98Nav400

I know several owners have traded in their 03/04 for 2005. Can any of you give those of us with an earlier model something to be jealous about?

How is the power difference between the 235 hp and 270 hp?

4th generation Navigation?

Bluetooth?

I keep waiting for someone to post but can't take it anymore.

Rx900

check out the GX gallery for the bluetooth part.

bareyb

I recently bought an '04 and I'll admit my curiosity got the better of me so I took a new 2005 for a fairly extended test drive. Here are my impressions.

New Engine: No difference that I can feel. It feels and sounds just as great as the previous models. No better no worse. I'm sure there's some improvement in overall numbers, but it's just not something my Wife or I could detect in any way.

New Nav: Very pretty. Some minor differences in operation but basically the same. Mostly cosmetic. I didn't test the bluetooth since I don't have a blue tooth phone, but it appears to do about what you'd epect. Nice feature if you have the phone for it.

Those were the only two changes that I cared about. I mostly wanted to see if the engine was significantly faster. It doesn't appear to be. I'm sure there will be lots of folks who disagree, but I sure wasn't able to feel anything different. At least not under the tests I performed. Passing on the freeway was no better or worse than my 2004. It simply downshifts when you step on it and roars ahead just like it always has. I kinda knew 35 HP wasn't gonna be all that much anyway, but I guess I had to see for myself. No offense to those who waited. I think that's great too. You all will have better resale etc. I am just relieved that this new one hasn't made my "old" one obsolete. I'm sure I'm not alone.

steevr

Bareyb,

Thanks for the info. We purchased our '04 about a month and a half ago. I originally was going to wait for an '05, but when I was able to get our fully loaded (except KDSS) '04 for $46,000, I couldn't resist. Our plan is to keep it 8 years like we did with our '97 Expedition, so the extra year of depreciation didn't worry me.

I'm glad that the exterior styling didn't change at all and I really felt the the extra 35 hp wouldn't make a giant difference. I remember when our friends bought a '99 Expedition with 260 hp compared to the 230 hp in our '97. I felt no difference whatsoever in driving both vehicles, including pulling our 23 ft boat with both vehicles.

I am extremely happy for all of you '05 owners out there getting your GX's. I know how much I enjoy driving my wife's GX over my RX (nothing against the RX). My wife worked all day today and will again tomorrow (she's a registered nurse), so she was kind enough to take my RX and left the GX to the kids and I. I drove all over the place with them today....hee hee.

1 Dad driving the wife's GX + 3 kids = 4 kids.

gs400jon

Bareyb and Steevr,

I'm thankful for your curiosity as well as making me chuckle about being the fourth kid along with your other three in your GX.

There are undoubtledly many among us who have been curious about the additional 35 HP, me included. The comments are very well done. I would have been much more sensitive to horsepower increases if I still had the GS400 but those days of all that power and hardly anywhere to use it are over for me. The combination of the more than adequate power and perfect shift points on the five speed transmission make for one happy GX owner

lourdes

We have a 2004 and love it. the car is very tourquey and the additional horsepower is probably not felt so much between the weight of the car the amount of torque that is provided. I have not seen the 2005 but I can't imagine how the NAV was improved from 04! Lexus has the best navigation hands down IMO. I bought an 05 Mercedes last month, and they just went to DVD Nav - which was a huge improvement. It was very tough for me to not want to poke the screen with my finger! It is not touch screen . but what is nice about the Mercedes is that on the instrument panel it gives me my present street, direction and next turn so I don't have to look down at the nav screen. Also the mercedes nav screen shows where you have come from on the map by changing the color of the path. But having to type in destinations wiithout touchscreen is not fun.
I have not played any movies in the merc yet, but I admit in the lexus ( at intersections/red lights ) I pull up on the brake and watch the movie that is playing in the back

steevr

I find that when the kids are watching a movie that I've seen before and they are listening it to with the speakers instead of the headphones, I keep envisioning the movie inside my head as I hear the audio. I asked my wife about it and she says she does the same thing. Too funny.

lourdes

nice - i'll have to check that out. Any way to override the initial OK screen ?

Kash

please dont use that e-bay link, we have a thread on how to do it.. and ebay links are against tos
thanks guys

thurstonh3

Is there anyone who actually traded an 03/04 for an 05 who can report?
It would be helpful
thanks