The Lexus GX 470 provides its driver with impressive off-road features while also offering a stylish ride on the road. Based on the recently redesigned Toyota 4Runner, the GX 470 can go almost anywhere. Still, its cabin is comfortable and luxurious.
The Lexus GX 470 gets improved functionality for 2005 with a tougher V8 engine. The 4. 7-liter V8 delivers truly extensive power development while delivering better fuel economy and cleaner emissions. Now rated at 270 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, it’s paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, and in combination, they deliver smooth, quiet, and responsive functionality.
The GX 470 is an original SUV with important off-road features based on classic truck engineering concepts: body-on-frame construction, rear-wheel-drive chassis configuration, physically powerful four-wheel drive formula and uncompromising rear axle. It doesn’t mean it’s outdated technology. The GX features a permanent all-wheel drive formula with a torque-sensing locking Torsen differential. Traction is automatically implemented in the tires with the most productive grip. Hill Descent Assist Control is helping the GX 470 traverse slippery slopes. Meanwhile, the vehicle’s stability helps the driving force stay in slippery corners. As the call suggests, the GX 470 is supplied with a rugged 4. 7-liter V8 engine.
Inside, the GX 470 is spacious and quiet, wrapped in leather and quilted maple. The dashboard is excellent in ergonomics and all the controls are where you expect them to be.
The 2005 design year brings sophisticated but important improvements, adding a new airbag formula for the front passenger. The available navigation formula has been updated with improved graphics and new features. Thanks to the navigation formula, you can now communicate hands-free. on a compatible cell phone and replace the cabin temperature with a voice command. A new Sport styling is supplied with a dynamic suspension formula and special interior and exterior trims.
The Lexus GX 470 ($45,775) comes with plenty of luxury features, adding leather upholstery, forced seats, forced mirrors, forced windows, wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, heated seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, dual ArrayremoteArray Homelink automatic climate control, a 115V AC electrical outlet in the shipping area, an AM/FM/cassette/6-CD changer with 11 speakers, a remote-controlled rear-seat audio system with headphones, a roof rack, a glass sunroof, and illuminated running boards.
The 4. 7-liter V8 and five-speed transmission are standard. Also standard: antilock brakes, traction control, vehicle stability control (VSC), Torsen limited-slip differential, and adaptive variable suspension with adjustable height control. The GX 470 travels in 265/65HR17 on 17-inch alloy wheels.
Options come with a third-row seat with rear air conditioning ($2,030); the navigation formula combined with a premium audio formula by Mark Levinson ($2,700); a rear-seat entertainment formula with two headphones ($1,560); and a trailer hitch receiver ($50). Bluetooth is an option on 2005 models, allowing the driver to wirelessly connect mobile phones to the GX for hands-free communication.
The new Sport styling is supplied with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which uses electronically controlled hydraulic cylinders to vary the degree of roll resistance provided through the front and rear anti-roll bars. Sport styling is highlighted through a special external finish, which adds dark graphite color. wheels and luggage racks, while the interior is highlighted through black quilted maple wood and dark graphite metal accents.
Standard passive protection includes two-stage front airbags and front- and second-row seat side airbags, as well as side curtain airbags designed to assist the head in the event of a vehicle rollover. Three-point seat belts are provided for each seating position and the front belts are supplied with pretensioners and force limiters to help minimise seat belt-related injuries. A tire pressure tracking formula is standard.
The Lexus GX 470 is a big, muscular vehicle. From the outside, it doesn’t look big, but it does look big. The frame has the same five-door design as a Toyota 4Runner, with a Lexus-style grille and headlights. The GX 470 features a mix of pointed hood and grille. , as well as superbly incorporated bumpers, fenders and side moldings in the frame color. Large headlights and intricate and large taillights adorn its corners.
The interior of the GX 470 is upholstered in leather and quilted maple. It’s spacious and comfortable, with large, comfortable seats and plenty of elbow room. The quality of the fabrics is excellent. The high side windows offer an elegant view, creating a spacious cabin.
One of the advantages of driving a Lexus product is that everything is where it needs to be and everything is obviously labeled. All the signs and tools are giant and undeniable to read, with undeniable graphics shared across other Lexus products. The switches and other controls are gigantic, undeniable, elegantly designed, and undeniable to use.
The available Lexus navigation formula works well and has been updated for 2005 with improved graphics. An available rearview camera displays a view of what the vehicle is directly on the navigation formula’s seven-inch LCD screen when the opposite option is activated. It can help the driver avoid backing over obstacles, such as a tricycle left in the driveway.
Mark Levinson’s available audio formula transforms the GX 470 into a concert hall on wheels. And the optional rear-seat DVD entertainment formula transforms it into a mobile cinema for up to six passengers. The DVD entertainment formula uses a high-resolution thin-film transistor LCD screen system that descends from the interior ceiling; You can even display your video on the dashboard navigation screen when the vehicle is parked.
The second row is spacious and comfortable and easy to get in and out. It’s a space-saving vehicle. A group of four people with a giant dog will feel right at home. The second-row bench seat folds down and is split 60/40 for added versatility.
Order the optional third row and the GX 470 with eight seats. The third row is suitable for children, but is desperate for adults. Available rear air conditioning provides enhanced heating and cooling comfort for passengers and third-row dogs.
Split 50/50, the third-row seats can be folded or removed and stored. What starts as a 13-cubic-foot shipping compartment can be expanded in stages by folding or seating up to more than 77 cubic feet. with the lightweight rear seats eliminated and the second row folded down. However, that’s not a lot of shipping space in the SUV world. By comparison, a Mercedes M-Class offers 81 cubic feet, while the worst BMW-class X5 offers a maximum of just 54 cubic feet. In addition, the GX 470’s shipping door opens from the left side; It’s inconvenient and forces you to go through it when you unload curbside at the airport.
The Lexus GX 470 is a stylish and comfortable to drive SUV with one of the most productive off-road capabilities on the market. Its variety of on-board electronics is unrivalled in this segment at this price point, and all systems work in combination. to bring this device to life, whatever the driving conditions.
The 4. 7-liter V8 offers world-class smoothness and silence. At maximum cruising speeds, the V8 is slightly audible. It delivers intelligent power with maximum torque for towing, 270 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. As heavy as it is, the GX 470 is no slouch in the functionality department, capable of flat-out acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in around 8. 1 seconds, with plenty of V8 intake roar to boot. To accompany. If you’re towing something up to its 5,000-pound limit, this truck will handle it with ease. The bad news is that no matter how hard you try, you will probably never reach 20 miles per gallon. The V8 is shared with the Lexus LX 470 and is optional with the Toyota 4Runner. For 2005, the V8 benefits from the company’s VVT-i (variable valve timing with intelligence) for greater power and responsiveness at all engine speeds. VVT-i also helps the GX 470 run cleaner, earning it the government’s strictest ULEV-II (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) rating for 2005. The GX 470 requires maximum octane gasoline of 91 (or compatible with) and has an EPA-estimated City/Highway Score of 15. /19 mpg.
Lexus equips the GX with its new five-speed automatic transmission, which provides quicker reaction and a higher ratio than a classic four-speed automatic transmission. Like the engine, the transmission is very smooth.
The GX 470 handles incredibly well for a body-on-frame truck with a rigid rear axle. Like most SUVs, it feels heavy and bulky with its fat tires. The force guide formula features other ratios at the outer ends of the guide rack than those in the middle, making the guide quick and smooth in parking situations, but smoother and heavier on the upper road, so the truck never feels too assisted or too assisted. As a result, the GX 470 feels very solid at top speeds.
Its popular adaptive variable suspension frequently modifies the damping of each wheel’s shock absorbers separately in reaction to road conditions, speed, and the driver’s steering and braking inputs. There will be four configurations selectable by the driver to adapt the formula to the driver’s personal tastes or situations. You may need to use the most comfortable environment for a bumpy avenue and then move to a business environment to navigate a winding country road. The formula automatically increases the stiffness of the shock absorber during transition maneuvers. This also reduces dive under hard braking and squat under hard acceleration. The rear air suspension can raise the rear ride height over rough terrain or lower the rear ride height when loading cargo. Overall, the ride is remarkably subtle for a truck with a live rear axle. Road vibrations and undulations pass, but are damped. We found that the Comfort setting produced a more comfortable and comfortable feel, but not a magic carpet ride; You can still feel the suspension reacting to surprises. Switching to the Sport setting makes the bumps more pronounced, making the ride less comfortable, but more responsive when cornering.
The available kinetic dynamic suspension formula provides increased stiffness for balancing when needed for precise handling and comfort on bumpy roads. The formula even deactivates the anti-roll bars in certain off-road conditions, allowing for more suspension articulation to help overcome obstacles. claims that the formula has been proven in World Rally Championship competitions, which is another way of saying that it’s not a flimsy trick.
The brakes are superb. They have an excellent feel and are easy to modulate for elegant stops. The brake rotors are giant and all 4 rotors are vented for long life and fade-free functionality (most trucks use vented discs).
Within the Lexus family, the GX 470 sits between the popular RX 330 car and the high-performance LX 470 pickup truck. The GX 470 offers more space, power, and off-road capability than the RX 330. T. t also soft. The GX 470 is smaller, lighter, and much less expensive than the LX 470 founded by Land Cruiser, but it will have compatibility in places where the large LX would possibly not be compatible. To some extent, the GX 470 rivals the BMW X5 4. 4i and Mercedes-Benz ML 500, but the Lexus is longer, wider, taller and lighter than either of those models and offers more off-road capability. Although it’s based on the 4Runner, the GX 470 gives it a personality of its own.
The Lexus GX 470 is a smart choice for buyers for its luxury, capability, quality and reliability. It’s stylish and tough on the road and can go almost anywhere off-road. It offers the highest levels of quality and economic excellence expected from a Lexus. and has its reputation for durability and reliability. It is spacious and comfortable and can carry up to 8 more people when supplied with the optional third row seat.
Jim McCraw, New Car Test Drive correspondent from Detroit; with Mitch McCullough in Los Angeles.
Lexus GX470 ($45,775).
Tahara, Japan.
third-row seat with rear air conditioning ($2,030); trailer hitch receiver ($50); Mark Levinson Audio Navigation System ($3,050); Rear-seat entertainment system ($1,560).