"The Stig's Missourian Cousin" (zachelliott)
12/07/2018 at 13:33 • Filed to: None
4
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"The Stig's Missourian Cousin" (zachelliott)
12/07/2018 at 13:33 • Filed to: None | 4
| 16 |
So I don’t post on here a lot, usually it’s because I rented a car and feel like you people care what I thought about it, or because I bought a new car. Well today it’s the latter. You may remember (but you probably don’t) last year I posted about my truck searching experiences. I test drove a Canyon/Colorado and then ultimately bought a 2010 Toyota Tundra.
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It had 72k miles on it and was in great shape. However over time, I fell out of love with it. I have to drive a vehicle that I love (which is funny considering I own a 2017 Nissan Rogue, but it’s my wife’s car so i have somewhat of a pass) and I loved my old Tahoe that I traded in for the Tundra. I started to regret trading in that Tahoe... The Tundra ride was garbage (which someone pointed out originally when I talked about it. You were right...) and I spent a lot of money trying to fix that (new shocks, better tires, etc) but it was still just not a joy to drive. It bounced like a mofo on the highway and I had to put 400+ lbs of sandbags in the bed just to make it tolerable. These are common issues with Tundras and I originally just didn’t pay attention to them, but after a year of ownership, I decided to throw in the towel.
So when it came time for my next vehicle, I decided to look for something cool but also reliable . I thought about another Tahoe, but I really wanted a Toyota LandCruiser. But alas, my smallish budget wouldn’t get me anything less than 10 years old (for financing sake at most places. Yes Doug I know about credit unions that finance anything ) or with less than 200k on the clock. However, when I was in Ireland I saw a small Toyota Land Cruiser known as the “Prado”. Imagine my delight when I learned they were available in the US, just with a Lexus badge. So I began my search for a GX470. And I found one.
It’s a 2009 with 168k on the clock. It was a one-owner vehicle that was owned in Kansas City it’s whole life. I got a great deal on it (had to haggle for an hour and then actually leave the dealer. They called me twice on the way home until I finally got the price I wanted and I turned around
)
It was serviced at the local Lexus dealer for every service, and has had most of the major service done (90k timing belt, etc). So far the only thing i’ve had to do is a new alternator (which was replaced by the Lexus
dealer under their 1000 mile used car warranty), new Radiator (very common failure on these and V8 4Runners, but very easy/cheap
to replace
), and I replaced the rear air bag suspension with standard coil springs (lost height control, but ride quality is still fantastic)
. The airbags leaked and I didn’t want to wait until they leaked so bad I couldn’t drive it so I replaced them as a preemptive measure.
Overall it’s in great shape and the only interior issue is some worn leather and a cracked piece of wood trim. It has a laughable third row (adults with no legs would be comfy. Otherwise, only children)
that i’ve already removed for storage space.
Loaded up for a camping trip
It’s got all the bells and whistles including Nav (out of date, but I got a new disk for $10 on eBay), heated seats (so nice), sunroof, rear seat DVD players, and auto climate control. It does lack SiriusXm which is a bummer but you can get a kit to add it to the OEM system.
The 4x4 system is great with locking center diff and H/L range. This thing has serious off-road chops. It rides so much better than my Tundra did though, it’s hard to believe what it’s capable of. It really is a fantastic place to spend hours driving in.
Originally my plan was to lift it with larger tires and make it into an Overland-worthy rig. This was based on replacement OEM shocks (electronic control) are over $1000 for a full set and a lift kit (2.5" Dobinsons/Old Man Emu ) is only about $900. I’m still mulling over this plan, as I really like the adjustable suspension firmness. There are stock replacements that are cheap and non-adjustable, but i’ve heard mixed reviews. As well as shocks made for the 4Runner/FJ that will fit, but again, if i’m spending that much, I might as well give it a bit of a lift. But the OEM shocks still work so I have some time. Plus I live in Missouri, so Overlanding trips would mean long hauls to decent places, and I don’t know how much I would actually do it, especially with a child on the way.
Since i’m going from a Toyota to a Toyota, I don’t worry about reliability. The 4.7 is a super reliable motor, and with proper maintenance (another timing belt change beckons in 9k miles....) it’ll run forever. And since it shares so many components with the 4Runner and FJ Cruiser, replacement parts are actually pretty easy to come by and replace. I did lose a lot of capability by ditching the truck (no more bed and reduced towing capacity) but their were so few times I actually needed a truck, that I don’t worry about getting back in an SUV.
Overall i’m in love again, and I truly think i’ll be happy over time. The things I hated about the Tundra, this doesn’t have. The ride is butter smooth, the interior quality (the Tundra had so many rattles) is superb and the desirability means it’ll hold it’s value pretty decent over the next couple years which is great. I still want a 100 or 200 Series Land Cruiser at some point, but i’m pretty OK with this for the time being.
ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/07/2018 at 14:31 |
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These things are awesome. Was seriously considering one during my recent car search as well, but went for something else as I didn’t really need all that space, bulk, and hit to fuel economy. They’re a screaming bargain for what they are. Buttery smooth ride, rock solid reliability, and truly competent. Sounds like you already have all the service records but I thought it was super helpful how you can type a VIN in to a Lexus website to get a download of all service records performed at dealerships. Great for those of us who pride ourselves in having full service records J. Excellent buy!
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The Stig's Missourian Cousin
> ZHP Sparky, the 5th
12/07/2018 at 14:43 |
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In Re: to the history this was one thing I found weird. The CarFax was EMPTY. No service records at all. However the Lexus owners website showed the entire catalog of work. Apparently some (not all) Lexus dealers just don’t report to CarFax which is crazy to me. But it’s great that you can go onto the Lexus site and put in any VIN and it’ll work, the car isn’t “Registered” to one person or anything. I think I had 3 different GXs on my account at one point as I was looking around.
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ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/07/2018 at 14:58 |
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Yup, I did the same and was wondering if actual owners might be getting pings about someone else having added their vehicle to their account. Nice service for sure.
Michael
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/07/2018 at 14:59 |
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I think the first gen GX gets to be OPPO’s SUV of the year, and the Golf R can be car of the year.
Also, one of us! One of us!
Left foot + clutch = manual
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/07/2018 at 23:15 |
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Bought one to replace my wife’s outback and compliment my FZJ80 as a camper puller and kid hauler. My truck remains the off-roader and hers has the ch ops for more normal hwy to FS road trips. 10 years older than the Outback and had all the bells and whistles (minus the annoying lane keep assist and eyesight cruise control). Only disadvantage is MPG, but V8... And reliable
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/07/2018 at 23:21 |
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I am starting to consider one of these semi-strongly. I’m torn between a 1st gen Tundra, V8 4Runner, and series 100 LC/LX. The GX seems to be more bang for the buck compared to the 4Runner.
BarryDanger
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/08/2018 at 13:30 |
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I was looking at these when I bought my 2006 Tundra DC. I just love having the convenience of the bed for throwing my bikes back there. I put Icon’s coilover suspension/lift on it. Rides fantastic. I would recommend looking in to Icon for GX suspension - maybe see if you can drive a toyota with one equipped.
HammerheadFistpunch
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/08/2018 at 14:33 |
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cool call, these are great trucks.
I kept my rear air because I like height adjustment for moderate
and
heavy towing
and really replacing the bags wasn’t too bad at all. I also replaced the alternator.
Its a good general purpose machine - pulls great, gets okay mileage, super cushy and tidy packaging.
random001
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/08/2018 at 15:45 |
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This is relevant to my interests. Are they as good offroad as a 4runner is supposed to be?
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random001
> HammerheadFistpunch
12/08/2018 at 15:50 |
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I was waiting for you to chime in.
Doug
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/08/2018 at 17:12 |
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100% respect the decision and having had all of the vehicles mentioned here, and settling with my 2006 Tundra, I must say this article represents why trucks are now sky high in cost. People bitch about a rough ride, yeah....it’s a truck. You want a cushy ride, buy a cushy vehicle . This is why we get these $80k diva 1/2 tons now from manufacturers. I got my 2006 sr5 4wd DC Tundra in 2008 with 68k miles for $18k. Calculating for inflation, I could never now buy a 2016 sr5 4wd crew cab Tundra for that cost now. People demand a bunch of useless shit be added to their trucks now, nav, ass warmers, shiny wheels, sway control, etc... When all I wanted was a reasonable 1/2 ton truck. Oh well... Glad you found the Lexus. They are bad ass SUVs!
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The Stig's Missourian Cousin
> HammerheadFistpunch
12/08/2018 at 21:54 |
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Towing is certainly I considered when I replaced the rear bags. However it seems that it’s pretty easy to swap in a set of auxiliary airbags inside the coil springs and maintain that same effect. Pretty cheap setup too from what i’ve seen. I don’t tow a ton so it’s not a major sticking point right now, but i’ll probably end up doing a test tow at some point with a U-Haul trailer or something, or go to the RV dealer and hook up to a light trailer and see how she rides. If she sags, i’ll put some bags on it with the springs. My main concern was the other components going out as well. With the high miles, the bags were going, but also what about the compressor going, or the ride height sensors malfunctioning, etc. I may be paranoid, but it makes me feel better knowing that every single time I get in the vehicle, I don’t have to worry about the rear end doing something funky.
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The Stig's Missourian Cousin
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
12/08/2018 at 21:55 |
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Definitely. I looked at 4Runners too and it seemed you could get about the same miles/year for the same price. So for the extra features and comfort, definitely the way to go. I looked at LC/LX and as expected, it’s harder to find for a good price. Just tonight I looked at LCs again on Autotrader and was blown away at how much they are still fetching for way more miles.
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The Stig's Missourian Cousin
> random001
12/08/2018 at 21:56 |
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Definitely. I’ve got a locking center diff , H/L transfer case, downhill ascent, skidplates and a pretty decent ground clearance. Plus a stupid torquey V8. My god this thing hauls.
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The Stig's Missourian Cousin
> Doug
12/08/2018 at 22:03 |
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It seems like Ram is the only one that’s done anything to improve the ride aspect of 1/2 trucks yet maintain towing/hauling capacity with the multilink coil rear setup vs Leaf springs like everyone else still has. But then you’ve got an FCA vehicle sooooooo not sure that’s a huge gain haha. But your complaints are definitely echoed with a lot of people I think. It was funny because I was watching the King of the Hill episode tonight where Hank’s old reliable truck dies and he buys a new one and is really reluctant but then gives into all the fancy features.
OmerCarrothers333
> The Stig's Missourian Cousin
12/11/2018 at 22:40 |
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Hmmmmm...
I really, really, really, really, really really want to trade my wife’s MDX in for one of these.