bluelex

Hey Guys,

I'm considering a change from my Armada. We actually want something smaller. I'm looking into a gx but wanted to ask you guys a few Q's?

1. Any change in body or significant changes from say a 04-05 which what I'm looking at online compared to say an 06 or 07?

2. If there aren't any major changes what are some of the smaller changes like say taillights, headlights, bumper trim, things like that?

3. What is the HP and TQ on these?

4. Anything I should look out for when test driving?

5. Anything you guys have like tips, links, or advice would be greatly appreciated..

ps... I love that merridian midnight pearl..

V8_Fan

06ish has vvti...about 275 hp vs 235hp, torque is about the same. LX, LC, and 4runner also got vvti in '06.

jjbodean

no changes thus far, its just about the identical vehicle since 03, not aware of any mid-model refreshers. only thing to note is what jim said about the engine change, but i believe it was a little earlier than 2006

The G Man

The engine change actually started on the 05 models. When looking at used GX, check for the cluck when you come to a stop. Refer to the cluck TSB thread on top of the page for more info.

bluelex

Thanx a lot guys, so I should be looking for an 05 and up in order to have the more powerful engine. My aramada has 300 so dropping to 235 would be kind of sad but 275 sounds better plus it should be lighter than my truck .So I'll start looking for 05's.

Whats is a cluck?

GrdnRxR

Well it was close............. it's clunk not cluck

llcc1975

1. I bought a used GX 4 months ago and went with a 2005 (as opposed to the 04 and prior) because of:

a. More horsepower (270 versus 235; although with the new SAE hp standards, the 270hp is actually 263hp in today's numbers). It also has 330 lb ft of torque versus 320 for 2004 and prior. And the EPA mileage is improved (15/19 versus 15/18 for the old).

b. Integrated bluetooth + voice commands for stereo, climate and nav + rear view camera for 2005 and newer (versus none of these for 2004 and prior).

c. Gen 4 navigation (better graphics and some more features--don't know specifics though) on 2005 + versus Gen 3 nav for 2004 and prior.

2. You should also consider whether the vehicle has the Sport Package or not. Telltale sign is if the woodtrim is black wood (it has Sport) or standard maple wood (it does not). Main substantive component of Sport is the integrated Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS). This is supposed to increase capabilities for offroading (auto release of sway bars for more wheel articulation) and also is supposed to handle tighter on road. Some folks on this forum swear by it and others say they can't tell a difference.

I personally have the Sport and it was noticeably tighter to me around corners (when set to the stiffest level) versus one without after driving both back to back.

KDSS is available as standalone option but price of Sport pkg over KDSS ala carte is nominal and you get the black wood, smoked headlight/foglight/reverse light lenses, chrome exhaust tip, and special colored wheels/luggage rack with the Sport. Thus, doubt you'll see many out there with just KDSS and no Sport.

3. I think whoever wrote "cluck" meant "clunk." This is a clunking sensation that many GX owners have felt before getting fixes on their GXs. Some have not felt it so I don't know whether it is limited to specific years or not, but I know that mine had the problem. It was not dangerous nor did it accelerate drivetrain deterioration but was very annoying. My dealer fixed it with new drive shaft and some other parts. Most dealers are now aware of it as a TSB and will happily accomodate the fix.

If your truck clucks, then you have a chicken riding shotgun.

4. I don't think you will really miss the power since the GX has pretty strong tourque for a pretty brisk off-the-line punch.

5. We really love our GX (it's my wife's ride but I really enjoy driving it). We downsized from an 04 Suburban so I know what it feels like to go smaller. One complaint I have is that the second row does not have "captains" chairs with a walkway in the center to go to the third row. We had that in the Burb but I realize you can't do that in a smaller SUV like this and have it be practical. And, the third row is very cramped and requires you to remove it to get at the cargo hold's full capacity. We had to do the same with the Burb, so it was not a big deal but if your Armada has fold flat third row, that will be a little more work for you. Driving dynamics of the GX are night and day difference over the Burb (much much better).

Hope this helps.

bluelex

Thank you so much guys for the info. Your last post really helped in my decision. Yes the armada has fold down rear but I'll say 90% of the time its folded down with my 2 kids in the middle so removing the rear from gx is not that big of a deal since we rarely have someone sit in the last row.

The integrated bloothtooth is big for me so I appreciate knowing that it came on an 05 and up.

Another Q. did it get getting used having the rear door open sideways as opposed to opening up like most suv's?

I really appreciate the help guys.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Welcome to the gx arena bluelex

Seems like lllcc1975 hit everything on the 2005+ model.

Coming from the GS with the sporty feel, I think you should test drive the gx both with the kdss and without. I wanted the kdss and that blackwood but was impatient to wait a couple months to get one with it. No regrets though.

I find the barndoor very useful and very easy to close especially when I have my hands full and wanting to open and close that door. Basically, I like it
Only the power liftgate is much, much better like the rx and qx56.

Couple of drawbacks on that gate, mostly minor.

1. Rear window doesn't roll down. Ocassional need for hauling purposes that is longer than that door
2. Water will drip down from above roof area if you have the spoiler on rainy days. Not sure on gx without spoilers.
3. If parked on the street, you have to be careful (esp. watch the kids) considering it's toward the left side on the same side as the street.

There's a tsb (somewhere in the sticky) on that chicken clunk= replacing the driveshaft and the rear control arms.

One last thing, if your wife is going to sit in the 2nd row directly behind you, it might be cramped for her. Test this out.

There's no cupholders for the 2nd row! It's technically in that front middle compartment but blocked/hard to access if you have the baby seat.

Overall, love the gx

jjbodean

mine has 2nd row cupholders that slide out from the center armrest when it is in the down position

CVsIS250

Hi!

The rear door must open this way because of the height of the rear. It would smack the garage door and be too tall for many short people to reach if it opened the other way. There has been extensive debate regarding this issue on positives and negatives... I personally like it.

CV

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

That's right. I forgot about the armrest considering it's never been in the down position. Seems like the baby seat is going to be there for a while

LexusBob

On the rear swing-open door, I learned to engage the open door locking mechanism on the bottom of the door. If you don't, it may swing back on you if you're on an incline or out on a very windy day. Be careful and enjoy!

jjbodean

true, i will lose my cupholders next march when baby #1 arrives

llcc1975

Barn door took a little getting used to but I do like it as it is easy to open and close (as others have said, engage that lock if you are on any sort of uneven grade. Only thing is that if you are parking in a garage, try to park (if possible given your garage configuration) on the RIGHT side of the door that leads from your garage into the house. That way, when you have tons of groceries or if you have heavy items, you don't have to walk around the open barn door every time. And you avoid running into the door if you aren't paying attention (not that this has ever happened to me).