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

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SC300ES

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Well no one is forcing anyone to purchase these to be the first on the block to get it. Don't want to pay the markup, wait.
 
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Brandon B

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I’m playing the long game, put my name down at several dealers for the first 2025 models (overtrail +). Hoping to avoid any markups by then!
 
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Flagship1

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RAL said:
Back when it first hit the market, in CA $250k bought an LX 600 ... what people won't pay to be among the first!
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One would think Lexus, a company whose success was partly based on the excellent dealer network, would do better. I guess dealers have the upper hand in the situation.

That being said, i guess for every 9 customers who pay 2x over asking for a Gx, 1 customer can gladly ask for $20k off the rz450e?
 
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Flagship1

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Motor said:
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I doubt many of these overtails will be going over a trail.
That being said, i hope to see these vehicles parked in urban centers full of the arb accessories catalog, like the current defenders with their spare jerry cans and roof ladders. Cool nordstorm parking lots
 
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Flagship1

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i was reviewing the vspecs of the various trims for the given allocations, and it seems the GX, and almost every TNGA product on sale these days is on a MO of decontent and diversify moment. KDSS being optional in particular being the spark of this thought.

To me personally, it seems Lexus is having a BMW moment when they shifted from the E Series programs to the F Series programs and their USP of ultimate driving machine became optional.
 
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ssun30

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Flagship1 said:
i was reviewing the vspecs of the various trims for the given allocations, and it seems the GX, and almost every TNGA product on sale these days is on a MO of decontent and diversify moment. KDSS being optional in particular being the spark of this thought.

To me personally, it seems Lexus is having a BMW moment when they shifted from the E Series programs to the F Series programs and their USP of ultimate driving machine became optional.
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Considering how much tech and capabilities they are adding to the GX, decontenting the lower trims may be the only way to keep its starting price below $65k. The KDSS-less trims still have more articulation than the GX460.

The J250 was engineered to have almost the same GVM as the J300 so it's no longer fair to compare it to the old J150 platform. The "light duty" part is no longer true considering its payload capacity is over 700kg/1500lbs (comparable to the Tundra). Its more direct comparison is the J200 Land Cruiser/LX570 and by that measure the GX is a bargain. Even a fully loaded GX550 is way below the price of LX570.
 
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ssun30 said:
Considering how much tech and capabilities they are adding to the GX, decontenting the lower trims may be the only way to keep its starting price below $65k. The KDSS-less trims still have more articulation than the GX460.

The J250 was engineered to have almost the same GVM as the J300 so it's no longer fair to compare it to the old J150 platform. The "light duty" part is no longer true considering its payload capacity is over 700kg/1500lbs (comparable to the Tundra). Its more direct comparison is the J200 Land Cruiser/LX570 and by that measure the GX is a bargain. Even a fully loaded GX550 is way below the price of LX570.
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Agreed. Considering the overall picture of where the GX, LC, and 4Runner fall in the market, keeping a lower pricepoint "decontented" GX will probably find some buyers that 4Runner and Land Cruiser won't cover. There are buyers that don't want hybrid but they do want an upper trim, offroad capable vehicle. Based on Tacoma trims, 6th gen 4Runner Pro/Trailhunter will be all hybrid. Land Cruiser is all hybrid. TRD Off Road with Premium package will be the highest that one can go in the Toyota lineup without hybrid. The GX is the step up from the 4Runner TRD Off Road that is going to be generally in parallel with the Land Cruiser... which is kinda where the base GX460 sits right now.

KDSS not being standard on the GX is less decontenting and more customer preference. There are 4Runner owners that don't want KDSS and there are 4Runner owners that demand it. If someone is doing a build, they usually look for a non-KDSS truck because it is just extra cost for something they are going to throw in the trash if they are lifting beyond 3".
 
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GoHuskers

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Flagship1 said:
i was reviewing the vspecs of the various trims for the given allocations, and it seems the GX, and almost every TNGA product on sale these days is on a MO of decontent and diversify moment. KDSS being optional in particular being the spark of this thought.

To me personally, it seems Lexus is having a BMW moment when they shifted from the E Series programs to the F Series programs and their USP of ultimate driving machine became optional.
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complain a little too much there bruh.

It's rare to find the GX470 with KDSS so I guess Lexus is getting back to its root. Also, most people don't need to extra cost and "issues" with KDSS. If you own a GX460 you probably know/hear the infamous KDSS LEAN. We still have 4 GX460s in our family and any given day you would see that freaking KDSS lean.
 
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qtb007 said:
KDSS not being standard on the GX is less decontenting and more customer preference. There are 4Runner owners that don't want KDSS and there are 4Runner owners that demand it. If someone is doing a build, they usually look for a non-KDSS truck because it is just extra cost for something they are going to throw in the trash if they are lifting beyond 3".
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I agree with everything you said except this part, and you explained why with 4Runner owners as the reference. These are different buyer audiences.

The number of people building rock crawling overland/offroad GXs is fractional compared to 4Runners, but I know what you're talking about with 4Runner buyers not wanting KDSS for longer travel in more aggressive builds.

The GX community has always appreciated KDSS because of the on-road driving improvement and "knowing it's there if I need it" for off-roading, which they do much less of vs. 4Runner owners. Some of the comments about the GX 550 being floaty and more disconnected than the GX 460 make me wonder if keeping KDSS on all trims might have improved driving dynamics, but eliminating it probably allowed them to lower prices on other models where the buyer demographic would care less, if at all.

So, yes... removing KDSS from most 3GX trims is decontenting, but that's probably just fine considering that they diversified the lineup and people who really want it can still get it -- they'll just have to pay more than they did before.
 
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Flagship1

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Gecko said:
I agree with everything you said except this part, and you explained why with 4Runner owners as the reference. These are different buyer audiences.

The number of people building rock crawling overland/offroad GXs is fractional compared to 4Runners, but I know what you're talking about with 4Runner buyers not wanting KDSS for longer travel in more aggressive builds.

The GX community has always appreciated KDSS because of the on-road driving improvement and "knowing it's there if I need it" for off-roading, which they do much less of vs. 4Runner owners. Some of the comments about the GX 550 being floaty and more disconnected than the GX 460 make me wonder if keeping KDSS on all trims might have improved driving dynamics, but eliminating it probably allowed them to lower prices on other models where the buyer demographic would care less, if at all.

So, yes... removing KDSS from most 3GX trims is decontenting, but that's probably just fine considering that they diversified the lineup and people who really want it can still get it -- they'll just have to pay more than they did before.
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Exactly. Its pay to play now.

GoHuskers said:
complain a little too much there bruh.

It's rare to find the GX470 with KDSS so I guess Lexus is getting back to its root. Also, most people don't need to extra cost and "issues" with KDSS. If you own a GX460 you probably know/hear the infamous KDSS LEAN. We still have 4 GX460s in our family and any given day you would see that freaking KDSS lean.
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Having owned multiple 120/150s, besides the warranty covered lean tsb, what qdr issues does the system have?
 
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ssun30

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GoHuskers said:
complain a little too much there bruh.

It's rare to find the GX470 with KDSS so I guess Lexus is getting back to its root. Also, most people don't need to extra cost and "issues" with KDSS. If you own a GX460 you probably know/hear the infamous KDSS LEAN. We still have 4 GX460s in our family and any given day you would see that freaking KDSS lean.
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E-KDSS no longer has KDSS lean problem.
 
qtb007

qtb007

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Gecko said:
I agree with everything you said except this part, and you explained why with 4Runner owners as the reference. These are different buyer audiences.

The number of people building rock crawling overland/offroad GXs is fractional compared to 4Runners, but I know what you're talking about with 4Runner buyers not wanting KDSS for longer travel in more aggressive builds.

The GX community has always appreciated KDSS because of the on-road driving improvement and "knowing it's there if I need it" for off-roading, which they do much less of vs. 4Runner owners. Some of the comments about the GX 550 being floaty and more disconnected than the GX 460 make me wonder if keeping KDSS on all trims might have improved driving dynamics, but eliminating it probably allowed them to lower prices on other models where the buyer demographic would care less, if at all.

So, yes... removing KDSS from most 3GX trims is decontenting, but that's probably just fine considering that they diversified the lineup and people who really want it can still get it -- they'll just have to pay more than they did before.
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Nothing prevents Lexus from choosing large swaybars for good on road handling on the more road focused models. I think a pretty strong argument could be made that non-Overtrail models shouldn't offer KDSS but should be spec'd with big swaybars. They would give up some articulation, but as you pointed out, anyone that would be building out a GX would probably be starting with the Overtrail, so no major downside to putting big swaybars on the Premium and Luxury models. It is still going to flex well on trail due to being BOF and SRA.

The 4Runner approach is skinny swaybars for non-KDSS and big swaybars for KDSS. This means all 4Runner models basically have the same total articulation while the KDSS models have flat on road cornering.
 
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