water pump made it to 250k and no transmission or diff oil changes! I must be doing something wrong

 

I just had this conversation with my dealer while getting updates on my GX (hopefully Feb) and he is saying that since 23 might be very last GX with V8 he expects it to be difficult to find pre-owned and those out there will be worth a pretty penny.

 

Maybe, but what if the new GX550 is awesome? Sure, some people, esp those here, will care about a V8, but assuming the 550 is reliable, then I don't think most really will care. Esp if it has both more power and better efficiency/range. IOW, consider a counterfactual if there was a totally new GX with a totally new, untested V8 and new transmission. How many would opt for a pre-owned rather than new GX until reliability of the new engine and GX is established? I would think some. How does the the pre-owned demand change if the totally new engine is a V6? Its that going to be a big difference? Maybe.
I wonder if 4th gen V8 4runner's have significantly lower depreciation/appreciation than V6 versions?

 

I think you're asking some really great questions there. If the new GX 550 proves to be reliable 6-10 years after it debuts, then none of this will matter. By then, people looking for a GX platform to own will either want to save a little bit of money by buying a used 550 or save more money by buying a 460.

I personally love the V8 for several reasons, in spite of all the negative things people harp on like the MPG. The smooth power delivery will always be more effortless compared to a V6, twin-turbo'd or otherwise. As heavy as a Rolls Royce Phantom is, I'm sure a turbo'd V8 is more than enough to move it. Yet they put a V12 in it. Smooth power delivery. And because longevity is a must for me, especially when I start modding my GX, I can't spend money on mods and take a gamble on a platform that has yet to be proven. I know that the V6 with twin turbos from Toyota have been a thing. That's besides the point. I want my truck proven before I dump any more money on it. The plan is to pay off this GX by next year or 2024 at the latest --enjoy all the luxuries a Lexus has to offer, and then begin modding. Then, keep the truck until the wheels fall off. With that in mind, there's no way I would pass up on this V8. The prospect of a nice resale value is just for bragging. I don't intend on selling mine.

 

Turbo engines have come a long way and are beginning to be accepted here in the states (somewhat by force as manufacturers aren’t providing V8 options as much). On paper a turbo V6 may perform better but, there are inherent benefits to larger displacement that you gain without having to artificially enhance like a turbo. I am a HUGE Mercedes’ fan and have owned many cars from them, I purchased a CLS in 2018 because it was the last V8 being made for that car. 3 years later it is in demand and I sold mine for nice money.

The reliability of the current GX and proven drivetrain make this a desirable product and when the new one comes out with the V6 turbo, it will perform better in some ways but there will always be a demand for our version.

 

Is there a demand for used V8 4runners beyond the demand for V6 4runners? Is it much of a difference wrt to relative depreciation? Not a rhetorical question - I would think we might be able to see if demand due to the V8'ness, will be a meaningful by looking at the used 4runners market.

 

the demand for used v8 4runners caused many to get a used gx instead. it would be good to see the price curves

 

I’d be interested to know how many people went GX because they could not get V8 4Runner, an interesting thought for sure.

 

I was looking at non-marked up 4Runners as I had given up hope of finding a non-marked up Tundra. The prices of these 4Runners drove me straight to a brand new '22 GX Premium. The numbers simply made no sense. My wife who is a penny-pincher and knows nothing about cars couldn't be convinced to buy a 4Runner over a GX. That's saying a lot!

As for the resale value comparison between previous gen V8 4Runners to current V6 4Runners, I'm afraid we can't use that to speculate on the current GX versus the future GX. Similar to what John00 said, folks who were looking to off-road or overland a 4Runner didn't only consider the 4th gen versus the 5th gen, they also considered a used GX 460 or even a GX 470. The way the GX opened up people's options kind of pushed the 4th gen V8 4R to the wayside. Also, more people preferred the GX' appearance to the 4th gen 4R. In addition to that, the ones who will keep the current GX 460's resale value high are the type of owners who will mod it, relying on the aftermarket availability. The resale value of the current GX won't depend on only the Starbucks moms (like my wife --LOL). Also, wasn't there a time when used GXes were cheaper than used T4Rs? Because of the impressive resale value of used T4Rs, people also flocked to the GX (not just for the V8)?

 

KBB has difference of about $200 between 2009 V8 and V6 4runner. GX470 may be partial substitute good for 4runner but enough to dampen the V8 premium to just a few hundred bucks? And the +14 GX460- if you want a 4runner I doubt you buy something with an appalling 22 inch approach angle and almost equally bad departure angle Sure, there are some people who will care, mostly people here on this board , but IF the G550 turns out to be BOF, reliable and has better power, efficiency, and range, I doubt the used market for 460 explodes. If it isn't reliable, then sure people may want - but its not like the prices will be like those for old timey defenders. I mean, just look at the Ford Bronco - crazy demand for that thing. Don't get me wrong, I like the V8 in my '13, and it has been fun to have owned one, but I don't really fetishize the thing. I will be more than happy to trade it in come 2032 for a CPO 2026 model

 

Regarding the approach and departure angle, after all the mods, lift, and high clearance bumpers are done on a GX, you will almost always hear GX owners justify the extra work (and much money spent) with "and it's more comfortable than a 4Runner". (I'm not knocking on a 4Runner, by the way, I almost bought one that was MSRP before the salesman sold it to someone else. That's how I ended up with my '22 GX. With the markup, it was a no-brainer.) I've already seen and heard many say that, in fact. Also, we have to take into account that not everyone who looked for a used 4Runner, but then ended up with a GX, wanted one for it's approach and departure angle.

For the next GX to be "proven reliable", I would have to compare like for like and that will take the GX 550 some time to even get close to the GX 460's reputation. We can speculate on everything you mentioned above regarding the MPG, power, etc., but would speculation be enough to say that the GX 460 therefore won't hold its value well once the GX 550 is out? I say that in the same vein as my speculation that the current gen GX will be desirable in the used market. In other words, who knows? I just believe that because V8 body-on-frame truck true SUVs are pretty much gone. Besides the $130k, twin turbo G-Class, are there others? (Serious question. I don't know.)

I think the best indicator we can use will be the new (current) Tundra to the previous gen Tundra. Many will flock to the new one, including myself. (I plan on getting one and own it side by side with the GX.) Something tells me though that the old Tundra, especially the 4x4 trims, will hold its value. We can start monitoring the '21 and older Tundra's resale value for the year of 2022, then 2023, then 2024... all the way to 2032 if the current gen Tundra even lasts that long before Toyota pushes the next gen out.

 

There were a few 160-170K mile examples in the last 12 months sold at auction according to MMR data

 

I'd do it. I did my ATF at 130,000 miles when I bought my 2010 GX460 and it was a noticeable improvement. I had an occasional "rumble strip" sensation (torque converter?) that the fluid change remedied. I will say I dont know whether old fluid was spent/bad, or maybe set at wrong level. I didn't think to do detailed level check before change to new fluid, which would have been useful info. It's easy to get level wrong, and some of prior maintenance was not up to Lexus standards.

I pinned ATF thermostat, removed line there, and did complete recirculation of MaxLife ATF through transmission. I pumped out 2 quarts by running for 60 seconds +-, then filling at fill plug with 2 quarts at a time. I used 12 quarts to get it to clean red fluid. Just have to be particular getting fluid level right, at right temp. I checked mine two times. I thought I had it dead on first time, but was almost a quart low. I was a little nervous attempting it, but had done similar "Gibbons Flush" on a few Volvos so went for it.

It has been working perfectly since for 10,000 miles.

I may be dead before I can hit 900,000 miles. 500,000. Maybe....

 

This was just posted on GXOR… 2010 w/over 420k miles

 

I lived overseas back when the v8 4Runner was still offered. Toyota sold the 4Runner alongside the LandCruiser Prado. I remember a salesman saying they were discontinuing the 4Runner V8 because everybody just bought the Prado instead. They were pretty close in price so the 4Runner made no sense.