weiss5682

Looking into getting the GX and had some questions. Some thoughts on how the GX compares to:
New Ford explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Pilot, Acura MDX, JX. It seems that the GX is the most expensive of the bunch. We prefer the look for GX but it seems that the other SUV's offer many more options at a lower price point. I assume other people have compared some of these cars I wanted to hear your opinions.

Herd72

I read extensively on the Explorer and considered one until I found that a huge amount of owners have serious problems with water leaking into their vehicles and Ford telling them it was engineered that way. The Jeep is after all a Chrysler product so no more needs to be said there. There is a whole thread on here covering Acura vs Lexus. Don't know much about the Pilot except the leather in their seats is notorious for stretching out and leaving baggy unsightly looking surfaces. My other choices were a 4Runner Limited for the off road and snow capability an LR4 and a Benz for the luxury. The reliability issues with the Land Rover pretty much 86'ed it. I liked the body on frame aspect so that and the technical problems pretty much eliminated the ML 350. That left the 4 Runner and the GX. Went with my gut and got the GX even though I had a 4Runner and loved it as well as a great Sequoia To each his own but that was my process. Glad I made the move.

Brooks2IS

Made the massive mistake of getting out of a 2006 GX and into a 2011 MDX. The GX is obviously worth the money, the MDX was one of the most disappointing cars to ever reside in my garage.

Quadro

The thing about GX is it's truly a unique vehicle in the above list which, depending on what you value (and the value is in the eye of the beholder), will be an instant deal maker or a turn off. The GX is built like a real SUV (body-on-frame, full-time 4WD, torsen, locking diff, etc.), have world class results to back up its SUV standings and have a proven track record in third world countries where SUVs are used the way they meant to be.

The other stuff on your list, in my opinion, are not SUVs - they are lifted sedans. Pretty much. They have great paper specs but that's about it. Once you start getting into the details (wheel articulation, what world class results do they actually have, are they used in a third world in real tough SUV conditions, etc.) you quickly realize just how pathetic they all are. Just get a car. Now of course none of that may matter to you but it did to me. So at the end of the day it all depends what kind of "features" you're after.

T4Fun

imho, there is no comparison out there.
the GX drives very nice for body of its size. It takes a while to get used to, but now love it.
its only BOF in its class, reliable, looks good, dependable, tuff, quiet, fast if you push it, and its a lexus built in their state of art factory in japan.

acura mdx, jeep, MB, others = car like ride, handles nice and fast, but too many problems. look at what others have said. RR is body frame design and they are fast but too many problems. MDX and Pilot are basically similar.

only other suv id ever consider is nissan murano if you want fast great handling and reliability and looks, buts its a crossover. New redesign coming out soon. JX i believe is on infinitis new platform that is shared with pathfinder based on murano platform. havent driven it, see a lot of them, but not BOF.


im not a cheerleader of any brand, including lexus, but this is by far the best suv out there. Too many bad reviews out there however of the GX and its trucky ride and people still prefer the prestige of a MB, both of which i think are complete bogus subjectively...the money is definitely worth it

GX4704ME

You're asking this question on a Lexus forum which almost guarantees Lexus bias. As for me, I'm not loyal to any vehicle brand. I typically keep a vehicle for a year and a half (no need for financial advice as income, savings, assets, etc. can support it) so needless to say, I've tried mostly all the luxury brands and a few non luxury brands.

I have a 14 GX and wife owns 14 JGC Summit. Name cachet and luxurious appointments aside, the Jeep surprisingly is a damn good vehicle (so far) with every option under the sun for a negotiated price of around low $40k. Does the JGC Summit compare to the14 GX? Nope as one is a luxury vehicle and the other is a utilitarian vehicle for the common man. Is the JGC a great value for the price point? Absolutely with several features that Lexus doesn't offer.

Every time I drive my wife's JGC I am amazed at just how nice it is. The ride is buttery smooth and quiet as a vault inside.

weiss5682

GX vs Lr4... Thoughts?

yakim

LR4 is trouble, nothing but trouble….looks good, drives very nicely but mechanically/electrically it is unreliable. Dealership experience is often subpar as well

Quadro

Land Rover ranked dead last or close to dead last (they seems to be competing with Jeep lol) in the reliability department. An unreliable SUV can not perform the SUV duty, how are you supposed to venture into the boonies and be confident in your ride not breaking down and letting you stranded? These things break down while driven on roads which is totally inexcusable for an SUV which is supposed to be overbuilt and over designed to tackle much more challenging conditions.

Also read how many owners LR changed during the last 10 years and who owns them now and ask yourself how comfortable you will be with a brand like that. Who will own them next?

Booyah

Im looking into bigger things as well--Im really liking the new 2015 Cadillac Escalade, looks very nice inside and out, I did look at the LX570 but seems so lo tech compared to other vehicles out there, I mean simple BSM-nope!! Ill wait at least to the end of this year to see how they fair and take a few on test drives, I havent owned an american car in over 30 years--I hope they have improved lol....according to JD powers and such the Cadillac brand has really come along ways in the reliability department, I think number 3.

Paddyspub

I have to respectfully disagree. I just sold my 2011 LR4 to get the 2014 GX. I didn't have any major issues with the LR. Of course there were a couple of minor things. I had a leaking hose (can't remember which one) that was quickly replaced and a rattle in the back seat that was corrected again with a seat frame replacement. Couldn't have had a better or more responsive service department. I have seen several reports of people having the brakes replaced prior to 20k (I think this is an issue). However I did not have any brake work done up to 31.5k miles. I probably would have had to have some for, of brake work done sometime this year but I sold it. Now, I have to say I think the GX is nicer and feels more solid. Having said that I loved my LR4 and would have been in the market for a new one but they are doing something goofy with their 2014 MY. Very low inventory and strong rumors of a 2015 release in late summer. Who knows but at any rate you can't hardly find 2014s on the lot.

I think all brands have their fair share of problems. LR definitely has had their problems but I really do think they have gotten much better over the past 3-4 years. Tata Motors seems to be doing a better job than Ford did with the brand.

In response to the OP I would say something to be taken into consideration is the level of service that comes with a Luxury brand (especially Lexus) when comparing brands. It can make a huge difference.

GX4704ME

I couldn't agree with you more and always chuckle when folks who never owned a particular brand speak so matter of fact about reliability, craftsmanship, etc. I have owned more BMW's than I can count and out of all those vehicles, only visited the service department once. I've owned a handful of Mercedes and have NEVER visited the service department. Hmmm either I'm lucky or the internet is wrong, and you know the internet can't possibly be wrong! The only reason why I am not driving a 14 RR Sport is because when I visited the dealership I was immediately told there is a 3 month wait due to overwhelming popularity and success of the new RR Sport model. I left the Land Rover dealership and drove to Lexus.

yakim

I owned an LR4 and moved to Lexus LX 570 because of reliability issues and subpar dealership experience. Consumer reports consistently rate LR/RR brand at the bottom of reliability scale to which I can testify. Your mileage may vary, but owning a poor reliability car is not for me. That is exactly the reason why I wouldn't own a BMW or a Jag either. RR sells fast because its trendy and very popular in Oriental markets. But its well-deserved poor reputation will catch up with it sooner than later. That said, they are very nice cars otherwise

patgilm

You guys cannot take your annecdotal evidence and say that Land Rover or other Euro cars are reliable or unreliable. We can only rely on what certain studies show since they look at a much larger sample. Sure there are great Euro cars that you have had with zero issues just like there are Lexus' that turn out to be POS. It is just the chances of getting one of these are greater or lesser with each. The facts are what they are.

Paddyspub

Yes you are right. What i should have said was that I disagree with the blanket statement about LR and here is my story that says otherwise. Someone who has had a bad experience is most likely going to have a negative opinion about the brand just as someone who has a positive experience will likely tend to think positively about the brand.