There is the GX, its been on sale since 2003 or so. And unlike the LX, it is affordable for most buyers with a price of 50-65k.

 

Thanks all; wife checked out the CX-9 yesterday (a little smaller than she'd like in the rear, but great riding vehicle) and Q7 (a driver's car through and through....but for the same price oshe'd rather get a LC/LX) and so we've decided that a 16 (or newer) LC/LX is the way to go. Between the two of them, maybe the LC purely on cost.

I did genuinely try to steer my wife towards a minivan route (great articles by Doug Demuro http://jalopnik.com/i-wish-more-cars...ors-1781953237 and http://jalopnik.com/why-hasn-t-anyon...van-1761485260) but she is firmly no on that front, purely for the stigma. Even considered the new Pacifica and getting a lifetime Maxcare from Chrysler.

Thus, will look forward to 13mpg city on a LC/LX, will need to save up for another 12-18 months however and maybe find a low mileage specimen somewhere in 2018/2019.

 

What I mean is a 3 row crossover SUV in the spirit of the Highlander, QX60, MDX, CX-9, etc. The GX has three rows, but its not an efficient 3 row people hauler like a crossover vehicle.

The LC/LX is considerably more expensive than a Q7, unless you're thinking used.

 

True--but I'm suggesting that some luxury brand would have put out minivan if there was enough of a market, not just Lexus.

 

I think there would be a couple thousand sales a month say for a Lexus minivan. I think the big issue is that there's no market elsewhere in the world.

 

If they were offered, as a Lexus Owner, would you have bought a Lexus minivan when you went shopping for your Sedona? If so, you probably would have paid substantially more for it than for even the top-line SXL Sedona....which itself is no slouch.

 

I don't know. Before I bought the Sedona I would have said no. But now that I recognize that I'll have a minivan for probably another 5 years I might.

 

Apologies allow me to clarify; my wife and I chanced on a 16 pre-owned LC at a MB dealership with 6k miles for $70k. The Q7 we test drive was MSRP $76k. Based on that comparison, she felt she'd rather have the $70k LC. However new-on-new, you're right, a Q7 would be cheaper than a LC.

BTW just found out that both the LC/LX is built at the same Tahara plant

 

$76k is a way loaded Q7, most of them are in the mid $60s.

Yeah the LC/LX is made in the Tahara plant, same as the LS.

 

IMO still a lot of money, especially considering that VW is introducing a new SUV that appears to be on the same platform, probably at a lower price.

 

Despite similarities in dimensions and appearances, the Atlas is NOT the same platform as the Q7.

I'd much rather pay mid 60 to mid 70's for the Q7 than $80-90K+ for the Land Cruiser/LX. This coming from a life long Land Cruiser/LX fan.

 

As ppm said, its not the same platform...and people who are inclined to buy the Audi aren't really going to cross shop with the VW. Anyways, that VW will be close to $60k loaded I'm sure.

Mid 60s is not a lot of money for a luxury 3 row SUV as competent and full of technology as that Q7 is. The Q7 starts at $55,000. $65,000 gets you a pretty loaded Prestige model. Remember a loaded Explorer Platinum is >$55k, as is a Summit Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Audi is more vehicle than either of them.

I'd go so far as to say the Q7 is a value...

 

This was already discussed in the VW Atlas thread (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...gen-atlas.html).

The Atlas is built on the transverse-engine platform, which it shares with VW's smaller cars, like the VW Golf and Audi A3.

The Q7 is built on the longitudinal-engine platform, which it shares with the larger Audis, like the A4, A6 and A8.

 

Think it's been posted already on CL but I just came across this via MSN.com

http://www.motortrend.com/?p=2055736

Motortrend's 2017 SUV of the year contentions....as you probably know the LX/LC made it but not the final cut. The Q7 and CX9 did push through to the final round though, certainly validates a lot of what some of you were saying in terms of considering them. I'm using this as proof to go back to my wife to check out both vehicles again. If anything, the only nagging decision factor still lies in reliability...if the Q7/CX-9 will hit 150k flawless miles (as I would expect a LX/LC to do, under normal assumptions)...

 

I certainly would not worry about the CX-9 getting to 150k miles...the Q7...probably.