New 2021 Lexus GX460: Thoughts on Deal? + First Impressions
 

So the weekend before Thanksgiving break, my family decided to purchase a new 2021 Lexus GX460 Premium model. There were a couple of factors that played into this. First off, we've been looking for a family SUV for some time now, something reliable for long term owning and also somewhat rugged, as we road trip a lot and on occasion do some light off roading and travel through adverse conditions. Our last family car was an aging Toyota Sienna that we still have and use. One condition we had is that whatever vehicle it was had to have 0% financing. We're Muslim, so we try to avoid interest as much as possible. So when we heard Lexus was offering 0% financing for 60 months and a $4,000 rebate for Costco members, we jumped into the fray. I started searching (I'm the resident car geek of the family) on Tuesday, and on Saturday we picked up a 2021 GX460 Premium with the Premium Plus package, all weather mats, tow hitch, wood and leather trimmed heated steering wheel, and dark rims for what I thought was a great deal. The interior is Sepia (Nu-Luxe), and the exterior is Nightfall Mica. MSRP was $60,765+tax, but after negotiation with multiple dealerships and sending different quotes, we got our monthly payment to $900 (tax included) with a $5,000 down payment. We've taken a road trip to Oregon with it recently, and experienced some heavy snowfall, in which this truck did great! Would love to hear thoughts on if the deal we got is good or not. I sent it to several other local dealerships, but no one was able to beat or even match it, or so they said.
Positives: Styling is imo excellent! Looks beefy, yet elegant and luxurious. The big grille works here. The Nu-luxe is surprisingly great. Feels and looks really nice, better than many real leathers. Mark Levinson audio system is, ofc, wonderful. 4wd system works very well.
Cons: Fuel economy. Averaged 21mpg on the trip home, but more like 16-17 for everyday driving. The trunk space is also pretty bad, hence the rooftop cargo box. Third row is not terrible if you're 5'8< with second row slid all the way forward, but head room even then is tight. Also, feels like a truck, which could be a pro or con depending on what you like. Infotainment is annoying, but my family is more old school so it doesn't bother us too much.
Overall, we're pretty happy with this truck so far. It's definitely not for everyone, but I recommend to those looking for a family SUV that can also handle some off road duty and will outlive them.
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Oh wow. Congratulations. Lexus/Toyota body on frame suvs are so satisfying


You got a PHENOMENAL deal on this with zero percent.

As-Salam :thumbup:

Thanks :). We're loving it so far!

Look up Torsen centre differential....unique to Toyota and Lexus Body on frame suvs.

:thumbup: We used the center diff lock in the snow at one point. Helped us in a slippery situation.

Congrats! Out of pure ignorance, what's the connection with being Muslim and avoiding interest? Is that just a cultural norm?

Congratulations on your new GX. :) Best of luck with it. One thing I like about the GX compared to regular crossover SUVS is that the GX is much more solidly built, with a far heavier frame. It is truck-based rather than car-based, which will also help with the towing-capability.

Yes, I've said that for years about the excellent feel of the NuLuxe...can't beat it for anything that will make the cows happy. ;)


As far as the issue of avoiding interest goes, it needs to be defined just what 'Interest" would be in any given case. For example, if the general inflation rate in the economy is around 2% (which means that the money will lose roughly 2% of its value in a year), then if someone charges you 2% interest on your loan, in effect, it will not be any "interest" at all, because the person issuing the loan will not make any profit on it....he or she will simply recover what inflation eats up. You could sign for a loan in that case, and not have to justify it to your Imam. ;)

Yep. Not a crossover fan. Also, never thought I'd like any fake leather but the NuLuxe is awesome! In terms of that question, ideally there wouldn't be inflation from my limited understanding in an Islamic economy. But in those circumstances, I don't really have an answer. The definition of interest is highly debated. It's impossible to not deal with it at all in modern day Western society, but we try our best.

Haha looks like you answered your own question :D. We try our best to avoid interest where we can. Glad I was able to share that with you.

Absolutely. We saw one with the same Nightfall Mica exterior and Sepia interior, but it had the silver/chrome rims. The black/dark rims make a huge difference imo.

Wa'laikum :-). Good to know. I thought it was a good deal, as no one else was able to match or beat it, but always good to check!

Hahaha. Thanks! We're looking forward to stretching its legs some more.

Nice new ride
 

As a owner of a 2014, the 2021 is stylin'. Nice ride i like the roof box. I put aftermarket roof rails (like the gx470) on mine. And I love the dark rims. I gotta get new tyres soon and thinking of switching from base rims, or just paint them semi-gloss black.

(Comparative religious discussion removed, thanks.)

OP ---> congrats!!! great looking SUV, much better looking than a boring Mercedes.

Definitely a sharp color. Very high satisfaction rates with the GX (and all body on frame Toyota/Lex SUVs)

yep, with Lexus you get the reliability + luxury; Great choice OP!!!

Truly never cared for the German crossovers. G-wagon is cool but they made it a little too "cute" looking with this new generation. I do like most of their cars.

Tiguan and Atlas too plain-looking for you? :uh:

That's one of the reasons I have respect for them....although the interior and trim materials are not the best, style-wise, they generally place function over form, have nice road-manners, and are pleasant to drive. One of their problems, though, is second-rate dealerships.

Back to topic, I suspect that, with the LX/Land-Cruiser either being redesigned or dropped, the GX will take on a more important role for those like the OP, who specifically want a body-on-frame, truck-based SUV. It will be the closest thing that Lexus has, in the American market, to Jill's 4Runner. ;)

Never truly cared for cross-overs...

I welcome that but I feel like I have been waiting forever for a new GX and I got tired of waiting. I'm hoping they give us a new model soon and not just another refresh.

OK.....in your earlier statement, you mentioned German crossovers. ;)

Because I was trying to keep it relevant to the GX...you mentioned VWs.....I don't mind some crossover....Trailblazer is appealing to me...so is the new Bronco Sport....but other stuff usually not

Did you mean Trailblazer or Blazer? :uh: In previous posts, you have panned the turbo-three-pot engine in the TB. I don't particularly like the three-pot in the sister Encore GX, but am willing to accept it as the price of having the vehicle's numerous other excellent features.

I not trying to be argumentative....just clarifying your intentions/statements.

Expanding on her note on the Bronco Sport - I think that vehicle is pretty damn cool. I would NEVER own one, but I think it's a neat vehicle.

Exactly what I said. Trailblazer and Bronco Sport. I find them to be very appealing. (3 cylinder is a disappointment but you can still something

Yeah. It’s a stylish little model.

This will be the last generation of the gx, unfortunately. Get it while you can.

I love the color combination! This would be my ideal GX color combination. NuLuxe is awesome as well. It feels nice and it’s supposed to hold up better than actual leather.

Love the looks of the GX. Owned 4 Runners for 20+ years - now driving a RX. Liked the GX enough to upgrade from the 4 Runners - until I went to test drive the vehicle. Loved the looks and the ride - absolutely do not like that the rear opening opens like a door instead of a hatch. Opening like a door really limits the functionality of the cargo area. Will buy a GX if they ever fix this door/hatch issue. Ended up buying the RX (which I love) instead of the GX because of the poorly designed rear opening.

Thanks! We agree :-)

Yep!It definitely would benefit from a thorough remodel in terms of infotainment and mpg, but BOF SUV's just feel so solid. Gives you a sense of invincibility, if that's the right word.

Thank you! We were instantly sold on the color combo as well. The NuLuxe is, as you said, awesome :)

Love the looks as well. We actually really like the side opening hatch, and haven't had so much of an issue with it. It's cool that you can leave it open in any position and just lock it in place there. Our biggest qualm wasn't the cargo door, but the actual cargo space lol