BMW M3 vs Lexus GS
What's the difference?

BMW M3

$124,800 - $179,990

2023 price

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Lexus GS

—

2018 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-AMG E63

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2023 BMW M3

2018 Lexus GS

By Andrew Chesterton

By Peter Anderson

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 6, 3.0L

V6, 3.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

10.4L/100km (combined)

9.3L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Brutal acceleration
Surprisingly compliant in the city
Boot space for days

Super-smooth V6
Lots of interesting tech
Lovely (if old-fashioned) interior

Dislikes

Carbon pack a little (a lot) silly
Thirsty as all get out
Design a little polarising (though I like it)

Thirst
Media system
No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

2023 BMW M3 Summary

There’s no point waxing too lyrical here, because the facts surrounding the M3 Touring are more than exciting enough.

It’s a (kind of) family friendly wagon with oodles of space and practicality. It’s also an unhinged performance weapon with a thumping 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol inline six-cylinder engine.

And it has been years — decades, even — in the making. So, has it been worth the wait? Let’s strap in and find out.

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2018 Lexus GS Summary

Ah, yes, the Lexus GS. Toyota's luxury off-shoot had high hopes for the new big boy when I first saw it a few years ago. Not thousands-of-sales high hopes, but the company thought a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan stacked with gear you didn't even know you wanted would be a dead-set winner.

And to be fair, they were right. I ran a GS as a long-termer and it was impeccably-mannered. In hybrid form. It wasn't sparkling, but my goodness, it used barely any fuel; especially impressive given its size.

As the sun is surely setting on the GS, it's time to have a look and see if it's a match for the BMW 5 Series or the Mercedes E.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 BMW M3 2018 Lexus GS

Verdict

Long live the mighty wagon. The BMW M3 Touring is treat to look at, and an even bigger treat to drive.

If you want one, act fast. We waited a long time for a wagon-shaped M3, and with electrification increasing in the automotive industry, this will likely be your last chance.

Verdict

Weirdly, given all the good things I've had to say about the GS F Sport, it doesn't quite hang together. It's missing that certain something the Europeans have in their chassis, particularly the BMW 5 Series, and with ageing interior tech, it's struggling to keep up.

It's a car built for specific tastes, and they're more California than Straya. And that's perfectly okay, but unfortunately, that doesn't translate to a stampede of buyers. Having said that, none of its German rivals (or its beleaguered Japanese counterpart, Infiniti) could claim wild sales success either.

The GS is a terrific car, underrated but also just not quite there for my taste. The GS F, though, that's another thing altogether.

BMW M3 vs Lexus GS What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

BMW M3 vs Lexus GS
What's the difference?