Hello Everyone, well I have decided it’s time to get back into off-roading again and I didn’t want another Jeep. So after doing my research I decided I wanted to get a 2005-2009 GX470 or 2010-2011 GX460. With that being said of course I am looking for higher mileage soccer mom trucks that have been maintained at the Lexus dealer mainly And preferably around 150K-180K miles to hit my budget. So I live in Burbank, CA and looks like I will most likely be traveling out of state to mainly hit the budget as not much around here and/or overpriced significantly. Today I just got back from a couple of test drives however to see which one I would prefer. I drove a 2008 GX470 with 130K miles at a Toyota dealer which actually drove really well, it felt light and nimble and pretty quick off the line. Of course way way over priced at the Toyota dealer but also drivers side doors were all keyed up and absolutely no timing belt or water pump changed yet at a 130K miles. Over all I was really impressed. Just as a FYI I have previously owned a 2013 Lexus CT200 Hybrid and also a 2013 Lexus ES350 Which were both exceptional cars and super reliable!

Next on the way home I did stop by my Lexus dealer and they had a couple of CPO 2017 models that didn’t have rear air suspension and had about 37K miles. I definitely prefer the more modern looks on the inside of the GX460 definitely more upscale to me but the GX470 I would say has more Character inside just not as much refinement. So anyway we took one for a drive and wow you can really really feel that extra 500lbs in the GX460! It felt really heavy driving it and no it absolutely isn’t as quick per say as the GX470 feels anyway. The 6 speed tranny and extra Horsepower really did nothing for the driving feel other then I guess get slightly better fuel economy. So looks like I will be saving a few thousand dollars and will be on the search for a really clean GX470!

I have watched lots of YouTube videos on how great these are off road especially with just putting on a good set of All Terrain tires which I would either do the BFG KO2’s or the Falken AT3W tires a set of those awesome looking TRD Pro 17” Wheels! I actually have had the Falken wheels on my last Jeep Wrangler and really loved those tires back in 2017. They rated #1 off road for All-Terrain back then also and you can’t beat the price. So my search for the my GX470 starts today and if it takes a few months to find the perfect one for me I am fine with that but if anyone happens to come across a really clean well maintained GX470 send me a PM here or post I would appreciate it!! Hopefully I can join some of you out on the trails here in SoCal if we have some local people in here also! Take care

 

Good Luck for your hunt on the GX470.

Both models are great, but I could not refuse the deal I got on my wife's 2006 GX470 w/ 56k miles in 2016. More of a asphalt road rig then off road rig, as we also have a Tacoma, Tundra, and old Dodge Dakota to get in sand, snow. (or mud, not a chance. those days or over for us. Lol)

BF's of years past were great, today they sux! (JMHO) I put some Falken Wild Peak AT3w tires and FN FX Pro wheels. Totally made a difference it looks.

Also, TRD Pro wheels are 7" wide, FN FX Pros are 8" wide, which I prefer.


DAKONA

 

Thanks for the post Dakona and yes your rig looks awesome! I appreciate the heads up on the different wheels also. Also on the Falken tires what rating did you go with, the SL rating or an C or E load tire just curious?

 

Rockstar08,

On the Lexus GX470, the Falken Wild Peaks are "T" rated. Believe it or not, best price was $114.00 each at Walmart.com


DAKONA

 

New Update my wife and I bought a 2007 Lexus GX470 yesterday that is as about as perfect as can be for 178K miles. It was a lady owned one owner trade in at a Ford dealer here in Southern California! The paint still looks brand new and so does the interior it must have been garage kept for sure, even the driver seat bottom cushion only has a little wear!! It’s the Blizzard Pearl white color With tan interior with every option Lexus had that year so msrp was almost 57K! The timing belt and water pump was done at 102K miles so I will have to address that within the next 10K miles. Car drives perfect, dealer put on brand new tires, the brakes feel really good and the inspection was clean also. Absolutely zero rust underneath!! The 4LO engaged really easy with very little of the grinding sound, however to engage the center lock diff, the light would stay blinking but the I put the transmission in neutral and the light finally went solid after about 10 seconds so I assume it engaged. We also got a screaming screaming deal to even post how much we paid for it...lol!!

Already programmed Bluetooth for my phone today. The only issue I can find is that I am a satellite radio fan and I followed the instructions it says to push the AM/SAT button and nothing happens, I have tried it many times. That button is supposed to give you AM, SAT 1, SAT2, SAT3 stations but it only goes to AM and nothing else does anyone know what the issue is per chance?? In my second picture below you can see the small black satellite antenna in front of the rear spoiler that’s it isn’t it so the Nav Radio should have Satellite radio correct?

 

Antenna is standard with or without SAT

 

Okay so does anyone know how to get a copy of the Original Window Sticker that will show all the options on the car? I looked in the owners manual books and the original owner didn’t put it in there, that’s where I always put mine. I called Lexus and of course they don’t have it and the drivers.lexus owners site isn’t giving me the information I can find. So does anyone have access to be able to pull up the original maroney label or window sticker? Thanks all for the help!

 

I have a 2004 GX 470 and a 2011 GX 460.
honestly, I like the 470 better.
Yes, the newer 460 is a bit more refined overall, but I think the build quality and materials has gone down a bit in the newer models.
We also have a 99 lx470 and a 2010 LX 570. Same thing. More plastic and tech in the newer ones, but build and materials quality in the older ones is better IMHO.
I do all my own service, so have taken all of these apart in various ways doing services so I have seen the insides and parts and design of everything in depth in all these models.
Maybe I just like older stuff?
Maybe I'm addicted to Lexus V8's.....
There's probably a 12 step program I need to look into.
​​

 

Great to hear Kandabear and I agree the newer ones have a more visual appeal in my eyes also because they just look more updated but as far as build quality my bet is also on the older model being better! Along with that the newer model GX460 really felt heavy and sluggish to drive whereas the 07 model really does feel more light on its feet. We have done two off road day trips so far this past week and one overnight camping trip at Lake Arrowhead, we took the blowup mattress and spent the night in the truck my wife loved it! I also had my Lexus mechanic change all the fluids this past week, front and rear diff, transaxle and drain and fill transmission fluid. I had him lube the driveshaft also. Now it’s so buttery smooth, I was getting a little binding when you turn full lock either way but now there is none. We really love this truck but the only thing we may have to do is the exhaust manifold eventually as there is a slight tick on the drivers side and my mechanic noticed it also but hopefully we can go for awhile before having to replace or repair that issue.

 

One thing that really bugs me driving the 11 versus the 04.
its stupid, but I think it highlights the difference between the two generations.

At highway speed in the 04, the sheet metal on the hood, and reflection on the paint is rock solid. The hood metal is I think thicker and nicely braced and curved to have more dynamic stability.

The 11, at highway speeds, especially on two lanes with opposing traffic, has a hood design that is thinner and I bet is cheaper to produce. It wobbles in the wind, especially with gusts or truck traffic. It's not a cosmetic problem, it's not a functional problem, it's just something that bugs me and is representative of the difference between the two generations I think.
Not bad or good, just different.

I have carefully adjusted the hood on the 11, and that is not the issue, it's thinner and flatter.