Time to say Goodbye GX550 Lux+ (12 Viewers)

[ATDGUY]

After 16 months of trying to like this vehicle I'm trading it in. Before everyone goes hating on me, let me explain. This version of the Lexus is just not for my family. My wife had three Lexus SUVs in a row and LOVED every one of them. (LX, 2011 GX460, 2019 GX460.) We figured "Great! Let's get the newest model.")

This car has some interesting qualities, but not enough to overcome the issues that take it out of the "pursuit of perfection" tradition of Lexus. (The good news is that it is so sought after I got an amazing deal at trade-in with multiple offers.)

Cars I've owned over my 60 years:

• 5 Lexus (four of them big SUVs and we loved every one of them)
• 5 BMWs (X5s, sedans, etc. These are some well built vehicles.)
• 1 Chevy big SUV - Loved it
• 2 Ford SUVs - they met the purpose
• several Ford sedans
• two Honda pickups (also loved these)
• several Toyota Rav 4s (these were for the kids)
• several of the original "college cars" when I didn't have any money

Pros of the GX550:

• Probably the best looking vehicle in its class (big SUV) on the market and the best looking vehicle I've ever owned. That is one of the reasons I bought it. It is still awesome to look at and no one else has caught up.
• I cannot speak to its offroading capabilities, but clearly that is what everyone loves it for. If that's what you like, and are willing to compromise is so many other areas, then that is great. Everything has trade-offs.
• Sunroof with the instant transfuser was very cool feature and easy to use.

Why I got rid of it? The same things often posted about on this forum:

• The ride is ridiculously rough. It's supposed to be a Lexus?? Come on! I get the leaning-in to the off-roading capabilities, but when you trade in the prior GX model and expect some thing similar, this was ridiculous. It is worst than a $40k pickup truck.
• The noise! Again, this is a Lexus?? The wind noise from the outside and the wind noise from the vents makes for a ride that is anything but serene or comfortable. Taking a cross county trip with the noise and rough ride is simply exhausting.
• Gas mileage was horrible, even when doing 90% highway driving.
• The stupid gas gauge that shows "empty" when in fact there are four gallons left in the tank (caused my wife stress for no good reason.)
• Seats are not comfortable: The prior GX front seats were so much more comfortable. And why does the passenger seat on the Lux+ not have the same controls/settings available on the drivers seat? Not to mention that the rear passenger seat is very cramped for such a big vehicle.
• The front windshield is a rock catcher. Two chips in a mater of six months. (In all my driving I maybe had one other windshield get chipped.) My guess is if I kept GX to 100k miles I'd be fixing rock chips every-other-year.
• Basic quality issues (also posted about): The brakes SCREECHED every time we backed up; Had to take apart my front passenger seat to fix my massage seats within three weeks of purchase; the lumbar seat lost it's pressure after about three hours; hood flutter was annoying; a rear window rattle. Etc.
• Minor annoyance: front storage is horrible. The "cooler box" is just dumb. I had to buy a home-made (3d printed) tray off of Ebay to fit in there so we could have a semblance of organization. Other than that "cave", there is really no other place to put your stuff (except on the phone charging pad.)

Sharing in case someone else who is not into off-roading thinks they are buy a Lexus for all the reasons you'd buy a Lexus ("Smooth, quiet comfort; quality craftsmanship. The relentless pursuit of perfection.")

Maybe in a couple generations of this model they will get back to their core Lexus qualities AND have the off-roading capabilities that people seem to want.

 

[Hoffy1337]

LX next on the list?

 

[serbiansizzle]

I agree on the cooler box.

What are you getting next?

 

[GR8Santini]

My sister just bought ‘26 LX600 Premium+ earlier this month - wow is that a nice comfy ride. Polar opposite driving experience from a GX, & LX truly gives the Lexus feel. I enjoy the GX ride.

 

[klakeman]

Way too many people buy the GX based solely on looks. It is basically the Toyota Land Cruiser with a much better powertrain. It is a body on frame, truck with four-wheel-drive. It’s shaped like a brick and weighs 5500 pounds. It is not going to be super quiet, and it’s not going get great gas mileage. But it will tow 9000 pounds and surprise a lot of Jeep owners off-road. Never buy vehicle based on looks alone.

 

[280driver]

I agree on ride but that’s also due to the 22 wheels/low profile tires. We have actually gotten used to it. The noise and mileage are about on par with the other’s in the class so that’s a wash in my mind. I have to disagree on the comfort. The driver seat in our Lux+ is incredibly comfortable. At the end of the day as many have pointed out, the GX is a luxury SUV/truck. It’s not a crossover or sport wagon and won’t drive like one. Anyway, glad you got a great deal and hope you have better luck with your next vehicle!

 

[CaryGX550]

I have a coworker who is not a car/truck guy. He asked for my impressions of the GX because he was looking for a larger SUV that is comfortable for long (5-6 hour) business and family trips. I love my GX but I quickly redirected him to the LX and a couple other large SUV's I thought would fit his use case.

 

[MEVANSNC]

I agree with most of your observations. I have a 21 Land Cruiser and my wife drives a 21 LX we both purchased new. We purchased these to replace older versions since they were pausing/changing models. My OT GX is great for short mountain drives, and I’ve made suspension, wheel and tire changes that make it decent on the highway. The only issue I have had was with the brakes and that was fixed quickly under warranty. My wife hates the GX, first the engine noise, she likes a V8, and the seats are not comfortable. I’ve been looking at replacing it, but for its size, it’s great on mountain roads. Nothing new interest me, been looking for another LC200.

 

[YellowLab]

Your ride experiance was confirmed by so many of the reviewers of the non-overtrail models. Basically those GX's are designed to compete with the BMW x5 which at the end of the day rides and handles 1000x better than the GX Lux or Prem models.

 

[ColoradoOutdoors]

Your ride experiance was confirmed by so many of the reviewers of the non-overtrail models. Basically those GX's are designed to compete with the BMW x5 which at the end of the day rides and handles 1000x better than the GX Lux or Prem models.

Agree. My controversial take is that maybe GX550 should only be offered in OT+ trim. The Premiums and Lux GX550 rolling on 20 inch and larger wheels and third row are destined for dissatisfaction.

I think the 550 stacks up well when compared to other body on frame trucks with off road intent, but put it against luxury class SUVs or 3 row people haulers, yikes, not so much.

 

[ATDGUY]

Well said, and agree. My controversial take is that maybe GX550 should only be offered in OT+ trim. The Premiums and Lux GX550 rolling on 20 inch and larger wheels and third row are destined for dissatisfaction.

I think the 550 stacks up well when compared to other body on frame trucks with off road intent, but put it against luxury class SUVs or 3 row people haulers, yikes, not so much.

This is the smartest reply yet. Sell it for what it is and the Overtrail+ is the personification of that. To sell the Lux+ and Premium+ is misleading. This is NOT a Luxury SUV. That's not to say it's not good, but they will continue to disappoint anyone that has previously purchased a Lexus SUV expecting Lexus -- "smooth, quiet comfort."

And to whomever posted that you "shouldn't buy a car because of the looks", please re-read my post. That was a bonus. I bought it because it is a LEXUS. (Unfortunately it did not meet the Lexus brand standards. )

 

[ATDGUY]

I agree with most of your observations. I have a 21 Land Cruiser and my wife drives a 21 LX we both purchased new. We purchased these to replace older versions since they were pausing/changing models. My OT GX is great for short mountain drives, and I’ve made suspension, wheel and tire changes that make it decent on the highway. The only issue I have had was with the brakes and that was fixed quickly under warranty. My wife hates the GX, first the engine noise, she likes a V8, and the seats are not comfortable. I’ve been looking at replacing it, but for its size, it’s great on mountain roads. Nothing new interest me, been looking for another LC200.

Agree. And the fact you "made suspension, wheel and tire changes that make it decent on the highway" is exactly my point. (But it is cool you did that.) I didn't pay $85k+ for a "project" when buying a Lexus. That's not to say that is not a cool hobby (improving your ride) -- I love that. Just not what I'd expect to have to do when driving a Lexus for everyday, normal use. Maybe they should market "normal use" as mountain roads? And agree the seats are simply not comfortable. Not sure how the screwed that up from the GX460 - those were terrific.

 

[ATDGUY]

Your ride experiance was confirmed by so many of the reviewers of the non-overtrail models. Basically those GX's are designed to compete with the BMW x5 which at the end of the day rides and handles 1000x better than the GX Lux or Prem models.

You are 100% correct, and funny you say that. After driving a Lexus SUV for the past 25 years, we are now the proud owner of two BMW X5s. Clearly not in the same size class (that would be the X7.). But comparing ride, comfort, noise, software usability and functionality, quality.... it's not even close. If I needed something as big as the GX550 it would definitely be the X7. I have family who has one and they love it. For 25 years my wife would not drive anything other than her Lexus. Once we got the X5 I was "stuck" with the GX so that is what I traded it for - another X5 with lots of options. (The self driving capabilities leave Lexus way behind the curve.) And BMW ended up owing me money for the overall trade. Go figure. The GX is clearly a hot car to have right now.

 

[Hoffy1337]

I have an 2026 550 OT+ and have been considering moving up to an LX but have also been looking at the X5’s or 7’s. Reason being is that my wife has trouble getting in and out of it and actually hurt herself yesterday trying to slide down out of it. She isn’t that tall so she struggles with the height of it. Also I knew the ride would be firm but still haven’t got used to it yet. Where we live the roads are fairly rough so I get to enjoy the ride often. Possibly because of my age I just need more comfort than the ruggedness of my GX. I really love the vehicle but not so much the ride as I thought I would.