syswei

According to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_GX

According to production rumors, a GX 450 Hybrid will be released no later than late 2010. It will have a 4.5 liter V6 engine, powering the car to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 8.3 seconds. With a cylinder deactivation system and a reduced weight, the 2010 Lexus GX450 Hybrid will get 20 miles per gallon in the city and 28 miles per gallon on the highway.

JessePS

if thats true, that would be nice to see.

Stormforge

too bad it's not sooner. i would have jumped on the GX hybrid if it was available now. instead, my only choice now is the RX450h

itsZep

Will the 2010 GX Hybrid be about the same price as say the 2009?

lucasb7

I would really like this to be true, but I find some of the details to be sketchy. I find the discrepancy to be in the internal combustion engine. First, to my knowledge, Toyota/Lexus do not have a 4.5 liter V6. To me, they would use their well refined 3.5L V6 or the 4.6 liter V8. With their perspective on hybrids, I would imagine that they would use the 4.6L V8, especially in a vehicle that would be used for towing such as the GX.

Stormforge

definitely not. expect to pay a premium. check the regular RX and hybrid RX prices, that should give you a rough idea/guesstimate how much extra you can expect to pay for GX hybrid

Stormforge

does the 4.6L V8 have enough TQ to tow? my understanding is that towing is a completely different matter when selecting engine size....

itsZep

"definitely not. expect to pay a premium. check the regular RX and hybrid RX prices, that should give you a rough idea/guesstimate how much extra you can expect to pay for GX hybrid"

so I wonder if the cost difference in purchase price will make up for gas dollars saved?

i guess it depends on how many miles you drive to work and things like that?

plus the community organizer may offer a huge tax break for Hybrids making
them about the same price?

Stormforge

at current gas prices, the answer is no. you would have to keep and drive the hybrid GX for at least 6-8 years before you recoup the price difference. BUT: who knows what future gas prices will be? it could be a lot higher than last summer's crazy gas prices. the higher the gas prices, the faster you'll recoup the price difference (which was why you saw lots of people getting rid of their gas guzzling Hummers and large SUVs in favor of more fuel efficient cars).

you would get the GX hybrid if you wish to be more environmentally friendly (although that is also debateable considering how much energy, raw materials and chemicals are required to produce one GX).

tax rebates will come from your federal or state incentive programs. you'll need to look into that to see what's available or applicable.

syswei

No rebates at the Federal level remain for Toyota/Lexus hybrids.

Craig B

Lexus should go with a twin turbo diesel. That's what my BMW X5 has and it came with a $1800 or $1900 tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle. I was waiting for the GX, but got tired of waiting. I still have my LS 460 and will look at the GX this fall. I don't think it will get close to the mileage of my X5...

Craig

lucasb7

Since V8s notoriously have more torque than their respective V6 counterparts the 4.6 would be much more likely than a 4.5L V6. The 4.6 certainly does have a healthy amount of torque. Combine that with the hybrid drive and it should have plenty to tow. They might need to do a few adjustments to the 4.6 to make it more optimal for towing though... They also need to work on making it robust. Plus this would be the first Hybrid Synergy Drive CVT that is really rated or built to tow more than 3500 lbs.