Is it just me or is the fit and finsh not very "Lexus like" in the corner??

 

We just came back from the LA Auto Show where we spent a lot of time crawling around inside the new GX. Our 2006 LX is coming off lease in a few months and the new GX is a potential replacement.

My thoughts (without driving one) - it's a substantial improvement over the last GX.
Pros -
The interior is worlds better. From features, to layout, to tactile feel (great seats, IMO)... there's no comparison.
Love the styling in person. Wasn't sold in pictures but I really like it in person.
Still great visibility.
Great features.
On paper, this is a great power train. A lot more torque (which IMO is much more important in this kind of vehicle) than an MDX, for example, with the same mileage. And an 8 is almost certainly going to be smoother and more viscerally pleasing than a 6 is... even a good one.

Con's -
While I love the idea of the power, folding 3rd row that folds flat, the load floor is now way, way, way too high. I'd imagine that this will be a problem for a lot of folks with kids that lift strollers, etc. For us, it's a problem because the load floor is now too high for the dog to safely jump in and out of and now we'd need a ramp.
The rear window is a great idea... but again the execution sucks. Since the bottom of the window is so high for most people under 5'10".. the window is basically a useless feature. And even if you can load stuff that way without soiling your clothes, you'd have to be a giant to reach over and touch the bottom of the load floor.
Price... like the new LX... these sum*****es aren't going to be cheap.

 

Thanks for your feedback, I have been waiting to see one myself when they hit the dealers, but you have confirmed my fears with the height of the floor and the useless lift glass. How did the fit and finish of the vehicle appear?

 

without seeing the GX460 in person , I'm afraid the load height and limited cargo space will be a deal breaker for me.
I'll consider keeping my '07 and will look at the Landrover LR4 closely

 

Fit and finish looked great. Clearly a proper Lexus.

 

I know I'm not strictly comparing apples to apples here but there is a huge discrepancy in cargo space between our 06 LX470 and the new GX... even if the third row seats are left in our LX and folded up. In fact, and someone could check this to see if it's true, the Lexus representative on sight said the GX now has less cargo space behind the front row seats than the new RX does. That seems a little disconnected to me.

I honestly wonder if Lexus didn't make a mistake here by not making the third row optional for people that don't want that high load floor and limited cargo capacity.

But don't get me wrong... lovely vehicle that will work for a lot of people... just not us.