Hello. This is my first post so, please excuse my lack of knowledge. I need some advice on purchasing a gx 460. I love the car and it's off road capabilities. I want to get one for my wife. We tested a 2013 and a 2014 yesterday a d loved both. We like the '14 design more but, after reading some reviews and looking at a few more online, I don't know what to look for.
. Budget is 30k to 45k. We want something with less than 30k miles and it has to be certified by lexus.
. I found a '15 luxury for 49$, and, a few '14s base for around 42k $.
is the luxury worth the extra money? What options should I be looking for? We live in Michigan so winters are nasty and roads are terrible all the time. Is the air suspension something we want or should we avoid it?
Thank you for any advice.

 

I always recommend buying a certified vehicle. However, when it comes to GX, it has such a good resale value that buying few years old certified does not make any sense when you can buy a new one at a very good price. Two years ago, when I was shopping for my GX, 2012- 2013 certified vehicles very selling for 42-44k. I ended up buying a new GX with leather, BSM , navigation, and premium package which includes rear seat AC and wood steering wheel for $51k plus tax (No dealership / document fee, Sticker price of $56400). You might have to extend your budget a little extra but getting a newer 2017 vehicle for few thousand dollar is worth it in my opinion

 

Thank you. I ***** look into a new one. I didn't even consider that option. I figured it would be close to 60k. My hope was that the air ride was not an important asset and I can get a 14 for under 41k

 

The air ride is not worth paying for. It may be useful if you pull a trailer, but it is very from from necessary. It has also been a source of some problems and seems to be associated with more frequent and resistant “leaning” issues some owners have reported (for more, search for leaning or tilting on this forum). I have a 2015,, and I paid about $52 for one with leather, Nav, wood trim and steering wheel etc. I wanted the Mark Levinson but had to upgrade to a trim level that would have cost another 10K, not worth it in my opinion.

 

Did you get yours new or used for 52k?

 

If you are looking new THIS thread might be useful as to what the selling prices are in various areas of the country. I don't know what city you are in so did a 100 mile radius search on cars.com for COP'd -

• ONE
• TWO
• THREE

There are some more as well.

As far as the air suspension it sounded cool and all but personally I didn't need it so went with my Premium package with some additional add-ons.

 

Lol. The first one is the one I drove actually. I like the 3rd one tho. Lowest miles and lowest price. I'm north of Detroit, in Macomb , MI

 

I bought mine new

 

The 1st one has Premium package which includes:
-Real leather with heated/cool Front and center row seats (outboard)
-LED foglights
-Woodtrim steering wheel and trim pieces
-Nicer wheels
-MIGHT have 12-speakers premium audio system.

For '17 New model this configuration is about $58k

 

Unless you want specific options, don't worry about the Lux package and save yourself some money. Your wife will probably not notice air suspension, slightly nicer leather, levinson sound, crawl control etc. unless you mention it to her, and even then probably wouldn't care. Almost every GX comes very well equipped. That said, make sure the truck you buy has the options you know she wants, e.g. heated seats, which on later years were removed as a standard option. Certified you probably have to buy a newer one so 2013s are likely out.

 

How can you tell that the first one has premium package on it. How can you tell that the seats are real leather and not letherette? That's what I don't know how to discern.
This one I like a lot but it doesn't seem to be certified and it supposedly has letherette https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/694848573/overview/...

 

i wouldnt let a few thousand dollars get in way of owning a vehicle.

the luxury and prior premium version with air ride better than the non air suspension models.

The 2014- onwards drive better than the earlier versions. Lexus did some tweaks to the whole suv
and its a heck of lot quieter. i had a 2010 and it was noisy.

Whatever one u buy used check underneath the suv, because a lot o rust builds up on these and the LX due
to the iron frame. I coat mine every year with fluid film and there is no corrosion at all underneath.

The luxury versions are worth it over the premium and base versions imho.

 

Lux offers a semi-aniline leather. Premium still offers real leather. Lux has leather that is a little more plush.

In theory you can order a base model 2014+ with "nuluxe" fake leather but almost every base GX will have the leather option ticked. I believe this year or last year they finally forced you to step up to premium package to get leather so perhaps nuluxe is more common.

I have the semi-aniline leather in mine and IMO it is not worth paying extra for over standard leather but I have no complaints.

 

This one has PREMIUM package (Exactly like mine) and Real leather. Look like it has everything I listed in the post above.

If you have any questions, just ask. Good luck.

 

Agreed. That one has leather via Premium Package. Not leatherette.