Opinions needed- GX470 as family carrying daily driver, too old? (1 Viewer)

[WestNE]

I am currently driving a 2016 F150 crew cab. I like it well enough but we moved to southeast TN from out west and honestly it just feels a little big on some city streets in the hills. I have always been a fan of SUV's over trucks but my last two vehicles were 1/2 ton 4WD crew cabs, honestly I am not sure why other than I was a bit uneducated in body on frame SUV's outside of domestic options. Honestly I despise everything in the bed not being more accessible, trucks have their place but even with a full house remodel going on I see the roof rack and cheap utility trailer as being more handy when big stuff is needing to be hauled.

Here are my requirements:
- Needs to get better gas mileage than my truck in town, currently getting roughly 13. I have no illusions of a drastic increase but 15-16 is considerable and would be great
- I'm married with a 3 and 6 year old so it needs to be comfortable enough to take the kids to school and transport the whole family without emabarassing or disgusting my wife ( She drives a 2013 Honda Odyssey so her tastes aren't terribly high end).
- Overlanding is not what this will be for but I do hunt and fish a fair amount so access to rough trailheads and ability to haul critters is necessary.
- This will be a daily driver that I plan on keeping for 5-7 years so it needs to be reliable with reasonable maintenance cost being of utmost importance.

With all of this said, a few questions:
1. Even if well taken care of is a 10-13 year old 470 getting too old for good reliability?
2. Assuming #1 is possible what mileage should I be looking at if I want to put another 100-120 on without too much trouble?
3. Given the house remodel I would like to stick with a 470 that I could trade my truck for and get some money back on the deal, trade value estimates have hovered in the $17-$20K range. Should I forget this and keep driving the truck until I can swing a newer/ lower mileage 460 for added reliability?

Thanks for the help and forgive any ignorance as this is my first post around here.

Nick

 

[ebbs15]

So I sold my '13 F150 King Ranch Ecoboost for my GX. here's my input
-Gas mileage... about the same, though if I kept the ecoboost under 65 on long trips, I got into the 20's so it got the edge. and the F150 definitely gets the edge in range (got 700 on long trips)
- GX doesn't have the cavernous cabin the F150 does, but IMO the back seats are more comfortable as they recline. but the F150 had a hell of a lot more room
- GX will do just fine I'm sure for the offroading you're doing, but just be aware it does have about 1" less ground clearance
- Maintenance is tough, it's reliable sure, but it's also a Lexus so parts can be expensive if you can't find a toyota version (and you want to stay with Toyota made quality is MUCH better IMO)

1. No, look for the maintenance records, especially with Lexus... main thing is that the timing belt was changed at less than 90k intervals
2. I bought mine with 114, and expect that it'll go 400k... this is the motor that has gotten two tundras to 1mil miles
3. that one I can't really answer. I got 20k for my truck as trade in on my GX (15k) and I was happy

 

[Tak555]

welcome nick! honestly, i think ebbs15 covered the bases well... but i'll give my perspective below. just for reference, my wife drives a 2015 GX460 (which we've owned since day 1, and have only put about 25K miles on), and i purchased a 2006 GX470 with 154k miles on it back in nov '18. my brother inlaw also purchased a used 2011 GX460 with 160K miles on it a few months ago.

quick notes:

- your gas mileage will be a wash... i think around town i get 12-14, and on highway i get no more than 20mpg.

- buying a used car that's 10+ years old... the good thing about toyota/lexus is their famed reliability. but with a car this old, you will inevitably have to tackle wear-and-tear items, which can add up. plus, you will be heading into larger maintenance territory... timing belt/water pump, cv axles, steering tie rods, radiator, bushings, etc... when you're shopping around, you might find a rig that has had a lot of this stuff done recently, so keep an eye out.

- personal experince - my gx470 has been great, but i swapped out the suspension (2" dobinsons lift)... and then went full in with new CV's, new lower control arms (because i needed new bushings), new tie rods, new end links, etc. i also had to replace the radiator and do the timing belt / water pump. it all adds up... my hope is that i don't experience any catastrophic failures to the engine or tranny (toyota right? so i should be okay... hopefully!), and with the refresh that i just mentioned, it should be good to go for another ten years.

- family stuff! i also have a couple kids... 10yo boy and 7yo girl. we take my GX everywhere! we love her newer GX, but i really enjoy driving mine... i can haul stuff around (like sports gear and other kids), and i dont have to worry about getting anything too dirty. but it's decently nice inside too... i mean, it's no audi or bmw, but other than cracked dash, it holds up decently well. it's relatively comfy, and a bit nicer inside vs a 4runner/etc

overall, i'm very happy with my rig... but pricing for GX's are going up. i feel like it'll be a wash between selling your f150 and buying/maintaining an old GX.

 

[Nic]

I bought mine to be my family DD and love it. I did find one that was well maintained and just over 100k miles so that helps

 

[MH89]

I am currently driving a 2016 F150 crew cab. I like it well enough but we moved to southeast TN from out west and honestly it just feels a little big on some city streets in the hills. I have always been a fan of SUV's over trucks but my last two vehicles were 1/2 ton 4WD crew cabs, honestly I am not sure why other than I was a bit uneducated in body on frame SUV's outside of domestic options. Honestly I despise everything in the bed not being more accessible, trucks have their place but even with a full house remodel going on I see the roof rack and cheap utility trailer as being more handy when big stuff is needing to be hauled.

Here are my requirements:
- Needs to get better gas mileage than my truck in town, currently getting roughly 13. I have no illusions of a drastic increase but 15-16 is considerable and would be great
- I'm married with a 3 and 6 year old so it needs to be comfortable enough to take the kids to school and transport the whole family without emabarassing or disgusting my wife ( She drives a 2013 Honda Odyssey so her tastes aren't terribly high end).
- Overlanding is not what this will be for but I do hunt and fish a fair amount so access to rough trailheads and ability to haul critters is necessary.
- This will be a daily driver that I plan on keeping for 5-7 years so it needs to be reliable with reasonable maintenance cost being of utmost importance.

With all of this said, a few questions:
1. Even if well taken care of is a 10-13 year old 470 getting too old for good reliability?
2. Assuming #1 is possible what mileage should I be looking at if I want to put another 100-120 on without too much trouble?
3. Given the house remodel I would like to stick with a 470 that I could trade my truck for and get some money back on the deal, trade value estimates have hovered in the $17-$20K range. Should I forget this and keep driving the truck until I can swing a newer/ lower mileage 460 for added reliability?

Thanks for the help and forgive any ignorance as this is my first post around here.

Nick

1) I just picked up an 06 GX as a family hauler, wife, one 2 year old and one on the way. Only had it for a few weeks so we will see how reliable it is, but it has the historical 2UZ engine.
2) I picked mine up with 94k, but I see a lot in the classifieds with over 200k. Just keep it maintained and it'll last forever.
3) Different reason on why I chose a 470 over a 460. I didn't want to sell my FJ Cruiser to get a 460 that still sells for $25-35k used. 460s are more modern, but the 470 is very much proven in itself and I'm not so into bells and whistles. Never test drove a 460, but I can't imagine it being way better for the $10-15k more you would need to spend to get into the 460.

 

[se7enine]

1) I just picked up an 06 GX as a family hauler, wife, one 2 year old and one on the way. Only had it for a few weeks so we will see how reliable it is, but it has the historical 2UZ engine.
2) I picked mine up with 94k, but I see a lot in the classifieds with over 200k. Just keep it maintained and it'll last forever.
3) Different reason on why I chose a 470 over a 460. I didn't want to sell my FJ Cruiser to get a 460 that still sells for $25-35k used. 460s are more modern, but the 470 is very much proven in itself and I'm not so into bells and whistles. Never test drove a 460, but I can't imagine it being way better for the $10-15k more you would need to spend to get into the 460.

I didn't like the 460 when I drove it. The eco mode made it feel slow and it had less response than my 470. The new grills aren't much to look either. I like the black and grey interior though.

 

[CarolinaGX]

I can't answer as to the F150 questions.

I bought my '05 GX with 160k on it to haul my family of 5. My kids are 13, 7, and 4. We have gone lots of places and it is comfortable for all. We don't use the 3rd row except in town as it isn't very well suited for trips longer than 20 minutes, at least not for a person with legs.

Reliable, yes if well maintained or brought back to proper maintenance level. Cheap to maintain? yes, compared to my BMW's but not sure compared to Ford.

I am thrilled with mine. I hope this helps.

 

[MichaelAndrews]

Just bought an 08 470 with 175k miles
Plans are overlanding and visiting in NY (I live in SC now) a lot
I wouldn't hesitate to do either right now especially since I just finished doing the timing belt, spark plugs and secondary air injection bypass

These things are tanks reliably just make sure you find one that was taken care of

 

[WestNE]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

It sounds like the 470 is still a legitimate option. If i leave it fairly stock i should get a slight improvement in gas mileage. Im not terribly afraid of some wear in suspension components as i can do that myself or have it done for a reasonable price given the simplicity of the system overall. Would finding a KDSS equipped sport make suspension maintenance more of a hassle?

As for engine maintenance, ive been checking carfax reports for the vehicle im looking at. Most have comprehensive service records but i have yet to see anything specifically naming timing belt replacement, does that typically fall under the mention of "vehicle serviced"? If it and the water pump has been replaced is that generally noted under the hood somewhere?

Thanks again, getting more and more excited all the time!
Nick

 

[ewillis]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

It sounds like the 470 is still a legitimate option. If i leave it fairly stock i should get a slight improvement in gas mileage. Im not terribly afraid of some wear in suspension components as i can do that myself or have it done for a reasonable price given the simplicity of the system overall. Would finding a KDSS equipped sport make suspension maintenance more of a hassle?

As for engine maintenance, ive been checking carfax reports for the vehicle im looking at. Most have comprehensive service records but i have yet to see anything specifically naming timing belt replacement, does that typically fall under the mention of "vehicle serviced"? If it and the water pump has been replaced is that generally noted under the hood somewhere?

Thanks again, getting more and more excited all the time!
Nick

Create an account at mylexus and you can check complete maintenance history. Timing belt will be listed if it has been changed. There will also be a date/mileage stamp like mine listed below on the left of the engine cover. If you buy one, suspension and tires really transforms it to a legitimate 4x4 IMO.

 

[SparkyB]

Have you considered a Sequoia? It would check off your requirements at a lower buy in price. Roomier to boot.

 

[427Monster]

I would stick with your truck. Main reason is you need a dependable family hauler.

Yeah Toyota/Lexus are well known for their reliability...but you’re getting a 10-13yr suv...and you want to keep it for another 5-7yrs...

 

[ebbs15]

Create an account at mylexus and you can check complete maintenance history. Timing belt will be listed if it has been changed. There will also be a date/mileage stamp like mine listed below on the left of the engine cover. If you buy one, suspension and tires really transforms it to a legitimate 4x4 IMO.View attachment 2216021

This...
though just be aware that they don't always put that sticker in the same place. in my searches for a 470 i found them on the radiator shroud, this little black box picture above, the big lexus engine cover, and the underside of the hood...

Mylexus is free and you can add any vin, to see the history, I used it to look up 4 or 5 before I actually bought. much more detailed than a carfax.

Oh and as for the MPG... stick with passanger rated tires, and keep them aired up and stay out of the throttle, and you'll probably see a minor boost to MPG... but honestly MPG in the GX is never going to be great, but it's very much effected by your right foot. I've gotten 21.5 on a long drive to Oregon at 65 (maybe a slight tail wind)... same drive back at 75 and it was 17.5

 

[Brake Weight]

Have you considered a Sequoia? It would check off your requirements at a lower buy in price. Roomier to boot.

This. Forgot about these. When we had our 2003 2wd Sequoia I wanna day it got about the same mileage as the ‘06 GX does. I actually miss that big thing. Wished we had waited for a 4wd one to come along because I would have kept that.

 

[se7enine]

We also have a Rav4. I wish we would have bought one when the kids were young. They also come in 4cyl/6cyl for better mpg or power. If I needed a family/light duty trail rig that's what i'd get. Or a double cab Tacoma.

 

[MaverickFiveO]

Since you listed MPGs as your first requirement, I will assume that's most important. Fundamentally, you're trading a modern engine (not sure what your F150 has) for a 10 year older V8. And the 2UZ, while renowned for reliability, was an antiquated design even then. With that old design comes ample parts, knowledge, and longevity... but not efficiency.

However, it will likely do everything else you need. I second that you should check service history and find one with the first round of high-mileage maintenance done. No vehicle, no matter how reliable the drivetrain is, is maintenance-free. Any vehicle needs CV replacements, brake work, belts, fluids, etc. If you find those done recently (say, a 140k mile example), you could be good to go for another 100k easy. If you find one with new suspension airbags or a coil conversion, that eliminates another potential failure point.

Honestly, though you'd hit that milestone with your truck in the 5-7 years, anyway, but the up front cost may be a problem with your house remodel. In the long run, I think it's 50/50 between the truck and the GX. However, the costs will hit later with the truck. I hate to say it, but I'd stay with the F150, if I were you.

 

[TahoeLX450]

I am currently driving a 2016 F150 crew cab. I like it well enough but we moved to southeast TN from out west and honestly it just feels a little big on some city streets in the hills. I have always been a fan of SUV's over trucks but my last two vehicles were 1/2 ton 4WD crew cabs, honestly I am not sure why other than I was a bit uneducated in body on frame SUV's outside of domestic options. Honestly I despise everything in the bed not being more accessible, trucks have their place but even with a full house remodel going on I see the roof rack and cheap utility trailer as being more handy when big stuff is needing to be hauled.

Here are my requirements:
- Needs to get better gas mileage than my truck in town, currently getting roughly 13. I have no illusions of a drastic increase but 15-16 is considerable and would be great
- I'm married with a 3 and 6 year old so it needs to be comfortable enough to take the kids to school and transport the whole family without emabarassing or disgusting my wife ( She drives a 2013 Honda Odyssey so her tastes aren't terribly high end).
- Overlanding is not what this will be for but I do hunt and fish a fair amount so access to rough trailheads and ability to haul critters is necessary.
- This will be a daily driver that I plan on keeping for 5-7 years so it needs to be reliable with reasonable maintenance cost being of utmost importance.

With all of this said, a few questions:
1. Even if well taken care of is a 10-13 year old 470 getting too old for good reliability?
2. Assuming #1 is possible what mileage should I be looking at if I want to put another 100-120 on without too much trouble?
3. Given the house remodel I would like to stick with a 470 that I could trade my truck for and get some money back on the deal, trade value estimates have hovered in the $17-$20K range. Should I forget this and keep driving the truck until I can swing a newer/ lower mileage 460 for added reliability?

Thanks for the help and forgive any ignorance as this is my first post around here.

Nick

Some things to consider between the 470 and 460 for you to be aware of:

I drove a GX 460 for a week when my 470 was in the shop for a minor recall issue and needed to wait on a part. My driving impression: 470 = considerable more low end torque and grunt off idle and better 0-50MPH. 460 Considerable less low RPM torque but with more passing power at highway speeds and better from 50-80MPH. 460 feels heavier but probably slightly flatter handling. Neither my 470 or the 460 I drove had the big disconnecting sway bars. 460 a bit quieter with the motor nearly silent. 470 more V8 sound from the exhaust . 460 seemed to have more intake growl when pushed.

What bothered me most about the 460 was I could not find a comfortable place for my left side of my knee to lean against the driver's door. I ended up using a thick sponge for a cushion between my knee and the door...kind of a deal breaker for me. Your knee maybe different. Back seat comfort, for me, was better in the 470 and I could not put my finger on exactly why. Others may find it different.

4.6 I believe is an aluminum block vs the 470's cast iron block which could be a difference in long term reliability compared to the incredible 300+K examples of the 4.7 that are plentiful. Time will tell.

The 470, for some, may have a "dated" interior compared to the 460. I like them both.

If you don't like the grill of the newer 460's you can find plenty of earlier model 460s with low mileage. Both options I think would probably outlast the Ford option IMO.

 

[WestNE]

Lots to think about here and it seems to get less clear as the opinions add up.

I had honestly never considered a Sequoia, i assumed that they would bring even more ridiculous money than 4runners, making the Lexus a better value proposition. In looking I guess was wrong, it appears that the "Toyota Tax" applies mainly to Tacoma's and 4Runners...

While i mentioned fuel mileage as #1 i think my real priority is getting back into an SUV platform. Im also finding that the 460's aren't that much more money and maybe a 460 with higher miles (140-160k)would make a better option than an older, lower mileage 470.

My main complaint with the f150 is the physical size, im used to trucks but im ready for something a little more maneuverable. Also it seems like our last few domestic vehicles have not lasted like they should. It seems that at 100-120k miles, while they are still functional, there are a lot of bits and pieces no longer working, breaking off, cracking, etc. Very disappointing.

 

[TahoeLX450]

Lots to think about here and it seems to get less clear as the opinions add up.

I had honestly never considered a Sequoia, i assumed that they would bring even more ridiculous money than 4runners, making the Lexus a better value proposition. In looking I guess was wrong, it appears that the "Toyota Tax" applies mainly to Tacoma's and 4Runners...

While i mentioned fuel mileage as #1 i think my real priority is getting back into an SUV platform. Im also finding that the 460's aren't that much more money and maybe a 460 with higher miles (140-160k)would make a better option than an older, lower mileage 470.

My main complaint with the f150 is the physical size, im used to trucks but im ready for something a little more maneuverable. Also it seems like our last few domestic vehicles have not lasted like they should. It seems that at 100-120k miles, while they are still functional, there are a lot of bits and pieces no longer working, breaking off, cracking, etc. Very disappointing.

I could be wrong...I have understood that the Sequoia SUV construction was never really intended for rugged off road use as the GX, 4Runer Tacoma. Can anyone else chime in?
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[Brake Weight]

The Sequoia is/was based off of the Tundra chassis whereas the latter is the smaller frame.