Can't decide between 2014/2015 era LX 570 and GX 460 (2 Viewers)

[captn]

I hope I can post this here and cross-post in the 200 series forums...

Dammit, I am so torn between a 2014 LX 570 and a 2015 GX 460. I have driven both and also driven other LC/LX and 460s so I am aware of the essential differences between the two vehicles.

Not trying to ask if this or that is a good deal, so I'm putting aside price, miles, maintenance records, PPI results, etc. all of which I am taking into account.

Rather, I'd like to hear from folks who have owned both at one time or another and can compare and contrast them. I know preferences are subjective but maybe someone can mention a pro or a con that I hadn't considered to help me decide. Thanks!

 

[r2m]

What are your space requirements? Do you really need all the extra room of an LX/LC?
Make a list of what your requirements are and see which vehicle fits.
Easy-peasy...

 

[xychromosome]

How about some more info on what your needs are? Do you have a large family? Do you plan to tow? Any planned off road use? Do you have any plans to modify? The GX is smaller and less of a gas hog than the LX, which may make it better suited as a daily driver. However if you are after a roomy highway queen then the LX may be a better option. There may be more aftermarket options for modifying the GX compared to the LX as well if you are planning to go down that route.

 

[captn]

In terms of use case, this vehicle will be my daily driver - mostly city driving but I also have to do a decent amount of highway driving both for work and to the beach about 2 hours away. I’m in my mid 50’s and my wife and I are almost empty nesters. We are beach people, and so I used to tow a lot (boat) but we sold the boat so maybe not much at least for now. I am coming from a Yukon Denali and like having space in a vehicle but it’s not like I’m carrying a bunch of kids around town anymore either. Budget wise, it seems to be coming down to a GX with less miles or an LX with more miles, if that makes sense.

 

[Roody]

Followup questions: What is your city parking like? Garages, tight spaces, etc? Decent difference b/w LX and GX here, but possibly inconsequential if you park in bigger lots and don't have to fit in tight garages.

As for the beach aspect, both trucks will do great. The GX's swing-out door has perks like being able to easily add a tailgate table, but you don't get sun cover or a built-in table the way you do with the LX's split tailgate. Aside from the obvious interior/exterior size difference, the tailgate is where I'd put a lot of the focus on what your preference is. There isn't a major difference on any of the fronts of reliability, comfort, etc, so if you don't have to worry about pulling a boat, it's a matter of whether you want/need the extra space and whether you have a strong preference towards a barn door or split tailgate.

 

[r2m]

Before we purchased our GX, we too were looking at one of the 200 series (LC/LX). But for the cost and considering that our old 100 series LC's were about maxing out on trails, I didn't want to go bigger. There was also the issue with probably having to go with a high mileage vehicle to fit the budget.
We like to keep our vehicles a long time, so for us, I really wanted a low mileage vehicle, hence a 5 year old GX460 with 38,000 miles is what we ended up with.
If your driving style is less then 10k miles/yr, a higher mileage LX may not be a bad choice. If you rack up the miles every year, go with a low mileage GX.
One more equation to factor in is how often do you turn over your vehicles? Or do you keep them a long time? If you hang on to them a long time, again I'd go with a low mileage rig.

Just my 0.02¢

 

[Roody]

Followup to my prior post: If money and the confines of space (tight trails, parking garages, etc) weren't concerns, I'd have a 200. But they are, so the 460 is as close as it gets.

"Land Cruiser taste on a used 4Runner budget" is the unofficial motto of the GX460.

Take that advice or leave it; I'm guessing you know deep down in your heart which you'll want to see and spend time in every day, and the difference between LX and GX isn't as huge as say, T4R and LX or Wrangler and LX, so go with your gut.

 

[k33fr]

I had a 2013 LX570 and I can’t say it offers much more interior room than a GX460. The trunk is oddly shaped due to the side folding seats and I regularly had to lay the 2nd row down to fit items in the back.

The suspension system can be problematic too. I had front shocks replaced and it took 2 days for the shop to bleed the system properly and not set warnings.

The LX is a great vehicle compared to other options out there, but if I was choosing between that era LX vs a GX, I would 100% choose the GX460.

I get nostalgic about my Tacoma, FJ, 4R, and my Tundra. I’ve never wished I had the LX back and I had a fairly clean rig. The GX460 is my current vehicle and it is everything I need.

 

[Rednexus]

IMO, only the reason to pick an LX over a GX would be the higher towing capacity. If you aren't towing, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense (and the GX still has a 6,500 pound tow capacity anyway). Frankly I think the GX is just as reliable as the big-brother LX anyway, and will be cheaper to maintain and fix when something goes wrong due to sharing so many parts with the 4Runner. The LX/200 have a one-off platform and much lower USA production numbers than the GX/4Runner.

 

[jakemccurdy]

IMO, only the reason to pick an LX over a GX would be the higher towing capacity

This^^

Lx is too wide for the trail. AHC is overly complicated and harder to install a lift (unless you just trick it to stay up) and the mileage is even worse than the terrible mileage the GX gets.

But towing with a GX isn’t super fun.

Did you mirror this post on the 200 series forum? Bet you get some different insight there.

 

[Acrad]

Side note…peak rated tow ratings on 200 series were 2008-2010 at 8500lbs

What can we tow? Shopping Travel Trailers

We are in the market for a travel trailer for a family of 4 and the ones my wife likes have a bunk room for the kids. The one in particular we like is 33' long with a dry weight of almost 6000 lbs and a hitch weight of 650 lbs. I would hate to have to sell the GX but even adding helper air bags...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[dcs111]

We just moved from the 200 series platform to the 150 series. When I resorted to searching for a car, we started with the intent of buying a lower mileage/ newer 200 series. we ended up with a new 150 (GX460). Our use case is that we travel to places where others don't want to go to enjoy nature (have done month long voyages out of the 200). we have 2 kids. We tow an off road capable travel trailer. We have a roof top tent. We have a dog.

• We certainly lost some power with the bigger 5.7L motor (i do miss the roar and the torque)
• We lost some cargo room (our cooler doesn't fit as well as in the LC. oh well, time to buy a fridge)
• We lost some ground clearance (can be fixed with suspension and minor trimming of tupperware if obliged)
• We lost the middle second row seat (captains chair and and the tranny hump in floorboard)
• We lost that big and wonderful windshield (the GX windows are not as sprawling and do not offer the open views of the 200 series)
• We gained a newer truck with less mileage, and less coffee stains, pinstripes, etc.
• We gained better fuel economy 17 vs 11
• We gained a somewhat more nimble machine
• We gained newer technologies. lots of new tech!
• We gained a truck that feels as if it is pinned to rails, and as my wife describes, "drives so smooth... like butter on a biscuit." (150 is in stock form vs 200 that had mild lift and Bilsteins)
• We remain a highly capable traveling family and maintain the capability of towing, RTT, rambling through trails, beaches, etc. with really nothing lost in the end... we may buy another LX/LC one of these days, but for now, we feel this is the best platform for our use profile!

best of luck - you are in the right brand and can't go wrong!!! PS post pics or it doesn't count...