Looking hard at GX550

[Roscoe]

Looking hard at GX550 so here I am. Eating up the forum insight and moving to first test drive. Any advice would be helpful or I'll ask. Most driving will be on pavement. Little towing but that could change when we move to TN. I use to drive a 4x4 F150 and it was a tank. Thus my desire to go back to 4 wheeler.

 

[chris.gio]

Just got one and love it. Previous off roaders include G550, Defender and LR4. Also had had a Ram 2500 and Avalanche back in the day.

So far Lexus my favorite. The G was very well made but no longer worth 2x a GX. If I was offered either for free, would take a G but for my money the GX offers almost as much legacy, refinement, and capability for about half as much cash.

Defender is great, still have it. Miss the V8 sounds but Defender drives more like a car—even after raising mine—vs a truck. Wife prefers Defender but I think the GX looks better outside (both look great inside). Also, again, V8 defender was around $110 vs $87 for GX, so GX wins here again.

Have only had a week but great so far. It’s a Toyota and should outlast about anything if important to you. Have started to modify it which is fun, looking forward to getting off road once breaks in a bit more…

 

[Roscoe]

Just got one and love it. Previous off roaders include G550, Defender and LR4. Also had had a Ram 2500 and Avalanche back in the day.

So far Lexus my favorite. The G was very well made but no longer worth 2x a GX. If I was offered either for free, would take a G but for my money the GX offers almost as much legacy, refinement, and capability for about half as much cash.

Defender is great, still have it. Miss the V8 sounds but Defender drives more like a car—even after raising mine—vs a truck. Wife prefers Defender but I think the GX looks better outside (both look great inside). Also, again, V8 defender was around $110 vs $87 for GX, so GX wins here again.

Have only had a week but great so far. It’s a Toyota and should outlast about anything if important to you. Have started to modify it which is fun, looking forward to getting off road once breaks in a bit more…

This is exactly the input I'm looking for. Chris, as you get more miles on your GX, please check back.

 

[AtomicEric]

We've got 11 k in our OT+. I love the heads up display despite thinking I would not make use of it. Seat message is fun but we don't use it unless we really think about using it. Many on line driving impressions are finding OT more comfortable on road. We have a 2024 so not sure how the 1" lift on the '25 changes that vibe. The rack is louder than most like. The OT rack bars are not, just the flat platform. Rock sliders are functional for that purpose but not so much as a step. The rear cargo area is nice w/o the battery pack like in the Land Cruiser 250. Visibility out the front is GREAT for a modern new vehicle as are the side mirrors. Back up cameras take out the guess work and work well. I do like the drive modes and the adjustable shocks and EKDSS sway bar setup. These are only on the OT models. Sport + stiffens up the truck on back roads for driver and passenger comfort even when driving normal/light on the throttle. Holds tranny out of overdrive which is nice at 25-45 mph cruising. Also aiding passenger comfort for a tad more compression brake at throttle lift or slight down hills. In general with the V6 setup, if you enjoyed a mild muscle car from the 70's, the GX will give you that torque and brisk bust of acceleration (big smiles) while keeping speeds in check. Best of both worlds IMO. Oh, and it is very nice off road and on gravel tracks at slow to moderate speeds. The OT disconnects the rear sway bar when set to MTS Dirt and is surprisingly nicer than I would have thought. Truck size is nice (like an 80 series ), not to big or small with a solid feeling of mass and safety when driving. Lastly on the test drive , put the seat to a higher position, drop the window and put your arm on the door sill. It is very comfortable just cruising and getting some fresh air. Enjoy....