LX 570 or GX 460?? Need some advice.

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wesel123

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Lakewood, CA
Hey gents, need a bit if help picking a tow vehicle.

I missing my LC something fierce and the 4 Runners lack of V8 is driving me crazy.

So I was thinking if used 200 series but the prices are a bit out of reach still. And there seem to be a plethora of LX 570's and GX 460's in the low 30k price point.

So if you guys had a choice which way would you go?

I'm leaning towards the 570 due to the kinship with the LC. Minus the 20" wheels, lame approach angels and fixed running boards. But I'm not planning a using it a our main offroad rig. Our 4runner Trail is here to cover that aspect.

My biggest worry on the 570 is the AHC systemand possible failure. Also not sure if I could just pull the system and install an OME kit.

The GX 460 is everything I think I want but thetow capacity is 6500lbs. Which is overly sufficient for our current Airstream but we may plan to upgrade to a 25 footer in 5 to 6 years. So I could deal with that probelms then. (And it's not a 200 series...;))

Also the GX is a bit less expensive.

Uggg....just not sure I need a bit of counselingboys!!!
 
AHC is reliable, but very difficult to pull out. Slee is still pondering that on their shop 570 as AHC is apparently pretty deeply integrated into the system.

If you are interested in swapping out the suspension, I'd wait for an LC.
 
Land Cruiser All The Way! There is no vehicle in its league in terms of reliability and durability.
 
A person I know happily tows a 28 foot Camplite (very lightweight) camper with an '09 LX570. It's apparently a nice tow platform and the AHC can be helpful in hitching/unhitching. Given the extra oomph of the 5.7L, I'd go with a nice used LX570 for your Airstream.
 
Our current Airstream is a 16' Bambi, comes in around 2800 to 3000 lbs.

Price wise the 2009 GX I have lined up has 87,000 miles and is $27k.

The 2009 LX has 111,000 and is $32k.

The 2008 LC has 83,000 and is $37k

Not a huge price spread but $5k is a few years worth of travels. If needed I could get GX now and a LX when I upgrade to the 25' Safari.

I'm assuming gas milage is close or am I way off??
 
wesel123 said:
Our current Airstream is a 16' Bambi, comes in around 2800 to 3000 lbs.

Price wise the 2009 GX I have lined up has 87,000 miles and is $27k.

The 2009 LX has 111,000 and is $32k.

The 2008 LC has 83,000 and is $37k

Not a huge price spread but $5k is a few years worth of travels. If needed I could get GX now and a LX when I upgrade to the 25' Safari.

I'm assuming gas milage is close or am I way off??
Click to expand...

I've no direct experience with either vehicle as a tow vehicle, but in general, mpg while towing on the level is more a function of wind drag than engine size and towing uphill is more a function of trailer weight than of engine size. It take a certain horsepower to pull either against the wind or uphill, whether you have 350 HP or 250 HP on tap, for example. I'll bet any of the vehicles would get in the vicinity of 10 mpg towing the Bambi.
 
Assuming the GX 460 is about the same as the older 4.7, there is a major difference in moving up to the 570 Tundra engine, even for your current trailer. Find someone with each, or a 2006-2007 LC or LX and try it.

I've pulled my 3000lb 17' Casita across the west with an 80, 100 and 200 and each were a dramatic improvement over the prior. The 200 being the only one that handles strong inclines without much issue and with reserve power.
 
Our 100 series that we had for 7 years towed our 16ft Casita with no problems at all.

The Airstream is only a tad heavier so I have a general idea of how that set up tows, very similar to yours.

The 4runner tows ok, up hill it's a dog, but my biggest concern is the fact that it does not have a transmission cooler. Which is strange to me.

The price and the fact that this rig will be replacing my Subaru as my daily driver are the main reasons for the GX. Hence the question about the milage.

I drove my 100 as a daily driver for 3 years and I averaged 13 to 14, which I was OK with. The 3.6R in my Subaru only gets 20 in mixed driving, which blows, so getting a rig in the realm of 14 to 15's won't shock me.
 
I use our 2010 LX for towing our Lance 26' trailer. Overall, it is a great platform, but I do prefer NOT having the AHC, as it is dynamic, which can be a bit of a pain when using our weight distribution / anti-sway hitch. BTW, I would definitely use one, especially on the GX.

We tow between 5700 and 6000lbs when fully loaded, so having that larger towing capacity (8500 on the 2010) is a big plus. It tows much better than our 100 series and this is especially true in the mountains.

I would definitely go with the LX both for internal room and the larger 5.7L engine. It makes a huge difference!

Good luck.
 
I had an '03 V8 4Runner. I test drove the 2015 4Runner three times. I wanted to like it, but I hated that V6 engine and it needs another gear.

I test drove the GX460 three times. I wanted to like it. The V8 is smooth. But there were several things I didn't like about it:
  • visibility was poor compared to the 4Runner, both to the sides and overhead traffic lights.
  • I hate the barn door.
  • It might have a V8, but it isn't that fast.
  • Too many things were extra cost options that should have been standard.
  • The third row takes a huge amount of space. With the 2nd row down, the GX has 60 cu ft. The 4th gen 4Runner has 70 cu ft. The 5th gen 4Runner has 80 cu ft. The Landcruiser has 80 cu ft. I need more room than 60 cu ft.
  • The driver's seat wasn't comfortable. The edge of the seat dug into my thighs.
  • The new front grill really screws up the approach angle.
I was looking at spending about $60k for a new GX460. Instead, I found a CPO 2013 Landcruiser for similar money.

Find a Landcruiser or LX -- they are so much more truck than the GX.
 
If you might want to mod, go with the LC over the LX. Older (2008-2010) LXs are sometimes cheaper because Toyota produced them roughly 2:1 to the LC. I had seriously considered an '08 LX with 100k last January, but the dealer and I didn't see eye-to-eye.

The LC is a great towing platform if your setup is done right. I have a fairly lengthy post somewhere around here with the details. My trailer is 24' and a bit over 5,000 lbs and with ~600# on the tongue you barely notice it's there. With a good weight distribution setup, I can imagine pulling up to 26 or 27' and 6500-7000#. The 8500# max rating on the LC sems sketchy to me. My only recommendation is to install a set of helper air bags ($100 plus ~2 hours of effort) to help level out the vehicle when you add a bunch of tongue weight.

The GX is the same frame as the Prado and newest gen 4Runner. It would tow a 16' Airstream fine but the wheelbase is shorter than the LC and I would be uncomfortable towing anything much above ~21' and 5000# with it.

If the 4Runner tows ok and you want to keep it, just add an auxillary transmission cooler. They're $100 and take an hour or two to install. Then you can punt the decision until you buy a bigger trailer and don't have a choice.

One side thought for you - the first time I went offroading with my LC was when we were camping in Grand Teton and I had a chance to drive down by the Snake River. Not sure where you live but if you decided to go camping and wanted to run some trails while you were there would owing an unmodified LX prevent you from doing so? Although it will probably take me a couple years to complete my build, in the end I'm glad I went with the LC.
 
So we have nixed the idea of a GX and the LX. You guys are awesome by the by, some real good real world insight.

Just going to pony up for the LC. So I have another quandary, I have 3 LC's lined up now. Here is the breakdown:


2008 LC - Awesome Carfax, crazy service records and a total mall crusier with 83000 miles for $37K

2009 LC - Good Carfax has 1 emission issues. Has ARB front bumper, Slee Sliders and the interior is a TAD rougher. This one is $33K

Or should I hold out for the 2013 and up, but they are in a price range that is a bit high.
 
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wesel123 said:
So we have nixed the idea of a GX and the LX. You guys are awesome by the by, some real good real world insight.

Just going to pony up for the LC. So I have another quandary, I have 3 LC's lined up know. Here is the breakdown:


2008 LC - Awesome Carfax, crazy service records and a total mall crusier with 83000 miles for $37K

2009 LC - Good Carfax has 1 emission issues. Has ARB front bumper, Slee Sliders and the interior is a TAD rougher. This one is $33K

Or should I hold out for the 2013 and up, but they are in a price range that is a bit high.
Click to expand...

Well good for you!

You don't mention the miles on the 2009.

Slee sliders are $1k. Which ARB bumper? Does it have a winch installed?

**Mall Cruisers with excellent service records always sound good to me...but the above Q's might sway me.
 
Not sure the mileage of the 2009 or how rough is rougher. If you post cars.com links I'm sure the group will chime in. If the mileage is similar the '09 is a LOT cheaper once you consider what the mods would cost you if you wanted to add them to the '08 (assuming you want those particular mods). If it's rough inside then I'd be very curious how it was treated and would want to inspect it very closely. To me armor = offroading, but whether that's light duty forest roads, heavy rock crawling, or deep river crossing who knows. Either way there's some maintenance around 100k to look for like the water pump, radiator, etc - nothing outrageous but definitely worth checking before you buy.

I like my '13 but there's not a significant difference between the '08 and '13. Minor exterior facelift, seats are cooled now too, it has a steering wheel heater, and the bluetooth capabilities on the radio/handsfree are better. Granted living in Chicago I use that steering wheel heater a ton in the winter.
 
Markuson said:
Well good for you!

You don't mention the miles on the 2009.

Slee sliders are $1k. Which ARB bumper? Does it have a winch installed?

**Mall Cruisers with excellent service records always sound good to me...but the above Q's might sway me.
Click to expand...


Doesn't look like the wich was installed and it 83k milage.
 
wesel123 said:
Good idea.

Heres the link to the LC in Vegas

Used 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser 4X4
Click to expand...

That looks pretty darn good to me. The Sahara Bar from ARB is powder coated to match--has lights installed and wired--Slee Sliders--Nitto tires that look good.

That adds up to $4-5k of mods, assuming there are no other hidden mods. I see another switch added though, so there might be something besides the one set of front lights added.

If you think those are mods you might have done anyway (and they are good, solid mods), that bumps the "truck only" price down under 30k. I think that's a pretty nice deal.
 
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