Confused Suburbanites: 2005 Lexus GX470
In 2002 Toyota introduced a medium-sized SUV to their North American product line — but they sold in through their Lexus dealers and called it the GX470. Internationally you would call the big ladder-frame 2-speed transfer box equipped 4X4 a Land Cruiser Prado, but here it was called the GX470. So upper class housewives from wealthy neighborhoods purchased them in bland colors and drove the kids to soccer camp. What they didn’t expect was to get 14 mpg driving around the city or that they’d need to plan for stopping/turning maneuvers. I seriously doubt that many of the original owners of these things ever took them off road, but now that they are approached the value of a cheap used car…it’s time to go mudding with your GX. Find this 2005 Lexus GX470 offered for $15,900 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
From the seller:
2005 lexus gx470
condition: excellent
cylinders: 8 cylinders
drive: 4wd
fuel: gas
odometer: 98000
paint color: grey
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
type: SUV
2005 Lexus GX470
Clean CA title
Runs good
98,000 miles
No mechanical problems
Original owner
All 4 tires are in good condition!Automatic, Backup camera, Navigation, DVD, 8 CYL , 4×4, cold a/c , all power, 7 passenger, Towing pkg,
Price is $ 15,900 firm
See a better way to drive something with light off-road capabilities? tips@dailyturismo.com
We had a basic, older Euro version of one of these and I totally concur about the “turning” thing. In fact, Vince might be saying this in part because of my concerns about it.
Between the great sidewall of rubber, the short/narrow wheelbase and the way-too-tall stance, I got the heebee-jeebees whenever I passed a sheep near a fence. So easy to imagine a leaping sheep > avoidance maneuver > buckled tire > rollover. People on the Land Cruiser forums called it “catching a toe”. Bleh.
Sold it for a bigger, wider, lower beast, and then another, which had their own problems — cost, reliability, etc. Now looking at something else similar but a hybrid, so at least a lower center of gravity. Categorically, I don’t like SUVs.