GX Rated # 1 for 2011
#16
If you can't deal with someone that has the same vehicle criticizing it, you shouldn't be on the boards. Internet forums aren't the place to come if you're seeking validation. If you like your GX and think it's the second coming, good on you. I personally expected better of Lexus. I think they failed on their market research, competitive intelligence and requirements process this time around.
Matrix the GX against the competition, take a few test drives and see if you feel the same way. Bottom line is that they could have done a much better job. I wouldn't say it's invented and as mentioned I drive the vehicle in different conditions than you do or our friend in DE (lived in Greenville and am intimately familiar with the terrain, almost bought a house at highest point in the state 450' above sea level) which shapes perception. I'm certain the GX does great where you guys live.
To answer your question... reliability. Vehicle doesn't really have have any standout qualities or excel in anything in particular. Tech in the car is so-so, engine is on the low side for the class, room so-so, third row so-so, towing at the bottom of the competition, performance so-so, ride quality so-so, ergonomics so-so etc....
As mentioned this is my 6th Lexus. I currently own 2010 and 2011 RX and GX. I'm not new to the brand nor am I new to luxury vehicles. If anything I have a better perspective of the brand than many here because I have 2 newly redesigned vehicles and can compare features/execution having driven thousands of miles in both.
Matrix the GX against the competition, take a few test drives and see if you feel the same way. Bottom line is that they could have done a much better job. I wouldn't say it's invented and as mentioned I drive the vehicle in different conditions than you do or our friend in DE (lived in Greenville and am intimately familiar with the terrain, almost bought a house at highest point in the state 450' above sea level) which shapes perception. I'm certain the GX does great where you guys live.
To answer your question... reliability. Vehicle doesn't really have have any standout qualities or excel in anything in particular. Tech in the car is so-so, engine is on the low side for the class, room so-so, third row so-so, towing at the bottom of the competition, performance so-so, ride quality so-so, ergonomics so-so etc....
As mentioned this is my 6th Lexus. I currently own 2010 and 2011 RX and GX. I'm not new to the brand nor am I new to luxury vehicles. If anything I have a better perspective of the brand than many here because I have 2 newly redesigned vehicles and can compare features/execution having driven thousands of miles in both.
#17
I have to agree with you about the mirrors, cruise control and rear window. Put some Rain-X on your rear window and it will help a lot. I think you should have purchased the QX56. If it was available before I purchased my GX, I would have taken one for a test drive. I can't use the cruise control going up hills on the highway...
Regards,
SaniDel
P.S. The QX56 is more than a match for the LX570 ... I'm afraid that the GX would be out of its league!
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...son/index.html
#18
Moderator
Thread Starter
The QX was my second choice (good towing ability). What knocked it down to second was its guzzling and its bling (too big). I prefer the subtle look of the GX.
Koz
Koz
#19
Everyone needs to calm down. We are really passionate about cars and it is surfacing. To put things into perspective the GX 460 is a clone of a cheaper vehicle called the Toyota land cruiser prado. Most people in the U.S. do not know this fact. The prado is a very capable off road vehicle and is second only to the FJ. The Prado has locking center and rear differentials, the only Toyota vehicle that has this feature. Many features of the prado did not make it to the GX, like rear diff. lock, TV, and the hard disk drive. I hope to add some of these feature to my GX in the future. Every vehicle owner is going to be unhappy with some of the features of their vehicle. I have spent time on the forums of the QX and GL and the amount of problems that they have is shocking. Eventually, the GX will fall off this list as time goes by and problems arise. Believe me problems will arise. The first generation GX has a huge issue with cracking dashboards, transmission clunk, and sagging suspension.
I drove my GX on a highway trip with 6 adults and a baby. The GX did well and the 2 adults in the third row did not really complain. I moved the second row forward a bit and they were very comfortable.
I am not going to give up the GX but Lexus should have done better. The leather is only single stitched and the switches next to the transmission lever is in the wrong possible location. The driver cannot see all the switches when the leaver is in drive.
I drove my GX on a highway trip with 6 adults and a baby. The GX did well and the 2 adults in the third row did not really complain. I moved the second row forward a bit and they were very comfortable.
I am not going to give up the GX but Lexus should have done better. The leather is only single stitched and the switches next to the transmission lever is in the wrong possible location. The driver cannot see all the switches when the leaver is in drive.
#20
Moderator
Thread Starter
I'm not sure how the Prado got involved but there is a HUGE difference between the two. First the Prado is way more expensive ($89K compared to $56K) and is nowhere near as refined as the GX. The GX has more features and uses better materials. There is no V8 or auto 6 speed trans available in the Prado. Prado has a diesel and a 5 speed auto (6 speed manual). The interior of the GX is far more refined and uses better materials. What I find really cool about the Prado is you can get a 3 door model.
Koz
Koz
#21
#23
Craig, good suggestion to put Rain-X on the rear window ... thanks. Why can't you use cruise control going up hills on the highway ... what happens when you try?
Regards,
SaniDel
P.S. The QX56 is more than a match for the LX570 ... I'm afraid that the GX would be out of its league!
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...son/index.html
Regards,
SaniDel
P.S. The QX56 is more than a match for the LX570 ... I'm afraid that the GX would be out of its league!
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...son/index.html
#25
GX460 = 4.6L V8 : 301 hp : 329 torque : 6,500 lb towing : 15/20 mpg
QX 56 = 5.6L V8 : 400 hp : 413 torque : 8,500 lb towing : 14/20 mpg
#26
So the car company says. Let's talk real-life here. Do you think my Suburban really gets 17mpg
#27
advisory board? So we have you to blame for our under engineered, under powered, weird shifting, erratic behaving, no power door having GX. Maybe Jeep or Land Rover would benefit from your extensive knowledge of.... nothing. Do us and yourself a favor and trade that rig in on a nice LR4 and enjoy that loaner car they give you as your new "car" will be in the shop more than your driveway. Did we forget the Indians and building these cars? How long have they been building luxury vehicles? And the GC... a Jeep, enough said. I personally bought the GX for 3 reasons; reliability, engineering and safety. If you buy a vehicle because the GPS is cool - to each their own. If you buy a vehicle because the wood grain is pretty - to each their own.
10 years from now, which I know the typical Lexus owner doesn't keep their vehicle that long, the GX will out shine all of its competition. Oh wait - it already does.
10 years from now, which I know the typical Lexus owner doesn't keep their vehicle that long, the GX will out shine all of its competition. Oh wait - it already does.
Last edited by ShawShank; 06-29-11 at 12:45 PM.
#28
A friend of mine bought a Range Rover Autobiography last month (special order, of course). After a few weeks of driving, the car is now at the dealer, sitting in the service bay for a week already, trying to fix some electrical problem. I'm glad that I didn't get a Range Rover in the first place!
#29
#30
Real-World Highway Mileage ... Try It Yourself in Your GX 460