Yeah, well there is that, but the design has improved dramatically over the first versions.

There will always be an entity that takes shortcuts and causes issues, but there is no question that the newer designs (even Takata) have saved lots of lives without being a problem for the consumer. Remember that the problem with Takata is humidity and time and many of the deaths/injuries occurred after the cars had been recalled but the recall ignored by the consumer.

That said, there is no excuse for Takata and they need to rot in hell, but the basic design as specified by the regulators is solid.

The problem with things like lane assist and ACC is that there are complaints across the board about false alarms, unintended braking or weird behavior. This affects most companies and has something to do with the current state of technology, not one manufacturer pulling a fast one. IIRC, the manufacturer with the fewest ACC complaints is Mercedes but they've been at the bleeding edge of safety innovation for a long time.

Thanks for reminding me about Takata. I wonder if that will ever stop haunting me?

For those of you too young to remember first generation airbags, they would activate in every accident because it was basically a contact that activated all of the airbags or none of them. They had a habit of seriously injuring unbelted occupants and short drivers/passengers. They were ridiculously expensive to repair and an activation usually meant a totaled car.

Today's airbags make millions of calculations after an accident is to answer one, and only one, question "If I deploy, will I reduce or eliminate injuries?" Part of the calculation is occupant position (some consider weight and if they are belted) and angle of impact. Depending on manufacturer, some of these calculations take place before the impact. Aside from the Takata issue, there are very few unintended activations and virtually no injuries from the airbag itself.

A far cry from "whack the bumper and the bag blows up in your face"

 

Most folks would like to see driving aids that are actually from this decade and in line with the current driving aid suite in the LSS V2.0 and TSS V2.0. Why does a toyota yaris have more things standard then a GX lol

 

Thats for the 2nd owner of the vehicle owner to decide. The real issue if you want to go that longevity concern is that the safety suite in the GX is a dead end street. At least with LSS V 1.0 and 2.0 you`ll see part numbers interchangeable with high volume models in the lineup...the LSS v0.1 system the GX MY20 has is basically a one off system

 

The GX is clearly a niche market vehicle for people who value long term reliability over everything else. If you are looking for anything but the basics then you need to look elsewhere.

 

If your looking for the basics, there are better options as well. The GX is a great vehicle in its own right, but you have to put on blinders to purchase it new today

 

What would be alternatives to a GX460 if I want a 3-row, body on frame, reliable, off road capable suv?

 

Toyota Sequoia, Nissan Armada, Chevy Suburban, Ford Expedition

 

4Runner and Sequoia. Better aftermarket support if your serious about offroading. Now if your like any of the majority of people who will never offroad or utilize the GX as designed, buy anything else you`ll be probably be happier with any of the competitors.

 

I test drove the Q7, X5, Cayenne - those are nice German unibody station wagons that I wouldn't take down a dirt road. Sure they are probably better than the GX in speed and road handling but for my money, the quality, maintenance costs and reliability of the GX wins.

 

Sequoia, Armada, Suburban, Expedition are too big for me.. and prob get worse MPG than the GX. I also think GX will be more smooth and offer quieter ride.
I think I'll buy a new 2020 GX and keep it for the next 15 years or more. I won't off road it in the first five years but maybe later I will get it modified and off road. Hope I will have a fun car for my daily then. I don't really care about the tech.. I honestly don't want lane keeping assist and all that beeping stuff that will annoy me which I'll prob keep them turned off. I will like the adaptive cruise control tho.

And I kind of want to get a GX before its full redesign because most likely the all new GX will have some sort of turbo engine with V6 or I4 and I want to have NA V8 which is a dying breed.. V8 should be a lot smoother than forced induction engine. I can see the current GXs becoming a gem just like Honda S2000 and Toyota FJ Cruiser once discontinued.. and people praising GX for its bulletproof reliability.

 

If the main requirement is reliability then those three don't count. The Sequoia is reliable but also quite a bit larger (by well over a foot) in length, but also has far more leg room inside.

It all depends on priorities - the 4Runner is as capable, in 2020 added a bit of tech (AA, CarPlay, Toyota Safety nannies), but still has crappy headlights and isn't very "luxurious". There is also no rear AC. If you need to use the 3rd row frequently for full sized adults, then the Sequoia is a better choice, but if you want a smaller vehicle then the GX is appropriate.

 

The Sequoia and LC have less headroom than the GX when you put the drivers seat all the way back and down, important if you're tall (6-4)

 

Interesting. I know that the GX certainly looks taller - which should make the pooch happier (along with the rear AC)

 

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I fully agree. ​​​​​​Looking at current market trend (turbo, cvt, DI, and all sorts of safety features, sophisticated touch control), GX is a hidden gem for its v8 and dated tech.

It takes many iterations to produce reliable engine and other components. Engines like ecoboost or earthdream may be superb engines in the end, but probably not now.

​​​​​​Hope lexus can keep GX a niche player in the near future.

By the time my GX reaches 200k miles (2025?), it could be time to jump on electric cars.

 

Our 2014 Forester Limited was okay for 40k miles then it burned oil, had electrical issues and the rattles started. Inner and outer tie rod ends at 50k? Bearings? Car was a total POS and Subaru corporate is the devil with the known oil consumption issues. Told me best practice was to travel with the quarts of oil in vehicle in case I had a low oil light. Again, with 45k on the clock. Couldn’t wait to dump the POS. Sold it and got a new 2019 GX. Different class of vehicle obviously. Apples and oranges. Lexus GX you can circle the globe in. Subaru Forester felt like it may come apart while taking kids to school. First time I strayed away from Toyota / Lexus in 20 years for the POS Subaru Forester will be the last, of course.