SC300T

We're looking at either an LX or GX for around town driving plus pulling a 4500lb 23ft camper.

Any impressions on which is the better vehicle? Our budget is under $30k, so we're limited to a 2001 or 2002 LX or a 2003 GX, likely with alot of miles already on it. NAV and Levinson is a must.

My assumptions: The LX is a little bigger, rides better, is slower, has a bit better paint/finish/luxury, and drinks about 2mpg more than the GX.

Anything I'm missing?

Which would you rather drive? an 01 or 02 LX or the 03 GX?

Does the LX ride alot better? Is the GX night and day quicker? Anything I'm missing?

Oh, one other thing. We're currently pulling the camper with an 05 Tundra Double Cab (282hp), is switching to one of these (LX,GX) going to be a big let down in the towing dept. relative to this?

TIA

Jayson

I am biased towards the LX. Have you driven either? We preferred the build quality of the LX to the GX when we were shopping around. The '03 GX that is in your budget is a 1st MY vehicle, so I would shy away from it and go with the tried and true design of the LX. I do not tow anything, so I can't help you there. One of the CL members will chime in soon and give you their $.02 on towing in either vehicle.

Good luck and go test drive both trucks and get back to us with your thoughts!

SC300T

Jayson, do you notice any significant size difference between the two? From the specs, the GX is bigger in some dimensions, and smaller in others...

V8_Fan

How many passengers and how much gear do you plan to bring? Do you have any kids/infants? The LX allows one to put multiple child seats in the 2nd row (only the center and driver's side have the seat latches, but I think all 3 have the anchors behind the 2nd row.

Jayson

We thought the LX felt more spacious like a true full-sized SUV while the GX felt a little too cramped on the inside, like a mid-sized SUV.

To be honest, we thought the GX had a smoother, more refined ride. But, we were ultimately sold on the LX's tough looks and solid feel.

lexusrott

I am also bias toward the LX.
Normally this SUV comes only one way, loaded, but in the event that does not you cold use Garmin for the Nav., and for the stereo many after market products are available.
Just remember that without an extended warranty the luxury brand of Toyota will be very expensive to fix.
I thought that pulling is best measure in torque instead of HP , this is where the LC/LX excel.

pagemaster

I am not exactly sure why you would want to trade up your 2005 Double cab especially if you are towing a 4500lb camper. The Tundra should out tow both the GX and the LX with no problem even though all three pretty much have the same engine, transmission and tow capacity.

Any LX before the 2006 model is well past its due date especially pre 03 model because it is a 9 year old design now. With that being said, the LX has a VERY well design but dated interior with very possibly the best interior materials in any Toyota SUV. Why I say the 2006+ is because at least you will get the same vvti that you have on your Tundra. Also, from what I have noticed from year to year is that Toyota has played around with the rear hitch on the 100 series SUVS. I don't think it really is a well designed tow vehicle thus the changes keep occurring. I know the 2007 model, the tow hitch was lowered under the bumper where as it was previously integrated within the bumper.

From what I understand, the LX is a little less reliable than the LC 100 series (without AHC) and other 4.7 Toyota models and is very costly to repair. Especially when you are paying for Lexus service. For example, the LX you are recommened to replace the AHC fluid at 60k 120k, 180k, replace an air conditioner filter at 70k none of these need to be done to Tundra or the GX. However, if you have the cash up front for at least a new LX then these minor things should not matter.

As for the GX. Not a bad SUV you pretty much get a LX for a much cheaper price and a little less quality in the interior materials. Watch out for the early models with the slight vibration in drivetrain at 1500rpm or somewhere around there and the GX has been know to be noisy at highway speeds.
The GX does one up the bigger LX in a number of places and it shows because the GX is five year newer design. Torsen limited slip is not available on the LX, KDSS is not available on the LX, maintenance free rear air suspension on the GX (some will debate that the hydraulic LX is better) but the GX does the same thing, hill start and down hill assist, in the GX you have dual front climate control where the LX is only single. Overall the GX skips on some of the nicer materials but is a fresher more modern design with whole number of features that make the GX a much better off roader .


Like the Tundra, both the GX and LX are going to have to have the timing belt replaced at 90k or 5 years. With the Tundra, at least you will know the maintenence is well done assuming that you have had it since it was new.


The GX/LX/4runner are all builit in the same place in the same plant so the paint and fit and finish should be close but yes the interior materials of the LX is impressive but look beyond the cosmetics and you can see it is dated. I have seen the silver metal color on the 2008 4runner and I must say it matches the silver on the LX.


May I ask which model Tundra you have? Limited, sr5 or 4x4

thronson

Although a relatively new member, I am a long-time owner ('86 LC. '99LC, 2001 LX (2), 2007GX, 2007 LX). My thoughts are these:

1. The GX is quicker and more nimble around town. However, I think the LX is far more stable on the highway, especially on curvy roads or where there is a crosswind. I was on a 5-hour trip recently in the GX and there were times when I thought I was back in my old 1970 Ford Bronco in terms of stability frankly. There was a 25-30 crosswind, but I have done the same drive in the LX and just cruised through it. I think it is because the GX has a taller profile with a shorter wheelbase. For the same reasons (shorter wheelbase) I am a little more cautious with the GX in icy or snowy conditions.

2. The LX overall is higher quality than the GX. By this I mean exterior and interior parts and finishes are a notch or two above the GX. I am sort of obsessive on little things like how the door latches are fitted, the plastic on the center console, etc. Essentially everywhere the LX has a better quality of materials. Thie doubtless is not a big deal to everybody. (Incidently, I spent two hours with the new 2008 LC and was surprised at the amount of cheap plastic on that vehicle).

3. The GX has a number of features that you may like and need. These include the "barn door" rear door, hill control (ascent and descent) dual front seat HVAC. The GX is probably better on most technical off-road conditions (it has the 4-Runner underpinnings) but the LX is certainly far more capable off-road than almost any other luxury SUV you can name (and won't leave you stranded 50 miles from BFE like the Range Rover).

In summary, if most of your driving is around town, with occasional towing, I would probably get the GX. On the other hand, if you are buying the vehicle primarily for a towing rig, and you need the room, I would lean to the LX.

SC300T

Pagemaster,
Its an 05 SR5 dbl cab 2wd... It tows just fine, have never felt that we needed any extra carrying capacity with it. We've owned 4 different Lexus, from LS400, GS400, SC300, and the Ttundra is solid, but it really is a humble vehicle in many ways. The cloth is abysmal, the HVAC leaves a lot to be desired with a noisy blower, inadequate output, etc. There are just so many small touches that Lexus does far better. The plastics and fabrics seem cheap. The towing is perhaps 5-10 days out of the year, we're looking for a vehicle that does ok for the towing but does *really* well the other 360 days of the year. That is part of the reason a Sequioa is out - its just a Tundra with 3 rows of seats and a shorter wheelbase. I do like the 140" (ish) wheelbase of the Tundra, very stable on the highway pulling even at higher speeds, towing 75mph in wind isn't a white knuckle experience at all.

We do occasionally put 3 car seats in the car, with extended family and 3 4yr olds.

As far as the Tundra power v.s. the 230hp in the earlier GX and LX, my thoughts are that since they have roughly the same 320lbs/ft of torque, (a rough indicator of low rpm power) the only real difference in the engine is the more aggressive cam profile when VVTi is applied above 4000rpm. If that is the case, I don't really see the benefit, on an uphill onramp, we may see as much as 4500rpm, but we certainly don't wind it out to 5500rpm very often. From what I can tell, the VVTI just gives you that extra bump up top, toruqe and low rpm operation seems about the same as non-vvti.

As far as loading the vehicle when towing, is usually just me, wife and 4yr old, and perhaps a hundred pounds of gear-max.

Thanks for all the replies... It seems that I just have to make sure the starter, manifolds, and suspension are in order before buying. I'd assume a good lexus tech could go over and verify these items within an hour on a pre-purchase inspection.

llcc1975

Just my $.02. I had an '05 GX with the KDSS suspension and an '02 LX. I'll echo what another member said in that I felt the GX was a better everyday driver. It was definitely quicker and felt more composed than the LX. I also thought that the GX was smoother than my LX in the ride dept.

One thing to note is that in the 01-02 LX, you have a 4-speed auto transmission. In 2003, the LX stepped up to a 5-speed auto. I drove both an 02 an 03 LX and despite the motor being essentially identical in both units, the 03 was just a little better to drive (more responsive, tad better acceleration) because of the extra gear. I have no concrete evidence to prove this so this is just my impression after the test drives. We ultimately chose the 02 because of price.

All of the GXs have a 5 speed transmission. Also I believe 2004 and older GXs had the less powerful V8 (~230hp / 320lb ft. torque) that's in the pre 2006 LXs.

Putting three child seats across in the GX was impossible but was tolerable in the LX (2 full size child seats + 1 skinny profile booster).

And of course, as someone may have already mentioned, if you go with the LX, be prepared for some really high maintenance costs if you do it at the dealer. Our dealer wanted $1475 for the 90k service. The 60k/90k for the GX was "only" about $650'ish. And watch out for the exhaust manifold and the hydraulic suspension issues that could pop up.

Good luck.

pagemaster

I read somewhere that a Toyota exec or field engineer was quote as saying that they did not add the height suspension because they were looking for a maximum reliability out of the Land Cruiser and with the LC they wanted it to as easy as possible to service in the field. I would go for the GX air suspension over the LX hydraulic.

schan1w

I was trying to decide between a new GX and a 1-2 year old LX. I ended up with an GX, but at times regret not getting an LX. I feel the LX is smoother and more stable vehicle, especially around corners. And the extra width in the 2nd row (for car seats) is a real plus, as is the extra leg room in the 3rd row. The main drawback I have about the LX, and this makes me happy I choose the GX, is the cost of maintaince. With the LX, you have many more things to maintain: AHC fluid, front wheel bearing repack, and front brake jobs are much more complex. In the end, I came down to $$. A one to two year old LX was still more expensive than a GX and the cost of maintaince was higher, so I choose the GX. I'm pretty happy with my decision, although I would still love to have an LX.

GatorGreg

I'd rather drive the '03 GX. I had a '98 LX and it was a GREAT vehicle. However, today the LX looks dated IMO, especially the pre-'03 models, and will look even more dated once the new generation '08 models start popping up any day now.

On the other hand, my '03 GX looks just like the '08 GX and probably the '09s too (remains to be seen whether the next gen GX will be an '09 or '10).

I also like the dash of the GX compared to the pre-'03 LX, the GX just looks more modern, especially with the nav system. For example, there are no steering wheel mounted audio controls on the older LX.

I agree the LX seemed to track down the highway slightly better, but the GX is no slouch in this department either and will quickly put my family to sleep on long road trips.

I've never had occassion to try sticking more then two car seats in the 2nd row of the GX, but from what I've read you can't fit 3, so that may be a deal breaker. Also, the "barn door" style rear hatch is a deal breaker for some too.

If it were between an '03 LX with the upgraded interior and 18" wheels versus the '03 GX it would be a much closer call, but I still think I'd prefer the GX. Right now the '03 LX is a bit over your 30k price cap but it will be interesting to see how the release of the '08 LX affects their prices - I predict there will be a large supply of them sitting on dealer lots soon as folks trade them in for the new '08 LX which means the prices may start dropping significantly.

psychodoc

JMHO-I would not even consider the GX if you will be towing a 4500# camper(I don't care what the towing capacity says). The towing capacity of the LX is grossly under-rated. I tow a 10k# boat w/mine w/out any issues...Compared to the LX the GX is a toy, the LX is a tank...like I said JMHO(I'm on my 3rd LX)...

GatorGreg

The GX is rated at 6,500 lbs with the weight distributing hitch (same as LX IIRC), so pulling a 4,500 lb trailer would be no sweat for the GX - it has the same powertrain as LX. I'd care more what the Toyota engineers say then some psycho on the internet