Evoking

Hey Gang,

I've always loved Land Cruisers and liked the GX when it was first introduced. Never bought one. We are now expecting our first kid and wife drives a loaded 13 Wrangler Unlimited. While it could still work as a mama mobile I find myself wanting something safer and luxurious - will prob miss the convertible action!

As a purist I prefer a truck that can hold its own offroad, Have also had a Disco 1. I also like a bit of height. Otherwise, why bother... just get a nice sedan LOL.

Anyhow, I've just accidentally re-discovered GX. It's a bit of a relic of sorts by today's crossover standards. Below are the contenders thus far - remember it will be primarily driven by wife (I have E350 Bluetec and 997 Turbo). But I want to love it too!

1) 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 - available in January. 400hp and 60 mpg. Gorgeous interior and exterior. Rare and unique. But... Volvo history (although this is first to benefit from Chinese deep pockets) and although somewhat large with 3rd row it isn't exactly rugged.

2) 2015 GL450 or GL350 Bluetec - Bluetec gets 26mpg. At $70k its $15k more than a nicely equipped GX. Wonder if the GX rides better as the air susp on GL was surprisingly firm.

3) 2015 Q7 - Have not driven one yet. If its a Cayenne with a 3rd row it must drive good. I think they are fairly good offroad. Good interior. But look like crossover.

4) 2015 X5 - Great drive. tight 3rd row. Crossover but highly competent on road

5) 2013 Range Rover - At $80k its the top of the price range. But what a vehicle. Awesome offroad, interior, luxury, ride, yet very sporty to drive. Panache to boot. BUT... No 3rd row and lots of $ for a wife who isn't even that into cars. And I can buy a nice 3rd toy for me for the extra $30 large!

Here are my questions...

1) So what else did you consider when you bought your 2015 GX?
2) what trim and why?
3) any regrets?

Jacket

This question seems to get asked a lot in this forum, which is fair when you consider the price point and comparison shopping between the Lexus SUV's and the rest of the market. Here's a couple recent threads I've posted my thoughts in:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...-q7-vs-gx.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...-decision.html

Coming from a Jeep, I think you would appreciate the capabilities of the GX as a utility vehicle, as well as the luxury items that far improve the quality over a Jeep. But other than the Range Rover, the rest are crossovers that will drive and handle like a car. The Range Rovers are nice, but they are at the bottom end of the spectrum in terms of reliability and "issues." The electronics on RR's suck. Make sure you have an extended warranty, and a dealer close to your house to drop it off at when needed.

The GX won't handle corners as well as most of the others, and it's not going to give you that driving comfort that you get from a unibody, low riding cross over like the Q7. The GX will give you better useable cargo space, a strong and reliable drivetrain, offroad capabilities and a pretty nice ride given the platform. My wife left behind an MDX, and most recently a Q7, and she's very happy in the GX.

Evoking

I'm leaning toward the GX and GL. I actually like the more square look of the GX over the longer more rectangular look of the GL. But GL 350 Bluetec is a good piece of kit!

Will make final decision Monday.

sparsons79

Currently have both a 2014 Rubicon Unlimited, a 2010 GX460 and a 2007 Escalade. We bought the GX460 when some idiot hit my wife and totaled our Grand Cherokee. While we love the GX we drive the Escalade on most trips over an hour due to the roomier interior. The GX is a fairly cramped cockpit, but we are very happy with it as we were not looking for a crossover and wanted a truck like SUV. When the time comes to trade in the Caddy I will start driving the GX and definitely get the wife another Lexus.

Back to comparing the Unlimited and GX. Both are great vehicles for what they are meant for. We bought our 14 Unlimited in Aug 13 and still only have 3,500 miles on it. So, it sits in the garage mostly and driving to the ranch or a nice Saturday afternoon with the top down. Our 3 year old loves the Jeep and only wants to ride in it...lol This is our 3 Wrangler (2002, 2006 and 2014) and it would never be our primary car to drive. They are awesome and I would have no problem driving it every day to and from work, but no way would I use it as our primary family vehicle.

Valley101

All of your five choices have reliability issues. Also, you cannot compare unibody to body on frame. It is a different type of vehicle If you want reliability, full time 4 wheel drive, and one of the best off road vehicles designed for the highway and off road, the GX is your best choice. When you are talking about Mercedes, which has a bad reliability record, also check their repair costs. They are way higher than Lexus when it comes to even routine scheduled maintenance. When purchasing a Mercedes, at least in my part of the country, there is little to no room for price haggling. About 1% off is what they offer when I checked into one a few years ago, and other people I have talked to state similar stories.

Evoking

Ended up going with GX. Nebula gray Luxury. We're out of the country but next step is some wheels or spacers when I get back. I hate the anemic stilt stance ;-)