"special"

I`m sorry to have to break it you, but unless you and your "others" account for the 25,000+ sales per year of the GLs, your personal experience does not reflect the majority; heck not even 1% of GLS owners.

Your statement is similar to that one person who comes on any forum to post about their a single issue, and then labels the vehicle due to his or her one personal experience.

 

As someone mentioned, LX is not competing with any SUV in the US and is content with occupying a niche market space with low numbers. Case in point, there are no good (subsidized) leases on the LX ever. Inventory is low. Personally, I like the idea that its a low volume SUV.

 

Wow, this thread has come a long way! It's nice, given how quiet our neck of the woods had been before '16 LX came out.

A few additional thoughts, for what they're worth...

LX is a low-volume vehicle and has historically been so for Lexus, certainly when compared to the RX. The Mercedes GL is arguably a higher-volume vehicle, except when you get to the top end (i.e., the 550 and the AMG) versions, a point at which its pricing catches up to and passes the LX quite quickly.

One LX-vs-GL comparison that is rarely mentioned is that for families with kids (who don't care about legroom as much) who don't want a minivan, LX can carry 8 passengers, and GL only 7.

Lexus is most definitely seeking to retain (or, I should say, regain) the crown as the top-selling luxury brand. They will, of course, not accomplish that via a low-volume vehicle like the LX, but I would not say that they're not out to dethrone Mercedes, as I believe quite the opposite.

I am, as I've stated before, quite intrigued by what the next LX will be and would definitely like to replace our LX with another one. I've typically been a fan of body-on-frame trucks but would be open to a unibody.

The solid axle in the rear is ultimately what forces the floor of the truck to be higher, requiring our 3rd row seats to take up space on the sides. Alternatively, if keeping the BOF/solid axle, Lexus could do to LX what they did to GX (i.e., ruin cargo space, IMHO) by storing those seats into the floor, forcing the floor to rise by yet another 5 or so inches. Unibody and independent rear suspension would ease these constraints.

Ultimately, to the extent LX continues to be an LC twin, there is value in the solid rear axle, since the LC is such a work horse around the world. I'll stop rambling now...

 

Not a problem. All it means to me is that they as selling 25,000 POS.

Sounds like you are defending your mistake in buying one!

 

Im guessing all those buyers have never owned a GL...hehe

 

I heard a well equipped Porsche Cayenne GTS is real good @ around $100k after all "price adjustments" in effect. Other than an ugly rear and VW Tiguan/Audi Q5 family resemblance, its golden. I test drove one for .... and giggles, and liked it big time. Yet I could never get over its "ugliness", even though I am in the Hills

 

I had one and would never buy any Mercedes again and other than that it would sum up everything.

 

I think if you look at the sales figures in the middle eastern countries, you will find that LX570 sells very well and commandING top dollar. Similarly in Russia and Mongolia, and to some extent China as well. That's partly why some LX570's keep disappearing like magic literally from public shopping mall parking lots and garages. Most of them shows up in the above countries.

 

I agree X2☺👍

People in the know KNOWS not to get the POS MB GL UNLESS, of course, there is a heavy discount for LEASING the POS with NO intention of keeping it afterwards. Lexus HQ does not really have any subsidized leases on the LX570 like they have on the RX, ES, CT, and etc. I don't think the MB GL does well in the middle eastern countries, Russia, and China. Where reliability is paramount as no one wants to be stranded in the middle of the desert or in the freezing cold snow (There "aint" going to be aNY AAA coming to the rescue. The only people probably will stop are the people who will rob you. So reliability is the rule over there). Also a ladder frame setup will withstand the rough roads with big holes way better anyday.

 

The first bold is nailing it square on. The GLS could probably strand an owner on the side of road, but since they got an amazing lease deal, these vehicles move themselves. Even with the POS reliability, people keep on buying into them. Hence why MB moves soo freaking many of them each year in the NA market. The GLS caters to GX luxury buyers all the way upto LX570 and above buyers. Its got the biggest market area covered.

Second bold:
What?
Buyers in those countries could care less their vehicle is reliable, and care more about buying the biggest and most powerful vehicle possible. They sell more LX570s, GLS AMGs, RR SVRs Cayenne GTS, G AMG wagens etc etc due to the shear fact that they have an image to maintain, an image that is based on the emblem on the front, and power on tap. If a particular vehicle is having trouble, they get a new comparable one.

 

Second bold:
What?
Buyers in those countries could care less their vehicle is reliable, and care more about buying the biggest and most powerful vehicle possible. They sell more LX570s, GLS AMGs, RR SVRs Cayenne GTS, G AMG wagens etc etc due to the shear fact that they have an image to maintain, an image that is based on the emblem on the front, and power on tap. If a particular vehicle is having trouble, they get a new comparable one.[/QUOTE]




You surely must've seen those youtube videos of LX driven in the desert sand dunes. They do buy them because it looks good and is reliable even in the harshest conditions. No other car maker could compare in the reliability department

 

Reliability is a good after thought/reward, not a primary motivator for someone in any country, especially the ones you referred to, to go purchase a near 100K vehicle.

 

Speak for yourself. Reliability is either 1 or 2 on my list and I live in the U.S.

 

I know a person who buys older LX470's and 570's and sell them to Middle East countries, Dubai. He indicated that for the most part the 470's are still very popular over there. He also said that there are a lot of them that get sold and shipped to Dubai. The 2003 sold in one day on Autotrader for full asking price in 2010. The guy wired him funds and the vehicle sat in his garage for almost a month before the shipping company picked it up.

 

You may be speaking from your personal experience...it's definitely NOT mine.

In countries with buyers who have perhaps more money than God, I can understand someone having their people go find a vehicle after looking at a pic in a magazine or online. I have a good friend who exports half a dozen LX's per year to the Middle East. But the ME is a blip off the chart as, to my knowledge, Toyota ships Land Cruisers to that market and not LX's.

I doubt the majority of LX buyers don't heavily consider warranty, maintainability, and lack of "issues"...otherwise, they'd be driving POS German or British trucks.