kgbagent1

I've been lusting after the GX for some time now and have driven a couple of 2017 GX Premiums. I've also invested way too much time watching every GX review on Youtube and reading every online review. One thing that continues to come up as a weak point of the GX is "ride quality." Specifically, reviewers almost always point to its subpar ride because it is built "like a truck:" body-on-frame. This boggles my mind.

Owning a 4th gen 4Runner for over a decade I'd like to think I know a little about how a BOF SUV drives and behaves. In short, I love it. It is firm but cushy. It soaks up bumps well. It rides smoothly and quietly. The GX amplifies all the great qualities of its older cousin: it is smoother, quieter and it glides over bumps with even less fuss. I also have owned a '14 RX since new, so I know precisely how the Camry-based unibody Lexus rides. The RX is good, but the GX is far superior.

Often I have wondered if car reviewers, both professional magazine types and everyday regular owners, confuse ride quality with other characteristics like handling, steering and even acceleration. Ride quality to me is how the road surface is transmitted to the occupants through feel and sound. It is not how fast you can carve backroad corners without the slightest body roll. In a luxury SUV--especially the Lexus GX--I want an insulated, smooth drive that dampens nasty real-life things like potholes. To me the GX excels at this so well you'd have to acknowledge how superb the GX's ride quality is.

So for all those reviews out there who claim the GX's body-on-frame construction impairs ride quality, am I missing something? Or have these people lost their minds and become parrots...simply spewing out others' opinions because it is trendy?

bd5400

I think they're just compressing ride quality and handling so that it is more easily understood by casual viewers who may not know, or care, as much about cars. I'd say for many people, the terms are not clearly separated from each other for them to really appreciate the difference.

It's actually a pretty common complaint, in general, that I've observed on various automotive message boards. The very nature of seeking a place like this out generally puts you above the average auto consumer. Car reviews, especially reviews of every day cars, are made to appeal and be understood by the highest number of people. Unfortunately for more informed readers, this can be frustrating because they feel like they're written for the lowest common denominator instead of being truly informative.

jjscsix

The solid rear axle is another component that in general has compromises. I'd say Lexus has done a good job of making the GX ride quite well for a vehicle that is also designed to be a very good off-road SUV.

jpcdmd

I've got 22" wheels on mine and bought it like that so I wouldn't know. Kinda interested in driving one with the 18's to see what it feels like. I know what you're saying though. Its what I loved about my '01 LS430 Ultra and my '93 LS400. Smooth as silk.

T4Fun

i have the luxury and it drives pretty damn good. Its not a sports car, but i dont care. It drives like a tank and aside from the LX, there is
no solid car/suv out there with the same feeling. ON highway its super quiet, and i still have the OEM bridgestones on mine if u can believe it.

tqh

T4Fun since you owned a Premium before, what made you change to Luxury?

bd5400

They're essentially the same thing. The 2010-2013 Premium is equivalent to the 2014+ Luxury.

Rob6656

It is funny this thread showed up. Last week I was at the Lexus dealership getting some maintenance done on my mom's ES and there was a GX on the showroom. I drive a 2009 GX and love it--though I cannot wait for it to die so I can get a new one. Anyway, as I was poking around it--which I do every time I go there--a lady and her kid walked by. The kid mentioned how he liked the GX and his mom goes "Your dad doesn't like it because it's based off of a truck platform so the ride isn't very good". I thought she was rather funny--and her husband stupid. He obviously has not driven a GX--let alone a Luxury--which is what this one was. My 2009 GX rides hella smooth--smoother than a 2016 4Runner. I drove a new 4Runner when I was thinking of getting one and was surprised that my 2009 drove smoother.

If I remember correctly, the woman said something about that being the reason they chose the RX. I love the RX, but to me, it seems the GX rides just as smooth. Maybe I'm on crack, but I do not notice much difference from my GX and the RX. Anyway, I thought the woman and her husband were funny because if they had driven the GX, they would have been pleasantly surprised, instead of just basing their opinions on paperwork. Granted, I do not know if they did actually drive a GX, but I am guessing they did not by the way the woman was talking. Anyway, just something that happened recently and I thought it funny how this thread came up at the same time.

UPTHECREEK

BOF is the reason I bought my 2015 GX...... Its like driving a cloud around and it pulls the hell out of my boat.
Anytime someone rides with me they comment how quiet and smooth the ride is. Only thing that could be any better is the LX570

Nickk6

Subjective question, so take my response with a grain of salt:
Its really going to depend on who you are asking and what you are comparing it with. I bought the GX for 3 reasons mainly, AWD, its really slow with terrible driving dynamics and it can off road. I have a lead foot and wanted something that wouldn't be able to get me into much trouble. Well this car does the trick, it can barely turn onto a free on ramp without squealing like a pig and brakes like a bus with drum brakes. With that said, it is one of the nicer cars to go on road trips or just drive really mellow in around town. I have the base model and have driven the air suspension which take the GX to another comfort level. With air suspension I believe this is one of the nicer ride quality vehicles you can get in the 50k-60k range. Again, the magazine writers are comparing this with a vast array of cars and appealing to all readers. I've driven a large array of vehicles, and definitely have to say the GX is one of the worst braking vehicles with the worst infotainment/HVAC integration possible and doesn't handle well in comparison to my old 2010 F150 FX4 or Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 (add in the competition to the GX here and it still doesn't fair well, sure it might be smoother than a Jeep or X5 but when it doesn't appeal to all the other senses ride quality may diminish in the reviewers eye). Ride quality is marginally better than both those trucks, again, add in air suspension and its nice, but add air suspension to those trucks and it really depends on what you are looking for from the vehicle. If I didn't have such a heavy foot, I would be driving a base model Cayenne instead of the GX. Its all around a way more fun vehicle to drive, but again, that's my opinion. I do love my GX, but it has its purpose.

coolsaber

I think with everyone else in the game moving to unibody platforms the goalposts have been modified to reflect the landscape. Hence a reviewer will be able to point out the out of ordinary characteristics they feel when they sit in a GX BOF. The GX has its purpose and its value to those who know what to look for

Craigyyy

The parrot effect is real. Auto journalists tend to be car guys, and as such don't tend to like SUVs in general. They tolerate them and report how great the ride quality is based on how fast whatever crossover is around some track or skidpad, which is completely irrelevant unless you're a Cayenne Turbo or X5M buyer. There is a complete disconnect between what the reviewer cares about and what the buyer cares about.

Regardless of the reviews, Lexus still sells a lot of them. Same thing with the 4Runner and Wrangler. The Wrangler gets absolutely trashed all the time, particularly in stuff like consumer reports, because of the jeep-like ride. But that's what people buy them for. And they buy tons of them.

sashi

I tend to get the RX alot as a loaner whenever I get my vehicle serviced. After driving it many times, I would never consider a unibody suv... It just doesnt seem to have that stable feeling of a BOF and I feel like I'm driving something very wobbly(doesnt have the handling of a car & just doesnt feel stable like a BOF structure). I love my GX(2nd one) and when I was cross-shopping the GX & the 4runner limited back in 2014, I chose the GX due to its V8, full-time AWD, and the 5k price drop they had when the model got refreshed in 2014.... the 4runner seemed more fun to drive(felt like a jeep) but the GX was more smooth and stable all around. As far as reviews, I never ever trust them...otherwise I would have never bought a GX...

LXGXSAM1

Try 20" wheels and wider tires, you'll be zipping around curvy roads feeling you have a sporty car at 80mph+! I love my 20" wheels setup, it makes me feel Lexus wanted to reach a higher level gas mileage so they never tuned the GX as being sporty! When I have my OEM wheels, I could not even zigzag 75mph without the tippy feeling. The OEM wheels are very heavy and they sit too close to the axle, find some wheels that have better offsets and wider tires and you will realize the potential of this beast!

sashi

I'm pretty happy with my oem setup Lxgxsam1 as I use my GX as more of a cruiser but I'll keep your advice in mind in case I decide to put some bigger wheels down the road...