pagemaster

I made all the judgements based on sitting in the vehicle and I said nothing about driving.

The point is. The LX570 is using a Tundra engine while the first gen Tundra was using a Lexus motor.

Just test drove the new 2008 Lexus Lx570. While I do like the new LX, to me it appears that they gone slightly down market in some of the features and refinement.

First off, the power of the 5.7 is outstanding however it does benefit significantly from the gearing of the 6 speed transmission more so than the extra torque and power. In all honesty the engine does not feel as smooth or refined as the 4.7. It could very well be that the 5.7 was designed from the get go for Tundra/Sequioa while also being used in LX/LC.

The suspension I don't really like. I am not a fan of fancy suspension with that being said. In the LX the suspension works. Just not for my tastes. Gauges and ergonomics are good while driving but I don't really think they are better than the 100 series. Good but a different style.

Queit on the highway.

As for the camera. I am sold on the front camera as I actually used it when coming around a corner while testing the SUV in snow. I don't care for the mirror cam.

The cooling/heating from from the front seats back is outstanding. I have never seen so many vents in an SUV. The 100 series had a poor rear AC. One very interesting touch is that there are lights underneath the front seats which light up when the rear doors are open.

Overal the Lx570 is impressive but in my opinion there are some shortcuts that Toyota took when designing the interior. They have gone down market in some areas that most consumers won't notice..But I have.

1. Very poor door sil protectors. (same as 4runner)
2. Half a$$ed power rear hatch.
3. Hard (better than Tundra grade) plastic under belt line height on doors and rear panel.
4. Power moving rear seat but manual relicne and manual fold. Come on.
5. Exposed rear spare tire. sticks out too much.
6. NO MORE POWER THIRD ROW REAR WINDOWs
7. Hand grips made of hard plastic. They are ok but the 100 series were nicer.
8. The rear of the front seats are ok. Stiching seems poor and the map pockers are right off the 4runner.
9. AGAIN. I could move the rear of the front centre console from the back seats.


Things I noticed that are all Lexus.
1. Power front windows slow down near close.
2. Good radio.
3. Very soft seat leather.
4. Outstanding heated seats.
5. 4 zone...very nice
6. Heat rear seats with two levels (about time)
7. So many vents for cooling. They are everywhere.
8. Four levers in centre console work.
9. Superb fit and finish.

Overall nice SUV. IMO not a nice as the 100 series.

pemarsh

What is poor about the door sil protector exactly?

Exactly what is wrong with the power rear hatch?

Regarding hard plastic on doors...my LX470 feels like soft padded plastic

Rear seat issue---who cares in my humble opinion.

Rear tire exposure...same thing...who cares in my opinion.

No more power 3rd row rear windows...that is a biggie. I never noticed that when I saw it the first time. They simply dont open anymore?? I love those on my LX470.

Hand grips are pure plastic?? Are you sure?? Not soft or padded at all? My LX470's are leather wrapped. Thats a bummer.

You make some good points here and there...some trivial, some a bit more important. Thanks for your input. More the merrier.

trusso

I purchased my 2008 in December and now just over 1000 miles.
The car is a night and day difference than the 2005 I sold. The '08 seems like such a better platform, more solid, more options, more power, more gears, more wood, more sound, more storage, etc.
To me, the detail and the fit/finish of the new car is much more than the outgoing model. It feels like an LS now and did not disappoint at first touch or even now.
If the dimensions have been reduced, it's hard to tell with the family, dog and groceries all loaded. I would guess more room especially 2nd row seat width (I havent seen the specs though). It would be nice to be able to remove the third row seats however.
The rear hatch is still a love it or hate it, I love it. When it's raining you can hit the button from the drivers seat (or key fob) and you dont get wet when loading into the rear. Having the lower door up allows you to reach further into the cargo area. The soft close of the lower door is a nice touch.
I thought the cameras were gimmicky at first, but I use the front camera to gauge my position in the garage and the side to make sure I dont scrub the rim when parking. The 280/50/20's have a sidewall height that puts the bottom of the rim lower than the top of a curb so as to easily scratch that rim lip.
The '08 seems to be a little more jumpy from the start, but with over 100 horsepower added this year, it doesn't bother me. Clicking the "2nd gear start" button makes it silky from the beginning with enough guts to beat out that soccer Mom to the next stoplight.

Pagemaster, if you're looking for an amazing automobile, take your delivery of the '08 and you shouldn't be disappointed. If you still are, sell it on Craigslist for what you bought it for, not everyone wants to wait in line...
The next question is, what are you gonna get that's better and stays out of the service department? Range Rover? Benz? BMW? Cadillac? I consider it a bargain for what else you get for the money in that category.

I can appreciate the fact you find fault in the new one. I made a list and went to the garage a look thru the car. I see some of the things you are talking about. I'm still a fan though...

pemarsh

The best contenders I found personally was Audi q7, MB gl450, and range rover

The MB did not have the interior refinement that LX570 has. It drives great though!!

Range Rover...just a bit too rough riding for what i am used to with my LX470.

Audi q7---I just LOVED this car. I would have purchased this IF the dang front seats were more comfortable. Those side bolsters on the seat are just killer on the butt!!!

RX_330

I did not notice anything wrong with the front center console in the LX570 I sat in...

ggebhardt

Only thing was I thougfht it had a small fridge built into the front console. Guess it was an option unless I was reading wrong. I did find the console very firmly padded and quite comfortable to the arm. Lots of space for storage in the tray and even more below the tray! Beat my LX470 storage for sure and plenty on space for the passenger's arm, too!

lexusrott

Yesterday the salesman I have been dealing the last 3 years call me with the appraisal of my immaculate condition 2006 LX470, low mileage.
He says per KBB good condition $38000 to $41000 , my only reaction was a very loud laugh.
My wife came into the room, hear me laughing and I told her what the Lexus salesman said. We came to the same conclusion , our great niece a straight A college student who in August will start her Junior year would be a great candidate to have the LX470 as gift.
If Lexus is going to give us peanuts we would rather give it to someone who will give us love.

trusso

I just sold my 2005 LX (very good condition) with 48800 miles for $41,000 in about a week. I think I could have made another $1000-$2000 if I held out but I 'm not a car dealer.
Dealership offered me $37,000-$38,000
I think your '06 has the much better motor.

lexusrott

Yes, it has more torque and HP.

I think I will wait for the 2009 models and then try getting a 2008.

AKoch

I just checked out the LX570 at the dealership, it was the first one to come and was pre-sold. So I did not get to drive it, will wait.

In person in does not looks as ugly as in the pictures. It looks more like... it actually does not have a shape, you would not really see or take note of it on the streets. Wether it is good or bad. More like a large Highlander. Certainly does not look like an off-roader. Overall now I would rate the exterior as not "ugly", rather very unattractive. BMW did it to itself, I guess it is Toyota's turn.

Interior looked great, a step up from the 470.

I need to drive it first, before making the final call. So far it feels I am better off with the 470 despite that the 570 being considerably more affordable.

ggebhardt

Most comments I get on the exterior of my 570 is "wow they really changed it". People either like the look or not. I can not say I was or am in total love with parts of the exterior but it is growing on me. After several 470s, I was ready for something different. That the 570 is.

BobsGX

The GX470 comes with a separate A/C evaporator for the front and rear when the vehicle comes with the rear A/C and 3rd seat option. I guess the old LX only had the front evaporator?

AKoch

470 had two, second one at the back, behind right-side quarter panel servicing second and third rows

tigmd99

I would not bother listening to spwolf's statements...he's not very informed about his own dealership's vehicles, much less about other brands.

BTW, Acura MDX when it first came out also had 2 AC generators...i am sure that my minivan probably has two too. It ain't a new concept, much less a recent one!

tigmd99

I had a chance today to crawl all over on the inside. My brother has an '01 LX470. The one i crawled in today was a base model (no ML audio, no rear DVD player).

- I disagree with pagemaster that the interior is cheaper than before. I think that it is on-par with the LX470.
- The interior design is far superior than the LX470...the audio stack looks cool. The center stack is solid to touch...nice.
- The steering wheel is very nice...you can't feel where the wood part of the steering wheel comes together (unlike the new Land Cruiser).
- Basically, everything eye level looks great!
- There are a few semi-cheap hard (scratcheable) plastic in small places (ex: where the door pulls are)...not a big deal.
- Center console looks nice.
- The bottom of the doors are made of semi-soft plastic and seems high quality in terms of scratch resistance. I did not remember the previous LX470 being that much better.
- Remember, the center console padding can be moved forward...so, maybe, that is why you thought that it was movable??
- Leather is semi-aniline (sp?) which is quite soft and smooth.
- I am OK with the power equipments on the LX570...and the 3rd row seems compact enough for me to not miss the previous removable 3rd row.

NEGATIVES:
- Although the quality is not worst than LX470, i thought that the interior does not equal the asking price ($80-83,000). The lower half of the dash is hard plastic...excusable on the LX470 somewhat ($69K), but inexcusable in an $83K car IMHO. (Remember, you could get discounts on the LX470...harder to do so on the LX570...so, the price difference may even be bigger.)
- As noted above, the interior quality SHOULD be better since the asking price has jumped over $10-15,000...instead, it's about the same.
- Although the leather is super soft and smooth, i can already see creases in the seats. This is not unexpected...my old BMW M3 had Nappa leather...same softness as Lexus, but crease even if you just look at it wrong!
- Lastly, the stitching on the seats is single. The LX470 seats had double-stitching (baseball stitching). I find that this is weird. I expect this in the ES350 & RX (which are the case), but not in the top-of-the-line SUV from Lexus. This is surprising because, don't you want tough baseball stitching in a SUV that can go off-road??

I then looked at the LS460 base model...and, IMHO, the interior quality is truly exemplary and worth it's price of admission. Everything is truly soft to touch. The leather is double-stitched everywhere. (So, did Lexus do cost cutting on the LX570's seats?? The quality of construction of the LX seats does NOT seem much better than ES350 UL package.) The interior quality of the LS460 seems significantly better than the LX470...by a wide margin.