Any Lexus GX 460 owners?

[Uncle-A]

if they were more dependable I would in a second.

At the end of April I picked up a 2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited and based on a recommendation here I purchased the extended warranty. I was able to negotiate a good deal, but that type of negotiations is not for everyone. Plus at the end of April a lot of the dealers would be very flexible due to the pandemic and they weren't selling many vehicles. Not sure if they are still that flexible..

 

[Ron]

IF It were just for driving around here and back and forth for skiing, 200 mile day ski trips (summit county) and Denver runs, (400 mile) well populated areas, I would be fine with it but for long road trips in areas where there is no cell coverage or anything living other than coyotes and Mule deer, I want something with a better track record. My Grand Cherokee is my favorite vehicle I have ever owned (BMW X5 v8 a close second).

If you bought in April, good job! Killer deal no doubt.

 

[Ron]

@Uncle Louie I just noticed that the quality ratings have gone up in 2019 on the GC. May be taking a second look.

 

[raytseng]

I have and use a 2015 rx350 as my daily driver and tahoe csr.
This is the 3rd gen with a more pointy front grill instead of 4th gen flat front which helps with approach angle a bit and if there is a medium height berm/curb you are parking up against.

Note that all RXs are crossover SUVs where the awd really only kicks in at 25mph and lower, so having good tires is still important for snow. It can be a negotiation point if you want to order in tires and have them to swap tires you order and they keep the near new oem tires at delivery.

The new 2020 4thgen highlander is new and leapfrogs the rx onto the later tnga k platform, The current 4th gen RX probably still has 1 to 2 more model years until it updates.

 

[Philpug]

The new 2020 4thgen highlander is new and its Gen leapfrogs the RX and is now on the later tnga k platform, The current 4th gen RX probably still has 1 to 2 more model years until it updates.

@Ron there is your answer RE the Hybrid.

 

[tball]

An RX will almost certainly replace my wife's MDX before at some point.

"An all new RX is coming in 2023 and the GX is being replaced in 2023 with a new model. "

That's from a very reliable leak of future Toyota/Lexus models:

Exposed! All Models From Toyota And Lexus Until 2024

The world will very much continue despite the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Although it's way too soon to know when life will return to normal, automakers are still preparing future models. Today, a massive leak has been exposed thanks to AllCarNews on Instagram revealing...

carbuzz.com

I think the RX engine options are the big question for the next gen. Will it mimic the Hylander's NA-4/Hybrid and V6? Will it be only Hybrid like the Sienna and Venza? Will there even be a V6? How about a fast and sporty Prime Hybrid like the RAV4. They have some interesting decisions to make.

About a year ago I helped an out of state relative buy a CPO RX from Stevenson in Lakewood and the experience was fantastic. (Looks like the sales guy has moved on.) After looking for months he found a CPO 2015 V6 with 33K miles in perfect condition for $31K to replace his first-gen RX with 300K miles. Hard to go wrong with that for a long-termer.

If buying one now, I'd almost certainly skip the Hybrid, even living in the city, and for sure if I lived in Steamboat! That's assuming we'd keep it beyond the warranty.

 

[Ron]

So... I got pricing from Stevenson and they won't offer any reduction in price other than the current 2K in rebates. This, of course is ridiculous. the Car isn't that good and I dont need to deal with that. Thanks to them and @Uncle Louie I looked in the latest ratings on the Grand Cherokee and they have improved significantly. I just contacted the dealer who we bought 2 other Jeeps from and he found the exact Jeep I was looking for with no extra's! Grand Cherokee Limited X with upgraded stereo in slate blue.

 

[raytseng]

The coolest thing about the highlander is the interior dash shelves for you to put your phone or other knickknacks. very jealous.

How about a fast and sporty Prime Hybrid like the RAV4. They have some interesting decisions to make.

One thing to note is every new gen, the vehicles keep getting longer. Not just Toyota/Lexus but every brand bloats and adds more every time.
The NX (small suv) now is as long as the orignal RX. and the current RX (not the L ) is 193" is as long as the original LX (large).

If its been a couple generations since you looked, the current "small" model may certainly turn out to be the matching replacement for a prior "mid"

 

[princo]

So... I got pricing from Stevenson and they won't offer any reduction in price other than the current 2K in rebates. This, of course is ridiculous.

While I haven't dealt with the Lexus side, I can tell you that their Stevinson Toyota sucks a bag of sucks.

 

[Ron]

I picked up my Jeep High altitude yesterday. After plowing through the web and a reading different specifications, it ended up that the High altitude was the model I was looking for. I had a 2014 Overland, so the High Altitude is based on that model. More off-road oriented than the Limited-X but also includes more features that I wanted like Ventilated seats, power folding and tilt mirrors (when you put the car in reverse, the tilt down) and the upgraded stereo. Also includes the Quadra-trac II and lift suspension. Ends up that a lot of the marketing info/vehicle specs is incomplete or inconsistent about the features and Jeep actually doesn't list a few of the features this model includes. For instance, the High Altitude has HID headlights but its not mentioned on the overview nor on the sticker. Even the Salesperson (long time experience with Jeep) wasn't sure of what actually came on the vehicle. Got it in White. Good time to buy, I got it 1% below invoice plus $3,750 in rebates. There's quite a difference between my 14 and this one. Much improved (and I already loved the 14) the 20" wheels matched with Perelli Scorpion tires ride really well, it quiets the road substantially more than the 14. Also, the interior is much more refined, several new features for convenience; my favorite is the mirrors automatically fold in when you lock the doors. . Also a huge improvement to the fan on the ventilated seats, also all the new safety features, like blind spot detection, lane control, auto breaking, and other safety stuff I didnt have. Overall ride quality is quite improved.

also, this Sirius.Xm radio will receive 314, the Faction Punk station!

 

[Ron]

one of the fun things you can do on the Jeep is choose from 14 different display themes, I selected the snow theme of course.

 

[tball]

An RX will almost certainly replace my wife's MDX before at some point.

"An all new RX is coming in 2023 and the GX is being replaced in 2023 with a new model. "

That's from a very reliable leak of future Toyota/Lexus models:

Exposed! All Models From Toyota And Lexus Until 2024

The world will very much continue despite the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the globe. Although it's way too soon to know when life will return to normal, automakers are still preparing future models. Today, a massive leak has been exposed thanks to AllCarNews on Instagram revealing...

carbuzz.com

I think the RX engine options are the big question for the next gen. Will it mimic the Hylander's NA-4/Hybrid and V6? Will it be only Hybrid like the Sienna and Venza? Will there even be a V6? How about a fast and sporty Prime Hybrid like the RAV4. They have some interesting decisions to make.

About a year ago I helped an out of state relative buy a CPO RX from Stevenson in Lakewood and the experience was fantastic. (Looks like the sales guy has moved on.) After looking for months he found a CPO 2015 V6 with 33K miles in perfect condition for $31K to replace his first-gen RX with 300K miles. Hard to go wrong with that for a long-termer.

If buying one now, I'd almost certainly skip the Hybrid, even living in the city, and for sure if I lived in Steamboat! That's assuming we'd keep it beyond the warranty.

Much to my surprise and delight, my wife picked the GX over the RX!

There was no question after driving both. She much preferred the GX for its V8 and robustness. She said the RX felt like a station wagon from her childhood, and she wanted a tough SUV and much prefers the GX style. Back to back, the RX really felt like an inflated Camry, while the GX is a very nice Toyota 4x4.

She finally grew tired of her 2004 MDX which has been a great vehicle. We found a 2016 GX 460 that was traded on an Infiniti QX80. It only has 50,000 miles, so still has a year and 20K on the powertrain warranty. I had been sitting for 45 days, so we were able to get a pretty good price. Most importantly, it's in excellent condition, and it's the vehicle and color (pearl white) she wants!

It had service every 5,000 miles at Lexus like clockwork and has new Michelin LTX's and brakes on all four corners from the dealer in the last 10,000 miles. I took it to Kuni Lexus (wow, that's a luxury dealership!) for a pre-purchase inspection and it checked out perfectly.

It's awesome to buy a vehicle that we'll most likely have and enjoy for 10-15 years. Then our son will be begging to throw a lift on it and take it to Moab. And, it's Toyota V8 #3 for our archaeological collection. I need to start looking for an ISF or GSF.

Downside? Fuel economy! Even worse it drinks stupid premium fuel.

Funny how my bigger trucks have slightly lower fuel costs in spite of worse mileage because they take regular gas. Fortunately, she doesn't drive too much, and having the durability and capability of a truck-based SUV for I-70 trips is worth the poor fuel milage, IMO. And, it will be the same cost as her MDX which also needs premium. I hope the next generation of big Lexus engines drop the need for premium and can run on regular like the RX.

 

[coskigirl]

My lease on my CX-5 is up in March so I’m now back in the decision making process. I’ve decided I want hybrid. Not for cost savings but to reduce my footprint. I was pretty sure I’d go with the RAV but drove it Friday and while it’s fine, it’s far from as comfortable as my CX-5. Buying out the CX-5 is still in the mix and I have a pre-inspection scheduled in a couple of weeks to see what the options are there but I started looking at other options as well.

I drove the CRV and really didn’t like how it drove and it doesn’t have a spare tire to save weight so it’s out. I also drove the Highlander. I hoped I’d hate it but, nope. It’s soooo nice. It’s a big vehicle but it would allow me to haul a dog, a mountain bike, and camping gear quite nicely. I’m also planning more time with nephews after graduation so having more space for them would be great. I’d do another lease in hopes that the rumors of a hybrid 4Runner in 2023 are true. If not, I’d plan to buy it out at the end of the lease.

 

[tball]

A few random thoughts @coskigirl: Your CX-5 will make a fantastic used vehicle for someone. Why not you! Having been shopping for a used vehicle recently, it's fantastic when you find one coming off lease. It's especially nice for you since you know the history and where it's been. You can probably buy a factory extended warranty and make it the same as certified used, saving a ton of money over new.

As for a hybrid, I don't think they are the greatest for I-70 skiing duty, especially a big one like the Highlander with the 2.5 four-cylinder. If the vehicle is loaded, that pour little engine has a lot of work to do climbing the passes after the battery is depleted. I'm sure it can do it, but I wouldn't want to own it past 100,000 miles if it had a rough life of I-70 duty.

I'd consider in your shoes to keep the CX-5 and also buy a $10K Prius. You could put most of your miles on the Prius and only use CX-5 when you need space, power, or snow tires. The Prius would be fine for Eldora trips when the weather is decent. Doing the math on the depreciation of a new vehicle, you can often own a quiver of used vehicles for the same cost, each better suited to a specific purpose.

Yes, it sounds like all the Toyota body on frame SUV's and the trucks they are based on will have a hybrid option in the next few years. I think (hope) a hybrid 4runner powerplant will probably be better suited for I-70 duty than the car-based SUV's. I also doubt it will get anywhere near the milage at the Highlander. We'll see, but I'm hopeful Toyota will get the powertrains that will be used for the next decade right. I do think I'd rather have a used old school 4runner (or GX!) and a Prius over a new hybrid 4runner, and combined the two used vehicles would likely have a much lower footprint.

 

[Andy Mink]

We ride in a 2019 Highlander over the weekend. Nice. Lots of room for a smaller vehicle. Seemed plenty powerful. It was the hybrid model.

 

[coskigirl]

A few random thoughts @coskigirl: Your CX-5 will make a fantastic used vehicle for someone. Why not you! Having been shopping for a used vehicle recently, it's fantastic when you find one coming off lease. It's especially nice for you since you know the history and where it's been. You can probably buy a factory extended warranty and make it the same as certified used, saving a ton of money over new.

As for a hybrid, I don't think they are the greatest for I-70 skiing duty, especially a big one like the Highlander with the 2.5 four-cylinder. If the vehicle is loaded, that pour little engine has a lot of work to do climbing the passes after the battery is depleted. I'm sure it can do it, but I wouldn't want to own it past 100,000 miles if it had a rough life of I-70 duty.

I'd consider in your shoes to keep the CX-5 and also buy a $10K Prius. You could put most of your miles on the Prius and only use CX-5 when you need space, power, or snow tires. The Prius would be fine for Eldora trips when the weather is decent. Doing the math on the depreciation of a new vehicle, you can often own a quiver of used vehicles for the same cost, each better suited to a specific purpose.

Yes, it sounds like all the Toyota body on frame SUV's and the trucks they are based on will have a hybrid option in the next few years. I think (hope) a hybrid 4runner powerplant will probably be better suited for I-70 duty than the car-based SUV's. I also doubt it will get anywhere near the milage at the Highlander. We'll see, but I'm hopeful Toyota will get the powertrains that will be used for the next decade right. I do think I'd rather have a used old school 4runner (or GX!) and a Prius over a new hybrid 4runner, and combined the two used vehicles would likely have a much lower footprint.

I don't have the desire to manage multiple car payments, insurances, maintenance time and parking issues at a condo. Maybe post law school when I'm living at a place with more space for multiple vehicles and I have the time and mental capacity to do it but that just isn't now. I want a reliable vehicle that isn't likely to have major issues popping up. Obviously there is never a guarantee but it's less likely with a new vehicle that's under warranty. You've mentioned in the past the beat up of cars because of I-70 but this just isn't an issue I've had plus I know my tendency to want something different hits long before 100k miles. I did the start up I-70 with no issues (compared to the CRV which did lack power) but I realize that's not the biggest hill.

One of the other big issues I have with both the CX-5 and the RAV 4 is the ability to put a dog crate in the back. The bigger crates won't work unless the back seats are down and I wouldn't be able to fit 2, even with the seats down. Now that dog fostering has become a part of my life (that I expect to continue for a long time) I want to think about that part of how I'll use it on a nearly daily basis.