2023 Lexus GX Is the Last Great SUV for Those Wanting Luxury and Reliability
With the LX and Land Cruiser receiving major changes, the 2023 Lexus GX stands alone as the last old school SUV on the market.
There was a time, not terribly long ago, when those who wanted a capable and reliable SUV had more than one choice. Heck, just in the world of Toyota, one could mosey on down to the dealership and purchase a Land Cruiser, GX, or LX, but today, the former is no longer sold in the U.S., while the latter has transitioned into more of an on-road luxury hauler with turbo V6 power rather than the tried-and-true naturally-aspirated V8 that it chugged along with for many years. That leaves us with the 2023 Lexus GX, which is a bit of a dinosaur compared to its competition, but to us and the folks behind the YouTube channel Savage Geese, that isn’t a bad thing by any means.
Recently, Savage Geese was able to test out a brand new 2023 Lexus GX 460 Black Line Edition, a rather rare, limited-edition model. But what’s interesting is that they note, right off the bat, that after driving the new LX and plenty of turbocharged, smaller displacement SUVs, the GX is proof that sometimes, the old ways are best – at least in terms of simple, reliable, and rugged vehicles such as this.
To many critics and journalists, the 2023 Lexus GX may seem a bit outdated, and it is – we are talking about a vehicle that’s been around mostly unchanged since 2009 for the 2010 model year, when the second-generation model debuted. Over the ensuing two-plus decades, the GX has been treated to some updates inside and out, but its bones remain the same – body-on-frame construction and naturally-aspirated V8 power – the kinds of things that people seeking a capable and reliable SUV long for, though they’re quite hard to find these days.
In today’s world, SUVs and crossovers have gotten far more car-like, with few exceptions, which is a far cry from the old days, when those types of vehicles were designed to be more focused in nature. As it turns out, that simplicity also made these vehicles incredibly reliable in many cases. Heck, take a glance at J.D. Power and iSeeCars’ reliability studies, and you’ll notice a trend – Lexus and Toyota routinely rank among the best, while vehicles like the Land Cruiser, 4Runner, LX, and GX are regulars in terms of ranking as the most reliable/longest-lasting vehicles on the road today.
Problem is, these types of vehicles are also seemingly a dying breed. Both the LX and Land Cruiser have already switched to V6 power, and the next-generation GX is rumored to arrive in the next year or two with either a four- or six-cylinder engine, which makes sense given the fact that it’s essentially the more luxurious twin of the Toyota Prado. And that means one thing for anyone in the market for an old school luxury SUV – now might just be the time to get out and buy a new GX before that kind of vehicle is gone forever.
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