FrigginFGO

I honestly don't think the GX is for you. You seem to be looking at this vehicle for all of the wrong reasons. It is a luxury truck-based body-frame-SUV. I wouldn't put hopes up on the structural rigidity of a CUV in the same conditions over time. Just look at the Mitsubishi Montero when it went from body-on-frame to crossover back in 1999. I've only counted a handful of crossover Montero's in recent years compared to the hundreds of body-on-frame Montero's still on the road today. This is why I think Toyota has continues to produce capable BoF SUV's because "capable" crossovers aren't capable in the long run.

Quadro

There is absolutely no question that BOF vehicles are more rigid and last longer.

A friend of mine tows a lot of boats (they built these for a living), when they tried switching to uniboby funny things started to happen after couple years -- doors misaligned, trunk no longer shuts properly and so on due to the unibody getting distorted due to the constant punishment.

They sure might look comparable on paper but smart buyer know better than that.

SpokeBroke

This is an interesting discussion - I completely bought the GX because of its dual personalities - the offroad prowess, and its city manners. The mile long rutted gravel road to my place in the mountains can often have a foot or so of snow in the winter, and there are no plows up there. In the spring and summer, washouts of the road make issues like approach angle a reality. The GX plows right through, does not even notice the snow, it is great. I run it through the carwash when back in the city, and no one is any wiser to the adventure we had that weekend.

SW17LS

The GX isn't for me and I'm not interested in purchasing the vehicle. I'd be interested in a three row vehicle at the GX's price point...but not the GX.

I'm just discussing the GX as a topic. BUT, the vast majority of buyers have no need for the GX's BOF attributes.

To me in pictures the front bumper looks lower.

OrangeKid

I would upgrade if Lexus fixes the barn door, offers a diesel engine and/or makes other major improvements. I will consider the air suspension, but I generally like to avoid complicated mechanical systems that can cause problems in places like the Alaska Highway half way between Whitehorse, Yukon Territories and Tok, Alaska.

WRT tires I generally agree with you and I will replace the tires at some point.

Steve

T4Fun

there is no other luxury body on frame suvs anymore besides cadillac and maybe lincoln.
rr is body frame...garbage imho

if lexus can make a unitized body as strong as the tesla s (which was so strong it broke the crash test machine), there is no need for body on frame....

SW17LS

Correction...there are very few other body on frame SUVs at all anymore. The consumer wants more modern, carlike unibody SUVs.

Seeing that Land Rover, Jeep, and others have shown that unibody SUVs can be incredible capable offroad I'm not sure why you would consider them "garbage".

In any event, you're going to have to get used to it. GX is gone in two years...

FrigginFGO

Previous attempts at unibody off-road capable SUV's have been failures. They are in essence garbage because the unibody construction can't take abuse over time. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make here if you aren't interested in the GX. Most GX owners that have replied to your posts disagree about your statements on unibody construction capability. Seems like these buyers know what they purchased when they bought a GX.

SW17LS

Thats just ridiculous. So Range Rovers and Land Rovers aren't offroad capable? Jeep Grand Cherokees aren't offroad capable? Hummer H1s aren't offroad capable? These vehicles are unibody and are very capable. In fact, I would say Land Rover and to a lesser extent Jeep set the bar when it comes to offroad capability.

These are buyers who are members here. The vast majority of buyers do not have enough interest in their vehicle to join an online forum to discuss it. To them it would be like joining a forum to discuss a vacuum cleaner or refrigerator.

I am interested in a three row $50-60k Lexus SUV...just not the GX...which unfortunately is a problem Lexus is having overall.

Buckfever

I think it's very hard to dispute this argument right here. This segment is huge and the GX is not effectively penetrating this segment. We'll see what happens with the price cut and the cosmetic redesign regarding sales. I suspect it won't be meaningful and I suspect the seed they planted with the crossover TX will grow and the midsize BOF Lexus will be gone.

You want a US V8 Prada? The 2016 GX might be your last chance.

Quadro

Jeep Wrangler is still body on frame with solid front and rear axles and what people actually do consider to be off-road worthy over GC. I guess Jeep doesn't know what they are doing?

Booyah

Either does Lexus lol Lets just enjoy our beast, who trail rides these things anyway I dont!! My 2014 will see tons of snow and a few dirt roads

Quadro

At some point some of them will. Sure not many people wheel these brand new but the same could be said about LC100/LX470 which, now that they are 7 or more years old, people take hunting and what not.

My opinion is US largely got stuck with CUVs because of gas prices and government mpg requirements. At the end US end up with inferior vehicles in CUV segment targeted to meet these requirements instead of being built to last.

SW17LS

Sure the Wrangler is more capable offroad than the GC, but thats more due to its much higher ground clearance and much shorter wheelbase and overall length than it is BOF vs unibody.

And guess what? All the scuttlebutt is that the next gen Wrangler will be...unibody.

Go to Youtube and look at videos of the Land Rover LR4 and the Grand Cherokee off road and tell me they aren't really capable vehicles...all while still delivering a more stable onroad ride.

The US ends up with what consumers want. They have had the opportunity to select BOF SUVs over unibody SUVs (there is a difference between a vehicle with a unibody frame and a vehicle thats a crossover. The LR4 and Grand Cherokee are not crossovers, they aren't built on a car platform like say an Equinox or an RX or an Explorer) and they have selected unibody SUVs.

As for being "built to last". I have a guy I do business with that has an early Acura MDX with 250,000 miles on it. How a BOF SUV is built to last more than a unibody SUV is beyond me.

The only difference between unibody construction and BOF is that a unibody has the frame components built into the body of the vehicle vs a separate frame. Even for towing. A GX's tow capacity is 6,500lbs. A Hemi JGC's capacity is 7,400 pounds...and its unibody and a smaller vehicle. The Land Rover LR4...also unibody can tow 7,700 lbs. So whats the benefit of the BOF construction of the GX?

BOF SUVs are a dying breed. We simply have the technology today to build a better overall vehicle with a unibody design. Better on road, better off road, better towing, better safety, better space inside for passenger room. BOF is simply outdated. Thats why you no longer see BOF cars, and why you will eventually no longer see BOF SUVs.

Quadro

If the gas prices did not go up consumers would be fine with BOF design. Go tow 7000 lbs with your Jeep for a couple years and then report back how did it work for you. I have a friend who done the experiment with unibody and the only result is they don't use unibody vehicles for towing anymore.