Final spring, I drove a number of totally different Lexus and Toyota crossovers and SUVs, seemingly in anticipation of the arrival of a GX 550 Overtrail+. I’d been pondering it could be time to maneuver on from my very own GX, and driving the brand new one can be a giant push in that path.
It guidelines. 10/10, completely executed product. No notes. (Daniel did the actual evaluate, I’m simply agreeing with him right here.) I haven’t pushed a new Mercedes-Benz G-wagen, and I perceive it’s a really spectacular automotive, however the value distinction between the G-Class and the GX means it must be nearly inconceivably spectacular to sway me.
There are some limits to what one can fairly count on from a automotive nowadays. It’s an computerized, it’s heavy and it makes use of numerous gasoline. These are my criticisms. Apart from that, I’m telling you with out reservation, should you’re interested by shopping for a luxurious SUV, you must most likely simply go purchase the Lexus GX.
The primary time I sat in it, I stated “yeah” out loud earlier than I even pressed the starter button. It’s a kind of automobiles that simply feels proper, like an previous Porsche 911. I edited this put up from Daniel about how unimaginable the GX’s visibility is. Once I noticed his headline, I believed, “Man, an entire put up on how good it’s to sit down in?” however he was proper, it’s improbable. The sight strains are phenomenal, and every part is the place you’d count on it to be.
I didn’t thrash the GX tremendous laborious off-road, however I did hit some trails and do the same old obstacles on my property, and I really feel snug saying it’s massively succesful proper out of the field — that’s not an enormous shock given the specs. I don’t even know that I’d go for a elevate instantly.
What did shock me was how good it was on the street. It’s a tall and boxy SUV on large chunky tires with a stick axle within the again, however it corners nicely and the suspension tune is ideal. It’s not a sports activities automotive, and even one of many sportier crossovers, however the place my lifted GX was enjoyable to drive quick with its excessive middle of gravity being managed by its spectacular Icon suspension, the brand new one simply rips round corners with out drama at stunning speeds. It’s additionally useless quiet and really snug.
My previous GX was in improbable mechanical situation, however it was 17 years previous and displaying its age in locations. The paint was unhealthy, and I’ll admit that whereas it nonetheless regarded very cool on the path, I did really feel considerably lower than cool pulling as much as a funeral in it final 12 months. There was even a shovel on the roof. However however, as a result of it was previous, I didn’t thoughts bashing it by the woods and didn’t fear concerning the paint or what the children had been as much as within the again seat. It was a terrific automotive to get me by the primary few years of life with children, and I may have stored it on the street for the remainder of my life.
However I bought it. Contributor Zach Wickliffe had been asking me about it for some time, and he was on the point of transfer out West. If I needed to put the GX in nice fingers, I knew my window was closing. So I spent about 24 hours cleansing it, changing the alternator and driving it right down to Zach.
Zach has additional cleaned it up, prepping it for all times within the Pacific Northwest. He even eliminated a distant begin system I by no means knew was there.
I miss the automotive loads. I nonetheless don’t know if I ought to have bought it. However, my plan to interchange it with a brand new GX hit a stunning snag when Daniel identified how less expensive it might be to lease a special white SUV. Extra on that in one other put up quickly.
