[986SChris]

May be picking one up; any thoughts? Good, bad, and indifferent are appreciated.

[Go Fish]

I Love my 2003 -overall great vehicle, perfect size, no problems, incredible quality. Been through many SUV's and will be keeping this one for another 4 years.

[APKhaos]

My '99 Land Bruiser [the car underneath the GX470's frilly dress] has a done a little over 150K miles, including some heavy duty towing for the last three race seasons.

The ONLY unscheduled maintenance in that time was to replace a failed AC condenser, and three replacement windscreens which developed a stress crack in very cold weather. Regular service, one set of rotors & pads [yes, just one], and that's it. It still drives like an almost new truck. None of the rattles, clunks and general ride degradation you see in many popular truck-based SUVs.

Its a fantastic vehicle, and great value. Now sure if the extra $15K is justified for the Lexus variant, but that's you're call. I owned an LX400, so I'm a fan of the Lexus as well.

[Mike W]

Never had a Lexus SUV, but my parents have a 97 ES300 and 06 IS350. Fantastic vehicles. Solid as anything else, the IS is IMHO better than the new 3 series.

[racer]

I thought the GX was the mid-level version of their SUV's which I beleive makes it based upon the Toyota 4-runner.

For me it always comes down to use. To shuttle people? to commute by myself? grocery getter? tow vehicle? I guess that makes me more indifferent to "negative" about any 5,000lb vehicle. That said, I am sure it will be very reliable and troublefree.

[TD in DC]

In other countries the GX is called a "Prado," and, IIRC, it is now the top selling model in central and South America. I think that it is, perhaps, the ideal size and configuration for an SUV. I like.

P.S. The GX is not based on the 4-runner. It is a completely separate line (and it is not a Lexus in the other markets).

[APKhaos]

Todd's quite right. The Lexus GX470 is a Prado in a nice dress. The LX470 is the Land Bruiser in drag. Entirely different vehicles.

The following contains scenes that may offend some viewers.

I've owned two Toyotas [one in Australia], and they have both been exceptionally well engineered and reliable. I'm sure the Prado/GX470 would be a great truck. Maybe not a good choice if you plan to tow a track car on a steel trailer, but a great choice of not.

[TD in DC]

The Prado does have a shorter wheelbase which could make it troublesome for towing.

Also, like all Toyotas, it has a comparatively low towing capacity, which I have never understood.

For towing, I opted for a Sequioa, which is based upon the Tundra truck platform. It tows my 44 on an aluminum trailex, and you cannot even tell it is back there . . . really. That said, I would not attempt to tow an enclosed trailer with it.

[993bug]

Right here....

http://forum.ih8mud.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

and the local wrench...

http://ironpigoffroad.com/

[993bug]

Originally Posted by 993bug

Right here....

http://forum.ih8mud.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

and the local wrench...

http://ironpigoffroad.com/

oops..mis read...thought was a question on the LX470....

I have a friend who picked up a GX a week ago and is loving it. He can't say enough good things about it. Very fast and nimble, unlike the LX470..still pricey though...