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Spot on. I too finally feel like Toyota’s target market. It’s been a while.
Use cases and consumer expectations changed with the series generations in the US market. Those differences underly much of our sporty banter here, which is okay. The good news for everyone is that there are now more Land Cruiser platform options than the US market has ever seen.
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I’m going with pricepoint. Steel has to be cheaper.
Less expensive, works fine.
Towing a 4500lb trailer is pretty different from 9k. Put a 30 foot box trailer or travel trailer with 9k lbs behind it and I'll bet a dollar it won't crack 8mpg under any condition. Mountains or a headwind and it's pretty likely to see 5mpg or less. 18 useable gallons at 6mpg is 108 miles. That's a realistic range for a 9k lb box or travel trailer.
9k lbs of gravel in a dump trailer? Then it might get 10mpg.
TheLCProject
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I don't know what to make of that.
the GX550 has nearly 50 more horsepower and 150 more lb/ft of torque than the 460 which I would say is a big power bump. The MPG increase of the 550 over a 460 doesn't sound like much until you consider that a 460 with 33s and a lift to get 10+ inches of clearance is going to get 16 mpg on the highway unless you're driving off a cliff with a tailwind.Terrible efficiency and lackluster range are a Toyota SUV hallmark. Look at an 80, 100, or 200. The power gains may not be big, but the towing gains are more than substantial. If it's getting better MPG than my old 470 (which it is) and can tow 9K pounds instead of 6,500 (which it can), I personally see that as progress, as long as the reliability is there (only time will tell).
Outside of towing....I agree it would be hard to pass up the 250's MPG (if it actually is 27 mpg). We really love the MPG of our hybrid Toyota.
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TheLCProject
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Are those wheels similar to those off the Trailhunter?
I think the counterpoint is that the Sequoia gets nearly 20% better mpg and has a lot more power than the GX. Tundra gets 2mpg better. And it's also quite a bit less than a comparable size Tacoma. For me - it's surprisingly low mpg for a midsize SUV in this generation of vehicle. Especially one from a brand that is going to be 100% EV by 2030. For me - it's enough to be a meaningful turn-off although maybe not a deal breaker. Not sure. I suspect the hybrid will be the volume seller if Toyota ever gets one to market.
I think we need to remember this is a full time AWD w a torsen differential that will continue to add parasitic drag. Also add the 33” tires w an aggressive tread.
Feels like an apples to oranges comparison
Feels like an apples to oranges comparison
That is a fair point, though some of that difference is due to part time 4wd vs full time AWD/4wd in the GX. I also wonder if Lexus has enough market research to know that fuel economy is at the bottom of the list for the average GX buyer so they focused on everything else and not hypermiling efficiency or playing games with EPA ratings. I doubt someone is taking a Defender over a GX because the Defender gets 19 combined instead of 18 combined.
If there was a plug in hybrid GX that would give you 30 or 40 miles of battery range with no impact to anything else the GX is known for, we could probably stop making cars because that would be perfect. Unfortunately I just don't think that's possible until we figure out tiny lightweight batteries.
TRD Pro tundra, weighs more, tows more, has more power, is a lot bigger, wider and slightly taller tires, and still gets 2mpg better. Is the AWD transfer case that parasitic?
I think MPG really matters a lot to the Lexus brand image and probably to many GX buyers. The commitment to go full BEV by 2030 is the indicator to me of how Toyota views the market. I suspect the TX was at least in part a nod to the people asking for a larger SUV with better efficiency. The TX vs LX vs GX is a pretty good A/B/C test for customers to see what sells.
In fairness - Toyota is building a full range of options to hit almost every segment of the same basic midsize SUV. From the base 4Runner non hybrid to the LX, they're all different flavors of one basic product. So the GX being low MPG isn't necessarily leaving anyone out. Just surprising to me that they didn't get a little better efficiency. For my personal wants - the missing products are a non-hybrid version of the Sequoia and/or the PHEV version of the midsize SUV.
I think MPG really matters a lot to the Lexus brand image and probably to many GX buyers. The commitment to go full BEV by 2030 is the indicator to me of how Toyota views the market. I suspect the TX was at least in part a nod to the people asking for a larger SUV with better efficiency. The TX vs LX vs GX is a pretty good A/B/C test for customers to see what sells.
In fairness - Toyota is building a full range of options to hit almost every segment of the same basic midsize SUV. From the base 4Runner non hybrid to the LX, they're all different flavors of one basic product. So the GX being low MPG isn't necessarily leaving anyone out. Just surprising to me that they didn't get a little better efficiency. For my personal wants - the missing products are a non-hybrid version of the Sequoia and/or the PHEV version of the midsize SUV.
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@cruiseroutfit Will the 550 be able to be lifted and maintain the AVS?
I think there's significant difference in how Toyota vs Lexus approach transmission tuning. I've noticed a difference in how the trans in my 2010 460 shifts compared to the 2012 Tundra with the same 4.6 engine I had before. The Tundra was slower to downshift and would upshift to a high gear much sooner than the GX, which feels like it holds gears longer and typically feels like it has more power available. Both get basically the same mpg in my use (I was hoping for better in the GX to be honest).
The following gives a good explanation on how a Torsen work:
A Torsen is a mechanical, gear-driven system that is always running inline w/ the drive train. There will be parasitic losses across all speeds and rpms.
And I durn screwed up...adding tech to this thread!
Torsen vs. plated limited slip differential. – KMP Drivetrain Solutions
In this blog, we would like to explain how a Torsen limited slip differential works and how it differs from a plated LSD, like the Drexler LSD.
www.kmpdrivetrain.com
A Torsen is a mechanical, gear-driven system that is always running inline w/ the drive train. There will be parasitic losses across all speeds and rpms.
And I durn screwed up...adding tech to this thread!
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The Lexus IS350 has a very similar torsen center differential. The difference in mpg between the awd version and the RWD version is only 1mpg. And that's with the AWD having a 6AT vs the RWD being 8AT (not sure why). The addition of the torsen AWD along with the front driveline and the drop to a 6AT all combine to only 1mpg.The following gives a good explanation on how a Torsen work:
Torsen vs. plated limited slip differential. – KMP Drivetrain Solutions
In this blog, we would like to explain how a Torsen limited slip differential works and how it differs from a plated LSD, like the Drexler LSD.www.kmpdrivetrain.com
A Torsen is a mechanical, gear-driven system that is always running inline w/ the drive train. There will be parasitic losses across all speeds and rpms.
And I durn screwed up...adding tech to this thread!
The IS does also have surprisingly bad mpg given its size. So, there's that. It went from 18/25 in 2007 to 19/26 in 2024 and got 1/10th slower 0-60.
