kos52

I'm a new user on the forum and hoping to get some help in making a decision on a family SUV.

We currently own a 2010 Lexus RX350 premium addition and a 2011 Lexus ES350 that have both been exceptional vehicles in terms of maintenance and comfort. Are family is growing and a 7 seater is definitely a desire so I'm thinking of purchasing either a 2012 Lexus GX460 with 40 thousand KMS or a 2015 Toyota 4runner Limited with the same mileage. Both vehicle are very close in costs and I'm honestly torn in making this decision as I love the refinement of the Lexus but love the look of the new 4runner. Also the Lexus has a few more luxury features like HID lights and a smoother ride with V8 power.

Hoping to hear from Lexus GX users as to what they think.. Also as part of my decision I want to consider gas consumption costs and resale value in the future.

Can the GX use regular gas?

Any feedback is welcomed.

PapaLeo

I would recommend GX. It has more luxury and safety features that aren't available on the 4Runner.
I was cross shopping for 4Runner Limited and GX Base too a month ago and found that ride and comfort of GX is better.
For some people, swing out rear door of GX is a deal breaker but for it was exactly what I was looking for since my garage door is low and being tall person, I am always hit my head over the rear open door.
Also 8" navigation screen is easier to see than 6" on the 4Runner.
And for the 3rd row, GX seats offer at least 3 more inches then 4Runner then second row is properly adjusted to share the rear seats leg space. I did a test with my 10 year old twins they both told me that a 3rd row of GX is where they would like to be but in 4Runner "my testers" claimed seats are short and uncomfortable to ride. Also safety wise person who occupies 3rd row in 4Runner has it head less than an from the rear hatch. God forbid being rear ended in 4Runner and I am not sure if headrests there have enough room to play to catch the head of the occupants. In GX 3rd row headrest has at least 2 more inches of free space before rear door.
Another thing that I looked at is antique 5speed 4Runner transmission and only 270 HP, it smooth and everything but try to claims a long hills at freeway sped and you will see 4Runner engine tachometer jumping to 4K+ range at 65MPH. GX doesn't sweat and climbs the same steap hills with confidence never running out breath.
i don't tow, so I can't talk about that at all.
Few minor things that affect my decision to go with GX. LED headlights, wider tires, BSM with rear cross traffic alerts.
Also 4Runner seems like a good value car if you're planning to go with lower trims and plan to do mods for off-roading and with a Limited it's price is in line with a GX is luxury SUV.
Resale value wise, a good keept GX will get you a better return even for the 2nd owner.
Good luck on your purchase decision. Hope that I was helpful in any way.

2506ackley

I am a new member to the forum and no expert so take that into consideration when reading my response.

I just bought my wife a 2013 gx460 about 2 weeks ago. She has had a gx470 for 7 years before I got the 460.

We looked at the sequoias and 4 runners before we decided to get another Lexus.

my personal opinion is the interior of the Lexus Is much nicer and the car looks better than the toyotas. The Lexus also rode much better. She uses this car for city driving only. If you are going to use it in the woods the 4 runner might be a better fit. The 460 seems to have lower ground clearance than the 4 runner.

I spent about $3,000 in repairs on her 470 in the 7 years we owned it. She put 85,000 miles in it durring that time.

They are both great cars. I hope this helps.

PapaLeo

Forgot to say, that GX can't use regular gas, only premium. But if you have a Costco near your house or a route that you normally take, price of Premium there is in line with a Regular at Chevron/Shell.
I just fueled my GX for the first time and local Chevron Regular $2.79 gallon, and Premium was $2.99.
i was on my way to Costco anyway so decided to fuel in there. Premium at Costco was $2.75 so even cheaper than Chevron.

Htony

If I were OP. GX for sure. It'll use bit more gas but long term and resale value.

dstewart

I'll echo what the others have said and add that the interior seems to be much bigger in the Lexus. To me the 4runner feels cramped at all three rows. My head basically touched the ceiling when sitting in the second row and I'm 5 ft 10. My parents had a 2012 4runner and complained about the sluggish engine. Gas will be slightly more expensive to run mid grade or premium and the v8 drinks gas but to me the ride comfort, interior quality, resale value and safety make the Lexus the winner.

Good luck with your purchase.

Chocolate

Very easy choice. The GX interior, stereo, V8 power, sound insulation and more are all better than the 4runner.
Not many other V8 luxury body on frame trucks like this either.

Fadi

The back seat is tight in the GX , not sure about the 4runner

Craigyyy

Everyone in here chose the GX, so your answers may be biased

I shopped 4runners to GX, and chose GX. And I would recommend the same again.

The GX will take regular gas, but that is another topic in and of itself. Engine specs and industry trends suggest that the premium requirement is simply marketing, but others insist it is legitimate even though there is no difference of any substance between the Toyota 1UR-FE and the Lexus 1UR-FE.

chuckNX

I definitely like the looks of the GX better and the V8 is a plus.

However, I could never get past the GX rear door opening side to side. Not sure why they did not do the standard split lift gate/window option.

paui4m

We have both - a 14 GX and a 14 T4R Ltd.
I typically take the GX. The V8 and refinement win for me. This is not to say the 4R is not a nice vehicle and there's something to be said for getting a new vehicle. You can offset this somewhat by finding a CPO with an extended warranty.

However, I actually really like the rear gate on the GX. It works out well for me. I also find the HID headlights, blind spot/ crosspath, and some of the other features very appealing. I felt like the lights in the 4R were anemic, but you can improve them a good bit with a fairly quick/cheap mod. Still no rival to the GX's, though. The roll down rear window in the 4R is a nice feature.

For the same mixed mode driving(and believing the computers), I average 18 mpg with the 4R and 19 with the GX so very close.

If I was going to offroad a lot, or plan to do some mods, I'd pick up a base or Trail 4R.
IMO, if you are comparing the higher end feel of the 4r Ltd against the GX, at something close to even $, the GX wins.

brycejaq

I, too, have been cross showing the GX and the T4R for quite some time. A little background from me, the wife and I had a 99 T4R Limited for 9 years and loved every bit of that SUV. In our 7th year with the 4Runner we traded over from my 06 Lexus GS 300 to her 06 GX 470. We've now had the 470 for 7 years (and I fully intend on keeping it and driving it into the ground) much like our T4R that had 195k on it when we parted ways with it.

Based on very extensive research, test driving, etc, I can tell you hands down that the GX is the best vehicle for the money...and if you can afford the couple grand more, get the 14 as 90% of them come with BSM (which is a must feature if you drive anywhere where there's an even remote amount of traffic). BSM has saved my a$$ in city traffic many times (in several different rental vehicles).

Also, one of the main reasons the GX is better is air vents. Our 470 has floor and ceiling vents all the way through the 3rd row. The 4Runner, just the second row (and the temp zone is not adjustable or 3-way, either) so you get what you get there. In climates like mine where you need very good heating in the winter and quick cooling in the summer, the GX's plethora of vents cool it down much much faster than in that of the 4Runner (and in my current 08 Tundra, which has the same venting as the T4R).

We've always liked the bard door, too. Do we wish the window rolled down in the tailgate like the T4R, absolutely. Is it a deal breaker, nope. At least they tried on the current gen GX and made it a flip-up window for quick grocery drops/item grabs or if you have a long item to get home on a shorter trip. Doesn't make a great dog window (our 2 Great Danes loved that feature in the 4Runner), but again, not a deal breaker.

As for gas, as someone else mentioned, you CAN put in regular. In my personal testing on a long road trip in our 470, Premium yielded 1-2 mpg better than regular did on the same leg of road (going different directions, but with the same hills/climbs, etc). So, yes you pay more per gal, but the higher cost vs. more gals ration evens out to be a wash, IMO.

Hope this helps you decide a little more. If you could tell, we're pretty much die hard Toyota/Lexus fans, so I tend to research so much that I know more than the sales people do (it's happened on more than one occasion that they knew considerably less about the vehicles than I do). Feel free to ask if you have any more or deeper questions into things as I know I left several things out.

S2k4

I did the same cross shopping until I pulled the trigger on a 2016 GX 460. I wanted not only BSM, but more importantly adaptive cruise control. The cameras are a neat feature but a bit disappointing; I wish they were more 360 degrees than they are. The V8 is a sweet engine.

bd5400

While I agree that the 4Runner is a better looking car (I actually find the front end of 2010-2013 GX kind of...unfortunate), I vastly prefer the interior and the features of the GX. As with others, I actually prefer the barn door as well. No awkward ducking when loading things in/out and it's actually easier for me to access the rear in my parking garage since I have to back into my space. If I had a lift gate I'd have to get everything out before I finished parking my car. The barn door lets me open it a bit and reach in to grab anything I need.

Htony

Barn door opens wrong way I think. Designed for LH driving folks like in Japan and U.K.