vicpai

I've been intensely researching more info on the GX 470 in the last few days and I came across this news release giving detailed specs, not available before (dimensions etc.). I was keeping my fingers crossed that the GX 470 would be smaller than the LX 470 especially, and more importantly, NARROWER and Thank the good heavens IT IS!!!!!! Here's the link:

http://www.toyota.com/html/about/new...106a_gx470.jsp

Note the dimensions:

188.2 inches LENGTH - (4.3 in shorter than LX 470 - almost same as MDX @ 188.9 in)

74 inches WIDTH - (2.4 in narrower than LX 470 - 3 inches narrower than the MDX @ 77 in. !!! YES, YES YES!!! puts a big smile on my face )

After reviewing all of this the GX 470 appears to be the perfect all round vehicle. See ya later! Gotta go to the dealer and find out when they will start accepting deposits!!!

GXS

Yes, the GX 470 is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado(Japan). The Prado came out during the last few years of the previous Land Cruiser, not the current one. It was supposed to be a mini Land Cruiser or for people who wanted a "Land Cruiser" but couldn't afford it.

http://www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All...dCruiserPrado/

Francis K

My LX450 has 212hp with gives it over a 10 sexond 0-60.

The LX470 has 230 hp and pulls a 9.4 approximately.

The GX (90 series cruiser/prado) should pull under 9 with it's 235 hp?

vicpai

IMO the GX 470 should easily have a zero to 60 acceleration figure in the 8.0 - 8.5 second range!!! Here are the reasons why:

The GX is 800lbs lighter than the LX at 5400lbs! according to the Toyota press release

The GX has 5-speed auto versus the 4-speed in the LX (making possible a shorter gearing and better spacing between ratios)

Being a much newer design, as well as a little lower and narrower than the LX, the GX is going to be far more aerodynamic than the LX (itself a lexicon of aerodynamic efficiency @ 0.40 Cd - by SUV standards)

In addition to all of this the GX produces at least 5 more horsepower.

So, when you add up all of these reasons it is very likely that the GX will be pretty quick, even if it's not an "asphalt-burner"

billyboy

Maybe it will grow on me but my first impressions are not good. Looks "clunky" and fat and reminds me of the Mitsubishi suv (the one that tips over). I concur with the increse in width over the RX300 but who needs all that length,(we had an MDX for a short time, got traded for an X5). Just hope they do the 2003 RX300 right.

kichigai2K

I would hope that they could get it into the high 7's to compete with the BMW 4.4i and the MB ML500 for the price that they are asking.

I love the '99 RX300 that I have with the VVTi in it, but I think that the VVTi is not going to make it.

Granted, the styling is sharp, but I want to keep up with the other boxes...

Kichigai

RX300TC

Gene-

The GX is based on a platform that the U.S. market has not seen yet. The Sequioa (based on the Tacoma Pickup) is larger.

Francis K

The GX is no where near the Sequoia, it would be better off to compare it with the 4runner. About the times......ponder this for a moment, GM needs a Corvette engine pushing 340hp to get an 8 second time........

vicpai

Yeah!!!

High sevens would be FANTASTICO, but my gut feeling says it will be in the low to mid 8s......possibly in the low 8s, which, I guess, is fairly good too, considering this vehicle's mission

vicpai

It's more than just horsepower itself. It's the the HORSEPOWER CURVE (how much is available at lower RPMs) and besides this there are other factors too!!........such as the TORQUE CURVE, OVERALL GEARING and the FINAL DRIVE RATIO, as well as aerodynamics and overall weight of the vehicle which ultimately determines the 0 to 60 times.

If GM needs 340bhp to get an 8 second time with a Corvette engine they're one hell of a LOSER compnany!!! because Acura manages to get a 0 - 60 time of 8.1 secs with a 4400+ lb SUV called the MDX with a mere 240bhp / 245 lb ft. of torque...........so I surely think that Lexus could get at least 8.5 secs with a vehicle about the same weight and GOBS OF more torque (320 lb ft.)!

Jayson

The Sequoia is not based on the Tacoma platform. It's based off the Tundra platform. I think you know this and just made a typo, but I just wanted to be an *** and correct you anyways....<GRIN>

Jayson

Jayson

Wow, after reading in this thread I stand 100% corrected. I have been telling my wife for about 2 months now that the GX470 is the way to go because it will be cheaper than the LX, but is larger because it is based off the Sequoia. Now come to find out it's more of a 4-Runner Luxo SUV, hmmm....

I guess it's back to the old toss up between the Land Cruiser and LX470. I am not going to pay $50k for a vehicle (GX470) that's the same size, well a bit larger than my current Explorer. Our next SUV will be large, luxurious, Japanese, and loaded to the gills. Guess I'll wait till late 2003 for an off lease 2001 LX470 with that Levinson system and the DVD Navigation option.

Disappointed,
Jayson

vicpai

.........No, seriously, I'm just kidding .......One thing you've got to get straight!... Lexus is not about cheaper or bargain or any such thing. It's about getting THE ABSOLUTE BEST, bar none for your money!!!!. So if you want the best, most luxurious LARGE SUV money can buy then you've got to cough up the 60K for the LX 470, but then again if you want the SAME large SUV, but can live without the ABSOLUTE BEST LUXURY FEATURES (Mark Levinson, Air suspension etc.) then you can get the same excellent product from Toyota (The LANDCRUISER) loaded with Navigation for about 46-48K (they're selling them very close to invoice -check out the internet sites www.carsos.com is a very good one)!

Secondly, the GX 470 was intended for people like me who DO NOT under any circumstances want a large monster of an SUV which is difficult to park, a nightmare to drive on city streets and has the "fun-to-drive" factor of a freighter on the open ocean. There are a number of large and super large luxury SUVs out there catering to the needs of people like you.....Expedition, Excursion, Navigator, Escalade, Sequoia, Landcruiser, LX-470, Acura MDX, ......and need I go on and on.......but practically none (only the RX 300, BMW X5 and Mercedes ML come to mind) in the small to midsize range for people like me (and I'm sure there's quite a lot of us that want the creature comforts and performance, BUT DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING AROUND GIANT-SIZED MONSTER SUVs)............so, to put it in a nutshell, why would Lexus go ahead and come out with yet another HUGE SUV to serve a market that's already crowded with a ton of choices, not to mention Toyota's own LX 470, Sequoia and Landcruiser!!, while there is practically no one catering to the smaller/midsize luxury SUV segment ??.......Personally, I think Lexus has made a brilliant choice with the GX 470, and from the rumors I hear, they've hit the nail right on the head by not making the next generation RX 300 any bigger......Kudos and thumbs up to Lexus!!.......I personally know many of my single and women friends who are anxiously waiting for the redesigned RX 300 and have told me they will look elsewhere if the RX gets any bigger!!!.....and I couldn't agree with them more, because the biggest asset of the RX is that while being luxurious and high performance, it's a blast to drive, manuver and control due to it's tidy dimensions!! (Remember if this untapped segment did not have much sales potential, manufacturers would not be heading in this direction - BMW will be coming out with the X3 the next year, Porsche with the Cayenne etc.)