I am looking at two GX 470s - one is a 2006 and the other is a 2003. The 2006 has 175K and the 2003 has 118 K. All things being equal in maintenance history, should I get the newer one with higher miles or the older one with lower miles?
Buy 2003 or 2006 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Barry Lampke
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The '06 has VVTI and about 30 more HP. If they are NAV the '06 is also better with bluetooth phone ability. When I was searching I only looked at '07-'09 because of the better NAV screen and less wear and tear on the interiors.
I would get the 03. I have an 03 and with an exhaust I got 21 hp and 43 torque at all wheels. I'd get whichever looks the best maintained, less rust, cleaner.
- Thread starter
- #5
Does the 03 have a timing chain?
No, the 03 is timing belt, but a non-interference motor. If the belt breaks, at least it's not destroyed.
Also, the '03 doesn't have the secondary air injection system which can be an issue for some.
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- #8
Thanks, all. I am in vermont and both are at a dealer. The 2006 is from AZ and spotless underneath. The 2003 is from Maryland and is rusty. Didn’t even drive it. The 2006 is $10,400 out the door and has 175k with no timing belt service, so I'd set aside about $1,000 for that. It was tapped in the rear so the bumper cover is popped a bit and it looks like they tapped out a dent in the tailgate. It closes fine and lines up ok with body.
Finding an underside that clean around here usually means a plane ride and a couple of days off work, or $2,000 in shipping so I’m thinking seriously about it.
No Lexus dealer in Vermont but Toyota is right across the street, so I’ll likely bring it there to check out. Any sage advice?
BB
Finding an underside that clean around here usually means a plane ride and a couple of days off work, or $2,000 in shipping so I’m thinking seriously about it.
No Lexus dealer in Vermont but Toyota is right across the street, so I’ll likely bring it there to check out. Any sage advice?
BB
The clean underside is worth something for sure. Use the dents and the lack of TB service to negotiate a bit lower?
phishtaco
Cincinnati
There are 2 nice candidates in the mud classifieds right now.
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Yes but far away!
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- #13
Nice price. Vermont is not on the way to anywhere so shipping is expensive.
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Just checked in with a friend who has one and says his repair costs are pretty expensive. Should I be expecting high repair bills? He says he paid $2000 to have his air conditioning fixed.
If you take it to the dealer, yes, it’s expensive. If you can turn wrench that helps. Finding a indie shop will help a little too. These trucks last but they need maintaining. They are getting older and will need some TLC. Find one that’s been maintained. For your budget (11k?) you should be able to get a decent example. Meaning no accidents, service records, zero rust, posssible recent belt change, etc.
$2k to fix the ac? Wow. Whenever someone quotes me more than $500, i want a second opinion! Lol
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- #17
Drove a 2010 Acura MDX with 128K mi. that was right next to it for the same price. Pretty sweet.
Any random thoughts on this comparo?
Any random thoughts on this comparo?
Car vs. Truck
Yeah my daughter has a 2004 MDX. It’s a great SUV if you don’t intend to lift and offroad. You can go camping and fireroads.
No lo transfer case. No center diff lock. Not really meant to go on rocks and rutted roads like a 4Runner or FJcruiser
No lo transfer case. No center diff lock. Not really meant to go on rocks and rutted roads like a 4Runner or FJcruiser
Yep. My brother-in-law has a 2007 MDX and my brother had a 2009 MDX, and they think very highly of them as tall cars great in bad weather (heavy snow, primarily). I drove both and thought they were pretty decent handling vehicles, especially considering both had around 200,000 miles on them at the time, and seemed like a pretty good value for what you got for your money. However, you will very quickly find their limits doing any kind of serious off-roading in them, and even after changing the tires to a more aggressive tread, my brother ended up moving to something more off-road-worthy to meet his needs.
As for costs of repair on the GX, it isn’t really any more expensive than most other Toyotas unless you use the Lexus dealership. Select Lexus-only parts are more, but the commonality of parts with the 4Runner and the overseas Prado is one of the reasons I chose it. Shop smart and the costs are pretty reasonable, though I’m a former Jeep guy used to many years of paying the “Jeep tax”, so “reasonable” is a matter of perspective.
