From a FJ to a GX. What I learned buying the 470.

[revkev]

I have no idea why I wrote the "From an FJ..." part. I suppose I'm still in a semi mourning state because it is really missed.

I'm a hobbyist car dealer and found a 2006 GX470 from Chicago with 137k miles for $10600 and shipped it to SF. The GX had a lot of underbody surface rust everywhere so I sold it to a local car dealer for a slight loss. Then I saw an 04 in Los Angeles with 90k miles and paid $12000 for that.

Both had the ML. As an audiophile, I was attracted to the ML system since his gear is top shelf in the home entertainment realm. Well after a few days I like the system, but and ain't all that. I should have heeded the "buy non-nav" so I could equip this with a newer double din stereo that would be better than this. Oh well. I love the truck. Everything checks out and a black is beautiful underbody with no rust. Going to flush all fluids to create a baseline of maintenance. Already changed out filters.

For anyone shopping for GX's.
1. Buy from CA, AZ, or TX (but you need to be careful of enterprising peeps who coverup flooded cars). Clean underbody is KING!
2. Forget the Nav and ML. I know audiophiles are drawn to ML like flies to sh*t, but we are stuck with it since it controls our climate.
3. If you go to Lexusdrivers.com and create an account, you can look up service records for any Lexus if they took it to the stealership.
4. For a free Autocheck, you can game eBay and create a fake for sale post for your car. Go to preview and you can look at the history...just don't LIST it...or you can pay me $15 and I can use my account and give you both Autocheck and Carfax.

Just plopped on some Cooper Discoverers 265/70/17 ATPs and they look sharp and are not noisy. No spacers or lift but it is CLOSE. Will lift before I take it for off road fun. After some wheeling and dealing with America's Tire, they mounted these on my new Pro Comps for $146/tire out the door (tax+mount+balance+ TPMS+ and all the BS fees involved with disposing). Pics coming post detail.

 

[GXO]

I keep saying the stereo line, but people don't believe me. My stereo shop told me they replace more ML speakers in Lexus than anything else because they rarely last 5 years before they blow out or start sounding badly.

 

[Sleepy]

I will add that I found a gem in OK completely rust free at the Tulsa Lexus dealership and had a great experience. Everything was as they said it would be which is nice when you make a 1-2 day trip for a vehicle.

 

[little_joe]

My GX spent it's life in NC and not a speck of rust anywhere, chassis looks perfect. Having spent a good chunk of my life in the Rust Belt, I'd never buy a used car from there. Surprisingly, my wife's CRV, which we had for 3 yrs in the lake effect snowbelt east of Cleveland and still own today, doesn't show any rust in engine bay, body, or underneath.

Different strokes for different folks on the radio/nav. I'm very happy with the ML, it sounds great - but I listen to f'ed up music, not opera and orchestral pieces. Between tire and wind noise, who can tell anyway? The nav works fine for general use. Some of the other features in the head are actually useful - bluetooth, maintenance stuff and reminders, etc.

 

[Sleepy]

Northwest is fantastic for rust free. Plus rubber parts don't dry out, no Sun damage to paint or interior. It is a gold mine for old barn finds.

 

[TahoeLX450]

I was also slightly disappointed in the ML when I got my GX. I just traded from the base (not the high end) model Bose in my '06 Cayenne and it absolutely ROCKED or played jazz and classical with depth and clarity not found in the ML.

 

[NMBruce]

I am not an audiophile, but I almost never travel without the radio on. I listen to music all the time. I admit it sounds great in my girlfriends GX460. I made sure that I got a base GX without the ML and I hope in the next month to be putting in a Kenwood DNX893s head unit. Maybe next year I will look into speakers.
My GX came from Southern California, because i also believe in the things that you said.

Hope you enjoy your GX