RA121423-2

I thought I'd get some fellow GX owner input on my dilemma. Wife and I have owned our 2005 GX470 for over 6 years. It now has 95K miles on it, and I did the timing belt, etc, at 90K. Have had little repair issues over the years, except for the proverbial radiator, rear suspension air bags, an alternator, and a small dash crack that's most certainly factory related. I have two daughters that we brought home in this vehicle, so I'm a bit nostalgic about it, but back to the dilemma.

To sell the GX470 and purchase a more fuel efficient mid sized car, or..... not?

I myself drive a 2007 Land Cruiser, so we essentially have two very similar vehicles. Our recent rationale has been to possibly sell the GX and go for a more economical sedan of sorts. The GX470 which we paid $30K for with 30K miles in it is now still fetching $16K as a trade-in (per dealer quote today), so it's only cost $14K to own it for over 6 years. Gotta love Lexus/Toyota for holding the value.

The GX is in excellent condition, glossy paint, not a ding, interior is great. But the headlights are looking worn out and cloudy, and at 14 mpg around town it's a bit irritating dropping the money on fuel.

Trying to decide whether to sell the GX or keep it. I just don't know what midsized sedan would be a good choice and would make it worth our while. I mean, even if we go for a 30/40 mpg diesel Passat (which I drove and really enjoyed, but am suspect of the VW reliability thing) it would take years to recapture the mpg savings. And to me the Camry and Accords are boring, although incredibly reliable.

Looking for some input from those of you that have GX's that have driven them past the century mark into the 140K, 180K range. Besides a 2nd timing belt what are these vehicles known for repair-wise past 100K miles? Would greatly appreciate thoughts on this, as these GX470's are tough vehicles to justify getting rid of. As my wife says, "I'm never going to get a new car am I?!?" (because it's so damn reliable)..

UpStarr

This is one of those inner questions you'll need to deal with, but based on what you said below:

sell it/trade it in for something that will $ave you money

6080prado

I don't see the logic in having both the 100 series and the GX (unless that is what you want). We have an Altima and the GX. (Although I actually was hunting for a 100 series). If I had my choice it would be something like a Infiniti G35 or 37. It's nice having a sedan to haul the kids around when you don't need the space of the SUV. Getting 30mpg instead of 15 is a bonus.

sprocket

You're not the only one dealing with this dilemma. I'm considering swapping my 2004 for something newer, possibly a CPO 460. I need something to tow with and it will be my only vehicle. Good luck with your decision.

cssnms

I went through a similar decision making process a year or so ago. I ran into a guy at the Lexus dealer who had 195k on the clock and said outside of routine maintenance he hadn't a problem with his GX, And from what I know about these engines and transmissions they will run well into the 300k mile range.

In the end I decided to keep my 2005 GX that I've owned since new (it's paid off and it's a 9 out of 10 condition-wise). I figured what I would pay for a new car I could replace just about every major electrical and mechanical component in my GX two times over, so I decided to keep it and continue to maintain it to OEM standard. I've replaced the shocks, radiator, timing belt etc already - I will say you can get this kind of work done a lot less expensive than what a dealer will charge you if you source your own parts and have an 'reputable' indy do the work.

I would like to be able to give my GX to my 10 yr old when he gets his license.

470SNC

If I had an 07 Land cruiser, I would just sell the GX and get a commuter car myself

chiph9

Since the GX is paid-for, every month that goes by is like $600 in your pocket. That pays for a lot of repairs.

But I get what you say about the Passat. I test-drove one last year, and I liked it. I've always liked how German cars drive - it's the reliability that's been a problem with them. And the VW dealer experience (I had a Jetta GLX in 1995, and it was sad to see that the dealer experience was just as bad 17 years later..)

I also test-drove a Mercedes GLK 250 diesel, and really liked it a lot. The 369 ft-lbs of torque in an all-wheel-drive compact SUV meant that city driving was a piece of cake - there were no problems with taking a lane away from someone else. I can see how the boxy styling could be a turn-off for some people, but I liked it because it wasn't like all the other ones out there. My only beef was that adding options quickly drove the price up. But you can skip the leather seats, as the MB-TEX vinyl is really very good looking and feeling.

Chip H.

chiph9

I think MB Tex has a canvas backing. The part you see is vinyl.

And it's a good match - you would be hard-pressed to tell, given that automotive leather is mostly plastic + chemicals anyway, with it's UV protection, wear protection, flame retardant, etc. needed to meet federal guidelines.

Best leather award goes to Jaguar. Amazingly soft.

Chip H.

RA121423-2

I appreciate the feedback from everyone on this. The end result was that we decided to keep the GX and couldn't justify getting rid of a perfect, reliable vehicle, just for the purposes of having a higher MPG sedan.

The math simply doesn't add up in spending an extra $15K just to attain 10-15MPG when it's only driven 10K miles per year anyhow. The payback doesn't occur for many years down the road, and having already taken care of the 90K service/timing belt/new tires, etc, it was even more reason to halt the thought of trading or selling it. Not to mention I can't bear the thought of sitting on the side of the road in a brand new Passat due to some 'reliability issue' and thinking 'man, should have kept the GX'.

I guess I just can't complain the next time I fill up the GX and am irritated about the dismal fuel economy!

Thanks for the input from those of you that responded!

joanlaves

I still have my 2003 GX, and it has 231k miles on it. It doesn't look totally new, but it does feel safe, and for youth group trips, and lacrosse team trips, it is still terrific. I still have 1 child in high school, and after that, I want an Rx. I did have the front lights buffed, for about $50, and it looks better, and I just replaced the catalytic converters, which was expensive, but it drives so much better. If I had known anything, I would have been glad to replace them 10,000 miles ago.

470SNC

^thats awesome and gives me hope that these gxs run forever!

gnhumad

I have a GX470 and I recently sold a thirsty Jeep Cherokee with a 2" Lift and 31" tires and bought a 2014 Honda Accord for the same reasons you are debating. You essentially have 2 Landcruisers.
The GX470 is a Landcruiser Prado in most parts of the world except the US. I guess the question is-do you really need 2 Landcruisers?