I am in need of some real life feedback. I am over building hardcore wheelers where comfort suffers. I also no longer really run hard trails. My 60 saw a couple and my Disco saw a lot. I have a 1 year old and my wife and I are wanting to get her out camping, fishing, etc... more (please do not use that 
overlanding term). Past rigs would have worked but they lost out in a few key areas. The GX keeps popping up as a really viable option. I am not a fan of the 4th gen 4Runner and its blindspots (plus, at 6'4", I do not find it all that comfortable) but am of the GX. It is more comfortable and with a little bit of lift, could easily handle what I might throw at it (say, greens and blues up at Rausch). The GX has enough aftermarket and enough support here that it is a very good option.
From the buyers guide thread, I am looking for one without navigation as being my primary objective. Not impossible but definitely not too common. Everything else is not too big a deal it seems. The later ones with the 5AT would be nice to allow slightly better mileage. Overall chassis mileage is high and that is where I begin to enter different territory. It is hard to pitch an 80k mile 2004-2008 vehicle to my wife as a good purchase, considering both our current cars have fewer than 24k on them. This brings me to a couple of questions:
1. How many miles are too many miles? I will load VINs into the Lexus site to research service records so that I have an idea as to history.
2. When and in what state (mileage, year, etc...) did you get your 470? What have you had to do to it while it has been under your stead?
Thanks in advance.
overlanding term). Past rigs would have worked but they lost out in a few key areas. The GX keeps popping up as a really viable option. I am not a fan of the 4th gen 4Runner and its blindspots (plus, at 6'4", I do not find it all that comfortable) but am of the GX. It is more comfortable and with a little bit of lift, could easily handle what I might throw at it (say, greens and blues up at Rausch). The GX has enough aftermarket and enough support here that it is a very good option.From the buyers guide thread, I am looking for one without navigation as being my primary objective. Not impossible but definitely not too common. Everything else is not too big a deal it seems. The later ones with the 5AT would be nice to allow slightly better mileage. Overall chassis mileage is high and that is where I begin to enter different territory. It is hard to pitch an 80k mile 2004-2008 vehicle to my wife as a good purchase, considering both our current cars have fewer than 24k on them. This brings me to a couple of questions:
1. How many miles are too many miles? I will load VINs into the Lexus site to research service records so that I have an idea as to history.
2. When and in what state (mileage, year, etc...) did you get your 470? What have you had to do to it while it has been under your stead?
Thanks in advance.
but 80k on a Toyota/Lexus is nothing - so long as service history is available. The other thread is very helpful, I'll add - aside from mods - I have done nothing but routine service since getting my GX @78k mi. And I suspect, as with my 80, once it passes 250k mi I might start thinking that's a lot of miles, hmmmm........
Seriously, it's understandable that you'll probably want to buy the lowest mileage example you can find/afford; however, I currently have a 2000 UZJ100 with 306,000 miles on it, and it runs as smoothly and strongly - maybe more so - as my 2004 GX! It burns / uses zero oil, oil pressure is still great, no noises, etc. As long as you keep the timing belts, water pumps, heater Ts, etc. serviced, the 2UZ is an u n b e l i e v a b l y durable engine, and the transmissions are nearly the same. (Incidentally, all GX year models have the 5-speed transmission)
is driving. I wish the passenger seat tipped down and up like DS, or like they do in the Land Cruisers- even Cruisers 10 years older than the GX. Probably my only complaint on the rig is the passenger seat. 
