coolsaber

To each his or her own. The BOF crossover lineup from infiniti and Lexus share a lot of similarities in design direction and targets. Slow updates, Japanese mfg, and good ole v8s with regular ATs, and offroad kit.

Nissan makes questionable products after their merger with Renault; as long as they contain a CVT. Their heritage models however, vehicles that were designed with tried and tested hardware from a decade ago fair similar to a Lexus product. Qx80 only for those in the luxury sphere.

Acrad

I wouldn't likely buy one today but my old '07 Infiniti G35x AWD sedan (V36)-VQ35HR I bought new keeps holding up fine. AFS HIDs, radar cruise, hard drive in the nav, backup camera still work and doesn't use a drop of oil but still only 105k miles (not even a gasket weep). It does eat brake pads and rotors though. No CVT but a 5 speed that makes the revs quite high on freeway even though redline is 7500 RPM.

coolsaber

Yup, in the sedans anything with a good ole fashioned non turbo motor and geared AT were/are awesome vehicles. The VQ exhaust/G35 was legendary from the factory.

It seemed that the engineers relegated to the G35/Q, FX, QX56/80, Q70 were given free reign and really went to town on doing what pre-merger Nissan did best to produce cars that had a purpose.

The Qx60,J35, Qx50 teams had signs of sales targets and cost reductions over everything. A joke of sorts, Friends dont let friends pick up Nissan/infinit products with CVTs lol

TheHighLow

The QX is a huge vehicle, too big for my taste

IOP

The rear hatch glass doesn't open which was a deal breaker for us.

TheHighLow

well, i'm picking her up tomorrow. I know it's essentially the same truck but I still feel giddy and know I made the right decision. BTW, i test drove a model Y twice and just couldnt get over the bad acoustics and econobox interior. People who own and justify their purchases are def in a cult. Savageese said it best in his Model 3 review.

CFAI

Unlike anyone here with the GX/Toyota

TheHighLow

I think the interior of a civic looks better and is put together with much more pride, but Tesla buyers don’t care.

mehran888

Hello folks,

Been quiet here for a while. Background on me.. been a Toyota/Lexus fan since being a pre-teen, and took ownership of a 4th Gen GS350 in early 2012. Was hoping to make it last 10+ years, but due to some life changes I'm looking to get a large SUV. Going 10+ years would have hopefully bridged me to the next gen GX, LX or 4Runner, but here we are in 2021 with those redesigns looking to be 2023 models or beyond. I had shortlisted my next purchase (will be a 3 year lease) down to: Defender 110, GV80, and the GX460. I haven't driven the X5 or GLE yet but prefer not to get those cars, despite how great they may be. I may throw them into contention as I've heard great reviews from friends about the GLE43.

I've already eliminated the GV80. It drove quite well, and the tech was quite impressive, as was the quality of materials they put into the car. It was also hands-down the best car for "rear passengers", which was a bit alluring for me as my kids grow and become teenagers. The kid in me wants them to have a good experience for road trips . However, ended up not going with it for a few reasons 1) Overall, feels like more of a cruiser/less dynamic handling (neither sporty like a Porsche and not truck-ish like a LX/GX), 2) The highway assistance features were a bit intrusive. It doesn't just have LKA, but also has something that keeps you centred in your lane on the highway. It's nice and I know it can be turned off, but it felt like I was fighting the car. 3) Tire noise was high for a car geared for highway comfort. I have a feeling this was an issue with the car given there's tech in there with microphones in each of the 4 wheel wells and active noise cancelation in the cabin.

Which brings me down to the GX/Defender 110. I've done enough research and feel I'm aware of all the pros and cons, but wanted to see if there are people here with real life experience with both cars. I do love the Defender 110 interior. I feel like it should age well and should win a design award for both it's simplicity as well as its ability to integrate modern tech. It makes the GX460 feel both antiquated and stodgy in comparison. In terms of drive, the Defender 110 was also great on the highway. Minimal road noise, soaked up bumps well, and for a boxy/tall car handled as well as I could expect. I didn't drive the GX back to back (drove the GX a few years ago and assume it hasn't changed much) but I do feel they're similar, with the Defender maybe being a bit more engaged.

What I'm missing is both light offroading (and snow) capabilities, as well as real-life living with both. My situation is 2 kids + 2 dogs (one needs to be crated in the car) and no plans to camp or overland, but hopefully do some more road trips when covid clears. I have no strong need for a third row and wouldn't get the option on the Defender. I'd delete it on the GX if I could. I also recognize that expected reliability for the two could be night and day, but am willing to risk it given a 3 year lease. And 95% sure I'd return the car, regardless of which I got... after the lease. There is a slight preference for the GX460 financially as I'm a low mileage driver and while the monthly payments would be the same, I think the residual would be lower than the market value of the GX when I'm done with it, and I could probably negotiate that into my next vehicles downpayment, which will almost definitely be a Lexus vehicle.

Any thoughts? Please let me know if this post is more appropriate for another forum. Thanks in advance!

PS: Also drove the Telluride and was thoroughly impressed with it. Yes, quality of materials was lower but it drove like a dream, the engine was solid and silent, and it blew away my past memories of drives in Pilots and Highlanders. But ultimately, it didn't spark joy the way a GX or Defender would.

PPS: Note I'm in Canada so the advice you have shouldn't change, but note our options/packages do differ from what you folks get in the US.

ASE

For me the override is Reliability and Longevity ... so anything Land Rover is automatically below the bottom of the list, unless you are good with enjoying the interior and styling while waiting to be recovered. If you think the Defender 110 will be different ... every company has DNA that does not magically change when a new model is released. Land Rover is abysmal from a reliability and cost-of-ownership standpoint ... with depreciation that reflects exactly that. So if the GX meets your needs ...

CFAI

Get the Defender 110. That is what you want based on your criteria. If you were buying and holding, or buying used, I would say 100% GX and run away from the LR. But if you are leasing, you are mitigating most the what the GX brings to the table. Then when you return the Defender you can buy the next gen GX and have that for the next 15 years.

ASE

Sounds logical until you do the math on the Residual Value (Depreciation) baked into the lease payments ... and the number of times being stranded on the side of the road, and the time dropping off and picking up from warranty repair. Not too logical when incorporating these factors. It's your money and your time (and potential safety) for the inconvenience.

Everyone I know who has owned a Land Rover gets starry eyed when talking about the driving experience, but then bust into a tourret's rant when talking about the ownership experience.

CFAI

The money is the money but that is something you can factor in before making the decision. I would get the Defender if I was leasing, but I don't like spending too much on autos, so I buy the most reliable cars used and keep them for as long as I can. But if leasing, don't need third row, mostly driving highway, and like the look feel of the defender (which the OP does) then I lease the defender for three years, then buy the new GX once I get the LR out of the system. ( I imagine this won't be a popular take )

mehran888

Tx to both of you for your thoughts. Reading your comments I agree with you and that's the tension I'm feeling! @CFAI - I'm also the type that prefers to buy a car and drive it forever, which is why I've kept the GS for 9+ years and my eventual GX/LX down the road is a car I'll probably keep for 10-15 years, once they do their redesigns. This feels like more of a opportunistic situation where I'm able to lease to bridge the gap until that redesign comes. I did consider buying something (new or used) like a Highlander while I wait, as selling it I'd take a much smaller financial hit, but ultimately I don't think I'd enjoy driving it and I'd just be counting the days until I got rid of it. May as well try something different. @ASE - to your point, that's a huge consideration around quality. We do have two other vehicles at home, so I'd be less worried about the car being in the shop for short periods, but all it would take is a single roadside situation on a road trip >2 hours to make the Defender seem like a terrible decision.

If anyone has driven/owned the latest Defender, but is a regular Lexus owner, curious for your thoughts on overall ownership.

ASE

Being in Canada, for me ... if it broke down when it was -xx degrees outside, I would set it on fire to keep warm waiting for the tow vehicle !#!