TripleL

I’m not in the market for a car just yet but I could be in 6 to 9 months and since I enjoy car shopping so much I thought I’d get a jump on it. I have a 2006 IS250AWD and a 2004 Pilot that we are thinking about upgrading. Looking at possibility an RX or GX. My car was at the dealer today and they were nice enough to let me take a 2011 RX for the day and when I returned to pick up my car they allowed me to take a new GX out for a test drive.

I’ve learned a lot from this 2GX forum (thank you all) so I thought I’d share of my random initial thoughts from my first test drive. It was a short test drive this time as I had a meeting to get to but it was time well spent nonetheless.

Being my first time really seeing a GX460 in person I have to say it looks very good in person and much better than I expected. Paint job on all the ones I saw was superb. The Peridot Mica (Dark Green ) on the showroom floor was particularly nice. I liked the fact all the windows behind the B pillar were tinted The door handles felt good in the hand and opening the rear door was fine. I liked the fact the rear glass hatch could be opened up independently of the door as I haven’t seen that since my old 1990 Pathfinder and I always found it to be a very useful feature.

Stepping inside to the driver’s seat I have to say I loved the seating position and the visibility out front. It was very easy to get comfortable quickly and adj the mirrors too. Front seats were incredibility comfortable and I later found the second row had excellent leg room.

I liked the dash layout as the gagues were clear and the touch screen nav and radio volume control where perfectly placed for my reach.

Out on the road the ride was very quiet and smooth. The GX soaked up bumps and expansion joints with style. This was a premium model but I didn’t get a chance to play with the settings and just left it in the middle. I’d like to try the Sport and particularly the comfort settings next time I take one out for a drive. The engine was quite most all of the time and when I leaned on the gas pedal it had a really nice V8 sound to it. Pick up to highway speeds was effortless and the transmission shifts where perfectly timed and barely noticeable in a great way.

It was quite windy today and of the 3 cars I drove (my 06 IS, the 11 RX loaner and the GX) the GX had the least wind noise by far. I did also hear a little bit a tire noise (even at its worst it was much better than the sport tires on my IS) on certain surfaces but not bad at all really. Since I’ve been reading this forum quite a bit I peeked at the tires after the test drive and noticed this GX had Bridgestones and not Michelin like some of the other GXs on the lot had so that may be part of what I heard, but not sure.

Overall I was very impressed with the GX!!

I did note a couple of small things that I looked for but didn’t see. One was there is really no place on the center console in easy reach for small items, like a cell phone for example, unless the cup holder is used. That’s what I do now in my car but was hoping for a small rubber shelf or something on that wide center console.

Also, I could not find any sizable hidden storage in the back behind the 3rd row seats and below the floor. In my wife’s Pilot there is a long narrow compartment that’s perfect for snow brushes, gloves an extra pair of sneakers etc. I did see two small cubbies in the swing out door, one of which had a 1st aid kit, and another small cubby on the left inside wall below the power seat switch that I guess would work for some small items.

Bottom line is that I'm very glad I drove the GX today as I'm more interested in it now than ever. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of questions as I move forward through the process but please let me know your thoughts now on any of the points I’ve made today.

Thanks in advance!

RXSF

are you going to write up something about the RX?

TripleL

That is my plan for Saturday Morning! I haven't spent a ton of time in the 3RX forum but I definitely feel comfortable enough to share my thoughts with the members and plan to do so.

Koz

There is a compartment just below the radio (where it meets the center console) where you can put your cell (covered by bubinga wood door). There is no need if you have a bluetooth phone. I put my ipod there because it has the USB port there also (also 12v power supply port).

Koz

TripleL

Thanks Koz

I forgot about that compartment although I do remember peeking in there now that you mention it. But Bluetooth! Good reminder as at least for the cell phone in particular it would eliminate the need to have it accessible.

I appreciate the feedback.


Do you use the bluetooth? Is it clear in as much as you can hear people and they can hear you clearly?

RXSF

dont you use bluetooth in your IS? I think the simplest of phones comes with bluetooth, and with the state regulations that do not allow talking/holding the phone while driving, car manufacturers will be putting this technology in the cheapest of cars. I find lexus call quality quite good with an iphone.

TripleL

I foolishly didn't get NAV with my IS which at that time meant no bluetooth. My next car will have both NAV and ML

Oh and yes my last 3 phones have had bluetooth and in fact I use a bluetooth jawbone now with my Droid and like it. Thanks for the call quality feed back as I think the built in bluetooth will be a nice step up from the headset.

Am I correct the caller ID will show up on the NAV screen or the Info center on the dash when I call comes in?

zebt66

I have a 2010 pearl white GX460 premium edition, fully loaded with all the options and i love it. I don't have the need for the car when i bought it i thought i would drive it a lot...but no it has 6K miles on it. If any one is interested i will sell it lol.

Craig B

Yes, the caller ID does show on the NAV screen.

RXSF

the phone number shows up on the nav screen but not the name, unless you have that person in your nav phonebook

TripleL

Glad you 'love it'. Only 6K miles though, do you not have to drive alot or have another ride?

TripleL

Very nice! Thank you both I appreciate the quick responses.

akfd

From my experience of using the bluetooth with an iPhone 4, I can always hear the person on the other side very clearly, but it's not always the case the other way around; sometimes the person on the other side can't hear me clearly, or the phone's too quiet, even though I'm yelling. Also, when you're talking via bluetooth, turning the ignition off will drop your call. Maybe there are settings in the menu to fix those little issues but since I'm a "techno-dummy" I just live with the current settings.

TripleL

Thanks for the feedback. Interesting it works hearing but not speaking. Not sure if its the car, phone or cell carrier that's causing that though.

As for turning the ignition off I know in my IS with smart key if you put the car in Neutral with your foot on the brake, then turn the car off and put the car in Park the car will then be in accessory mode and the radio etc stays on. My assumption is your bluetooth will stay on too, but I'm not sure. If you give it a try let us know please!

RXSF

^^ yes, neutral is the way to go!

btw, I meant "name" must be in the car's phonebook in my above post.