The G Man

You are right, trading in a car for better maileage dont make sense, but it make sense to trade in for a car with better mailage if you are in the market for a new car anyways.

itsZep

Plus Bob's point does not take into account the first time
GX buyer that with rising fuel costs will decide against the vehicle.

I hate to say it because I adore the GX470, but I think if fuel
keeps rising at the current rates, the GX470 we all know and
love may be history within 5 years.


=

kutsyy

Here is a summary posted by Wall Street Journal :

JimsGX

If we achieve 17mpg on our GX's, and drive an average of 15,000 miles per year, its costing us an additional $883 per year for gas for every $1 increase in gas prices.

I had an 04 GX that I traded in for an 07 RX400h. After a year of missing the GX, I traded in the RX400h and went back to an 08 GX... I wasn't getting the advertised MPG on the RX400h (although many claim they do), the difference between the two vehicles from my experience is maybe 6MPG.

Using "my" real world MPG differences between the two vehicles:

Annual fuel cost for the GX @ 17mpg & 15000 per year (@ $4.50 gal): $3970*

Annual fuel cost for RX400h @ 23mpg & 15000 per year: $2934*

So its costing me roughly $100 more per month to drive the vehicle I want to drive... It's going to take more of a difference than this per month to deter me...

For every .50 increase in gas prices over the $4.50 a gallon, its costing me an additional $10 per month to run the GX over the 400h...

I probably paid a premium of around $6000 for the RX Hybrid, which equates to a six year pay-back @ $4.50gal...

*GX Requires Premium, RX400h Recommends Premium.

Jim

itsZep

"Here is a summary posted by Wall Street Journal"

But isn't that comparing apples to oranges?

Or are all new cars "Hybrids"?

I just think with energy prices soaring that more and more new car buyers
are not going to be looking at big SUV gas guzzlers vs. smaller vehicles.
The problem isn't current GX owners, the problem is if there is a huge
reduction in new GX purchases, thats what will motivate Toyota/Lexus to drop the line.
I hope I am wrong.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Fuel mileage was never a consideration in our purchase of the GX. If it were we would not have bought it and if we had to purchase another vehicle today it would be another GX. I was not a big GX fan when we purchased it but I certainly am now.

To add, the media always tends to blow things out of proportion for ratings (shock value) . Prices are lower but certainly not at the level the media portrays them to be.

kutsyy

? WSJ compared identical hybrid to non hybrid (with exception of Prius, compared to Camry). Point was that hybrid is not necessary is a financial decision.

The G Man

You are right pearlpower, gas mileage was never a consideration when I purchase the GX 4 years ago, but It wasnt a deterrent like it is today.

kutsyy

Just came across interesting data on gas prices:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/gas1.html

So we are continuing to enjoy cheap gas

itsZep

"? WSJ compared identical hybrid to non hybrid (with exception of Prius, compared to Camry). Point was that hybrid is not necessary is a financial decision"

I gotcha, but in my mind it's an apples to oranges for what I have been discussing in this thread because it assumes people are looking only at Hybrids. New vehicle purchasers and current gaz guzzler owners when they are considering a new vehicle purchase can look at new vehicles that are not "Hybrids" but that get much better gas mileage than their current vehicle. Thus they can get much better gas mileage without paying the hybrid premium. If a person was ready to trade in their several year old GX they may choose a different new non hybrid vehicle now because of energy costs where as the same person a year ago may have considered getting another GX.

kutsyy

Agree, now people actually start to think what they need vehicle for.

[Very nice] 4x4 truck based high seating vehicle with engine optimized for towing is not the best choice for 1 person highway commuting, agree.

ADVocate

Personally, I have owned my GX for a while now. I have had a good run with it. I don't need to sell it, and I do think it is a nice vehicle for toting people around. If I where to remove the commute aspect of it, I can deal with the fuel costs. I do react to the fuel costs out of principal alone. I will probably purchase some efficient non-hybrid vehicle myself for commuting. You can pick up one of those for about the cost of a major Lexus service...

One nice option for my area, is that Honda will have the leasing option for the Fuel Cell FCX vehicle. I think that will be around $600/month. But, that is one bugger of a waiting list.

I wish the best of luck to anyone wrestling with the decision about what to do with the truck. I wonder how much that type of vehicle depreciates on a monthly, if not weekly, basis. After all, the people you will sell/trade it to have to dump it somewhere. All those factors contribute to the rapid collapse of the vehicle's value. At this point, I don't think they would give me near what I think its' worth.

Sadly, as this scenario plays out, I am beginning to feel socially and ecologically repugnant driving such a large vehicle around by myself.

GatorGreg

Advocate, I think you are being way too hard on yourself. The GX is relatively fuel efficient for what it brings to the table in terms of its combination of luxury, all weather/off-road capability, seating for 8 in a pinch, etc. While it is pretty big, it's not so large as to be embarassingly gargantuan. In fact, while I was getting it washed just last weekend at one of those boy scout type fund raiser carwashes a couple of the adults in charge came over to compliment me on the GX and asked me what kind of vehicle it was - they told me they loved the size of it because it wasn't "too big " and had "tidy proportions". Maybe they had just gotten done washing an H2, I don't know

Anyway, my point is rather then getting down on yourself for driving the GX, I think you should drive it with pride and enjoy it because it truly is a splendid vehicle. Damn, maybe I should have become a psychologist

itsZep

"Damn, maybe I should have become a psychologist"

LOL @ Greg....and you are correct.

I have ZERO guilt about driving my GX.

The G Man

Gator, when I had my GX, alot of people comment on how big my GX was, maybe it was the height.