PLamarine

When I bought my Certified Pre-Owned GX 460 last June, I traded in a 2017 RX350 I had bought. I could not stand the RX350 lag issues and engine noise.

Fast forward a little over a year. My dealer offered the first 4 services free of charge. Luckily for me, my 30,000 service was included. I just had that service completed a few days ago.

The GX460 now runs like a new SUV. Just about every filter and fluid was replaced (brake, rear diff, front diff, etc. The engine is super smooth, and the engine is incredibly quiet.

The funny (read ironic) part of my service experience was that they gave me an RX350 as a loaner. I absolutely hated it. The drone I had noticed in my own RX350 was present, as was the insane throttle lag.

I was never happier to have my GX back. The RX is, in my opinion, unsafe, loud, vibrates at certain speeds....the GX exhibits none of these traits and is absolutely wonderful to drive.

jkonquer

I have been driving all different types of cross-overs for years, both luxury and family oriented and thought they were the greatest thing ever until I hopped into a GX. I prefer the comfort of BOF vehicles now..It really is hard to explain to people until they drive one.

situman

My new 2018 premium is quite bumpy and a brittle ride over rough pavement. It has a bit over 800 miles on it. Is that normal? Based on what you guys are saying, it should be very smooth riding even relative to teh rx

jkonquer

From what I've noticed, GX does absorbs bigger bumps better than choppy bumps, but still much better than what a cross-over could take,

psun786

Despite I love my GX very much, it is not the most comfortable SUV I have driven. I felt bof is generally less smooth than crossover such as NX or Highlander. Even within the bof category, last Suburban I had is more comfortable than GX. Maybe it is just me

CdeFabio

I agree, as much as I have tried to like the RX I just cannot. I get them as loaners when I bring in my GX and I cannot wait to get back in my GX! And this has been the case since 2004. The RX's have all been loud, both from the engine and general road noise and the interior is just not as nice as the GX. The trim feels cheap, for example the fake leather on the door arm rest feels thin and like fake leather, its like Lexus did not even try to make it look and feel nice. They also do not shift as smooth and general drivability is just not good. I really hoped the new generation would be better but I was disappointed yet again when I received one as a loaner a few months ago.

T4Fun

the gx is quite bouncy and bumpy likely from stiffness of BOF and the way lexus has done the suspension. Its not quite sillky smooth and many have vibration issues on highway and "wobbliness". I too have some minimal vibration and wobbly feeling but overall its ok. I can do 100mph in it and its quiet and solid.

situman

Will the shocks and springs soften up as it wears and ages? Like soon?

php

Now I have yet to drive a RX, but still wonder if it's as bad as you guys say. It's America's best selling luxury SUV/crossover after all and it ain't cheap when new. I don't think owners would be ok if a luxury SUV would have rattles, super laggy and have excessive engine noise. I mean, the Lexus reputation was built based on a smooth and very quiet drive. If anything I would have thought the RX would be more comfy and quiet over the GX, which is a true truck platform.

EXP_Cougar

I've got both a 2018 GX460 and a 2016 RX350. The GX provides a smoother ride in my opinion, but it is also more bumpy in a 'good way'. If I go over a bump, it'll be harsher in the RX by comparison, whereas the GX absorbs it more but also feels more bouncy.

The RX is far more nimble and quick vs the GX. I don't feel like one is quieter than the other in terms of cabin noise, but the GX engine can be a lot louder vs the RX engine.

Not entirely sure I'd compare the 2 vehicles side by side as I feel like each serves a different purpose and appeals to a different driver.

rusn007

We too have a 2016 RX350 and 2018 GX Premium, here is my observation (posted on RX forums earlier):

• Looks - I like GX better. It is more masculine and rugged, even though length wise they are about the same.
• Interior - RX wins hands down. I passionately dislike the RX's mouse/joystick, GX is definitely shows its age. The 3rd row in GX is basically useless. If you put it up, you have 5 inches of cargo area in the back, barely for 2 grocery bags. We have our 3rd seat down all the time. Even with 3rd seat down, the cargo are is smaller in GX than RX. Also, I'm 6' tall and need to use side step to get in and out GX. There are small things in GX that are annoying - i.e. if you stream music / books through bluethooth, when you receive a call in RX, it will pause your bluetooth streaming and resume where you left off, but in GX it will just continue to play. Nav screen in RX is 10x better than GX. The rear gate in GX is not very comfortable compared to liftgate in RX.
• Gas mileage - somewhat of a surprise here. RX was rated 20/28 MPG and I barely get 21 MPG on my work commute. GX is rated 15/18 MPG and I can get 18 MPG on my commute. GX requires premium while RX regular.
• Driving dynamic - RX is very easy to drive and very smooth. GX is body on frame, so it drives like a truck and you can feel it. When you brake - you need more room and truck nose dives a little. Definitely more effort in driving GX (maybe b/c it is still new and we are not used to it). RX does have that jerky 8 sp auto. With GX, going between 40 mph to 70 mph you almost need to floor it to get the truck to move. Seems this is common among GXs.
• Price - they are about the same.

Conclusion - GX is really built for rough terrain and if you live in bad weather climate it is a great vehicle. I feel like it will get you out of any situation due to its offroad abilities. My wife drives GX primarily and we are probably not going to take it offorad any time soon - she loves the way it looks and how it drives. I hope to start taking it off road after a few years and take it on long camping trips when kids get older.
I really hope that Toyota updates the GX in the next year or two (rumors have been floating around for some time). If they can update interior to RX level, get rid of the annoying lift gate, and possibly improve MPGs - that thing will sell very well.

jkonquer

Yuo, a good way to compare the difference is like comparing a 40 to a 45. One is snappier and and other is a push. I'd take a 45 any day. lol

Hrocks

We live in the Great Lakes region and always have to contend with snow and far less than ideal driving conditions. I'm biased towards BOF vehicles, especially SUV's. I have had quite a few from Trailblazers, Saab 97X, GMC and Buick versions, Yukon, Escalade, and Tahoes. Still have a great '10 Tahoe LTZ with 108,000 miles that my son is driving to school and I have two 2016 GX 460's. Have gotten RX and NX loaners and while nice cars, they are truly cars. They ride like you're on a cloud, have all the bells and whistles you could want. (and then some that you may not--lane departure for e.g.) At the risk of sounding chauvinistic, when you look at the demographics of who drives those models, it's overwhelmingly suburban women. I think it's a perfect match, and the sales and resales support that notion. They are very aesthetically pleasing, both inside and out. The GX and LX models are very long in the tooth, but IMO, fantastic machines. I was really set on buying a new Escalade, but after driving one, got back in my GX and felt the precision and smoothness of every element of the vehicle and went out and bought a Starfire White one for my wife. Frankly, with the exception of my last Tahoe, I used to lease/buy cars and get rid of them every 2-3 years. Owning the GX's, I'm not planning on getting any new vehicles for a while. At this point, I cannot think of any other BOF vehicles that I would even consider.

BTW, I think the L Certified cars would be THE best deal for anyone considering purchasing a non-Lexus, alternative brand vehicle because of price. The warranty and services included are outstanding. (and I doubt that one would need much warranty protection.) Enjoy your new ride!