whyjay91

Hello everyone. I've been reading through this forum for some time (I need to get back to work) and have found a substantial amount of information. Since I do have to get some work done I was hoping I could get some of my questions answered in a new thread...

I am very close to purchasing a GX470 for my wife. I can get an '06 for close to invoice and compared with other SUV's out there, it's the only one I can see of any decent value.

My concerns are few but I hope some of you experienced folks will respond. My first is that I'm hearing from the dealership that it has HID headlights but on this forum, I'm hearing otherwise. I would like to have HID's as even the Bi-Xenon's on my Infiniti are incredible at night and my wife's halogen projectors on her VW are too dim.

Secondly, I'm seeing that the rear door (hatch) opens the wrong way. Is this true? Anyone have any complaints about it? I kind of like the idea as my wife is 5'3ish and doesn't always like bringing a heavy vertical hatch down.

Third are the brakes. I've read a few posts surrounding warping rotors. Can someone speak to this? Is this a problem? I'm tired of vehicles chewing through brake pads, rotors, and tires. My father-in-law's LX470 has been absolutely flawless in this regard and he's a horrid driver. What are your thoughts?

And finally, are there any other concerns you could mention about your GX? I think I'm settled on the KDSS system but am not 100% until I drive both types. Anything ticking you off about your $50,000 SUV? I want this thing to last at least 8 years without nickle and diming me.

Thanks fellas.

seanyepez

The lack of HID headlamps was a big issue for us. It is the only vehicle that we drive that does not have them. That said, we have adjusted and the lighting has not been a problem.

The hatch opens horizontally, swinging out to the right side. It is a pain when you have a trailer attached, but with no trailer, it is not a problem.

KDSS is excellent. I use a 2006 GX470 to tow my race car to the track. During the lunchtime parade laps, I had the GX470 on the track. It handled very well for an SUV. Is it the only GX470 to have ever lapped Infineon Raceway?

llcc1975

whyjay -

1. I can confirm that no GXs have HIDs. The dealer rep telling you this is wrong. It's not an option at all (I agree this is very curious since all other Lexi come with it either standard or as an option). They do have nice projector beams running halogen bulbs as you have probably already seen. And, if you've been on this site, you can probably tell that there are ways around that "problem" if it is an issue for you.

2. The "tailgate" is a side swinging door (hinged on the right). It takes a little to get used to (we had a prior SUV with the ubiquitous lift hatch) but is not all that bad. It does not take much effor to open or close. The only disadvantages with this are when you are parallel parked and if you are loading/unloading, you have to walk around the door to get to the cargo area (it was designed perfectly for markets that are right-hand-drive). When I'm in my garage, it's a little annoying because since the door into my house is on the right of the car, you have to again walk around. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not really that big of a deal to us. You also have an issue if you are parked on a descending slope, the door could potentially close by itself unless you latch it completely.

3. I don't have any experience with bad brakes. I bought mine (a 2005) with 25k miles on it and haven't had a problem with the brakes.

It's really quite a nice car, we enjoy the smoothness and luxury it provides. We have a sport (that includes KDSS) and have to say that this is a good option to have. IT's very transparent and you almost don't notice it's there until you drive one with it and one without back to back (which we did prior to purchasing).

Good luck making the decision.

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

our 04 needed new rotors for warping at 39k , covered under warranty since pads were still good

whyjay91

Thank you both very much for your detailed responses.

It looks like I'll be able to get around the HID issue fairly easily so I'm not too concerned about that. I can also certainly see the advantages/disadvantages to the rear door. I think I'm OK with it since my gal likes it and our garage door to the house is on the left side of where she would park. I suppose if anyone asked about it, I would say I had it shipped custom from Japan to accommodate my garage door. Ok, maybe not. I did just come back from the dealership driving the KDSS and the non-KDSS. Substantial difference. One my gal would probably not notice very often, but due to my lead foot and my .93g skidpad coupe, I'm certain it would drive me just batty enough.

I didn't even check but can I open the rear window portion without opening the entire hatch? Is it a window that rolls down or a hatch that springs upward?

BobsGX

Nope, the rear door window does not open. My old 2000 Grand Cherokee had a rear window that would open independently from the liftgate and in over 6 years of ownership, I never opened it. So on the GX, that was of no concern to me.

llcc1975

Just one of those curiosities with this Lexus. The 4runner has the power rear window in the liftgate and the GX does not. I agree with Bob--I've always had SUVs that had windows in the tailgate that opened independently of the whole hatch, but it wasn't used all that much. Nonetheless, I do like how you can vent the cabin by rolling down that rear window in the 4runner. Also the lack of HID is another curiosity. And the fact you can vent the rear most side windows but it is manual, while the same function on a Dodge minivan has power controls.

All that aside, love my truck, it does have a lot of nice features and is seriously the smoothest SUV I have owned that is a body on frame design with a live rear axle.

PumpkinsGX

HI,

We just bought a the GX470 for me. I am only 5' tall and love it. I usually can not see over the dash of certain cars and have no problem with that or the size of this vehicle. I just LOVE IT. The swinging door does not bother me either. I actually like it. It's easier than trying to reach up to pull down a hatch. We bought the extended warrenty because we will have this car for many years too. Let us know what you decide.

PumpkinsGX

whyjay91

Thank you all for the great information.

Aside from the few gripes I have with the vehicle, I feel it's one of the better values out there. I'm currently in 'talks', although at times it seems one-sided, with various dealerships in my area (Washington). I'm speaking with Lexus of Bellevue, Spokane, Seattle, Idaho, and Eugene (OR). I've received a bit for a loaded GX for approximately $1000 over invoice. I'm trying to get it lower.

Anyone have thoughts on pricing? This is the end of the model year and only about a year and a half away from the redesign so I was hoping to get closer to invoice. I've seen a lease incentive that basically puts the rate at 4.8% which is fantastic. Even financing the residual at the end of the lease term brought the total out of pocket up only by about $800 over financing it. And this is a 6 year finance vs. a 4 year lease and 4 year finance (remainder). I'm certain it would be paid off at lease end but it seems like a great deal.

llcc1975

Whyjay, in my personal opinion, stick to your guns on pricing. I think you can get it for invoice because they still get about $1000+ on the holdback and they will still make money on you when they sell that retail contract to a lender (like my employer). I know that I've been reading on the Edmunds.com forum that there are dealers out there that will sell at invoice all day long (but I believe those were either in SoCal or on the East Coast--one dealer comes to mind initially--Longo Lexus in Calif).

Nonetheless, I used to think $1000 over invoice was a great deal, it isn't bad by any means, but if you push it I think they will give it to you at invoice especially considering the 2007s are on their way in September and frankly new GX sales just aren't what they used to be as a result of that V8 it's got under the hood.

As for leasing versus buying under a retail contract, that's up to you. A lease money factor equivalent to 4.8% APR is not bad in today's market but I think you can find pretty close financing rates if you just bought. Keep in mind that if the payment is really low, they are likely either discounting it heavy (i.e. the agreed upon value of the vehicle is reduced considerably from MSRP), applying a low money factor, and/or applying a high residual. Both of the first factors are great for you either way you look at it. But the third factor (inflated residual) can be a double-edged sword. If you truly want to buy it at lease-end, an inflated residual could mean that you have to buy it at lease end for higher than market value. This is not that common for most Lexi as they overall have great resale values, but GXs and LXs are not holding the resales as much as RXs and other smaller, more fuel efficient SUVs. I think for these trucks, the average residuals after 36 mos is about 50% of MSRP.

Another thing to consider. I know you said that you would likely keep it at the end but are you absolutely certain? Problem with leasing even with intent to buy later versus just buying it outright (even under an extended term contract--i.e. 72 months) is that if you really need to get rid of it before about 80% of the scheduled lease payments are made, you could be considerably upside down versus doing the same on a retail contract (or a loan). Your leases just don't "amortize" the same as a regular loan. It's very front loaded. But you may already be aware of this if you have leased in the past.

Anyway, sorry to ramble and I hope this helps.

whyjay91

That's great information. Thank you.

Yes, I've leased before but again, I thank you. I do feel my wife would drive this car for at least 4-5 years. If it holds up well, which it should, we'll most likely keep it for longer. In addition, Edmunds.com quotes a private party value of approximately $33k for an '03 GX. That's not bad. I would estimate another $4k drop during the next year for a value of around $29k. If this holds somewhat true for the new '06, with a 4 year lease and a residual of $23,829, I think I'll be in good shape. Current rates are pretty high for financing. The lowest rate in the area, is the Seattle Teacher's Credit Union (wife's a teacher) which is at around 5.5%.

Anyway, if I can get the money factor, I think Leasing is going to be the best option, financially. Normally, I would simply recommend financing the vehicle, but in this case, leasing doesn't seem to be a bad alternative.

I'm trying hard to find a dealership that will sell at invoice but most just balk at the thought. I'll keep trying.

Thanks again.

MJMeucci

I just bought my RX from Lexus of Seattle. I found that they were the most willing to move on price. I did not bother with Lexus in Idaho or Oregon, but Bellevue and Tacoma are owned by the same guy (O'Brien) and I have found that they don't wiggle much on prices unless it is the last day of the month. We got our '03 GX on July 30 for about $550 over invoice, granted that was 3 years ago.

I found that if you call Lexus of Seattle and tell them what Tacoma/Bellevue is dealing they will generally try and beat the deal by 1-2k, that is what they did with my RX, and my sisters GX and SC.

I can will say that the buying experience at Seattle is much better than that at Bellevue or Tacoma.

whyjay91

That's great to know. Is there a particular salesman you or your family were dealing with recently? The internet salesman at Lexus of Seattle quoted me $3800 over invoice for an '06 GX470 with nav, kdss, basically loaded. That's just comical to me.

Yes, Bellevue mentioned they also owned Tacoma. I will see what pricing they come up with and I will bring that to Seattle. Lexus of Eugene quoted $1k over invoice.

JWS3

Are they insane, or just plain greedy? I got an ordered '06 last winter for $500 over invoice here on the East coast. Must have good drugs out your way..... $3800??/ Hahahahaha! Tell them "no, thanks".

MJMeucci

The salesman that I worked with was Wayne Yonke... I have no idea who my sister worked with.