tftimm

Here's the situation in short.

My wife is 2 months pregnant. We currently have 2 vehicles, a 2008 Acura TSX and a 1997 F250 2WD Powerstroke diesel.

We commute about 90 miles twice a month on some very rough roads. I bought the F250 for the rough roads and to keep miles off the TSX. Mission accomplished so far. The problem is, the ride is very rough and with my wife pregnant, it is not good for her and I'm having a hard time with the rough drive. I really wish they would fix the road, but I doubt it.

Now, I owe about 3 years on the TSX. I can only have one note, so I will trade them both in. I have the title for the F250. I'm hoping I can get about $17.5 for in on a trade in. I'd also like to get maybe $4K for the F250. I'd rather not extend payments any longer than a new 36-42 month note.

Now, the most important thing is a reliable vehicle with a smooth ride that is high off the ground.

Now, I'm strongly looking at the LX470. My wife is not tall and has a difficult time getting in the F250 and I see that the LX has the adjustable height button. She also really likes the look of the LX. Gas mileage doesn't really bother me, as long as it does what it is suppose to.

In addition to the LX, I'm also considering the Land Cruiser and potentially the Honda Ridgeline and Acura MDX. I am a strong believer in Japanese products as I've had 3 Acura's and I've had almost no problems with any of them.

It looks like in my price range, I'll end up looking at 2000-2002 LX's with about 80-120K miles. I'm no worried too much about mileage, rather if maintenance was done on them. Again, I need the truck to last me about 4 years without major maintenance. I will probably put about 15K miles a year on, so about 60K during the 4 years. Should I be worried? I keep up with oil changes, brakes, tires, etc.

Any other vehicles I should consider? Is it bad to look at a 100K miles LX470? I'm looking at spending less than $20K and hopefully financing less than $16K.

Thoughts?

pagemaster

I would go with the LX470. Very nice ride and it is well built, but do remember it is not the largest SUV on the inside.

You can also get the Land Cruiser is certain years with the same LX470 suspension.

GeneralM

I would say 2002 would be good buy. As it has comfort/sports mode so it handles accordingly. I usually leave it on comfort this way the suspension is smooth over bumbs. and drive great on the road.

tftimm

That is exactly what I need, the comfort mode. I'm not looking for the largest SUV on the inside, but having steel around me and my future child is important. From what I read, the LX and LC are both build like rocks.

Another thing that isn't that important is noises, rattles, etc. They drive me crazy and both of these options are suppose to be built like tanks.

tftimm

For those of you who have riden and/or considered both, would you recommend a 2003 LX w/100K miles or a 2004 GX w/60K miles.

For some reason I have this feeling that the LX/Land Cruiser platform is a bulletproof platform and in the long run will be a much more reliable vehicle. Not that the GX is a bad vehicle, but for long term reliability, the LX is a better way to go.

Thoughts?

Da Hapa

First of all, congrat's on the forthcoming family addition. What a blessing. Health to all.

We just sold our 2006 LX470 as the lease came due. We put 45,000 miles on it in 4 years so I have some knowledge of the product.

The LX, esp. the ones built before 2005 (IMO) are built like tanks. They're designed to last much longer than the avg. road going vehicle and if properly maintained should last 15-20 years. No joke. Do a search on this board or IH8mud.com to find some "common" problem areas.

Is the LX smooth riding for a body on frame vehicle? Yes... absolutely. But don't kid yourself... it's not going to be as smooth on road as a proper unibody vehicle.

Does the AHC assist shorter people in getting in and out as well as loading? Again... absolutely. But again... don't kid yourself. My wife is 5'5" tall and while she didn't mind doing so... she had to use the grab handle and hop up and down into our LX even with the suspension lowered.

An MDX has nowhere near the offroad prowess that the LX does but will likely get better gas mileage, ride smoother and I believe has more interior room than the LX. Some would argue that it's safer too because it's much more responsive in the handling dept. But then the LX weighs a lot more so if God forbid you hit head on... an MDX will likely "lose" to an LX.

Drive a few examples... search the forums and best of luck.

And again.. congrat's on the expanding family.

tftimm

Appreciate the kind words and comments. You gave me some things to think about especially your comment "An MDX has nowhere near the offroad prowess that the LX does but will likely get better gas mileage, ride smoother and I believe has more interior room than the LX."

I don't necessarily need the offroad prowess, rather something up off the ground that is smooth on very bumpy roads. Everything I've read says that the LX seems to be the smoothest vehicle. I do have a place for Acura as my last 3 vehicles have been Acuras and she likes them as well. Her choice is either an LX or an MDX. I've thrown in the Ridgeline and Land Cruiser options.

I'll be out this weekend looking to see what kind of deal I can get. So you think a 2002 or 2003 with less than 100K would be a good option? I'm looking at staying south of the $20K range if at all possible.

Thanks for your comments and hopefully the we all stay healthy the next 7 mos. and he/she can too enjoy a comfortable ride.

T4RBoarder

The GX is built on the same platform as the 4th gen 4Runner and I feel, IMHO, that it rides considerably better than the LX. I had a 03 4Runner and it rode like a dream but that could also be my AHC starting to fail on the LX. The MDX's are nice but we're horribly plagued with the bad transmission from honda...especially from 01-03 and I didn't think they really drove that well when I looked at them.

tftimm

So you think the GX rides smoother? Interestingly, as I've been talking to my wife, she's a bit nervous about driving something as big as an LX. She's always liked Acura's and I'm thinking that she will like the GX better than the MDX.

I know all about the transmission issues with the TL and MDX in 01-03, I traded my 01 TL because of worry that it would go on me. I'd be looking at an 04-06 MDX vs. an 04-06 GX.

Also, does the GX also have the adjustable suspension? I like that option.

The GX probably makes more sense, better fuel mileage, easier for my wife to drive, etc. I just really want the ML stereo system but don't have much need for the navi.

Great comments, thanks and keep the comming!

GeneralM

What do you mean by IMO?

tftimm

I assume he means In My Opinion

GeneralM

In that case, Yes they are Tanks! anyways tftimm hows the choice coming thru?

Da Hapa

in my opinion

Da Hapa

Personal opinion here...

The GX isn't that much smaller than the LX. Further, there's a world of difference in the look and feel of the interiors. The LX feels like it's worth every penny. The GX doesn't look or feel as nice. And personally, I don't find the front chairs in the GX to be very comfortable whereas my trips to Spring Training baseball in the LX verify they're all day driving comfortable.

Finally... you're really not going to get much better gas mileage in a GX than you would in an LX... Maybe 1-2 (at the most) in combined driving.

Not worth the trade offs, IMO.

tftimm

So far, I seem to have narrowed it down to the LX, GX, and Acura MDX. It will all depend on what I find but I hope to be able to atleast drive each on to assure myself that I made the right decision.

I hate second guessing myself, especially when the Acura TSX we have has been such a great car. I'm focused more on Lexus because of what I think will be a softer ride while my wife likes the MDX.

Hopefully we run across each so I can get a good test drive of each one.