Debating moving on from GX550

[jclaffee]

I’m not even talking about the mods so much as just getting a GX and then saying they should be in an expedition or Tahoe etc. 2 completely different vehicles. I think many are just drawn to the look and force it to work and then complain about it later when it was the wrong vehicle from the start.

I've got a pretty different take. I had a late model tahoe and the ride, comfort and power (6.2L) beat any of the toyota or lexus SUVs I've owned or driven. I've got a 2025 GX OT+ allocation and the refreshed 2025 Tahoe Z71 is the other vehicle I'm considering instead of the GX. If I test drive the GX when it arrives and it doesn't impress, my next stop will be the Chevy dealer.

 

[AUAv8r]

I've got a pretty different take. I had a late model tahoe and the ride, comfort and power (6.2L) beat any of the toyota or lexus SUVs I've owned or driven. I've got a 2025 GX OT+ allocation and the refreshed 2025 Tahoe Z71 is the other vehicle I'm considering instead of the GX. If I test drive the GX when it arrives and it doesn't impress, my next stop will be the Chevy dealer.

We also own a 24 Yukon Denali 3.0 Duramax. I have on order an OT+ having previously owned a GX460. We love our Yukon and it’s necessary with our large family. Tons of space lots of utility. Impressive power and efficiency from the baby Duramax. The GX is much smaller offers some utility around town. I find the GX size footprint perfect for me daily vs the Yukon which is primarily my wife’s vehicle. Great offroad capability that we use here and there on a farm. We have had good luck for the most part with our Tahoes and Yukons, but long term they haven’t seem to hold up to the Toyota Lexus SUVs we have owned alongside them and we tend to trade in quicker due to issues arising. Needing a full size SUV you are kinda stuck with the domestics. We wanted to like the sequoia , but still too small for our needs and the hybrid really botched up the cargo space. From what you’ve already mentioned I see you headed down to the Chevy dealer. The GX is great but not as powerful as the 6.2 and doesn’t offer nearly as much utility. The Overtrail while nice isn’t as luxurious inside as our Denali trim. I find it interesting many cross shop the 2. I can see owning both, but the two are not really comparable in my eyes. You get the GX or Land Cruiser because you want a rugged BOF SUV with those capabilities . I realize I’m in the minority as many are status cars and mall crawlers (not saying that is you).

 

[Michael T]

I agree with a lot of the prior few comments. Its a bit odd to consider cross shopping a 550 with a tahoe/yukon “IF” one of your number one requirements is space.

Most dealerships do have testers, and even for ones that don’t, when your GX gets to the dealership, you still get to drive it before signing.

If space is your main driver fora car, If you can hold out a couple years, the 2027 Tahoes are supposed to have new engine offerings. The current 5.3 and 6.2 offerings are junk. The diesel is supposed to be good

 

[Polo08816]

I've got a pretty different take. I had a late model tahoe and the ride, comfort and power (6.2L) beat any of the toyota or lexus SUVs I've owned or driven. I've got a 2025 GX OT+ allocation and the refreshed 2025 Tahoe Z71 is the other vehicle I'm considering instead of the GX. If I test drive the GX when it arrives and it doesn't impress, my next stop will be the Chevy dealer.

The 2025 Tahoes/Suburbans are pretty nice. I would have considered the Yukon if they copied the Chevy interior for the lower trims. I'm not a fan of that vertical screen.

We also own a 24 Yukon Denali 3.0 Duramax. I have on order an OT+ having previously owned a GX460. We love our Yukon and it’s necessary with our large family. Tons of space lots of utility. Impressive power and efficiency from the baby Duramax. The GX is much smaller offers some utility around town. I find the GX size footprint perfect for me daily vs the Yukon which is primarily my wife’s vehicle. Great offroad capability that we use here and there on a farm. We have had good luck for the most part with our Tahoes and Yukons, but long term they haven’t seem to hold up to the Toyota Lexus SUVs we have owned alongside them and we tend to trade in quicker due to issues arising. Needing a full size SUV you are kinda stuck with the domestics. We wanted to like the sequoia , but still too small for our needs and the hybrid really botched up the cargo space. From what you’ve already mentioned I see you headed down to the Chevy dealer. The GX is great but not as powerful as the 6.2 and doesn’t offer nearly as much utility. The Overtrail while nice isn’t as luxurious inside as our Denali trim. I find it interesting many cross shop the 2. I can see owning both, but the two are not really comparable in my eyes. You get the GX or Land Cruiser because you want a rugged BOF SUV with those capabilities . I realize I’m in the minority as many are status cars and mall crawlers (not saying that is you).

They are probably cross-shopped because they are in the same price range.

While the GMs may require more frequent repairs (long term data on the TNGA platform isn't there), the repairs are much less expensive. I mean you can get a new 5.3 or 6.2 long block from GM for $2,500-$3,000 versus a V35 costs > $15k.

I agree with a lot of the prior few comments. Its a bit odd to consider cross shopping a 550 with a tahoe/yukon “IF” one of your number one requirements is space.

Most dealerships do have testers, and even for ones that don’t, when your GX gets to the dealership, you still get to drive it before signing.

If space is your main driver fora car, If you can hold out a couple years, the 2027 Tahoes are supposed to have new engine offerings. The current 5.3 and 6.2 offerings are junk. The diesel is supposed to be good

The new engine offerings will go into the Sierras/Silverados first. The Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon/Escalade refresh is most likely going to be in 2029.

 

[Bobbysc]

I’m reading more of these posts and it appears many are the wrong buyers for the GX550. If one is comparing one to a suburban, TX etc they shouldn’t be considering a GX. I think the styling is great Range Rover clone that is drawing many in. Folks fail to realize it’s a BoF AWD off-road SUV that is not large or extremely spacious inside. It’s unfortunate many buy these vehicles without properly test driving them or checking them out. This is exacerbated by lack of dealer demo units. Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole all in the name of looks.

The GX550 should have been the proper fit for me as I have been comfortable in 4Runners (2011, 2016, 2022) for a over a decade. The GX550 seemed like a great upgrade from the 4Runner. There are just things that bug me on the GX550 that the 4Runner did not.

I'm driving around with a bean bag on the door to rest my arm on since the triangle top is so uncomfortable, something a test drive did not really show off since they are what, 10-15 minutes. No sunglass storage, the cold box is the size of a small shoe box, the captains chairs do not offer lots of space at all and the seating in them is more cramped than in the 4Runner back bench seat according to my kids. The MPG sucks more than expected, worse than my 4Runners which is surprising.

A new 4Runner is out since I find the upcoming release hideous and the new 4 cylinder motor is a no go. The LC is a no as well. I can't find anything at this size that really like, so that is why I was asking here what other people might be looking to move to or might be getting instead of a GX550.

A diesel Tahoe getting 24-28 MPG really has my attention. The High Country trim seems pretty darn nice for 2025. Gotta but that 100K mile Warranty and sell around 80K miles.

 

[AUAv8r]

The GX550 should have been the proper fit for me as I have been comfortable in 4Runners (2011, 2016, 2022) for a over a decade. The GX550 seemed like a great upgrade from the 4Runner. There are just things that bug me on the GX550 that the 4Runner did not.

I'm driving around with a bean bag on the door to rest my arm on since the triangle top is so uncomfortable, something a test drive did not really show off since they are what, 10-15 minutes. No sunglass storage, the cold box is the size of a small shoe box, the captains chairs do not offer lots of space at all and the seating in them is more cramped than in the 4Runner back bench seat according to my kids. The MPG sucks more than expected, worse than my 4Runners which is surprising.

A new 4Runner is out since I find the upcoming release hideous and the new 4 cylinder motor is a no go. The LC is a no as well. I can't find anything at this size that really like, so that is why I was asking here what other people might be looking to move to or might be getting instead of a GX550.

A diesel Tahoe getting 24-28 MPG really has my attention. The High Country trim seems pretty darn nice for 2025. Gotta but that 100K mile Warranty and sell around 80K miles.

These are all fair complaints. I'm coming out of a previous 4runner, GX460 and currently driving an F150 that is too much daily and we don't use the utility of it as much as we did in years past. I'm curious if I have the same complaints and will update this post when my OT+ arrives at the end of this month.

I can tell you that we absolutely love our current Yukon. I did a lot of research on the motors and that research led to the 3.0 duramax diesel. They all have their issues. I do worry about the longevity of emissions equipment/sensors but should be out of the vehicle by that point as we rack up a lot of milage with our family daily. We are getting a solid 25.4 lifetime at nearly 30k miles. Highway is 30-31mpg and as high as 34.7 Ive seen babying it and going about 70mpg. 80 is closer to 30 which is amazing for such a large vehicle.

I too am disappointed with the fuel economy in the GX and cross shopped the LC but couldn't get over the lack of refinement in the 4cyl. My buddy owns both the OT and the FE LC and the LC is barely getting more maybe like 2mpg on a good day he said mpg better than his GX. I guess Toyota thought we would all be happy with the power while the mpg stays about the same as previous gens?

I do wonder if these motors just take awhile to break in? I'm sure it won't get much better, but that would be nice. For this price point I really wanted to like the hybrid LC, but the lack of refinement just cheapened the whole experience. Back to back driving with the GX demo showed it to be much more refined which it should be for the price.

 

[jclaffee]

We also own a 24 Yukon Denali 3.0 Duramax. I have on order an OT+ having previously owned a GX460. We love our Yukon and it’s necessary with our large family. Tons of space lots of utility. Impressive power and efficiency from the baby Duramax. The GX is much smaller offers some utility around town. I find the GX size footprint perfect for me daily vs the Yukon which is primarily my wife’s vehicle. Great offroad capability that we use here and there on a farm. We have had good luck for the most part with our Tahoes and Yukons, but long term they haven’t seem to hold up to the Toyota Lexus SUVs we have owned alongside them and we tend to trade in quicker due to issues arising. Needing a full size SUV you are kinda stuck with the domestics. We wanted to like the sequoia , but still too small for our needs and the hybrid really botched up the cargo space. From what you’ve already mentioned I see you headed down to the Chevy dealer. The GX is great but not as powerful as the 6.2 and doesn’t offer nearly as much utility. The Overtrail while nice isn’t as luxurious inside as our Denali trim. I find it interesting many cross shop the 2. I can see owning both, but the two are not really comparable in my eyes. You get the GX or Land Cruiser because you want a rugged BOF SUV with those capabilities . I realize I’m in the minority as many are status cars and mall crawlers (not saying that is you).

I agree with most of that. I live in a mountain town in Colorado, and we spend a lot of time camping, fishing, hiking etc. The reality is that a Tahoe or a full size truck is capable of going basically anywhere we need to go. So in the sense that they meet our offroad needs they are "comparable" to a BOF SUV in my eyes. Our Silevrado Trail Boss will realistically go anywhere I'd care to take our lifted, modded 4Runner or a new GX.

 

[56g550]

we came from 2021 tahoe to premium+ GX550, we didnt need the size anymore. I drive a hardtop 4 door bronco with 34" tires and my wife drives the gx550. I love the GX, we have added aftermarket wheels/tires (18x9 +20 offset wheels with 275/70r18) to give it a wider stance and not the factory look. Comparing it to my bronco badlands with every option, the bronco only beats it really in one area, the bronco seats are more cushiony, the gx550 seems kind of flat in comparison. The steering/handling, lack of road noise, engine, safety features etc are all superior in the lexus. I get in the lexus and im amazed how quiet it is. So much nicer to drive than the bronco but it could have better seats as far as the amount of cushioning. We had a 2011 sequoia that had better seats than the GX imo. the bronco gets better MPG also even with the bigger tires. Amazed lexus couldnt make this car with better mpg . I do like the gx550 though very much.

 

[Andre & Dr Ewa]

Please excuse me, IF I will hurt most of you and your OFF-ROAD-Feelings. I am MS-Engineer, I did own Jaguars, Porsches and Mercedes. Most driven at 120++ MPH Range. My Wife Ewa is a Doctor, MD and SUV-Addict. From her starting FORD-Explorer, LEXUS-RX300, Hyundai-Santa-Fe and AUDI-SQ5, we now wanted a new SUV (we always trade at 60,000 miles: yes a NEW CAR is SAFER). Our love for Lexus took us to wimpish-RX350-4-cylinder. ONLY to BUY Ewa a strong-V6, we down-paid GX550. AFTER LEARNING its 21-gallon-micro-sized-tank, 15MPG, hauling all that useless-steel around, UGLY-Spare-tire-Location-needs-30-minutes to un-hook, and CONSIDERING Ewa only drives in the CITY to her Hospitals and we Never-ever Trailer, we are finished with GX550. Now we are test-driving AUDI-Q8, BMW-X6 and Mercedes-GLE. Bye-Bye. IF, and only IF, YAKUZA puts a new V6 in RX/TX, we MAY buy from LEXUS again. (0-60 under 5.5 seconds is a MUST) YES, Reliability has no meaning for us, WE always TRADE before WARRANTY ENDS. YES, we both are proud US-Citizens, but after Andre's experience with Z28, TransAm-GTA and Corvette-C5, we will NEVER BUY Detroit-Iron again.

 

[ColoradoOutdoors]

Please excuse me, IF I will hurt most of you and your OFF-ROAD-Feelings. I am MS-Engineer, I did own Jaguars, Porsches and Mercedes. Most driven at 120++ MPH Range. My Wife Ewa is a Doctor, MD and SUV-Addict. From her Explorer, RX300, Hyundai-Santa-Fe and AUDI-SQ5, we now wanted a new SUV. Our love for Lexus took us to wimpish-RX350-4-cylinder. ONLY to BUY a V6, we down-pmt GX550. AFTER LEARNING its 21 gallon-micro-sized-tank, 15MPG, carrying all that useless-steel around, UGLY-Spare-tire-Location-needs-30-minutes to un-hook, and CONSIDERING Ewa only drives in the CITY to her Hospitals and we Never-ever Trailer, we are finished with GX. Now we are test-driving AUDI-Q8, BMW-X6 and Mercedes-GLE. Bye-Bye. IF, and only IF, YAKUZA puts a new V6 in RX/TX, we will buy it. (0-60 under 5.5 seconds is a MUST)

You OK? Maybe look into some meds.

 

[sel]

Please excuse me, IF I will hurt most of you and your OFF-ROAD-Feelings. I am MS-Engineer, I did own Jaguars, Porsches and Mercedes. Most driven at 120++ MPH Range. My Wife Ewa is a Doctor, MD and SUV-Addict. From her starting FORD-Explorer, LEXUS-RX300, Hyundai-Santa-Fe and AUDI-SQ5, we now wanted a new SUV (we always trade at 60,000 miles: yes a NEW CAR is SAFER). Our love for Lexus took us to wimpish-RX350-4-cylinder. ONLY to BUY Ewa a strong-V6, we down-paid GX550. AFTER LEARNING its 21-gallon-micro-sized-tank, 15MPG, hauling all that useless-steel around, UGLY-Spare-tire-Location-needs-30-minutes to un-hook, and CONSIDERING Ewa only drives in the CITY to her Hospitals and we Never-ever Trailer, we are finished with GX550. Now we are test-driving AUDI-Q8, BMW-X6 and Mercedes-GLE. Bye-Bye. IF, and only IF, YAKUZA puts a new V6 in RX/TX, we MAY buy from LEXUS again. (0-60 under 5.5 seconds is a MUST) YES, Reliability has no meaning for us, WE always TRADE before WARRANTY ENDS. YES, we both are proud US-Citizens, but after Andre's experience with Z28, TransAm-GTA and Corvette-C5, we will NEVER BUY Detroit-Iron again.

Sold my 2024 OT+ last week for $2k less than what I paid. Too many issues. Done.

 

[SROak]

Meh. A GX ain't for everyone, dat's fo sho!

 

[incognito.gx]

Sold my 2024 OT+ last week for $2k less than what I paid. Too many issues. Done

What issues did you have?

 

[IARob]

I agree with all above. If it's not for you sell it. I suspect many GX owners number one priority is reliability. It is for me. I have owned 4Runners for the past 20 years and with the exception of preventive maintenance it is very rare to have any problems. I have had terrible experiences with GM and will never own another. The GX550 has had some issues with this first year release and hopefully Lexus is making right by those owners. There is nothing out there right now I would trade my GX550 for. I like the lack of fake wood grain, I think the interior looks great, It rides fantastic, more power than I need, I can work on it (with the exception of advanced electrical) oh, did I forget to mention how great it looks? If service is needed my dealership service hours are 5:30am - 10:00pm 365 days a year. I guess we all have different needs from our vehicles and that's what keeps multiple car companies in business.

Size doesn't matter...with some things! I have had Yukon Denali XLs. I LOVE the room inside the Denali especially when traveling and doing travel sports. As an everyday driver, not so much. And issues - definitely not.

I went to the Lexus for the reliability. Yeah, not as roomy on the inside for trips and hauling folks. But as a daily driver, much better even though the gas mileage is comparable to the Yukon.

My needs have changed since the Yukon. One kid out of the house, the other going into last year of HS. If just the 4 of us for travel, this will work. If bringing more extended family, I will rent a car like I did last week. Had a Tahoe. And for a week - it worked. Full time - I am good with Lexus.

Peace of mind having Lexus/Toyota reliability - that is the big factor for me now. And I love the looks of the new GX.

 

[S SUBERI]

Not everyone is cut out for a GX 550. If its not for you move on. I happen to love mine and enjoy the fun it brings me and my family on our outings. I just don't understand how some people want it to be something that it's not and get pissed when it isn't. I would think that when your buying a $80K to $100K vehicle you would take serious consideration to see if it fits your life style before pulling the trigger.

 

[Capt CF]

I am kind of a FNG around here, but it does surprise me how many people seem to have cross-shopped the GX with luxury unibody SUVs. Kinda like deciding between a bagger and a dirt bike.