caha14

FWIW, this is friendly compared to how I remember the old TL forum from back in the day... For some, criticizing that car was like insulting their firstborn!

And while we are at it maybe someday I'll race you with the LX - it has a bit more horsepower, you know

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

data2009, you should have left the original post without your edit.

You've made it clear you are an MDX fan and you've expressed your viewpoints on the vehicles. Lay off the rude commentary like the bold above or exit this thread please.

Gdog

Any thoughts on the standard audio in the GX (non-ML) vs. the MDX Advanced?

Doc H

Wellll...how does a Land Cruiser compare to a VW Passat, f''rexample? Ah - they are both "automobiles"...

LexusVet

As far as standard audio MDX wins that battle but for mark levi Acura can't compare. I own an Acura and I'm on my 2 nd Lexus i can say that I will never buy an Acura again. I didn't really want to stray from Lexus but my wife talked me into it. I had such a horrible experience with the purchase and treated like crap from the company and dealership. I feel like Acura resembles their non luxury conterparts more so than any other brand like Infiniti vs Nissan or Lexus Toyota. I've never seen so much cheap plastic, leather and fake wood on any other brand. Even down to the carpeting. When i started looking for a replacement for my rx I drove every suv in the class including the mdx. It drove nice very similar to my rx but I hated the interior and dash, felt like it was way too small to have a third row and felt to much like a crossover than a real suv. Needless to say I now own a gx and am very happy with it and I'm considering trading in the tl for a new gs.

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

the fact MDX doesn't come with push button start just killed it for me, although you can get a brand new one with Technology pkg for under $40k nowadays is really intriguing. i think i'm gonna wait on the GX after it gets the front "spindle" treatment.

khiroshima

First post for me on this forum . . . I hope I will like it here--

I just bought a 2012 GX460 and with little to no experience, I am very happy with my decision. I have been looking at the MDX (I have a 2004 and love it) and thought it was a foregone conclusion that my next car would be another MDX . . . I was wrong.

The 2004 is the wife's car so I had fewer expectations for that vehicle, but the need for more space has brought me to look at SUV options for myself and I am far pickier. These are the vehicles I looked at:

Acura MDX
Mazda CX-9
Ford Explorer
Chevy Traverse
Infiniti JX
Toyota Highlander
Honda Pilot

I wonder if I missed anything, I've been trying to keep an open mind about this search, but I started thinking it was going to be an MDX and thought the race was over, but here's what did it for me:

- I LIKE that the GX looks a little truck-like, I want this to be a boy car and not your standard soccer-mom car (no offence)
- While I am not all that pleased with the GX gas mileage, it appears to be about a mile less than the MDX, which is also not that good
- The V8 really moves the GX (in SUV world), so I *might* have a little fun with it
- MDXs are EVERYWHERE, I don't mind having something different
- The interior feels more luxurious than the MDX
- I really like the wood steering wheel (dumb reason, but there, I admitted it)
- The automatic third row is a cool feature and I like that the second row slides up to give the third row more space

I am a Honda fan (three Legends, MDX and an NSX), this is my third Lexus (two ES300s) and I'm pretty sure that I wont go wrong either way . . . Highly subjective, but I like the way the redesigned GX looks (didn't care for the first gen), I have never been high on the MDX and I want to like what I walk up to drive in . . . Did I mention that the V8 is the most interesting engine that I drove from the list above? Might be more, but best of luck in your search! KH

Gdog

Just picked up a Black/ecru GX Premium with ML audio. Big thanks to all on this forum for TREMENDOUS help in getting me to this point.

Specifically to the MDX, it fell down for me in 2 big areas. First, I realized I'm a truck guy, and I think at this point that no unibody platform would make me happy. And the MDX felt like a big Accord - great for maneuverability, but it just didn't feel like a powerful SUV. Irrational I know, but I learned what I like.

Second, the MDX didn't feel high end to me. Maybe the domestic competition has caught up, but non power third row seats seems like a mistake for a high end SUV. Of course I paid $10K more for the GX, so maybe I'm pointing out obvious economics.

I now have to spend some time learning about my GX (first questions are on climate - is there a manual fan control or do I need to use the touch-screen ,and how do I control the back seat zone). But I love what I see so far.

Thanks again to all on this forum.

SaniDel

Congratulations on your decision and your purchase. I hope you enjoy your GX as much as we enjoyed ours

The fan control as well as the rear seat climate controls are on the touchscreen. However, my advice is to "set and forget "! My wife and I are most comfortable with all three zones (driver, passenger and rear seat) at 75 with all fan controls on automatic. Once you have determined what is most comfortable for you… forget about it… don't touch the controls again.

The automatic climate controls will heat, cool, and adjust the dampers to maintain your comfort so let them do what they were designed to do, including starting up and shutting down. if you were brought up like me to start the car first and then turn on the systems, you will have a hard habit to break, as I did. Likewise, it feels "lazy" to simply shut down without turning everything off, but it works better that way.
Regards,

SaniDel

92 SC400

Without going into too many details, my wife wants an SUV and had pretty much narrowed her search to the Cayenne and X5. Over the weekend she says she'd like to have a third row... The third row on the X5 is pathetic, however, it is far better than what the Cayenne offers - they don't, just in case you didn't know.

She has an IS350 so naturally the GX came to mind for her. So, now that she's thinking she wants a third row, I am curious as to what else you folks cross shopped before choosing your GX. I like the Sequoia but she's not into the styling; I think she wants to stay more in the "luxury" segment right now.

Also, anything you guys don't like about the GX or have regrets about? Opinions on must have/skip options?

Koz

I looked at every SUV in this class and overall the GX met my needs the best. Everyone's needs may be different. If you want a car like ride and will only keep the vehicle while it is under warranty, the Cayenne and X5 are fine. If you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time and you want to venture off-road, the GX may be the better choice. The GX is as luxurious as any and rides silky smooth. It gets decent mileage and is an amazing off-road vehicle. This off-road ability doubles as a GREAT bad weather vehicle. The third row is not good for a big family that would be using it every day (unless used for kids). The good thing about the third row in the GX is it is there at a push of a button. I have sat in the third row and it is tight but it is bearable (I'm 6'1"). The GX makes a GREAT tow vehicle (within its tow rating) and the auto leveling susp works like charm! The Mark Levinson sound is outstanding. If reliability is number one, the GX is a no brainer.

Koz

LFIL

We had a 10-year old Sequoia that we decided to replace because the frame rotted and had to be replaced (covered by Toyota), but we didn't want to deal with that. Otherwise, we would have kept that car until it wouldn't run any more. We need one vehicle to travel to our summer house on an island a long distance from our main house. So, reliability, comfort, and size are key. We wanted a third row for the few occasions when we need to haul lots of people. We have other cars we use for regular driving and usually keep cars a long time.

So, we looked at the Sequoia, but decided that with kids in college and eventually fleeing the nest (we hope), we just didn't need that much space. We looked at the 4Runner, but the second row of seats has a weird dip in the headliner right in front of them. We are tall, and would have been looking right into that.

What we didn't consider: any American brand choices because of reliability concerns. I looked at the GMC Acadia online, and it looked interesting, but couldn't get past quality issues. We also didn't consider any German cars for the same reason and also because of repair costs. We have an M-B and have had others, so we have direct experience.

That didn't leave a lot of choices. We had a 1997 LX450 that we bought new and drove for a long time, but didn't look at the LX now because it is a little too big and a lot too overpriced. You might wonder why we stayed in the Toyota family after the Sequoia, but other than the frame we had a good experience and we also have an RX that has been a good car.

Things we like about the GX: very nice, quiet ride and good amount of space. Reliability (we expect).

Things we don't like: interior finishes are not up to previous Lexus standards, especially including lighting; Nav/electronic user interface is poor; acceleration is barely adequate, gas mileage could be better; interior is a bit squished for tall people (AC vents aim at your face in the uppermost position, right driver knee hits the radio on/off/volume button), rear door is inconvenient.

As far as options, since we pay cash and keep cars for a long time, we aren't interested in expensive gadgets that are usually marketed as adding only $X to your monthly payment and are expensive to fix down the road. So we got a base model with as few options as we could. Ours included the HID as they all apparently do; we would have skipped that given the cost. Also, the nav system is way overpriced but also included in all we say and is almost a must-have.

Eppieguy

I came out of a 2009 Tahoe, Loved it but it was time for a change. Looked at the GX and X5, X5 seemed too small, more plasticy inside for the price, rode too harsh and didn't seem to be anywhere near as peppy as the GX. After my 5 mile test drive in the X5 I was sold on the GX. But with all that being said, for the price I would not rule out another Tahoe for me once i'm done with my GX. I miss the size and ruggedness of the Tahoe.

khiroshima

I cross-shopped:

Acura MDX (initially thought that this was the car I was going to buy)
Honda Pilot (ugly and plastic)
Toyota Highlander (again, ugly and plastic)
Ford Explorer (odd and horrible access to third row)
Infinity JX (not bad but I couldn't get over the hood)

I came from a BMW M5 and I just was not going to go German again. I LOVE the car, but repair costs are stupid; I really wanted the Range, but reliability from JD Powers last year placed Range DEAD last. I didn't even want to get in it, as I know I would have loved it and didn't want to fall for just a pretty face.

I really should have given the Tahoe a better shot, I still see new ones on the road and I like them.

The GX has a great overall feel and pampers you enough. The truck is nowhere NEAR peppy, but it isn't bad in this class and I am in agreement, you need a third row. I don't need it very often, but it's nice to car pool. If I'm honest with myself, it was really only between the MDX and the GX at the end; Lexus service is great and I also like that I don't see a GX on every corner. The same cannot be said about all other listed vehicles . . . JMO, KH

ChicagoRy

I looked at most of the SUVs on the market. In the end it came down to the Escalade, Range Rover, Denali or the GX. I ended up with a premium GX, because of the dependability and the upgraded features in the premium. I also need a big SUV vs a crossover size.

I am coming out of a RR and had nothing but issues with it in the end. I was surprised that land rover now does offer a great warranty, too long to explain but worth reading about. However it's still a RR and they have issues, but when they run they are hard to beat, even compared to the GX.

I looked at the infiniti's also, the JX is nice but too small for my needs, the QX is too ugly. My main complaint about the GX is how slow it is, but besides that its a great car, I do miss my RR though, considering getting the new sport for my wife when they come out this fall.