3rd Generation Lexus GX (GX 550, GX 550h) Megathread

[Ian Schmidt]

I think this highlights people who buy new vs people who buy used. Generally, new GX and LX buyers want luxury, quality, features, and convenience.

Used buyers want the bare utility and are often the “less is more” crowd, so they let someone else take the depreciation hit and fix the big ticket maintenance items. Then they lift them, put on all terrain tires and beat them up 😂

That's all true. But people are buying new Broncos and immediately going rock crawling even in the higher trims (a Wildtrak starts at $58K, which is GX-adjacent) and TMC's clearly jealous. I'm assuming that's why the Land Cruiser was cancelled and then un-cancelled in North America.

 

[jphcbpa]

On display at Pebble Beach for the Monterey Car week. Nebula looks great on the GX550 !

 

[CRSKTN]

We haven't seen anything in caviar have we?

 

[jphcbpa]

We haven't seen anything in caviar have we?

 

[qtb007]

Those wheels. Woof. Between the big diameter and the machined face spokes, getting a real Conestoga wagon feel. Overtrail looks so much better.

 

[NomadDan]

That looks like a Nori green GX in the background. It looks fantastic!

 

[jphcbpa]

That looks like a Nori green GX in the background. It looks fantastic!

 

[Gor134]

Yum

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

Pause. Do tell more.

I am sometimes surprised by some of his takeaways so this has me curious.

You have 5 people who liked this. Spill the tea.

 

[mikeavelli]

Also at Park Place Plano for anyone in the area. Pics by my buddy Ryan there.

 

[Gecko]

You have 5 people who liked this. Spill the tea.

TL;DR he was an engineer during a different time at Toyota and well before the modern TNGA era. Everything being positioned as from an “engineer POV” is fine and good for YouTube clickbait, but he’s been wrong on several occasions and is not particularly connected to future product decisions anymore.

Some people in the enthusiast community take his YouTube predictions as gospel considering how he presents himself as a Toyota insider but the reality is this forum has better information than he does.

Much like all media these days, the drive for clicks and views often outweighs sound reasoning or useful information. David seems like a very nice man who has found a way to monetize his career post-retirement - I don’t blame him for that.

 

[mikeavelli]

#gecko2024

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

TL;DR he was an engineer during a different time at Toyota and well before the modern TNGA era. Everything being positioned as from an “engineer POV” is fine and good for YouTube clickbait, but he’s been wrong on several occasions and is not particularly connected to future product decisions anymore.

Some people in the enthusiast community take his YouTube predictions as gospel considering how he presents himself as a Toyota insider but the reality is this forum has better information than he does.

Much like all media these days, the drive for clicks and views often outweighs sound reasoning or useful information. David seems like a very nice man who has found a way to monetize his career post-retirement - I don’t blame him for that.

I wholeheartedly agree. His renders and his predictions are what surprise me the most. They're pretty inaccurate, but he's very wise when it comes to discussing the Toyota Production System and other philosophies that derive from that.

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

#gecko2024

 

[ssun30]

The fact that he was predicting the 4Runner delay, LCP as NA LC revival, and TX having a V6 PHEV - even before BestCar made these scoops public, tells me he does still have connections in Japan. But he's incorrect more often than he is correct so how reliable his sources are is questionable. He's definitely overpromoting himself as the insider which is disingenuous.

 

[Gecko]

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Accurate 😂

 

[sl0519]

Accurate 😂

and lets not forget the spreadsheet master too~

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

The fact that he was predicting the 4Runner delay, LCP as NA LC revival, and TX having a V6 PHEV - even before BestCar made these scoops public, tells me he does still have connections in Japan. But he's incorrect more often than he is correct so how reliable his sources are is questionable. He's definitely overpromoting himself as the insider which is disingenuous.

This is also true, which is why I do not render him irrelevant and do put a little bit of weight behind the information he brings out.

I personally like David, even though he can be very click-baitey... because he doesn't get on my nerves and fill my YouTube recommendations like a certain KK fella does...

 

[CRSKTN]

Nobody punches down harder on the elderly than our Gecko.

 

[LateToLexus]

Also at Park Place Plano for anyone in the area. Pics by my buddy Ryan there.
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Mike, FANTASTIC comparison photos vs. outgoing model.

The new version is still great, though not perfect. These pics do have me slightly backtracking my thoughts that this is the best Lexus product in the last decade.

The vertical multicolor tail lights of the GX have always been a hallmark feature. The new rear end and tail lights looks kinda like the Jeep wagoneer, pretty plain.

The pics comparing the windshield angle of the outgoing vs. new GX are just wild. Curious how that will add to wind noise.

Weird, but these pics make me like the old body style, which I owned, even more and kind wish they would have kept the 3D nose/grille but just shrunk it a fair amount.

Huh.