2005 Lexus GS300 Review - The Budget Luxury King?

[@brian7523]

I drive a white one and it's a lovely vehicle I must say. I bought it brand new in 2006 and it's 17 years this year and I have never really had a problem with it. I am pretty meticulous with the maintenance and I do it myself. It's a direct injection car so I use severe maintenance schedule and I change my oil & filter every 6 months or 7500km with full synthetic 5w30, and also drain and fill my coolant & ATF every 5years or 80000km with Toyota longlife & WS fluid only. I use CRC GDI Valve cleaner, CRC MAF sensor cleaner & CRC throttle cleaner annually. I also use premium fuel (95 Oct) only All electronics are still working. From South Africa.

[@Shabbe02]

Nice, whats the mileage on it now? You should make a video on it.

[@brian7523]

@@Shabbe02 I'm at 265,403 km currently. You are correct my friend, I should make a video on it, plus I have but on a cat back exhaust and it sounds very nice and beefy.

[@wilsonhung8654]

My 2006 LS430's transmission just failed last month at around 240,000km. Also bought it new. All other things and functions still work well! Have to junk it, sucks.

[@brian7523]

⁠@@wilsonhung8654😢 I’m sorry to hear that my friend. That is one of the greatest Lexuses and it’s suppressing that the transmission could die so early in its life. Even though they say the transmission has a lifetime fluid, you shouldn’t buy it. You must change the transmission fluid at least every 90000kms or 6years whichever comes first. And you must use only Toyota ATF fluid as per the owner’s manual and nothing else.

[@wilsonhung8654]

@@brian7523 Thanks. The transmission is stuck in the low gears (3rd and below I suppose). As such, the rpm would be higher than usual all the time. It costs around 3 grams to fix the transmission. Keeping the car doesn't make sense anymore. 😒

[@PauloHeaven]

I'm with my 2nd GS300, I had a bit of maintenance to do on them (an O2 sensor, a bearing, some silentblocks on my 2006 and until now only maintenance items on my 2007) but this is nothing compared to the 2 Volvos I had before. From 2007 and on they have 18" wheels and bigger brakes available, this is one thing to know if you consider one. The styling is beautiful, the fastback rear end is distinctive from most midsize luxury sedans. The standard equipment is mind-blowing too. It was the only car in its class to feature keyless entry, xenon headlights, a 10-speaker sound system and leather upholstery from the get go. There are a lot, a lot of reason to love these cars.

[@tqswagga]

Ever heard of a 2007 g35 ?

[@Bugsy2018]

My wife thought I was buying an ‘old man’s car’ when I brought my gs300 home. A few mods later it turns so many heads but still looks classy

[@PrimePerspectivee]

What year you got bro?

[@Bugsy2018]

@@PrimePerspectivee 2006 black gs300

[@Bugsy2018]

@@randomguitarshizz 19” axe ex 20 gloss black wheels, full dechrome, rear diffuser, full custom stainless steel cat back exhaust, tints all round, lowered on eibach springs, painted grill gloss black and blacked out emblems, smoked rear tail lights, added maxton front splitter, made some side skirts…jeez when I list it sounds more than ‘just a few mods’

[@partyguinness]

The great thing about an ‘old man’s’ car is that old men really look after their cars. Never miss a service and spotless…that’s the secret.

[@osajukisama777]

Please post it. I'm so curious to see it

[@alejandroperalta1982]

Holy molly! This is the first long review I have watched,this is what I call a review! Thank you!👏👏

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks Alejandro, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@MuckyD.]

Good review man. I really wanted one of these but the CVT gearbox put me off but then found out it was only the hybrid versions. These are on my watchlist now

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks for watching! Don’t think you can beat lexus for a cheap reliable barge.

[@omoniyikaye]

You can get them cheaper I paid £1,400 for mine spent £950 on full service and change two front shock absorbers. The car drive like a brand new though, I have a RX450H a family car the GS is my personal toy to commute to work but be aware the road tax is £600 not cheap but I will keep for good as a sovereign❤️

[@timomomomo969]

This body style is from the best Lexus design era, the beginning of the “L-finesse” design language. Simple and clean but with a unique profile, it predated the “4-door coupe” style popular today. The next iteration of the GS looks ordinary; this design looks unique. I have a 2008 IS that I’d trade for a GS in a heartbeat. It has the same clean lines, uncluttered and intuitive dashboard and center console and the same thoughtful details that make it unique.

[@greva2904]

I’ve got a black one of these and I love it to bits. Needed a bit of sorting out so turned out not to be the absolute bargain I hoped, but total costs ended up being about the going rate for a good one so I can’t really complain. One thing to note, all 3 uk versions of the 2005-2007 model require the old V5 fuel not the new e10 crap. Mine averages 22mpg in town and 38mpg on the motorway, but when I drove up to the midlands the other Sunday I was amazed to see it averaging 42.8mpg.

[@stevipop]

Picked mine up in 2020 as a covid present (2005 3rd gen, low tax). Let's face it, there wasn't much else to do at the time apart from buy a dog or treat yourself to a car. 17.5 on the odo and now with just under 25 on the clock. Paid over the odds but well worth it. Beautiful machine. Get in after a shift and it's aaaaah land. Infotainment's not worth a toss but who cares. I think the American comparison is a bit of an insult to be honest. This car carved its own design niche and others followed: Jaguar XF; Vauxhall Insignia, et al. However, from one so young it's nice to hear you recognise the car's strengths from an owner/driver perspective. Great video, keep it up.

[@tayokarate]

Yeah the Jaguar copied the shape

[@omoniyikaye]

Great review..Be careful folks Lexus are quite which is a plus❤️ I love them. Regular service at once a year then they go on forever period. Having drive Lexus only since 2003 7 in total. I have two at the moment. Family car RX450H and a GS300 (2007) 170,000 mileage £2,300 to commute to work❤️

[@davidmwood560]

30mpg on an open road? Get it serviced. I get an overall average of 36mpg! What do I drive? A Lexus GS300 SE-L. It's a 2005 car with 144k miles on it...and I love it! I have a history of high class cars; Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Audi (A8 3.7 40valve Quattro); Jaguar and BMW. - and I'm now on my 3rd Lexus, having had an LS400 and an early GS300 with the straight six. I cover a lot of very varied miles with regular 400+ mile journeys and much local running. The car is very comfortable, impressively fast, relatively cheap to service and excellent on fuel. The latter I believe is all about driving style. I'm not slow, but I learned 50 years ago to adopt a smooth, fluid driving style with really does pay off. I'm proud of having achieved 111mpg on an urban journey in a Toyota CH-R that is supposed to get up to 78mpg. I find the boot space in my 300 to be quite adequate, I love to smoothness of the car overall. My 400 was smooth too; as were my many Cadillacs. I'm with you on the "land-yacht" description; and perhaps Lexus are akin to the big American cars in all but dimension. I've never found a road that presented difficulty; including some hair-raising Cornish lanes! Equipment levels are indeed outstanding when compared to other, European cars. Above all, the equipment is reliable - it does its job perfectly and repeatedly. I recommend that you try not to be in too much of a hurry to part with the 300. Give yourself the opportunity to really get used to the car ~ I think you could end up being very impressed indeed. I really enjoyed your report; one of the best car reviews I've seen. Excellent job; I shall watch for more

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks David, much appreciated! Sounds like you’ve had quite the history with luxury cars such as this.

[@davidmwood560]

@@ItsDanLatham : very much so. I was born into a family of total petrolheads. Best way in the world to grow up. I learned to drive on a 1937 Singer le Mans which I had to build first. Took my test in a 1938 Triumph Gloria and my first car was a 1954 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. It just went on from there

[@motogte]

I'm getting 25 urban, 36 long run. Had a 330ci could only get 25 mpg max.

[@jerzywoking1699]

Just bought a 2005 UK registered GS300 in Spain for €750 (£630). Apart from some (easily repairable) damage to the passenger side front bumper, it is great. 114,000 miles and runs perfectly. My mate from the UK is having it, and will no doubt be able to make a big profit on it as it is.

[@ItsDanLatham]

Nice find! I'm sure they'll either have many happy miles or a few extra quid

[@alexanderodonnell988]

I have a gs 300 and omg it's an amazing car. I would absolutely recommend to buy this car. Sure its 16 years old but its fantastic for the price.

[@SirAuron777]

How much did you pay for yours and show many miles? I found one for $6300 with 112,000 miles clean title

[@alexanderodonnell988]

@@SirAuron777 I bought mine for £3500 with 75,000 in December 2019

[@stashouse617]

@@SirAuron777 that’s a steal bro . I see an 06 for 9 grand with 130k on the clock . I’m in Massachusetts

[@SirAuron777]

@@stashouse617 it got sold before I could see it smh still looking for one, or an is250/350, or gs350

[@omoniyikaye]

@@stashouse617 They’re a bit cheaper in the Uk. I bought a GS450H in September 2021 on 126,000 mileage for £2,300. For some strange reason very few of us in the Uk drive Lexus☹️

[@letsbefrank6269]

I’ve got a 99 GS300 straight six, I’m happy with it and would recommend it.

[@mustasheolll2020]

Looks very modern for an 05, aged well.

[@kevinorde1099]

Bought a 2006 Lexus GS300 in 2018. Had to replace the discs other than that just carried out routine maintenance. It averages 30mpg, however I live in a rural area in France. On the motorway it does 38/40 mpg cruising at 75mph. I like the car and the low cost maintenance.

[@matijaherjavec1836]

I have 450h 345hp is arround 5 sec to 100km/h. You need to try that one,and you will see that CVT is great.

[@kari9856]

Nice review. I have owned a punch of cars from Germans to Japanese. Worst one was a Citroen BX, best so far MB 200 D from 1984 along with current Rav4 2.0 aut.4WD from 2004. VWs and Audis been there from Beetle to A6. Never owned a Lexus but RX is on the list as well as GS. Been driving both and have to say that GS feels more like a leather clove.

[@supernova1976]

I always wanted one of these , and you really got it spot on with your explanation and review, I agree with all of your points. Still looks nice after all these years. I cant believe how little you paid for this car :) where i live the only one i can find is 8k euros for 2005 with 230k km . cars are so cheap in UK .

[@ItsDanLatham]

I did get lucky with this car! Its probably worth around £3000 here in reality. Thanks for watching and I hope you find one!

[@Jonathan.R.Pereira]

But you pay an arm and a leg for Insurance.

[@opeyemiadewaleadegbesan8857]

​@@ItsDanLathamplease how much is the tax and the insurance ? Because am about to upgrade from is 250 to Gs 300. 2006

[@azzy274]

Recently bought one of these (same year and engine) and I absolutely agree with everything you have said about it, fantastic car! I'm coming up from a lexus is250 of a similar year and I loved that car as well but needed something with a little more rear room (for the kids) so the gs300 seemed like an obvious choice. I did pay the higher end for it but it's relatively lower mileage and has been well looked after through it's life with all services done as Lexus Guildford. Great cars for the money and they tick about 99% of the boxes 🤙

[@ItsDanLatham]

Congrats, I hope you enjoy it!

[@taniabachmayer9708]

I have a Gs430. I'm in Australia and the 4.3 Has 55 more hp to the 3.0 litre. Best car ill ever own!!!

[@krzysztofwasiak2018]

18mpg town or 13L 100/km 30mpg highway or 8L 100/km with avg speed around 120-140 km/h if faster it will obviously take more 😁

[@kurt669]

120 miles trip to Birmingham and back, average 57 mph - 38.9 MPG 😎

[@drraza8615]

Did you try city mileage by yourself?

[@greva2904]

Mine averages 22mpg in town and 38mpg out of town, just like it says in the specs. I did notice though that the last time I drove up the midlands it claimed to be averaging 42.8mpg, which was a nice surprise.

[@cheez-itconnoisseur2222]

Great review Dan

[@wandeboston331]

Wow you made a very lovely review. How long do the 2006 Lexus GS 300 engine last? Is high mileage really an issue ?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Thanks! The engines are usually reliable. I don’t think mileage is too much of a problem on a properly maintained and serviced car

[@wandeboston331]

@@ItsDanLatham it typically has 193k miles on it. I’m looking to buy for $4,000. I hope this is a good deal ?

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@wandeboston331 I can only comment on the UK market but thats quite high mileage so shop around a bit !

[@rikis8266]

@@wandeboston331 I hope that you already bought it, but that is a really good price. These engines can go forever with proper maintaining. Pretty much bulletproof, and that is a good deal, because where I live, I would be paying twice as much for the car. Just check that it has been maintained properly and good oil has been used

[@wandeboston331]

@@rikis8266 I got it last week. Car runs great but I changed my battery and the ABS and VSC light came on. I’m still trying to figure out what the problem is but there is no check engine light on the car.

[@motogte]

In manual mode if you hold it out to limit will it change for you as the change up is slow doing it yourself?

[@miguelzamoraespinoza4938]

Exelente video. Muy informativo para los que buscan este vehículo de segunda mano.

[@calebvalder6855]

Seems like a perfect work commuter to me.

[@davidtrewin5669]

Hi enjoyed your take on the gs300 , I have one myself same as your in every way owned it now for 4.5 years 32,000 miles when bought now at 59,000 love the car to faults mine has , 1 squeaky dash at time , and ride a little harder that I would of liked but i changer all the dampers 2 months ago with KYB , which on fitting them to the car I found was stander to lexus , ride is still firm but much better thanks again best wishes D

[@hansejoo]

Hi! You know lexus is250 has the melting dashboard cracking issue from 2005-2009 models? Does GS300 have this issue? Any information would be helpful 👍

[@marjanmiletic53]

I'm looking to buy Lexus IS 250/350 gen 2 or GS 300 gen 3 next year. I'm interested if someone can tell me the fuel consumption on GS300 highway. Also, how much should I pay for I good example in Europe (my budget is going to be 10.000e) can I fit into it? I would love to hear some owners thoughts! Thanks in advance!

[@dimiturkilikchiiski7488]

Did you buy something

[@jimb4547]

I have a 2006 and love mine!!

[@-Gunnarsson-]

I dont like the modern type of plastic used on the doors and stuff. Feels cheap.

[@Thepotagerscottage]

I am looking at buying this car. I have heard that they guzzle oil, is this true?

[@kevinorde1099]

Yes, it mine does 1000k/litre

[@kamilsik5041]

Best car I've ever had.

[@PrimePerspectivee]

What year do u have?

[@supernova1976]

You will never hear that from a BMW owner :)

[@Birmingham_racing]

The v8 has an extra 30-35bhp and extra 80 ft lbs of torque. You can always lpg your car if you do a lot of miles

[@ItsDanLatham]

Yes I misspoke and said 20bhp towards the start! I have seen a fair few LPG conversions of these. But the Hybrid is probably the better option for a lot of miles.

[@odin5188]

GS460 has almost almost 100bhp more.... Rare though

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@odin5188 From what I read, it wasn't offered in the UK, but I've since seen a UK spec one so as you say must just be extremely rare or limited

[@odin5188]

@@ItsDanLatham Yes, a hand full in the country, i managed to bag one. Interesting on your MPG. I get around 17mpg in town and if i drive like a granny over 35mpg. Not sure how accurate the car's readings are tbh but not bad i guess. Nice video 👍

[@tayokarate]

​​@@ItsDanLathamdo u want to sell , I want to buy.its been 2 years already

[@fps3693]

I can’t believe the negative feedback you giving us and I own the car too

[@kenyatta932]

It's a vehicle I would like to have up until now .

[@realdamageboy]

I do not understand, what You mean with Surge of power.

[@kishankantelia9423]

I think he means the power is instant when you put your foot down the acceleration is there

[@superthierry1]

At £1400 pounds I could forgive the road tax and mpg 🎉😂

[@jjustdrive7894]

On this model .. is it a six speed (torque converter) gearbox or 6 speed CVT

[@ItsDanLatham]

Torque converter, CVT on the hybrid ones!

[@glenndejong6817]

Mate I bought one of these four years ago , I get on highway 6.6 litres per hundred klm , that’s pretty good , and on the auto Bahn they go 253km per hour , hour fast is that . Fussy bastard .

[@ItsDanLatham]

I never said it was slow, its just not fast in comparison to more modern (and more efficient) turbo engines. And judging by the fact you’re using l/km you’re probably not from the UK so your roads are likely better suited to the car. We dont have enough space here for long distance economy cruising. This car is much better suited to an autobahn than town and that was my entire point.

[@awesomusmaximus3766]

I got the last version 252 hp 85k miles

[@Kaininjagofan]

Does the car have an auxiliary port or anything that lets you Use adds ons for Bluetooth

[@ItsDanLatham]

Some are fitted with aux in the center console under the armrest. This one does not, but you can easily use a cassette to aux adaptor or an FM bluetooth transmitter.

[@instasingingvids3529]

Late reply. But there kits to install them. Plugs into the back of the radio

[@omoniyikaye]

Yes they have Bluetooth and Aux..You can also use tape adapter to connect your phone and listen to music. You can buy Bluetooth adapter for £10 it’s faster than the original one in the car.

[@stevec2416]

2008 models onwards have a Aux Port

[@cidgid3683]

Planning to only do long journeys UK-France and back. What kind of fuel consumption should i expect?

[@ItsDanLatham]

35mpg when being really sensible and light footed.

[@yungblade7]

You didn't floor it from a stop, you failed.

[@Birmingham_racing]

You could add an exhaust since it's not a cvt hybrid

[@radleytube]

Is this car the size of the A6 from the same year?

[@ItsDanLatham]

Similar I would have thought yes

[@anthonybelton-ford3124]

Weird, I've been looking at these recently!

[@jamiehope4580]

Who buys a diesel lol. Worst choice unless you buying a truck

[@ItsDanLatham]

In Europe diesel is a very popular option due to fuel economy and durability. Diesel doesn’t really make any sense in the USA though

[@FredericFreedom]

22mpg? I thought it was 30mpg?

[@ItsDanLatham]

On a longer run yes, but low 20's for town driving

[@aquila6096]

Is that Lexus hybrid?

[@ItsDanLatham]

No. As mentioned in the video this is the 300 (V6 petrol), and not the 450h or 600h hybrid models.

[@aquila6096]

Thanks for your answer,i am Thimking to bay one looks potential care.

[@mrwaqy]

Hmm interesting. I currently own a 2.4 manual Accord and local I get about 25mpg or even less sometimes, motorway I get about 33mpg. I don't do that many miles anyway so mpg really isn't a problem. I am thinking of buying one, not 100% sure though because of possible electric issues. Wouldn't buy the 450h because of the risk of having to replace the batteries.

[@ItsDanLatham]

I felt the same about the hybrid but I can imagine it feels a lot faster. I can’t say I’ve encountered any electrical issues, the TPMS is a common fault but it has already been fixed on this example. This one is for sale now if you’re looking for a fairly tidy one. My email is in the description! I’ve been in an accord and whilst they are good this is definitely a step up with regard to comfort.

[@northweezie1]

@@ItsDanLatham still for sale mate?

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@northweezie1 It is indeed. You’ll find it on gumtree and Facebook marketplace! Alternatively DM me on Instagram

[@warpi83]

So, some of the gs300 have CVT and some don't ? Is it right?

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@warpi83 Nope - just the hybrid are CVT. For some reason the GS300 are CVT but they are not.

[@simardmg]

Brother I'm planning to buy

[@ItsDanLatham]

Its comfortable and reliable, so if its something you think you’ll enjoy then go for it!

[@Deedrama206]

Enjoy your carbon build up mate

[@Ewanyah144]

Doesn't look like an 05 GS300

[@KhakLe2403]

Inline 6 not v6

[@ItsDanLatham]

Incorrect. The previous gen was inline 6, these are v6

[@AlanForde-CheyneMS]

This v6 had direct engine therefore it carbons up easily, wish they kept the 2jz

[@drytoon1507]

Were that many cases of burnt engines?

[@joelamosun9341]

They fixed the problem on cars made from 2007 onwards. Those are the ones to go for. If you are not sure, go for the facelift model with indicators in the door mirrors.

[@damilolaakanni]

@@joelamosun9341 2007 gave you the GS350 which is the popular 2GR-FE V6. That's the one to go for.

[@joelamosun9341]

@@damilolaakanni Yes, the finest engine you can get, but we didn't get this in the UK.

[@davidmcnamara3243]

For the money, you paid, you could have bought a decent 1.8tdci Focus!!! Haha!!!

[@ItsDanLatham]

Anything like that is scrap now in London thanks to ULEZ !

[@jacobmcdonald356]

crowns are nicer lmao

[@ItsDanLatham]

@@jacobmcdonald356 agreed 😂