Hey, yo, desert Southwest reporting in here. Big 4Runner fan with an Airstream, and a new GX in transit. Had a '98 Limited (3rd gen) with a TRD supercharger, currently an '07 Limited V8 (4th gen). Got that new truck itch and started looking at the 5th gen 4Runners back around 2015, but couldn't stand the idea of settling for a six-banger that wouldn't have the oomph to pull the Airstream, so I decided to stick with my trusty V8 and wait for the sixth gen to come out.
And I waited. And waited. After a fifteen year run (!!), the sixth gen finally emerged in 2025, but now with a maximum four-banger (albeit hybrid and turbo) and still not enough tow capacity for my trailer. Major disappointment; gotta stick with my trusty 2007 V8. Then one afternoon I struck up a conversation at the carwash with a 2004 six-cylinder 4Runner owner who had V8 envy, and we jointly lamented what the new 4Runners had become. That's when he pointed me to the GX550 -- I had never paid much attention to any Lexus line before and was totally unaware of the GX. Wow, 50% more tow capacity than the strongest new 4Runner (6,000#), and, at 9,000# it was even stronger than my V8 (7,000#)! I was hooked.
Headed right off to buy one, then reality struck in the form of that forever wait in line with still no certaintly I'd get one. After three-plus months of searching, I got lucky and today my Premium+ is on a boat somewhere between Japan and Long Beach. Never gonna get rid of my V8 4Runner -- made that mistake once already when I sold my supercharged '98 -- It'll live in the garage of my Bay Area second home.
Me? I'm retired, a trailer camper and not an off roader. Largely here to learn what others who own these monsters have already learned about them. So far that's been that they have tremendous pulling power (my primary need), great acceleration for their size (vrooom!), lousy gas mileage (but about the same as my V8 4Runner, so whatever), an undersized fuel tank, and a very vulnerable windshield. There's so much more, of course, but that's a start.
And I waited. And waited. After a fifteen year run (!!), the sixth gen finally emerged in 2025, but now with a maximum four-banger (albeit hybrid and turbo) and still not enough tow capacity for my trailer. Major disappointment; gotta stick with my trusty 2007 V8. Then one afternoon I struck up a conversation at the carwash with a 2004 six-cylinder 4Runner owner who had V8 envy, and we jointly lamented what the new 4Runners had become. That's when he pointed me to the GX550 -- I had never paid much attention to any Lexus line before and was totally unaware of the GX. Wow, 50% more tow capacity than the strongest new 4Runner (6,000#), and, at 9,000# it was even stronger than my V8 (7,000#)! I was hooked.
Headed right off to buy one, then reality struck in the form of that forever wait in line with still no certaintly I'd get one. After three-plus months of searching, I got lucky and today my Premium+ is on a boat somewhere between Japan and Long Beach. Never gonna get rid of my V8 4Runner -- made that mistake once already when I sold my supercharged '98 -- It'll live in the garage of my Bay Area second home.
Me? I'm retired, a trailer camper and not an off roader. Largely here to learn what others who own these monsters have already learned about them. So far that's been that they have tremendous pulling power (my primary need), great acceleration for their size (vrooom!), lousy gas mileage (but about the same as my V8 4Runner, so whatever), an undersized fuel tank, and a very vulnerable windshield. There's so much more, of course, but that's a start.
