Talk me out of buying a GX 470... (1 Viewer)

[eskimoke]

New member here so have read most of the forums/FAQ's etc... but still getting up to speed on everything GX related. I appreciate any help you guys can provide and sorry if this has been covered to death, I didn't want to crash someone else's thread....

I'd really love to get a Land Cruiser FZJ80, but the market is just ridiculous right now so not going to pay a stupid amount for a 20+ year old, high mileage, multi-owner vehicle. GX are attractive as it seems like I can still get a "mall crawler" with a lot of life left in it and make it into a very capable overlander. Based on everything I've seen, the LX's are just too thirsty and heavy to be practical (for me anyway, generally a solo traveler), so the GX seems ideal. I'd probably swap out the suspension/wheels/bumpers, add some built in drawers and then just drive it until it falls apart. I've owned a few 4Runners which seem like the closest cousins.

I currently have a 2020 Tacoma Pro and have also been looking at off-road trailers, but most of those are $20K and up which seems silly. For the same $, I could grab a nice GX, build it out and still come out ahead. I know of a few clean 2007-2008's in my area, so very tempted to jump on one before the prices go even higher. It also seems like there is decent aftermarket support and a pretty large international community of Prado users, so there should be parts and mods available for the foreseeable future.

Any advice from GX-470 owners? Any regrets or things I should know? Thanks!

 

[NJGX]

You came to the wrong forum to be talked out of a GX lol. I originally wanted an 80 or 100 series, but like you said; the stock mpg of the Land Cruiser is pretty terrible, Add some mods and you might as well be driving a v10 Excursion, but without the added towing and cargo capacity. And the 80 is a lot of money for a 20+ year old vehicle that has an ancient I6 and 2 airbags. The relatively narrow width and manageable wheelbase of the GX, somewhat modern creature comforts, modern safety features like side airbags, and aftermarket compatibility with other 120 platform vehicles is what pushed me to the GX at the end of the day.

The only drawbacks that I can think of is the center console, possibly rear swing gate, and rear glass. You can't store a whole lot in the little center cubby, and the armrests are a bit narrow. You get used to it very quickly, but the actual Prado has a much better laid out center storage area. A few people dislike the rear swing door, but I actually like it a lot and it was one of the many selling points for me. I am rarely ever in a spot where rear door access is an issue, and I like the fact that I can have a fold down table mounted on it for added flat space when camping. Lastly, the fixed rear glass means you can't haul long objects and stick them out the back hatch/window like you can in a lot of other SUVs that have a traditional rear liftgate/hatch. Anything longer than the interior has to get strapped to the roof.

To me, these are all minor compromises. I get the footprint of a 4Runner, Lexus luxury, Land Cruiser v8 and reliability, fulltime 4WD, and something a little different than what you see most people modding and driving around.

 

[eskimoke]

That's what I was afraid of

Aside from poor fuel economy and the recent increase in the cost of used GX's, I can't really think of anything that competes with it for value and adaptability. I get that there are a lot of little faults and annoyances, but is there any other vehicle that is a better budget overlanding platform right now?

Thanks a lot for the advice, might pick one up as early as tomorrow.

 

[Mitchelllamme]

is your reason for wanting one mainly space or to keep your truck as more of a daily? Only reason I ask because if it was me I’d build out the Tacoma before I got a gx.

 

[eskimoke]

I'd like to keep my Tacoma as a daily driver as it's paid off and I got 250k miles and 15 years out of my last one. I did start to build it out as an overland rig, BUT the more I think it through, the more I dislike the idea of thrashing a new vehicle. I also don't think the truck bed is that usable as it collects dust and you have to deal with tonneau covers and racks and RTT's, etc... I just sold my built out Mercedes Sprinter which was awesome, but looking to find something more capable of getting off-road and away from RV's and crowds while keeping some of the creature comforts like a fridge and weatherproof storage.

If I'm being honest about my needs, I would probably spend 50% of my time in hotels/AB&B's and 50% sleeping out of the GX on BLM land, so versatility with a little luxury is right where I'd like to be. My Plan A was to get a Patriot or Turtleback trailer, but those suckers quickly get over $20-30K and then you are dealing with pulling a bunch of extra crap around. After looking at self-contained vehicles, new LC's are $100k and $20k+ used (wtf?) so I just don't see any other options that are as attractive as building out a decent middle aged GX.

I'm aware that they aren't perfect, but the scales still seem to tip in favor of grabbing one. I guess my question is - if you have a GX, would you do it again or look at something else? Thanks!

 

[ewillis]

I had an 80 for about 10 years and have GX now. GX is fairly quick and comfortable...pretty practical vehicle IMO. Secondary air injection pump will need to be bypassed, air bags will need to be swapped for springs, rear cargo area is small compared to my 80, i really dislike the swing gate. 470 is good looking to me with a small lift and 33s. It's not going to do anything better than you're Taco so IDK why you would want both. If you like the SUV platform better, I'd sell the taco and put the GX $$ into a 200 series. GX is not going to be an 80 series off road without significant mods and still will lack the SFA. GX works for my needs but will be adding a small off-road trailer soon to accommodate for my need for additional cargo.

 

[Mitchelllamme]

Understandable. I like the gx. I’m on my 3rd one and easily the most built one I’ve had. My main beef with the gx is it’s not that big and once you start packing things in the rear cargo it gets messy fast. I love 100 series it’s what I looked at before this fell into my lap at a crazy price. My last truck was a 04 Dakota which I did some camping and light over landing. It had the 4.7 v8 and quad cab. Sick truck with tons of power if there was more aftermarket support for it I probably wouldn’t have ended up with another gx. The gas mileage was better and much less wind noise with my rtt on. It’s pretty rough in the gx with the tent on. The biggest plus with the gx for me personally is the head room. I’m a little over 6ft and it’s super nice to be able to sit up and feel roomy still.

 

[greenscobie86]

I had strictly FoMoCo products before coming in to the 120 platform. One 1st Gen. Ford Expedition and 2 Ford Excursions. Nice trucks in their own right(especially the Excursions) but not on the same playing field as the GX. Honestly the only thing I really miss is having rear heat v just rear air, but thats not a huge deal.
My main concern with buying the GX was high repair costs and unfamiliarity with the platform. Can't say parts prices are on the same level as Ford/GM stuff, but things also go wrong much less often so the higher cost is more than justified.
I too wanted a 100 series prior to landing my current GX470, the 100's are great trucks no doubt, but the slightly more compact size, relatively good performance, better fuel economy are just a few of the factors that make me choose the GX over a Land Cruiser/LX. I really don't think there is a reason not to buy one(even with high miles) unless it has terminal frame rust issues or something crazy like that.

 

[eskimoke]

Yep, would love a 80 or 100 series Land Cruiser but the math just doesn't work these days. Jeeps are too unreliable, not a fan. Trucks are cool but after looking at layouts, I just don't see the point of building a bunch of stuff in a bed that gets dusty, plus I'd still like to use the truck, well, as a truck. Trailers are $20-30k for a box with wheels? No thanks.

Sort of an orthogonal question: what should I budget for a basic 2-3" lift and wheels? I can get one already built, but I'd prefer to find a single owner, soccer mom GX and do that part myself. Yes, I know there is a thread covering this, but it goes off on all kinds of tangents. Just looking to estimate how much additional $ I need to set aside for this. As is true of most builds, I can see this quickly becoming a giant hole in which to deposit large sums of cash - just want to think this part through a few steps out.

 

[eskimoke]

The biggest plus with the gx for me personally is the head room. I’m a little over 6ft and it’s super nice to be able to sit up and feel roomy still.

That's pretty key for me as well as I'm 6'3" with some some extra loft on my doo

I think I could make the rear space work as I never carry more than 2 peeps at a time. A platform over drawers with sliding fridge ala Goose Gear would be pretty ideal for what I need, and I don't need it as a daily driver or for errands.

 

[eskimoke]

The other alternative I m considering is an LX 470. The issue with those is that they seem much harder to find used, and they seem much larger, which doesn't really seem practical if I only need to carry 1-2 people. Are there any reasons why an LX is a better choice that a GX?

 

[Rednexus]

I picked up an '07 GX in September 2020 after driving Subarus for a decade. Subies are great (capable off-road when driven right, very easy to work on, good MPG) but they had just gotten too small for camping/outdoor trips with two small kids. While I love my GX so far, it does have a few drawbacks:

1. Most engine-related things are a PAIN to work on. The starter went in December and it took me two days to replace it. The starter is under the intake manifold, requires removal of part of the air injection system, and the engine bay is TIGHT with the DOCH 2UZ stuffed in a midsized SUV. For reference, I replaced the head gaskets and clutch on my Forester (including removing the engine and putting it back in) in around 16 hours.
2. Exhaust leaks. All of the manifolds on the 2UZs seem to crack, and it's an expensive repair. $500+ for replacement manifolds or $800 for a set of headers. Mine are cracked (I knew that when I bought it), I ordered Dough Thorley headers in December but they are still back-ordered.
3. Gas mileage. Sure, it's not as bad as a LC but it's still not very good. Plan to average 14-15 around town and 16-19 on the highway. After installing a cold air intake on mine, I can get it up to 21 mpg or so if I drive 55 (on backraods) and baby the throttle. I've driven a lot of fullsize trucks for work as rentals, a Hemi Ram, Silverado, etc, with 100 more horsepower than the GX and 1,000 lbs more weight can easily get 20-22 mpg.

Pluses are below:
1. It's an increadibly capable vehicle, bone stock. After wheeling Subarus (where wheel placement is everything), wheeling the GX can be described as "easy".
2. Very quiet, comfortable, luxury ride. Like driving around in a leather chair.
3. The 2UZ is a very smooth, torquey, long lasting, great sounding engine. Issues above (manifolds and starter) are notable defects, but otherwise it's an outstanding V8 engine. I prefer it to domestic V8s (i.e., hemi, LS, Coyote), even if it makes less power with worse gas mileage.
3. Perfect size. Not too big (for tight trails) but not to small (load up the family and camping gear for a weekend).
4. Great value. You can find them around $10K over quite a bit of the country. There is probably no more capable, reliable, and comfortable off-road vehicle that can be purchased for that price.

 

[nakman]

The other alternative I m considering is an LX 470. The issue with those is that they seem much harder to find used, and they seem much larger, which doesn't really seem practical if I only need to carry 1-2 people. Are there any reasons why an LX is a better choice that a GX?

The tailgate. Ability to sit/eat on a nice tailgate instead of a dusty bumper. that swingout door on the GX is not good, IMO, and I've owned both. Also the LX gives you power to those 3rd row windows, also rear heat, also more power functions on the passenger seat. And being wider makes it way more comfortable for long trips. The lift prices will be close to the same, in both cases you're removing the AHC and swapping in coil perches in back, then upgrading the front springs with something taller. If you can find a 2005-2007 LX470 I'm not sure your fuel economy will be that different either... within 1-2 mpg.

 

[eskimoke]

The tailgate. Ability to sit/eat on a nice tailgate instead of a dusty bumper. that swingout door on the GX is not good, IMO, and I've owned both. Also the LX gives you power to those 3rd row windows, also rear heat, also more power functions on the passenger seat. And being wider makes it way more comfortable for long trips. The lift prices will be close to the same, in both cases you're removing the AHC and swapping in coil perches in back, then upgrading the front springs with something taller. If you can find a 2005-2007 LX470 I'm not sure your fuel economy will be that different either... within 1-2 mpg.

Yep, all valid points and why I am also looking at LX's.

What it's coming down to for me is that I can get a REALLY clean 2007ish GX for under $20k, and there just are no deals to be had on LX 470/100 series vehicles. Looking on AutoTrader, Craigslist, BaT, etc... there are no LX's worth buying, whereas the nice GX's are still out there.

I honestly never even had the GX on my radar until recently, but it sure looks like there are a lot of aftermarket options and a thriving community (incl Prado 120's).

Appreciate all the feedback!

 

[TA22Husker]

Don't buy one.

 

[1911]

How many groceries do you really need to carry at one time?

 

[1911]

Seriously, one of my sons has one and like it, except for the brake shimmy thing. it's hard on rotors; we just put another set on last night. Heavy duty this time.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Probably the worse part of the GX470 is the wimpy 8" rear diff. I only wish it was the 8.2" diff and that it had a rear oem locker. Some people claim it will break for sure, but I'm still on the original one.

My most expensive repair will be the cats. $1000 in parts with gaskets. Other repairs were not as bad, but I've done a lot of preventive maintenance at the tune of $5k total. Cheapest repair was the dashboard replacement for free at Lexus.

 

[TLar25]

I would also consider a 4th gen Limited 4Runner with the V8. Not as many style/unique points seeing how there's quite a few modded ones out there, but I own both currently and there are things I much prefer about my 4Runner over my Lexus. Interior is set up much better in my opinion, far superior cup holders, the burger flip down tray on an actual usable center console that I rest my elbow on versus the skinny arm rests and empty middle of the GX (though you can source a prado center console for around $600, or a tuffy box for an FJ for $200+/-). Roll down rear window is nice to have, but I don't mind the swingout door either. Lexus interior seems a little quieter, but that can be remedied by more sound deadening in the 4Runner. Suspension parts and just about everything else mechanical is interchangeable between the two. Prices are somewhat similar depending on location/condition obviously.

Something worth considering I think, if you haven't already. I like mine just as much as my GX currently, until my lift gets here and I get the 35's on the Lexus, but I'll probably always prefer the interior of the 4Runner more.

 

[eskimoke]

Thanks TLar25. I have owned several 4Runners and also a Sequoia. I guess my hesitation with a 4Runner is that I'm looking for something different and never really bonded with the layout for some reason. But I think you're right - a Limited w/ V8 at the right price is less of a unicorn than a LC/LX, and there is great aftermarket support. Will take that into consideration.