Thinking of a GX460. Talk me into/out of it

[ScaldedDog]

We got my wife a new car this summer, so I inherited her '13 RX350 that she drove for nine years. It's been a great car - maybe the most reliable either of us has ever owned. For my use case, it only has two problems: It's a little small for us to take everything we need to spend a few months out of state each year. We did it last year, but it was packed to the gills. The second thing is that, while it's certainly nice to drive, even with 85K on it, that gen RX is not something I'd have picked for myself.

So, I'm kicking around swapping it for a 2020-ish GX460. The cargo area is taller, if not deeper, so I'm pretty sure it would be big enough. The newer tech (e.g. the GX finally got Android Auto/Carplay in 2020, I believe)) would be nice, but it's still an old school SUV, which I prefer for me. Chris' new car has every bell, whistle and whiz-bang feature known to man if I need a technology fix. The GX would be more expensive to drive than the RX, but about the same as the built JKUR that I drove for the last couple of years. I'm not really looking for something I could wheel, but being able to do easy stuff like, say, Kebler Pass in not perfect weather would be nice.

Have any of you folks owned one of these? If you drove it like I have described, how'd you like it?

Mark

 

[nakman]

Well it's better than a 4Runner. But I can't say enough bad things about the sideways barn door. It's better on the 460 as at least the window will flip open, for some limited amount of rear cargo access, but the lack of actual tailgate, and the literal 4' wall that gets extended each time you open the back, just sours the whole thing for me. Add a trailer into the mix and it just gets worse.

They are popular, fairly easy to build up now, roof rack installs are very straight forward. And once you're driving the experience is wonderful... such a nice vehicle. But then opening the back door to watch all your junk roll out, sitting on a dirty/wet bumper instead of a nice tailgate, and living with this huge appendage that you now have to plan for when parking, just ruins it. You did ask for opinions, right?

 

[ScaldedDog]

LOL! Tim, that's a great post. I've wondered about the barn door. I *think* I'd be OK with it, but am not certain. I probably wouldn't tow anything, for example, but your "4' wall" comment is something to think about. My jeep was kind of like that - not as tall, but it had a big honking tire and carrier hooked to it - and it was... sub-optimal. Now that I think about it, I hated it because the rear window didn't open with the gate. You'd open this heavy tailgate, and still couldn't get to your junk before unzipping the rear window. Royal pain.

I realized after I posted that AA/Carplay weren't available in the 460 'till 2022, and that may be newer than I'm willing to go. I should still drive one, or at least get into one.

Mark

 

[jps8460]

I can’t, they are all around great. Especially with Crawl and MTS. Small lift tires and they are everything a 5th gen runner is and more. Including more power (v8) and a 6 speed auto vs the ol faithful 5 speed. Barn door is a bit of a bummer, but an ACC Becky tire carrier and a Kaon table system makes it pretty cool. I say do it!! Is might be my next rig…. Er Megan’s rig haha

 

[ScaldedDog]

Jackson, that's a great looking rig. I'd really, really want to avoid going down the mod path, but it would be tempting. I've even thought about buying a mildly built one, but I have to keep in mind it would be our primary cross-county trip car, not a wheeler.

Mark

 

[SteveH]

My wife loves the barn door and I don't hate it. She was/is tired of lifting a heavy hatch to put groceries/junk in the back. You just swing open the barn door effortlessly, toss in the junk, and it closes almost by itself. No, it's not perfect, but neither are hatchbacks. If I towed a lot, I would object more to it. No other vehicle has a tailgate, so what other choice do you have beyond a hatch?

 

[Telly]

I'm with Steve. My wife absolutely loves her GX. Smooth, powerful, and excellent in the snow/ice. Drinks fuel big time tho.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. We are going to find one we can drive early next week.

As far as tailgates go, the only SUVs I know have them are the BMW X5 and X7. My wife's new car is an X5, and the hatch/tailgate is ingenious. Truly the best of both worlds. I've thought about a used X7, but for what I'd have to pay for a low mileage three year old one, I could buy a new GX.

Mark

 

[Shark Bait]

I love mine. I'd be happy to show it to you.

 

[White Stripe]

Gx is a great SUV. However I would compare prices to a 200 series. A 200 series is far superior in quality. If you get a toyota certified used 200 you also get a 5yr 100k mile warranty. Not saying don't get a gx. But 200s drop value quickly and you can get a lot of bang for your buck on a used one. Although I haven't paid attention in prices lately and I could be wrong nowadays. Another to look at is the Sequoia. With some sliders it could do some light trails.

 

[ScaldedDog]

I love mine. I'd be happy to show it to you.

Thanks man! I'd like to take you up on that, and can work around your schedule. Happy to meet when and where is convenient.

If I get one, though, and find myself on Gold Bar, I'm lost...

Gx is a great SUV. However I would compare prices to a 200 series. A 200 series is far superior in quality. If you get a toyota certified used 200 you also get a 5yr 100k mile warranty. Not saying don't get a gx. But 200s drop value quickly and you can get a lot of bang for your buck on a used one. Although I haven't paid attention in prices lately and I could be wrong nowadays. Another to look at is the Sequoia. With some sliders it could do some light trails.

Thanks man. I looked briefly and, based on asking prices, a newish 200 is way, way more expensive than a 460. They make BMW X7s look cheap. I found a '21 with 10k on it, but they were asking $97k.

Mark

 

[WVU fan]

I really have no problems with the rear door. But I also park outside since my wife’s Telly gets the garage. You do have to plan parking on which way door swings if loading or unloading but same with a tire swing out on a cruiser. Customer service at the dealer service department is phenomenal. Running premium gas sucks but the driving experience is really great. Smooth, roomy with kids and dogs, great visibility and I really enjoy the rig overall. Really nimble and great on the trail as well

 

[White Stripe]

Thanks man! I'd like to take you up on that, and can work around your schedule. Happy to meet when and where is convenient.

If I get one, though, and find myself on Gold Bar, I'm lost...

Thanks man. I looked briefly and, based on asking prices, a newish 200 is way, way more expensive than a 460. They make BMW X7s look cheap. I found a '21 with 10k on it, but they were asking $97k.

Mark

Youll have to go a bit higher miles and older, which of course you may not want to do for your own reasons. Keep in mind both the gx and 200 change little by year, main difference probably mostly infotainment. The land cruiser specifically the only vehicle toyota builds at a standard to last 25 years afaik. Anyway I'll stop the 200 push now lol. Gx is a great suv.

2016 Toyota Land Cruiser - VIN: JTMCY7AJ7G4045199

This 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser is in stock and for sale in Henderson, NV. View photos and learn more about this 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser on Edmunds.

www.edmunds.com

 

[wesintl]

I've been driving one for the past couple weeks. It's a 21 or 22 loaner from kuni It's wearing on me, At first i was unsure. More i drove it more i liked it. Back door is really the only crux of an issue. It has plus's and minus's. The door isn't bad esp with the window that pops open. It's nice not leaning over a tailgate to get groceries etc. flip side is you can't sit on it. I think i prefer the door on the 460 to a 4 runner hatch. Really depends on how often you plan on using the back cargo area whether or not you will like the rear door. The rest of the suv is awesome though

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks Wes. My wife and I went to Kuni this afternoon to look at the red leather and see if it would be OK. I was afraid it would look like a whore house waiting room, but it wasn't bad. However, in both a '22 and '20 we looked at, the red armrests were a noticeably different color than the seats, themselves. I think that would bug me in an expensive car.

We drove a '20, and generally liked it, but it is dead slow. It felt slower than our '13 RX, and info I've been able to find online confirms that. I'm OK with slow, and I'm OK with crap mileage, and I'm OK with having to use premium gas. I don't think I'm OK with all three of those in the same vehicle, though. I'm a little bummed, as I really wanted to love the thing. I'm concerned that having to keep it on the boil all the time in the mountains, and also having to stuff $90+ into the thing every 300 miles, would get a little irritating.

What have your impressions been of the power/economy tradeoff?

I'd never talked to anyone at Kuni, but liked both the sales guy we worked with and the sales manager who came outside to thank us for stopping by even though he knew we likely weren't buying anything.

Mark

 

[Romer]

Rachel has a GX470 and no issues with the barn door. She has had it for almost 6 years and loves it. On towing, it depends on the hitch and length off hitch bar. My slee bumper opens up over my hitch and hitch bar with no obstruction. Not sure how that would be on the GX, but also depends on the hitch location in an aftermarket bumper

She also did the Tesla Head unit upgrade like I did in my 200 so modern technology there

 

[PhatFJ]

Barn door combined with a 270* awning is the bomb. No complaints at all from me.. Great all round vehicle.

 

[nakman]

Barn door combined with a 270* awning is the bomb. No complaints at all from me.. Great all round vehicle.

Could be one of the better points in the "for" column for that barn door. It really is nice to have no hatch interference.

 

[Jcbmx]

Gx is a great SUV. However I would compare prices to a 200 series. A 200 series is far superior in quality. If you get a toyota certified used 200 you also get a 5yr 100k mile warranty. Not saying don't get a gx. But 200s drop value quickly and you can get a lot of bang for your buck on a used one. Although I haven't paid attention in prices lately and I could be wrong nowadays. Another to look at is the Sequoia. With some sliders it could do some light trails.

I would second this thought. While they're not as flashy, you still get a V8, higher payload/towing capacity, more space and not have to use premium gas. Not to mention 200's have NICE interiors and from my understanding all came to the US fully optioned.

I had a first gen sequoia, it was amazing...just not a Land Cruiser. If you take out the third row it's a full 4ft from the second row to the tailgate. We once did a road trip with 4 adults, 3 kids in the third row and Everyone's bags still fit in the cargo area behind the third row. Still regret selling it for my current 200.

 

[ScaldedDog]

Thanks guys. I probably didn't make my use case clear: I don't need *a ton* of cargo space, just a bit more than our 3rd Gen RX. If I really need room I can take my trusty Excursion, but it's a lot of truck to park in a FL condo garage for a few months. After looking at them yesterday, I'm confident a GX with captain's chairs in the 2nd row will get us, our dog and our junk down there comfortably.

What do you guys think of the power (in stock form, not built), especially when driving in CO? (Aside from our cross-country car, this would be my daily driver here.) I had to beat the daylights out of my JKUR on the I-70 passes just to stay with traffic, and I'm not looking to buy something else I have to drive the same way. On a semi-related note, can I reasonably expect 17mpg driving it daily, and touch 20mpg on highway trips?

Mark