2014 Lexus ES 350 vs GS 350

The Lexus ES350 Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 4th out of 31 for luxury midsize cars. The average annual repair cost is $468 which means it has excellent ownership costs. While repairs are more common, these issues are less likely to be severe than with other cars. Expect to make slightly more trips to the shop with a ES350, but for minor issues.

The Lexus GS350 Reliability Rating is 4.0 out of 5.0, which ranks it 3rd out of 30 for luxury fullsize cars. The average annual repair cost is $592 which means it has average ownership costs. While repairs are more common, these issues are less likely to be severe than with other cars. Expect to make slightly more trips to the shop with a GS350, but for minor issues.

Average annual repairs total

Average annual repair shop visits

Percentage of annual repairs that are urgent

Overall Car Ratings & Details

The Lexus ES350 ranks highest in safety and ranks lowest in fuel economy.

“The accelerator went crazy yesterday WITHOUT the floor mats in the car. I got it stopped just before I went through a plate glass window at a place of business. There were a lot of people watching...”

“The accelerator went crazy yesterday WITHOUT the floor mats in the car. I got it stopped just...”

The Lexus GS350 ranks highest in value and ranks lowest in fuel economy.

“Very nice car, little lacking in the power. Brakes are a little soft. Love all the electronic gizmo's. ”

“Very nice car, little lacking in the power. Brakes are a little soft. Love all the electronic...”

Vehicle Comparison Rundown

The Lexus ES350 and the Lexus GS350 are both midsize, four-door luxury sedans, but they are very different from each other. The Lexus ES350 has front-wheel drive, while the GS350 comes with rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.

The Lexus ES350 has an engine with 268 horsepower. The Lexus GS350 has a higher-output engine with 311 horsepower. This should translate into much better acceleration in the GS350.

Comparing interior space and trunk space, these two sedans are very close to each other. Interior volume for the ES350 is 100.1 cubic feet and the GS350 comes in with 99 cubic feet. For trunk space, you get 15.2 cubic feet in the ES350 and 15.9 in the GS350.

For all their similarities, these two Lexus sedans will vary in their driving characteristics. The Lexus ES350 is a smooth, quiet cruiser that will waft you effortlessly down the road. The Lexus GS350 is also smooth and quiet, but it also has a rear-drive performance feel with plenty of power behind it, comparable to the German autobahn flyers. Price is another consideration, with the ES350 having a much lower price than the GS350.

This allows all four wheels to move up and down independently, providing a smoother ride when, for example, going over bumps in the road.

Rear-wheel drive benefits from increased traction when accelerating, as the weight of the vehicle shifts to the rear over the drive wheels. The weight of the car is also more evenly distributed, resulting in improved handling.

Four-wheel drive is a system where torque is distributed to all four wheels of the vehicle. It is beneficial in some circumstances such as providing increased traction in tricky weather conditions, but is most suited to off-road driving.

An electric car runs off a battery that can be recharged at home or at public charging points. Due to the savings costs of electricity compared to petrol (gasoline) it can greatly reduce running costs, and is also better for the environment as the car produces 0 emissions.

The drivetrain warranty covers parts of the car, such as the engine, transmission, driveshaft, etc. Typically longer than the basic warranty, it lasts for a certain number of years.

The basic warranty of a car covers all aspects other than parts which are subject to normal wear and tear, such as windscreen wipers and brake pads. It lasts either a certain number of years or amount of kilometres driven.

A petrol (gasoline) engine offers several advantages over diesel. For example the engines tend to be lighter and cheaper than their diesel counterparts. Petrol engines also tend to have higher horsepower, and the fuel is more readily available.

Hybrid cars run on a mixture of petrol (gasoline) and electric power. They offer several benefits over traditional petrol-powered cars. For example they produce less CO2 emissions, and due to their fuel efficiency they are often cheaper to run.

Improvements in diesel engine technology have lead to vast gains in fuel efficiency over petrol (gasoline) cars (and even hybrids), as well as having lower carbon emissions. It is also safer as it doesn't explode as petrol can.

What is the difference between the Lexus ES 350 and GS 350?

The Lexus ES350 has front-wheel drive, while the GS350 comes with rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. The Lexus ES350 has an engine with 268 horsepower.

Is the Lexus ES or GS better?

While both the Lexus ES 350 and GS 350 offer a ton of features inside, outside and under the hood, they will each appeal to a different set of buyers. The GS 350 is the more powerful sports sedan and the ES 350 offers more room in the trunk and backseat, along with a softer ride, for the whole family.

Did Lexus ES replace GS?

In some markets such as North America, the GS shares the mid-size sedan category in the Lexus lineup with the front-wheel drive ES. The GS was replaced in Europe by the Lexus ES from December 2018. The seventh generation ES is the first to be sold in Europe, replacing the GS in spite of being a front-wheel drive car.

What does the GS stand for in Lexus GS 350?

The mid-size GS followed in the footsteps of LS by adopting Sedan as a suffix. The prefix stood for Grand, which symbolised the model's middle position within the Lexus saloon model line-up during its production.