pulp

i had an invitation to a Taste Of Lexus Event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia yesterday which was for the first time introduction of 3 new models in the area for 2010:

- LS600h
- GX460
- IS-F

i test drove the LS600h, and its heavenly but that's for another thread.

For the GX460 we were not allowed to drive it our selves but i took ride in it with a Lexus Pro Driver through a fairly short but decent 4x4 course which included loose large rocks, sharp (maybe 35-40 degree) dirt inclines and declines, sand, and driving with one side on a slope and the other on the ground.

The driver demonstrated the Crawl Control going uphill/downhill and the how the KDSS suspension tries to level the car with one side on the slope, as well as the air suspension which i am not sure if it lifts/lowers only the rear-end or the whole truck.

i was impressed by how solid it felt over rough terrain, with no excessive vibrations or noises, the Crawl Control does make clunks/thuds as it works but it felt confident.

i currently have a 3rd generation RX350 and my biggest complain with it is the various interior rattles, the GX460 felt much more vault like and solid, but then it was just a 10-min test drive, living with it everyday you notice all the little stuff.

since we also have the Toyota Prado here, which is essentially the same truck as the GX460, i would say the Prado is a much better deal unless you must have the higher grade wood/leather in the GX the interior is otherwise not that different from the Prado. and exterior wise i would say the Prado is even better.

specially considering that you can equip the Prado with almost every option as the GX.

antonio98

I would love to take a similar ride in the GX.

What is the price difference there between the Prado and the GX?

pulp

The GX is not officially on sale yet here, it will start selling in February or so.

the guys at the Event didn't know the pricing yet or they were not allowed to say it, but i am guessing it will be around 250-275k SR which 66-73k in USD.

the gas 4-cylinder Prado starts at $27,500 USD and the V6 4.0 271HP with every option is about $52,150 USD

you can see trim levels and pricing here:

http://www.toyota.com.sa/en/modelspr...sp?model_id=10

Interior pics of the Prado:

http://www.toyota.com.sa/en/gallery.asp?model_id=10

so basically, that's like a $15,000 USD premium for the GX over the top of the line Prado in exchange for:

- a bit more powerful V8
- revised interior with higher quality materials
- better audio system

almost every thing else is available on the Prado, whether those things are worth the premium is up to each person i guess, for me i would lean more towards the Prado.

antonio98

Thanks for posting the info.

I see that the Prado VXL is the closest to the GX Premium.

In addition to the differences you noted:

Mdkellys

I am not crazy about the front grill on the Prado but I am sure that is something that could be changed out. It has quite a bit nicer interior than the four runner here.

valgs350

iTrader: (1)

Does the GX still get the Multi-terrain select?

I agree I wish we had the Land Cruiser Prado in the US!

antonio98

It seems that the GX is offered with multi-terrain select and multi-terrain monitor in that market, but not here in the US.

It's not an option I would have chosen, but I do find it strange that they don't offer it here.

pulp

the GX460 i sat in did have multi-terrain select and monitor using 4 cameras, it also shows you the steering angle and predicted path of the front wheels which is a nice feature.

all those features are available on the Prado VXL as well.

Another difference i noticed though, the Prado does not have the Radar Active Cruise Control or Lane Change Prevention thing in the GX.