How does 460 compare to the previous gen 470?

[Coupedncal]

Just wondering how does the 460 1UR-FE run compared to the 470 2UZ-FE? What is the general experience of those who have spent time with both models.

(1) How is the general refinement? 470 is pretty smooth. How does the 460 compare?
(2) What is the take on reliability of the 460 compared to the 470?
(3) Could we expect similar longevity?
(4) 470 needs a timing belt. What is the setup on the 460?

 

[r2m]

1. Depends upon what trim level you get. I have a 2013 with Luxury trim (the highest at the time) but you can go here: GX 460 Manuals and there will be information on every year of GX460 and the available trim levels. But you'll have to research for the GX470 trims yourself unless someone else chimes in.
2. In short, it's a Toyota product. Hundreds of thousands of miles. Of course there is always the possibility of getting a lemon but not as likely as a Jeep, Chevy, Ford, etc.
3. Yes. Even my wife's 100 series Landcruiser and my own Landcruiser (same year) were getting near the 300,000 mile mark on both, and the only reason we moved on was because the paint and interior was looking pretty tired. My 460 has been perfect for the last 65,000 miles since I've had it. Just broke the six digit, 100,000 mile mark last month. I bought it with 3x,xxx miles on it.
4. If the 470 needs a timing belt, then it's probably like the V8 (if not the same motor) we had in our LC's which had to be changed very 90,000 miles. But to answer your question, NO, GX460 V8's have timing chains: Timing chain or belt in 460? - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-2nd-gen-2010-present/948808-timing-chain-or-belt-in-460-a.html

 

[TheBoer]

Both are great vehicles. My two cents, with the prices of 470s the way they are these days it's worth shelling out the extra money to go for the 460. Mainly to get something with less years on it. Where I live at least 470s are like $20-$30k, while 460s are $35k and up. I think the best move is to find a 2015-2017 460 with lower miles for something like $35-$40k.

Less years and miles on a rig should translate into;
Better paint condition
Better interior condition
And most importantly, less maintenance costs plus higher reliability than an older vehicle with aging parts

You should be able to squeeze 300,000 miles or more out of either model if it's properly maintained.

 

[Tex68w]

300-400K miles should be the standard if properly cared for. One could go further if they cared to do the major overhaul work but most move on at that point. It'll take most well over a decade to reach those numbers though. Even someone like myself who regularly puts 25-45K on a vehicle every year will move on in 4-5 years max or I will slow that vehicles use once I reach the six digit mark and retire it to a weekend warrior. The only two vehicles who have gotten that treatment were my 1998 Jeep Wrangler TJ and our current 200 Series Land Cruiser.

 

[r2m]

I read recently about a guy who had an 80 series LC he really liked but was thinking about moving up to either a new LC or at least a newer one. After looking at the price of entry into anything he wanted, he decided to drop about $25,000 into his old 80 series. He did an entire motor and trans rebuild, new paint, new interior, etc.
By the time he was done he had practically a new 80 series good for another several hundred miles for about half the price of a new one!

Truthfully, the only reason I wouldn't do it would be because of some of the creature comforts on newer models, e.g.: heated/cooled seats, cruise control, better sound system, power, quieter, better ride, etc.
And in the future, I'd look forward to dynamic cruise control, autonomous driving (for those times your stuck in gridlock and don't want to deal with brake-gas-brake-gas etc.), 360° cameras and whatever else the genius's at Toyota come up with.
So for me it would be a hard decision to decide to either go new or do a restore on my current rig when she gets old and tired.

 

[Rednexus]

470s were a great deal when they were often in the $8-15K range (pre-2021). I picked mine up for $10,700 with 132K on the clock in late 2020. However, as mentioned above, when they are $20-25K-ish, I think it's harder to justify considering a 460 isn't that much more. However, 470 prices will probably drop (at least some) along with the rest of the used car bubble, at which point they may be a better deal. If I was buying one today I'd probably pay a bit more for a 460, just to have a newer ride.

One other pro-470 item is that you can get aftermarket engine performance parts (cold air intake, headers), which are not available for a 460. May not be a big deal for some, but is a plus for me.

One other pro-460 item is that they have an 8.2" rear axle. The 8" in the 470 is known for being somewhat fragile when larger tires are used and the vehicle is taken on harder trails off-road. I would consider the 8.2 sizeable benefit if you are planning on lifting the vehicle and doing moderate/heavy off-roading, but don't want to plan on upgrading the axles. It's not a cheap mod to 8.2-swap a 470. For a daily driver or light-offroader, it's probably not a big deal.

I would also not consider the timing belt a knock on the 470 as it's not a difficult job and also results in your coolant and water pump getting refreshed every 90K. Some have speculated that these frequent cooling system services associated with the timing belt help make the 2UZ a million-mile engine.

 

[Tex68w]

I prefer the timing chain over the timing belt personally.

 

[r2m]

470s were a great deal when they were often in the $8-15K range (pre-2021). I picked mine up for $10,700 with 132K on the clock in late 2020. However, as mentioned above, when they are $20-25K-ish, I think it's harder to justify considering a 460 isn't that much more. However, 470 prices will probably drop (at least some) along with the rest of the used car bubble, at which point they may be a better deal. If I was buying one today I'd probably pay a bit more for a 460, just to have a newer ride.

One other pro-470 item is that you can get aftermarket engine performance parts (cold air intake, headers), which are not available for a 460. May not be a big deal for some, but is a plus for me.

One other pro-460 item is that they have an 8.2" rear axle. The 8" in the 470 is known for being somewhat fragile when larger tires are used and the vehicle is taken on harder trails off-road. I would consider the 8.2 sizeable benefit if you are planning on lifting the vehicle and doing moderate/heavy off-roading, but don't want to plan on upgrading the axles. It's not a cheap mod to 8.2-swap a 470. For a daily driver or light-offroader, it's probably not a big deal.

I would also not consider the timing belt a knock on the 470 as it's not a difficult job and also results in your coolant and water pump getting refreshed every 90K. Some have speculated that these frequent cooling system services associated with the timing belt help make the 2UZ a million-mile engine.

I agree about the timing belt. After having two 100 series LC's and having to change out the timing belt every 90k miles, I was glad to learn that the GX460's had chains.
One other thing that I've forgotten about and no one else has mentioned as a "plus" for the 460, is the pop-up rear window. The rear window in GX470's doesn't open. There's been a few times I've used that for long lumber from the hardware stores, surfboards, and so on. It can be really handy in a pinch with something too long to fit inside and won't go on the rack.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

Had both at the same time. The highlights are...

Pros.
460:
-seats are more comfortable to drive with
-ventilated seats
-nicer interior
-better passing ability
-better felt hip and shoulder room
-2nd row feels more useful
-timing chain

470:
-much quieter
-more off the line grunt
-steering feels more satisfying in sport mode
-suspension in comfort mode is supple and relaxing on the highway
-super easy to work on

 

[Rednexus]

I prefer the timing chain over the timing belt personally.

IMO, timing belt engines are quieter and smoother, and rev a bit faster, so I personally like them more. I've also had OHC timing chains guides wear out and fail (not on a Toyota), and a chain on a OHV V8 develop slack and slip (also not Toyota), which really aren't failure points on a belt. By all means however, it seems like the UR has a very well-designed timing chain system and doesn't really have those issues.

 

[r2m]

470:
-steering feels more satisfying in sport mode
-suspension in comfort mode is supple and relaxing on the highway

Ha-ha-ha!!!
No such thing as "Sport Mode" or anything else since my lift.
Albeit, it does ride really, really nice the way I have set up, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to have done 1,000 mile days going cross country.

 

[windnsea00]

Had both at the same time. The highlights are...

Pros.
460:
-seats are more comfortable to drive with
-ventilated seats
-nicer interior
-better passing ability
-better felt hip and shoulder room
-2nd row feels more useful
-timing chain

470:
-much quieter
-more off the line grunt
-steering feels more satisfying in sport mode
-suspension in comfort mode is supple and relaxing on the highway
-super easy to work on

I wonder why the 470 is much quieter?

 

[GrizzlyClint]

I wonder why the 470 is much quieter?

Don’t know specifically. I just know the doors feel more solid when you close them and the wind/tire noise is almost nonexistent in the 470. My 460 wasn’t when it was stock. More squeaks and rattles though in the 470 if I’m honest. Not a lot but more than my 460.

 

[BigSwede]

One other pro-460 item is that they have an 8.2" rear axle. The 8" in the 470 is known for being somewhat fragile when larger tires are used and the vehicle is taken on harder trails off-road. I would consider the 8.2 sizeable benefit if you are planning on lifting the vehicle and doing moderate/heavy off-roading, but don't want to plan on upgrading the axles. It's not a cheap mod to 8.2-swap a 470. For a daily driver or light-offroader, it's probably not a big deal.

This. I know somebody with a 470 that trashed their rear diff with some only moderate wheeling.

I also vastly prefer the six speed transmission over the five speed in the 470, especially for towing.

 

[Rednexus]

This. I know somebody with a 470 that trashed their rear diff with some only moderate wheeling.

I also vastly prefer the six speed transmission over the five speed in the 470, especially for towing.

The 6 speed has the same ratios as the 5 speed, other than a 2nd overdrive that the 5 speed does not have. Which would be good for a built vehicle with lower gears (I'm planning 4.56's eventually for my 470 but would go with 4.88's with a 460 due to that extra gear). So it really shoudn't make much of a difference for towing, but would definitely be better for highway use.

I would argue that my 470 with engine and transmission mods is as good or better of a tow vehicle than a stock 460 due to the lighter weight and better torque of the engine

 

[Arailt]

@MrTorgue is pretty spot on, although my 460 is much quieter inside than my 470. Albeit I had mud terrains on my 470, but I feel like generally more wind and road noise made it through the doors on the 470. I could hardly have a conversation at 70-80mph because the wind noise was so bad in my 470. Also, I could hear the transfer case whine in my 470 and I cannot hear that in my 460.

My 470 did not have KDSS, so my 460 handles like a sports car compared to my 470. The 460's motor/transmission feels smoother and stronger at highway speeds, but I agree the 470 had more pep in its step, especially off the line. Probably thanks to the overly "eco" focused pedal delay in the 460 that can sometimes make it feel like I'm driving a bus. I hear a Pedal Commander will fix that though.

Other things to mention - The cup holders are usable in the center console 460 and there are two in each door, which is nice. The center console is also usable in the 460 where the 470 was pretty much worthless. I do miss the armrests on the front seats in my 470, but that's not really a big deal. The fold down third row seats in the 460 are more convenient if you actually want to use them. If you don't ever need them, taking them out of the 470 is way easier. Rear HVAC in the 460 is much better. the 470 was only AC, no heat. 460 is both and my 460 has heated rear seats. The wood accents in the 460 nicer and less "1990s" than the 470 (excluding the 470 Sport).