Got my GX and First Impressions
#16
Pole Position
One thing to keep in mind is that the GX (Toyota Land Cruiser 150/Prado 150) was designed primarily for countries that drive on the left (Japan & Australia/S.Africa etc.) so the rear door opening is the correct way for its intended market. It could be due to a law in Japan (or?) on how the door is allowed to open.
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Piney1 (06-18-21)
#17
Pole Position
FJ Cruiser was also sold in Japan, and the rear door swings open the opposite direction, so I don't agree it's a legal requirement for any one market that the door needs to swing one way or the other. It's a manufacturing cost issue, and it's really too bad, as the rear hatch design is one of the big dropped ***** on both gens of GX IMO.
#18
Driver School Candidate
These swingout doors are still in use with other "off-roader" SUV. The Jeep Wrangler has it, G-Wagen, Land Rover Defender to name a few. I agree that they just kept the same door as the other markets to save cost.
#19
Tailgate>Swing Gate> Liftgate (IMO)
#20
My GX is the 2013 that I got with 120 on it and had been dealer maintained since new. I had my dealer do the 120k service with all the fluid changes - not cheap but worth it from the preventative maintenance perspective. Have 128 on it now and it still drives as nice as my wife’s 2017 Premium/Luxury with less than a third the miles.
Last weekend, my sister was in town for a graduation. She had not seen my 2013 GX or been in one before. She loved it so much that she bought a beautiful blue 2017 yesterday! They last forever when properly maintained and are safe as heck.
For the record, I absolutely love the side opening door. I’m tall and have had more than one bump from hatches over the years. While they are not a lot of nook storage areas, having the third row with the adjustable second row gives it a lot of practicality if you ever have a lot of kids or people to move.
Last weekend, my sister was in town for a graduation. She had not seen my 2013 GX or been in one before. She loved it so much that she bought a beautiful blue 2017 yesterday! They last forever when properly maintained and are safe as heck.
For the record, I absolutely love the side opening door. I’m tall and have had more than one bump from hatches over the years. While they are not a lot of nook storage areas, having the third row with the adjustable second row gives it a lot of practicality if you ever have a lot of kids or people to move.
#21
Pit Crew
FJ Cruiser was also sold in Japan, and the rear door swings open the opposite direction, so I don't agree it's a legal requirement for any one market that the door needs to swing one way or the other. It's a manufacturing cost issue, and it's really too bad, as the rear hatch design is one of the big dropped ***** on both gens of GX IMO.
The point of my post was that the GX was not designed and made just for the US customers, it's a Prado 150 made for the world market first and foremost and the GX version for US market is a fraction. Imagine Australian buyers of the RX or 4Runners demanding that Lexus installs a swing door so they can mount a spare on the rear door. Toyota would reply, "Why not just buy a Prado?"
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