Robbo

My wife's Infiniti QX4 lease is up in a few months and we have decided to get a mid-sized lux SUV with third row seating. Contenders appear to be the GX/MDX/XC90.

For those of you who looked at the MDX and Volvo, what made you decide to choose the Lexus?

RST

Robbo,

In the same boat as you. Have looked at the following.

Land Rover Discover - Reliability issues
BMW X5 - No 3rd Row
Volvo XC90 - 3-4 months wait
Lexus GX470 - 3-6 weeks

Have deposits for GX and Volvo XC90. Still deciding which one. Both vehicles my wife likes.

The Volvo feels more of a Sport Utility Vehicle and GX feels like a luxury SUV.

Will decide when the time comes since both will come about the same time. Hands down I would get the Lexus, however being $5-7k price difference, we might just settle on the Volvo.

We have three little kids and my wife worries about the inevitable with the little ones getting the vehicle dirty with toys, food and junk.

Just my .02 cents.

Good luck.

D4SSWME

I cancelled my order on the '03 MDX for the GX for the following reasons:

1) newer vehicle with nicer gadgets/electronics
2) bigger room for the three kids
3) wanted to have something different than the crowd

<VENOM>

How come none of you guys consider the 4Runner, your wives would look just as good and if it comes down to price you could still get a Limited for 40,000

Just realized the 3rd row thing

I wonder if the 3-4 month wait on the Volvo XC90 has anything to do with the 350 that went down on the cargo ship in the English Channel

imabota

I love the GX470, but: the 3rd row seat is too small, the rear door doesn't open easily in my garage, the front passenger seat only has 4-way controls and no lumbar support. It seems that the Land Cruiser has a similar ride, exterior is not much larger but has more room in 3rd row, a convenient split rear door, and an 8-way front passenger seat with lumbar support. I think the navigation systems are identical? Additionally, I have found that I can lease the Land Cruiser for less than the GX470.

I'd appreciate input to help with my decision. Thanks.

D4SSWME

funny because my GX has the lumbar support

there are two tiny buttons located just before the slider switch

you'll get to save more bucks by going the Landcruiser route but you might want to hold off first because a new model may be forthcoming.

if you will notice the model has not changed much for some years now.

the higher bucks with the GX is due to the Mark Levinson, better leather and I would imagine higher quality.

for the nav portion, it looks like its equal.

not sure if the LandCruiser Nav has the voice guidance too

177mph

MDX: NIce truck . More power this year. Only disadvantages are styline (minivan-ish) and the towing capacity (3500). Otherwise a really solid vehicle.

Volvo: once again a nice car. It really has it ALL,except that it's a volvo (I just dont like the image they project) and the wait is long right now (is the ship story true??)

Land Cruiser: great truck . Pretty much same price as GX if you option up the GX. Older design. No dual zone climate control. Some lexus options not avail (obviously). Will last for 30 years if you buy it. Try that with another car these days...

My .02...

<VENOM>

Yup it true 2,862 cars BMW, Volvo and Saab, most of the cars where Volvos and Saabs, Saab lost about 1200 9-5 and Volvo lost alot especially the 350 XC90 that where coming to the US, probably why the waiting list started.

BMW only had a few hundred cars on board mostly high, high end ones like M5's

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/021214/6/qud3.html

The link on yahoo which had more info on it does not work anymore, they had pics that showed the ship "Tricolor" on it's side during low tide and you could stand on the side high tide you could see the ship but about 10 feet of water covered it.

If you search anything with Tricolor Sinking or coloding with another ship in the English Channel will work

177mph

I wonder if we'll see a rash of "salvage" cars on the market when they finally bring the ship up. ARe they planning to? Seems like they'd at least try. The cars must be totalled based on the seawater, plus the ship rolling over, etc... That was a big loss....

<VENOM>

I doubt BMW would sell the cars and let them go on the road, but if they where to give them away I would take a gew X5 4.6is some 760Li and a few M5 and M3, I could get one of each road worthy, anything extra I would sell.

Nothin on a car is really water proof the engines and transmissions would need to be powerwashed and flushed and who knows what kind a electrical problems the cars could have

I think they sat down their for the whole week during Xmas

I took a BMW course when I was a tech and BMW gave us Brand New Bimmers and we took them apart and put them back together a dozen times, BMW would not sell them they took them back and they went straight to a junk yard where they scaped them.

I would say Saab and Volvo would do the same, they have built up their names and reputations to much to destroy them with submerged cars.

The ship went down on it's side so most of them have to have side and roof damage

I bet someones insurance premium just went up

AWilmit

I tested the XC-90 on the first day it was available in New Jersey. There is no comparison to the GX. The XC-90 is way underpowered and has extremely numb steering. Interior fit and finish are ok, but overall, not close to the Lexus. Where the XC-90 bests the GX is in interior design. The third row in the XC-90 is much better than the GX and the integrated child booster seat in the second row of the XC-90 is a very good idea.

So, I think the XC-90 gets packaging better than the GX, but the GX gets quality and driving better than the XC-90.

looknow12

Collision at see. This one has pictures

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2576923.stm