Mercedes’ E 300 BlueTec diesel/electric hybrid is more engaging to drive than the GS, but you don’t get nearly as much standard kit. The E 350 e from September 2016 was a plug-in petrol/electric hybrid. As with the Lexus, the 5 Series and E-Class hybrids only came in saloon form.
What to look for
Towing
Looking to tow? The GS250 version can pull 1,600kg and the GS450h 1,500kg, but the GS300h is rated at a miserly 500kg.
Wheels
GS had either 18-inch or 19-inch rims, apart from the Executive version, which came with 17-inch alloys. All GSs have a space-saver spare wheel.
Car crime
Theft became an issue later in the GS’s life. Lexus addressed this with retro-fit upgrades, detailed at tinyurl.com/wkwbz65x.
Hybrid health
Dealers can run a hybrid battery health check, but reliability is excellent, and replacements are available surprisingly cheaply.
Interior
The GS’s cabin impresses on many levels and is a big improvement over its predecessor in terms of dashboard user-friendliness and appealing design. Not only is it roomy, with comfortable seats, but the material quality is superb, while ride comfort and refinement levels are also impressive.
Compared with the GS Mk3, the Mk4 offers much better packaging, so there’s a lot more boot space, while rear-seat legroom is also pretty good, if not necessarily a match for more mainstream rivals. The boot capacity is decent, at 480 litres, but the back seats don’t fold down to increase this volume. There’s also no estate option, which will be a deal breaker for some people.
Running costs
The GS needs to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000 miles, with maintenance alternating between minor and major checks, which cost £340 and £660 respectively. These charges include replacement brake fluid every two years, fresh engine coolant every 10 years or 100,000 miles, plus a change of coolant for the electrical inverter after 150,000 miles, then every 60,000 miles thereafter.
