What I don't get is all the complaining about the GX460 swing gate opening to the right, as if it was some lazy play by Toyota. Pretty sure the following SUV's all have swing gates that open to the right:

1. Ford Bronco
2. LR Defender
3. Jeep Wrangler

I think only the G-Wagon swings to the left.

 

The US is a relatively "small" percentage of WW Sales ... mainly selling into to countries where they drive on "the wrong side of the road" ... so the rear gate was oriented to those larger combined markets where it opens from the curb side.

For the same reason ... we get to live with the dreaded "drivers side lean".

 

Perhaps, but North America is most of Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco sales. So why would they bother inconveniencing the majority of their customers with a RHS swing gate? I don't think the Bronco will even be sold in RHD countries.

 

We like the swing gate, one of the reason we went with the GX over the QX80 and others.

 

Personally, I think the "swing gate should open toward the curb" argument was created by broke automotive journalists who are forced to live in cities. It makes much more sense to have the gate be opened with one's dominant hand, and so 90% of the market, regardless of country, would prefer the gate to open as it does on the GX4*, Wrangler, etc. Since it is the driver who most often opens the gate, forcing 90% of prospective customers in your most profitable market to not only have to open the gate with the wrong hand, but to have to walk around the vehicle to do it, would not be in a manufacturer's best interest.

My $.02,

Mark

 

... so let's block access to the curb when the door is open (assuming there is a vehicle parked behind) ... and load / unload from the traffic side ... no logic whatsoever ... access and safety is clearly more important than what hand is used to open the door.

 

There must be another reason. Why else would Ford make the new North America only ( maybe soon to expand to LHD only countries) Bronco have the swing door open to the right? Jeep I guess could be right swing bc of some unknown legacy/vestigial reasons, but why would Ford, which unlike Jeep for sure had no need for manufacturing/parts/process continuality decide to design it that way? There must be some reason why a right hand side swing door in LHD countries make some sense other than to standardize for WW market since in Ford's case there is no WW market that includes RHD countries. Maybe there is some weird regulatory reason - based on its own vestigial purpose - that makes it easier to get approval, even if it isn't really rational?

 

FJ Cruiser opens from the right ...

 

I like the RH hinge since when I'm walking up from the store with stuff in my hands for the rear I can always stay on the dirvers side. My Defender is this way also, and I'm satisfied with both.

 

Think about who is likely using the swing gate most often, where, and how they are using it, and it will make sense why it opens the way it does. Hint, it's the driver. Now think about being the driver and having to walk around the open tail gate every time you made a trip back to your drivers seat. At 6'2" I've yet to meet a tail gate that opens up that is tall enough for me not to curse it.

 

... really don't think the consideration of having to walk another 4 feet (3 whole steps) is a design decision priority.

 

And don't forget that the swing gate on Prado was available with the spare tire fitted to it and almost double tank capacity.

 

Well lets think about what you just said and think about how you actually walk around the door. 4ft gets you to the end of the door, but doesn't get you clear of the door. So 5ft to get you to the end of the door with enough room not to shoulder check it, turn 180 degrees, and then another 5ft to get you back to the end of the tail gate. So more like 10ft plus a step or two to get around the door. Pretty easy to test this also, just use the door from the passenger side vs the drivers side and you can see how much easier it is.

 

except in RHD countries, which is the rest of the world, where this is a Toyota LC Prado, the very same argument you’re making for it would be the exact same argument you’re making against it. So as previously mentioned it doesn’t make sense for parent company Toyota to inconvenience a larger population to change the configuration for a smaller population…

 

This. One of the best books I ever read was "The Psychology of Everyday Things". Published in the late '80's, it's still a worthwhile read. Handedness matters, assertions to the contrary notwithstanding, and the current design as about as good as it gets if one is going to have a side-opening door. Toyota has thought the better of that in the next-gen, anyway, and that probably makes the most sense.

Ahh, no. List of left- & right-driving countries (worldstandards.eu)

Mark