a copper in a LS400 zooming through the streets 🤣🤣 bloody good car. We have an ISF 350 F Sport in the drive, my uncle would be proud. Thanks for the memories AK. 👍🏻

Nice video, always love the comments on smoking 😄 I have been waiting reviews on used Lexus!

Thanks for the video, I own a 98 Gs300 too, my opinions My daily and project car, love it so much and drives beautifully. Pros: Looks amazing, especially with body kits Paint quality is great Very comfortable and luxurious Engine sounds great and very quick Handling is absolutely perfect after installing some coilovers and a front strut brace. Most common issues are: Brake master cylinder causing failure of brakes -$500-700 repair Fuel pump / filter going out from age - $200 ish Door lock actuators - $20/per door, easy DIY Transmission issues - Get them serviced with OEM fluid Oil leaks - Valve cover gaskets $100, Cam seals $70, vvti seals $30, timing belt needs to be done also as its an interference engine, however it’s quite easy to fix. Radiators - You can tell if its going out on these cars as the radiators start to go brown from the original black colour, again an easy repair. Airbox - Plastic on the intake resonator goes out, easy fix $100-200 max. front Lower balljoints - they can go out from age however not too difficult to repair, and should be done if no record of being done. Get OEM or 555 brand for about $200 for the set. It sounds like a lot of issues, but its rare for them to happen, and after youve done them it will last forever. Comment if you have any questions

Got a neighbour with a black one of these. He treats it really well and even driving behind it it's really quiet. In the 10 years he's lived in my neighbourhood I've never seen the car on jacks or be towed, though the windscreen did need replacing after a kid kicked a ball into it.

Later 80s to early 00s Japanese cars was peak interior design. Well designed and no bs redundant crap.

Excellent coverage! Spot on analysis.

Bought an LX570 late 2017. The way it drives around the city, in the mountains during vacations, and in the deserts when I shoot - still surprises me as it still drives likes it’s brand new. I’m old and retired but always enjoy and don’t get tired driving this lexus between 10-12 hours straight during vacations. What’s killing me is my local dealer is offering a surprisingly very tempting offer on the lexus. Can’t believe it’s still worth so much after almost 5 years!

Great reference video!

I have a 1998 GS400 that I bought a couple years ago.. it is an amazing car and I am extremely in love with it. I originally bought it for $3000 and I'm easy $10,000 more into it. I have done a 3uz engine swap, and a complete suspension upgrade including every arm, and topped with tein flex z coilovers. Strut and trunk braces helped the car out a ton too.

I honestly have always loved the styling of these since I was a kid. Have lots of experience with the engine as I own my dad's old is300 5mt, and it's been wonderful over the 20 years we've owned it. 200k kms and 10 years winter driving, and it has genuinely zero rust and not a single rattle or sqeak in the interior. The only real problem I've ever had with the car was caused by old cracked hoses and a cracked radiator, which both happened to fail while the car was in the shop for the timing belt replacement. Any car with the engine is genuinely wonderful.

I had a 2002 gs 300 as my first car and it is honestly a great car. it was reliable, had good space and was surprisingly sporty for being such a "large sedan." I would take it out for late night mountain drives with friends and it took it like a champ. It was also comfortable on the highway as well. The only issues I had were the door locks started to seize up and whenever I drove for a while and turned the car off it would sound like something was boiling and bubbling behind the radio.

Very well done...honestly Great Review ( format,editing, camera ect .) I've owed 2 of them a 98Gs400 (V8) and an 02Gs400 (2jz ge V6) An absolute Pleasure to drive and the SEATS are as close to perfection as I've experienced. _Liked & Subscribed_ Edit: * 02 Gs300

Great video, as always. Would love to see a Lexus ES300 video for the 97-01 and/or 01-05 generations, if you can get your hands on some. Love your work, team....

Love these videos guys and can’t fault them apart from we need more Jim outtakes ha ha! 😎

I love the effort you put into the safety features bit in your videos, 😂

My everyday driver for past 10 years is a 1998 lexus gs400, 212k miles now, still love driving this car everyday!

I have also the Lexus GS. Still going strong. No problems.

I love my 2000 GS300. I bought it secondhand from original owner, who took really good care of it. Only issues I needed to address ... - hood struts needed replacement - driver's side lock actuator (LHD) needs replacement - tail lights on trunk have faded to pink and require red bulbs or red clear paint or vinyl wrapping. - radio display is blank and needs replacement.

Nailed it again AK. Loved your love of the leather! I wonder if the Lexus of today will age as well as this...

This summer I purchased a 2003 GS 300 with 260,000 miles from the original owner. Amazing car in amazing condition. My wife LOVES it as her daily driver. The valve cover gasket started leaking bad. Lost 2 quarts of oil in 500 miles. Took it to my mechanic. He replaced the gaskets as well as spark plugs and wires. Cost a total of $470. Not bad. That’s the only problem I’ve had with the car.

Great Video AK and the team. I am from Canberra but I will be more than happy to bring my LS460 for review in Sydney to support your great work!

I love seeing reviews of my car lol. I’m in the states, so I own a gs430 with the 3uz v8. I love this car, and your right about buying them heavy modified lol. I wouldn’t sell mine to just anyone because of all the modifications I’ve done. But it still quick enough, pretty enough, and I feel reliable enough to keep for another 10 years lol

Can’t wait for this one I’ve always liked this car

Never thought I would find these older car reviews so enjoyable. Thanks mate! Any plans to do a 06-12 3rd gen gs300? I was looking at 2nd gen’s when I was buying because of the cool factor. But settled on a 3rd gen for a bit more tech and safety Beautiful car happy to offer it up if you Ever want to review one. Similar to the crown/mark X of the same year

I'd love to see an IS300 soon,. I have an IS250 as my IS200 was such a great car. But I miss the first gens shape. But as much as I loved the 1G-FE. I can't go back to being that slow lol. I feel like the extra torque from the 3.0L would be nice along with being lighter, even though it's about the same power as the 4GR-FSE in the IS250.

Wow, I miss all my GS's. I gave my 2001 GS300 to my Neice and she still drives it. I sold my 01 LTuned GS430 to my buddy. Great cars.

Just bought a 2003 GS430 and it's the most glorious car I've ever driven!

I just bought a 1999 lexus gs 300 with 177000 miles on it. It's in mint condition. It drives like a dream and so smooth. I absolutely love it!

I'm in the UK and own a 2006 Lexus GS300 SE-L. 3 litre V6 with a 6 speed auto transmission. The car is supremely comfortable, whisper quiet, utterly reliable and very, very fast! Mine has been timed at 163·7mph flat out, and 0 to 60mph comes up in 5·1 seconds! (4·6 in power mode). It also returns 43 mpg on the motorway and between 21 to 32 mpg around town. This is my 7th Lexus, and I can't imagine driving anything else.

Nice! Love my 08' Gs350 AWD

The older GS models and especially the 3 litre V6 I think are the best cars Lexus ever made. Amazing quality and v6 dynamic feeling to drive with fantastic ride quality and good performance. Suspension is their weak point. Lovely ride but shocks needed changing every 50 to 60k miles, track rod end bushings and control arm bushes can prematurely fail, exhaust Y branch behind the twin mufflers has a design flaw and eventually splits needing a costly new end system replacement. ecu on mine needed reflashing when boot closer and window controls started playing up and a few hydraulic valves needed replacing. Best car I ever owned. Despite all wheel lacquer was poor quality and peeked so many will have been powder coated by nowt. Tpms sensors can fail and were costly to replace. Now got an RX450h but miss my old GS

I have a GS---300/2008 and I absolutely love it.

Im rolling at 278k miles on mine and I love it! The body/interior ia in great condition

Lexus has phenomenal build quality.

Brings back some memories as I drove one from LA to Vegas and back in 1995. Nice smooth cruiser. Have a look at who designed it. Same bloke (his company but I'm sure he would've had a lot of input) who did the original Lotus Esprit, the Maserati Merak, the BMW M1 and the Alfa 159 and Brera. Yeah he also did the Hyundai Excel from 1985 and some Daewoos but we'll forget about them and remember that he probably got paid a fortune for doing them.

Got mine for a steal 120k miles everything mint condition! the kid that sold it to me though the stearing wheel racks was going bad & was going to be pricey to fix. Ended up just being the ball joints which have to be changed every 40k for safety. In total ended up paying 3,200 including the new ball joints been more then 1 year with it & no problems every since! love these old school tanks!

Did you want a moment alone with the GS there Adam lol 🤣🤣 and I noticed Sam couldn't help laughing at the stuff ups lol. And please no more Oasis-ish music please as that song seems to follow me everywhere lol 😆 From what you guys have said it seems like this car is almost worthy of 'saying shut up and take my money' too whoevers selling it. Good work guys as always was a brilliant review and look forward to the part 2 of the under $5k top 5 and next weeks review. Have a good weekend and stay save gents 👍.

Brilliant video. Never watch one of your videos before. Really enjoyed. Strange young in your country drive them in my country ( UK ) the young would only ever be sat in the back either by their grandparents or their middle age middle class family.

I had a GS400, about 200k 0 issues. only money I spent on was on coilers and wheels/exhaust. the v8 is basically a legend (same motor as the ls430)

Mine is awesome. Had to fix a constantly leaky rear main seal. It was a bit of a pain to fix but now it’s good as gold.

I currently own two low mileage GS 300 and I have to tell you they are the perfect budget daily driver. Easily modified with a lot of really great aftermarket support. Of course the two JAY-Z under the hood that could be turbo charged or swapped out for the GTE version and extremely luxurious and smooth ride inside

Best car I’ve ever had of so many brands . Recommended 💯 % this car

My first car was a GS400 that had been horribly neglected by its previous owners. And yet the interior didn't creak or rattle at all and the powertrain was still flawless. There hasn't been a car of that quality since.

the door lock actuators, A/C blend door actuator, the Mark Levinson sound system, oil leaks galore, ABS sensor, Throttle Body Actuator, head gasket... I bought my 2004 GS300 from a BMW mechanic... everytime I fix a problem, I get in the damn thing next day it throws another code... Ive seen them last longer than mine at 183,000 miles, and after all this, I still love it. IRS handles well for what appears to be a big car... Time for an Aristo turbo swap.

Loved my 1999 GS300, 300,000km when I sold it. Didn't miss a beat.

I have one as a daily and I absolutely love it.

yepp I have a 2000 gs300 ... still runs great! no majors issues and still looks good however the ac doesn't cool and recharging it doesn't work.. but everything else is awesome

I love my gs300 she just turned 20 years old. I have a 2jzgte waiting to be installed in her but I can't bring myself to mod anything more that the wheels. I can see these gems soaring in value once the genie is let out the bottle. I'll never sell. I still have a tape deck and cd changer in the glove box

The beauty of these late 90s Lexus cars is that the first and second owners took impeccable care of them.

I own one of these and can say that only thing you really need to worry about are front ball joints. Also try to have in professionally washed twice a year cause all the bolts and fittings start to rust and after that any repair on the under carriage is basically a cutting wheel involvement. The mufflers on all of these rust from the top and fuel tank seems will pop and leak. Good to have it checked and coated in some stone chip paint. Other than that its a very good and safe car. There is a crash test video on the YT also.

I had this car as a wallpaper when it first came out. Crazy how it's been 20 years

Yeah Lexus GS! Love my 2010 GS460

I had a GS300 for a few years untill it was written off early last year, I instantly went on the lookout for another and picked up a mint 2001 GS430 with 32k miles on it and its honestly the best car ive ever had. Drives way better than most new cars ive driven

I think you've just found us the perfect saloon! Well done, it actually exists!

I'm lucky enough to own an Aristo , 2JZGTE, drove it up from Melbourne to far north NSW, 1700kms, it never missed a beat the entire way, also vehicles only done 60,000kms she's like new, amazing car

I have a 98 GS400 and the acceleration even by todays standard is breathtakingly brisk with that rush of buttery torque. Things that have been replaced since purchased in 2005: Lower ball joints Door lock actuators Timing belt Starter A few batteries Brake pads 1 HID bulb Trunk taillights (tend to fade) Evap hose Engine mounts So far, 200k and it still drives like new.

Good one brother..👍

Owned many cars and by far my 04 LS 430 and 01 GS 430 are the most reliable cars I owned. With proper maintenance, these cars will probably out live you. Had a 03 GS 300 but traded it this year for the 01 GS 430. Cant go wrong with any of the older Lexus's.

This is such a good timed video, there is a 2001 GS 300 up for sale in Clydebank and I was tempted by its low price... (circa £2k with 50k miles)

‘I’m the same height or a little shorter or a little bit taller than you are’ is possibly the best line I’ve heard when reviewing car seating.

Considering one of these myself. Depending on the climate of the market you live, check the sub-frame underneath the car for corrosion. Also, seen on a couple of owners forums that in rare cases the amp from the optional Mark Levinson stereo can be tinny, poppy or even fail altogether.

I'm commenting before watching, I have 2 Porsches, an Amarok and a new BMW. If I had to give them all up for a well maintained GS300 I would, my son drives a beautifully tidy one, my dad had one till the flood took it out and I've owned 2 as part of an 11 Lexus run. These cars are amazing, BUT! Like everything else, skip the maintenance and u will never recover. But if you treat it well, it will be a 5 star experience. Even if u abuse them they will still look after you, but eventually it will catch up with you.

Beautiful interior. Simple, elegant, and high quality materials.

Should you buy a used Lexus? Yes, in my opinion. I own a RX400h and I love it. Super reliable, comfortable, nice v6 and great fuel economy for a petrol 3.3 cc v6. It's fast, spacious and in my opinion, almost perfect! Great video (y). I would also love to own a s190 GS.

I own a white US Ltuned 430 in Florida. Love these cars!

I would have listened to that song on repeat in the 90s. Always liked these cars from new, but never loved one enough to buy it.

it's amazing what a difference the right set of rims and stance make to this car

I have 2001 GS 300, 197k miles and it’s still a fun sporty luxurious drive!

Massively underated... And they have a 2JZ like the Supra! That VS Ute with a long tray behind Jim is pretty rare, please review it!

I still have my ‘06 GS430 and just turned 100k kilometres a couple days ago. Still looks and feels new. Doubt I’ll ever sell it.