High-Mile Lexus LX470 Makes a Fantastic Daily

Rising Tides

In recent months, the Lexus LX has become a highly sought-after vehicle among collectors, many of whom have migrated that way because of skyrocketing Toyota Land Cruiser values. These rising tides lift all boats, as they say, and it's getting hard to find nice, low-mile LX SUVs for reasonable prices. However, Mack Hogan of Road & Track managed to score this LX470 for a decent price, though it does have 190k miles on the clock.

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

Moving On

Hogan's E39 BMW M5 was obviously a lot of fun, but it too had 190k miles on the clock. In the world of Bimmers, that's a recipe for expensive repairs, and over the course of the time he owned it, that was the case with this M5. "Every time I turned it on, there was an anxious pang in my stomach," Hogan said. "That it'd have some new warning, new noise, new problem to empty my wallet and expose me for the in-over-my-head fool I am. I decided to sell it as I stood on the precipice of a cross-country move, deciding that any eliminated anxiety was worth its weight in Bavarian steel."

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

Losing Faith

In spite of his best efforts to talk himself out of keeping the BMW, Hogan relented until one day, the car literally caught on fire. The culprit was a headlight electrical connector, it turns out, and that was enough to seal this car's fate. "I knew I'd never be able to trust this car again," Hogan said. "My anxiety had been validated just when I started to look it in the eye, and now I was left with a car less valuable than it was when I bailed on a solid buyer."

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

Moving Quickly

Hogan wanted something a bit more capable and immediately set out to find a solid LX. He didn't have to go too far, discovering this particular example around four hours from his home. After exchanging quite a few messages with the owner, he made a deal, drove it home, and immediately added quite a few miles to its already high total.

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

New Ride

"So, a week after The Incident, I found myself on I-95 bound for Maryland," Hogan said. "I'd go down there, trade the M5 for a 2004 LX470 - in Eucalyptus, the best color - with service records, fully functioning AHC, great paint, 189,000 miles, and a clean bill of health from the local dealer. I'd drive all the way home, wake up the next morning, trudge all of my stuff down five flights of stairs, throw it in the LX, and drive 500 miles to Ohio."

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

Different Animal

"In any other car it'd be stupid," he added. "But the LX is made for this. It's the anxiety antidote, the polar opposite of a high-mileage BMW. The thing that will require care and attention like anything else, but will almost never surprise you. The thing that has already carried me 2,500 miles and will be tasked with a cross-country journey in just a few weeks. The thing that, I hope, will carry me to all the parks of the Great American West for years to come."

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

Summing It Up

And that perfectly sums up just why so many people love the Lexus LX - it's a reliable, capable, and luxurious machine that's quite good at the art of getting us from point A to point B. We doubt that Hogan will regret his trade, but we'll also be keeping tabs on how things go over the coming months, too.

Photos: Mack Hogan for Road & Track

>>Join the conversation about this high-mile Lexus LX470 right here at ClubLexus.com.

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