SilverLady

OK folks, I knew the rear door was a drawback for the GX over the other vehicles I looked at (the Explorer and Pathfinder with the tilt up door and separate tilt up window, or the 4Runner with the tilt up rear door and the automatic slide up/down rear window), but I really liked the ride on the GX and figured I would get used to it.

After over three weeks, I can honestly say I hate it. Every day, I find something more to dislike about it.

Funny thing is, my main worry was that I couldn't open the door inside my garage. That has turned out to be the least of my problems with it. I usually leave the garage door open for loading/unloading anyway, and my garage is flat enough so that the door doesn't wander too much on its own.

Unloading a shopping cart is a challenge, even with a few bags. There is no place to put the cart while opening the door. If I don't open the door all the way and push in that laughable sharp piece of metal, I risk having the door slam on me and take my legs off. If I pull up into a spot and somebody parks behind me, I can't open the door, and certainly not wide enough to lock in place; If I park butt out I have to take up the whole driving lane (while being blinded to incoming traffic) to open the door. Did anyone ever try this thing out before manufacturing it???

About the only way to use this thing in a parking lot is to park all the way out where there are no stores, and go when nobody else shops and hope nobody parks behind me. If it is raining, tough - no more overhang from a lift up door to protect me while I unload and then struggle with a slick, wet, sharp piece of metal to release it and close the door. Usually I cheat and try to hold the door open with one hand and load heavy bags with the other - for which I've been rewarded by pulling my back and getting hit with the door several times.

If I have one or two items, I still have to go through the whole big door thing - it is absolutely incredible to me that they didn't at least make the back window openable. Why make a luxury car lacking a basic convenience feature of your cheaper Toyota version?

Maybe they figured that the GX is the SUV for the mistress of the house while her servant is out in a Honda buying groceries. Or maybe they didn't figure at all - not sure which is worse.

Somebody please tell me what in the world they were thinking with this design and lack of amenities (even a decent door stop!). I'm baffled.

itsZep

I love mine!

GGGXXX

This is one of the downside of the GX along with a poor rear door (visually challenging) to begin with...so let's see you pay $10k+ more for a Lexus GX (vs 4runner) and give up the liftgate as well as the automotic rear slide down window (which the 4runner has)....so forget anything longer than 5-6ft long to transport since the rear window no longer slides down...now that's what you call Marketing: you pay more for much less...and yes we all bought the GX470 knowing all this.....the GX does makes most of it up in other areas but the rear door really does suck.....I think they should (or hopefully have) fired the designer who put this in.....but I knew this going in and have moved on ...

Tin Star

Do you like red or blue? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the door. I would however like and opening rear window for hauling long pieces of whatever but I bought the truck knowing it didn't have one.

no1sportz

SilverLady, I must agree with you. That rear door is a horrible design. I really loved the GX and was very close to buying one until I started thinking...about the rear door! I often tow a jet ski and was always used to putting up my 4Runner hatch for better visibility. Backing down the ramp with a huge door swung open didn't sound fun. And ofcourse the whole parking lot scenario ran through my head several times too. I opted for it's big brother the LX and LOVE it's rear design having both the top and tailgate open. Why they didn't do this with the GX is beyond me.

bliksem

Teh rear door is a carry over from the Land Cruiser Prado sold in other countries, where the spare tire is mounted on the door and an extra fuel tank where the spare on the GX is. WHy they couldn't change it on the GX baffles me. They could have kept the barn door if they made the rear window roll down like the 4Runner. I also find it amazing that the put a levr for the transfer case in the GX while the 4Runner gets a dial on the dash, similar 4Runner has a foot parking brake while the GX a hand unit, both of these taking up space in the center console area.

I think somehow they should have switched some of these featues between the 2 vechiles and the owners of each would have been much happier.

loflin

I agree that I don't like the door. However the wife does. She is short(er) and had a hard time pulling down the Suburban overhead door, before.

Couple of thoughts...

Understand your frustration, but believe you are "piling on" a little. We've never had an instance in a parking lot where we couldn't open the door.

We "put" the cart in the same place we did with an overhead door. That is holding the front (or rear) of the car with one hand and opening the door.

If your "door stop" is sharp, then there is something wrong with it. Ours is not sharp at all.

Having the door open, doesn't stick us out in the driving lane anymore than the length of the cart that is next to me.

If you have just one (or two) items (ie. smaller/lighter) than yes, just open the door with one hand and throw the in. This is the part my wife does like, vs opening and then pulling down the big overhead door.

Just trying to play back to you, to give you some more view points.

Having said all that, I definitely do not see why the window doesn't open. Doesn't have to be an electric up and down, can just be one hinged at the top. And again, I personally like the overhead door, if for no other reason, to block the rain, as you said.

darrellk

Good morning Silverlady. We understand your frustration with the rear door on the GX. When we decided on the GX about 2 months ago, we did not like the idea of the "barn door" design of the rear door. However, we were so taken with just about everything else that the GX had to offer that the door was only of minor concern. My wife was the one who almost would not buy the GX because of the door. To my surprise, only yesterday Joyce said" you know I am really starting to like this door design" She dosen't have to reach up to pull the door down, which was a task for her with our Jeep Grand Cherokee, because she is only 5' 1"and being in her 70's it was hard for her to do that.. She also dosen't like the locking system to keep the door open, but has gotten use to it. If your door lever is sharp, something is wrong with it. We think given enough time you will get use to the rear door.
Regards
Darrell & Joyce

mlbpbg

I have to agree with you folks on the side opening door. My '05 is great but the designer of that door must have been looking at the car sideways. Maybe they mean't it to go up

mink92890

The rain problem was one reason i turned away from the GX

Mink92890

yaro1

From what I read, the logic behid this kind of door is to accomodate for something in tow. The reason being: if there is somethign in tow, it might inhibit the door from opening if it was a normal pull-up type. Somehow, they figured that the "barn door" will avoid this problem (how? Don't ask me though).

In the end, I'm not too far for or against the door.

The best part of the door is watchin other people flounder trying to open the back door!

Tipler

HI there ....I do like the ideal that I could open with out having to lift the door and then pull down.. I bought my GX for pleasure and was never even thining about the uses ..hope to get the GX out more ..
thanks for the infor ..

SilverLady

Loflin-
I am having trouble envisioning some of the setups you mention.

The cart positioning - With my old standard SUV, I could hold the cart a foot or two back, or to the side on either side of the car, open the tailgate (easy with the hydraulics) , then move the cart right next to the back for loading with the gate safely up and out of the way. (Of course if I just lifted the window I didn't even need to do that) This physically can't be done with the GX unless there is a very stable position for the cart in the left hand corner and nobody parked behind you. This hasn't happened for me yet. The cart goes off on its own, the door slams shut as I go to get the cart to drag it over while I try to prop the door open; nothing people like better than seeing a woman with a brand new humungous $55K car that can't pack 3 bags of groceries!

Having the door open, doesn't stick us out in the driving lane anymore than the length of the cart that is next to me.
I usually put the cart sideways next to the trunk back, and most aren't all that big -so the door does stick out further. Putting the cart away is another exercise - where do I put it when I want to close the door?

If your "door stop" is sharp, then there is something wrong with it. Ours is not sharp at all.

I probably exagerated with the word "sharp" It is more like the hinges on those old bridge tables that are painful when you have to push or pull hard on them. I this is meant to be the only way to hold the door open, they should have at least put some rubber material over it, and something to pull or push in the open direction. Ideally, it should have some kind of latch button that is easy to open or close. It is not even obvious if the door is in the locked postion or not. This is an incredibly poor design; I'm surprised they have not been cited on safety issues years ago.

bgsntth

I know I'm in the minority, but I love the barn door.
-At 6'4" I never have to worry about hitting my head on the latch
-It is a great platform for checking waves, changing clothes in the dirt or sand , changing diapers etc.
-Great area for hanging clothes, toiletries, holding diapers etc.

Drawbacks:
Rain, when you open the door things get wet.
If you do not lock it, the door could really hurt a little kid.
When you need to access the back, and someone parks right on the rear-bumper.
It opens from the wrong side for left-hand drive countries.

mink92890

Does the GX have an openable window? I never thought about the height issue for you, which is surely a good advantage. However, why do you think Lexus made it different than all of the other SUVs in its lineup. I think they should fofer something like the Envoy with the trunk that opens side to side and up and down.

Mink92890