Lexus GS review

Overview

A used GS can make good sense if you would rather have a proper saloon seat and a calm ride than spend the same budget on a younger, simpler car. The version covered here is the fourth-generation UK facelift GS 300h Luxury, sold in the 2016–2018 range, with a 2.5-litre petrol hybrid and 18-inch wheels. Its rear-drive layout distinguishes it from the front-drive ES that followed. It is not the 450h V6 hybrid, the V8 GS F or a pre-facelift car. RoadMatch has not driven this example; our assessment combines Lexus's UK technical documentation and independent UK reports. This is a comfort-first used buy, with an older luxury car's inspection priorities.

Exterior and interior

The facelift's prominent grille and sharper lights make it easy to recognise in a line of conventional saloons, but its long body is more noticeable in a short parking bay than it is in a photograph. Inside, Luxury gives you leather and ventilated as well as heated front seats. The trim does not guarantee the optional premium audio system or a sunroof, so take the time to confirm the equipment rather than buying from a badge. Sit in the seat for a few minutes and try adjustments with the car parked. Inspect leather bolsters, wheel lips and the lower bumpers, and try the mirrors and door seals on the car you are considering.

Practicality

Five seats and four doors make the GS usable for a household, but the boot is its biggest packaging compromise. Lexus gives 450 litres above the boot deck for the facelift hybrids. That is not evidence of estate-like load flexibility or a current VDA comparison. The fixed rear-seat layout and separate opening matter if you carry bulky equipment or long objects, and a single high suitcase may tell you more than several small bags. Try your regular load, inspect the boot lining for water and test any child restraints in the actual back seats. Two rear adults can also judge the space with the front seats set where their usual driver and passenger want them.

Driving experience

The 300h is at its best when speed builds without urgency. Its rear-wheel-drive layout is interesting, but the Luxury version should not be bought in the expectation of the sharper control hardware fitted to some higher-performance versions. UK reviews describe the 300h as better suited to making easy progress than delivering excitement at full throttle. Listen for how much road noise you hear at your usual cruising speed, and decide whether the engine note under stronger acceleration bothers you. A smooth test drive also gives you a chance to judge the transition between electric and petrol operation. A used car's tyres and suspension condition can matter more than a difference between the brochure's drive modes.

Performance

The facelift technical sheet gives 220 bhp, or 164 kW, as the combined system output of the 2.5-litre petrol and electric drivetrain. Lexus quotes 9.0 seconds to 62 mph for the 300h, not a 0–60 mph test or the substantially quicker 450h figure. The electronic continuously variable transmission drives the rear wheels; it will not respond exactly like a stepped automatic under load. On your test drive, check that it moves smoothly at parking speeds and pulls evenly on a warm uphill stretch. Neither the number on the boot lid nor a brisk acceleration figure says much about how much sound you will tolerate when joining a motorway.

Fuel economy

The 2018 Lexus UK price list gives the 18-inch GS 300h Luxury and Premier a 57.6 imperial mpg combined NEDC figure. The 64.2 mpg headline belongs to the lighter 17-inch Executive Edition, and neither number is directly comparable with newer WLTP results. Use a practical assumption for the driving you do: at 42 mpg, 8,000 miles and £1.45 a litre, allow about £1,255 for petrol. At 36 mpg, the same annual mileage adds around £210. The GS is not a plug-in, and it does not need home charging. If fuel is the main reason you are considering it, compare a year's likely costs with a smaller car, not just laboratory results between similar saloons.

Reliability

We have not used a representative failure-rate dataset for this exact facelift Luxury, so our confidence in a model-level reliability score is limited. There is no substitute for a service history you can read and match to the car's mileage. Ask a suitably equipped specialist about battery checks and arrange a diagnostic inspection if the seller cannot explain a warning or an unresolved repair. Test the cabin electrics, brakes, suspension and steering as part of the drive. These are inspection priorities, not a claim that each component usually fails. Check whether the car qualifies for any current cover before assuming a Lexus badge or an old service stamp protects you against a future repair.

Safety

No exact UK facelift Lexus GS Euro NCAP assessment has been verified. Do not transfer a Lexus IS or ES result to it. Lexus's UK facelift documents list pre-collision support, adaptive cruise, lane assistance, traffic-sign recognition and automatic high beam within Lexus Safety System+. That establishes the original equipment, not an independent crash-test performance rating. Confirm the warning lamps behave as expected and ask for any calibration and repair records after front-end or windscreen work. Safety technology is no substitute for sound tyres, brakes and a properly fitted restraint. Use the government's recall lookup by registration and ask Lexus to confirm the VIN; the model article cannot tell you whether individual campaigns are complete.

Technology and features

Luxury builds on the facelift's standard large navigation display, parking sensors and heated seats, then adds front-seat ventilation. The display uses a console controller rather than behaving like a modern phone screen. Try a short navigation task and check the Bluetooth audio and climate functions; slow or fiddly controls are more noticeable once you live with them. The original UK equipment does not establish factory Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. If a seller claims retrofit phone projection or a camera, test the installation and make sure the original controls still work. Likewise, if a premium sound system is part of the appeal, look for build evidence and demonstrate it rather than relying on the advert.

Running costs

Use £9,500–£18,000 as a November 2026 shopping allowance rather than a live valuation. Fuel at 8,000 miles, 42 mpg and £1.45 a litre is about £1,255 a year. Adding a £250 tax placeholder and £795–£1,395 for routine servicing, MOT and consumables produces a planning range of £2,300–£2,900 before insurance, depreciation, finance or major repairs. A real tax bill can differ, especially when you compare cars on either side of registration-related tax rules, so use the registration. Check quotes for good-quality tyres and any repairs before buying. A discounted luxury car can still have luxury-car repair costs, and unverified hybrid work should sit outside the ordinary annual allowance.

Advantages and disadvantages