good points, I wonder how the percentage of dissatisfied buyers is for the OT vs Lux/Prem models. I was originally looking at the new LC but when I saw the GX550 it jumped out to me as a beefier LC, especially with better tranny, rear end, suspension, towing, etc. Coming from driving my 4x4 Tundra & Taco, and other 4x4's like a 1972 Bronco and modified/lifted 94 Jeep GC (don't hate me), my GX is all and more of what I wanted and a great ride. I'm not comparing my experience with a soft and plush luxury SUV.Actually, I can see how that would be misleading now that I reread it. Having never owned a GX before I was not comparing it to prior GX's, but since you have owned a few previous ownership of prior models would naturally be one of your main comparisons and apparently the 550 is massively different. I guess the silver lining is the resale/trade in is so high it's a relatively low cost mistake. Just imagine if you had bought the X5 first and then decided you needed a 550..
Time to say Goodbye GX550 Lux+ (2 Viewers)
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Shooting from the hip I would guess it has to be much higher on the non-OT trims. I think a lot of us (esp on this forum) bought it because it is an offroad capable body on frame truck and not because of ride quality, comfort, etc. and I would guess that demographic skews toward the OT and OT+ trims. Like you, we originally wanted the LC, but once the GX dropped it was a no brainer since we can actually use the increased towing capacity so we got the GX instead. The other demographic are people that wanted the OT but just had to have a third row. We have a few of those on the forum and some of them have kind of OT'd their lux/premium by switching up wheels/tires, etc. to have a more offroad oriented 3 row GX.
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Haha! True that.Actually, I can see how that would be misleading now that I reread it. Having never owned a GX before I was not comparing it to prior GX's, but since you have owned a few previous ownership of prior models would naturally be one of your main comparisons and apparently the 550 is massively different. I guess the silver lining is the resale/trade in is so high it's a relatively low cost mistake. Just imagine if you had bought the X5 first and then decided you needed a 550..
To be clear, I appreciate what this vehicle is… a pretty amazing off road luxury suv. I also appreciate all the folks that love it and tweak it to make it even better. Just not my thing. And, unfortunately, that is simply not what the typical Lexus brand buyer signed up for.
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Well said! The tech from 2010-2019 simply did not change! The dash was basically identical for 11 years! It was crazy. My 2019 GX460 did not even have Apple Car Play.I just recently drove a GX460, a 2023 Premium with 25k miles, when we were looking for another car to add. Having only driven my 550, I was shocked to see how planted and calm the drive experience was in the 460 compared to the 550. Entirely different driving experience than the 550. I loved it. Wish I had a 460 to pair with my 550. But family didn't like the tech or the looks so it didn't happen.
I can see how anyone who had a 460 would make a logical rational guess that the 550 would be more of the same like 460 in terms of ride quality or better. But no.
Again, I think the use case is fairly narrow for the GX550, and it might be less confusing and more honest as an OT trim only.
Think of that for a minute. 2019.
Also very limited safety features (2019 and no adaptive cruise?)
It’s like they put it on a shelf for 11 years then went all in on off-roading. Such an odd play.
GX is really good, but it would be THE perfect tow vehicle for me if it had the 3.4L TT V-6 Sequoia hybrid system. Our ‘23 Sequoia was good, but the GX full-time 4wd w/ a hybrid system for power & torque would be awesome.
Maybe I am weird but I deliberately chose PP over OT and I love mine 
. I know why I was getting it and for what - towing / camping / hiking / skiing / etc. PP is more than enough capable for my use case. I don’t need KDSS, AVS, etc and the maintenance cost that comes with them. I think PP with rear climate zone, vents in the roof, 3rd row, acoustic windows, hands free lift gate is better value than OT for an average Joe like myself
. I know why I was getting it and for what - towing / camping / hiking / skiing / etc. PP is more than enough capable for my use case. I don’t need KDSS, AVS, etc and the maintenance cost that comes with them. I think PP with rear climate zone, vents in the roof, 3rd row, acoustic windows, hands free lift gate is better value than OT for an average Joe like myself 
Not weird, you knew what you needed and wanted!Maybe I am weird but I deliberately chose PP over OT and I love mine
Definitely not weird. We choose the Lux + and love it. This ride quality thing, while understandably an issue for some, is not as terrible is it’s being made out to be.Maybe I am weird but I deliberately chose PP over OT and I love mine
I'm kind of 50/50 on that. The hybrid system would be pretty nice, but when towing 4500 pounds + ~200 pounds of payload in the trunk, power was the last thing on my mind. My friend's 5.3L Silverado with basically the same HP and way less torque pulled 6000 pounds without ever having to go full throttle. From what I've seen, the hybrid system won't really boost for more than 20-30 seconds anyway; once you're pulling, you're fully reliant on the engine and then nothing would be different.
I would love an auxiliary helper spring in the rear for my Lux+ though - even if it's one of those foam rubber ones. The rear springs are just a bit soft for towing anything meaningfully heavy.
The only thing I miss from trading our ‘23 Sequoia Limited w/TRD Off Road is the towing. In comparison, I have a ‘25 Tundra w/ the Performance Package & both do really well, but the Sequoia pulled at an even better level. The hybrid is so seamless when towing. WOT you might only get 30 sec of power, but normal towing it lasts all day as a supplement you don’t even know is happening unless you have the tow gauges selected on the IP. It’s not like it needs a big redesign to do it. The GX chassis is nearly the same as Land Cruiser, which has a hybrid driveline, & Sequoia & LC use the same hybrid battery system. Just my experience.
Lexus has been teasing me w/ hybrid rumors since GX550 launched. GX is good, it could be better towing.
I guess it's time to chime in on this thread. I am in the group that questions the "luxury" label of this vehicle. This thing is rougher riding and less comfortable than my Ford F-350 that I traded in on it. We also own a GX-460 that is a pleasure to drive and doesn't bounce around and seem unstable like the GX-550. Also, I have had the backup camera, brakes, and tranny updated which still does not shift as it should. I believe the GX-550 is great for some people but if you are looking for a smooth comfortable luxurious ride this is not the vehicle to own. I wish I had not got caught up in the hype and researched other other vehicles more diligently. I have owned this for 10 months and only have 5000 on it, my wife has no interest at all in driving it.
So now the question is what do I do now? Here are the current options I'm looking at:
1. BMW X5 or X7 (don't like the looks)
2. Mercedes GLE or GLS (don't like the looks)
3. Range Rover Sport (love the looks and the comfort but concerned about reliability. Should reliability be a concern as long as it's under
warranty?)
So now the question is what do I do now? Here are the current options I'm looking at:
1. BMW X5 or X7 (don't like the looks)
2. Mercedes GLE or GLS (don't like the looks)
3. Range Rover Sport (love the looks and the comfort but concerned about reliability. Should reliability be a concern as long as it's under
warranty?)
Go drive a LX600 - it’s the ride you were expecting.
Sounds like I dodged a bullet. Was having a hard time finding one. Then my dealer added a 10k mark up. So I went with a 2026 Landrover Defender 110. It is the exact opposite of what you complained about. Soft smooth quiet ride. Super comfortable seats, and tons of storage all over the inside. In line 6 with 395 hp. And I would agree that the 550 is nice looking but I think the Defender looks better.
Landrover Defender 110.
Not sure about the previous GX Models but the GX 550 has a solid rear axle with lots of weight versus an independent rear suspension set up like in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The GX 550 brakes have front fixed calipers which is good with pistons on both sides vice a floating calipers with pistons on one side. I looked into aftermarket handling improvements like bigger sway bars, better shocks, etc. and the project sort of fell apart for me.
When the Jeep Grand Cherokee comes out with another SRT (better suspension and brakes) I will look into that. Probably can't afford a BMW and the cost of dealer maintenance on that.
When the Jeep Grand Cherokee comes out with another SRT (better suspension and brakes) I will look into that. Probably can't afford a BMW and the cost of dealer maintenance on that.
Yes and no on competing with X5. Cost range starting out similar. But one is unibody and the other is body on frame. One is everyday driving luxury, 5 passenger, luxury without a robust towing and offroad ability whereas the other can haul 7, tow a lot and run off road much better. Plus, as a brand, Lexus is a much more reliable vehicle with lower maintenance costs. So again, once you place looks aside (GX is a sexy beast!), what is most important to you. If you aren't towing or off-roading, why look at Lexus?
I was just watching a savagegeese review of the LC vs the GX from a couple weeks ago and they had a pretty good line that sums up a lot of the thoughts on this thread: paraphrasing a bit: "...in the case of the Land Cruiser and the GX you're compromising in this vehicle's case on-road vs say a unibody rear wheel drive based SUV like an X5 or an X3...you compromise the on-road dynamics for the benefit of being able to tow and be able to go off-road and genuinely rock crawl..."
They go on to say: "...this always feels like a live rear axle truck if you compare it to a body on frame Yukon, Suburban, Tahoe...some of the Ford variants as well those vehicles feel more nimble and they feel less body on frame and some of the negativeness of the bounciness of the platform than the Toyota variants purely because of the live rear axle. Obviously the benefits are when you are offroad."
They go on to say: "...this always feels like a live rear axle truck if you compare it to a body on frame Yukon, Suburban, Tahoe...some of the Ford variants as well those vehicles feel more nimble and they feel less body on frame and some of the negativeness of the bounciness of the platform than the Toyota variants purely because of the live rear axle. Obviously the benefits are when you are offroad."
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if you like it drive it, if not get something else this is all opinion and our answers will vary as we're not all solving the same problem...
Personally I'm coming from a '18 Silverado crew cab 1500 z71 ltz 6.2L on wrangler duratracs, I had a diamond back cover on the back that I permanently (rarely but easily removed for hauling large items) used for storage of bike racks, ice chest, tools, beach gear etc, it had a growing laundry list of issues that were solvable but I felt at 110K miles was time to let go of at a resell value of $22K. My checklist for an updated ride included
-I could still tow small trailers with
-go on up to 3/10 rated (OnXmaps) jeep trails for backpacking/fly fishing
-reliable toyota/lexus legacy
-SUV (since that's what my truck essentially was with the bed cover) that was smaller, easier to park, and fit in my cali. (read "small") garage
-also I have 3 small kids I occasionally take with me on short outings (booster seats only) so third row was a necessity though it's usually down, and is more comfy for them v/s my crew cab they were smushed together in with boosters
-comfort (relative to each person) as this is my daily
-fuel economy as long as it sort of matched my truck I was fine with as my commute is only ~40 miles (two way)
... this is how I ended up with my '26 Lux +... maybe this can help others in their decision process
Personally I'm coming from a '18 Silverado crew cab 1500 z71 ltz 6.2L on wrangler duratracs, I had a diamond back cover on the back that I permanently (rarely but easily removed for hauling large items) used for storage of bike racks, ice chest, tools, beach gear etc, it had a growing laundry list of issues that were solvable but I felt at 110K miles was time to let go of at a resell value of $22K. My checklist for an updated ride included
-I could still tow small trailers with
-go on up to 3/10 rated (OnXmaps) jeep trails for backpacking/fly fishing
-reliable toyota/lexus legacy
-SUV (since that's what my truck essentially was with the bed cover) that was smaller, easier to park, and fit in my cali. (read "small") garage
-also I have 3 small kids I occasionally take with me on short outings (booster seats only) so third row was a necessity though it's usually down, and is more comfy for them v/s my crew cab they were smushed together in with boosters
-comfort (relative to each person) as this is my daily
-fuel economy as long as it sort of matched my truck I was fine with as my commute is only ~40 miles (two way)
... this is how I ended up with my '26 Lux +... maybe this can help others in their decision process
I agree with you on the GX. I miss my 2016 Ford F250 Diesel. My truck was so comfy. The ride was better. More storage. Seats heated and cooled way better! I feel like the fuel mileage was about the same! The screen in the GX is so annoying, takes too many buttons to get where you want to go. Then the car yells at you for looking away! The hood flutter on 95 is scary as hell! The. The visors are small and the mirrors aren’t the greatest. The interior seems cheap for such a high end car
This is not just about Lexus. Many people buy vehicles with very little knowledge of what they are buying. It’s like they show up at a dealership and say”hey, sell me something”.
I don’t buy anything without thoroughly researching what it is. The GX550 is clearly an off road vehicle, regardless of trim, that will handle the highway great FOR WHAT IT IS. Anyone buying any 550 for on road luxury performance didn’t understand what they were buying. That’s not Lexus’ fault.
I don’t buy anything without thoroughly researching what it is. The GX550 is clearly an off road vehicle, regardless of trim, that will handle the highway great FOR WHAT IT IS. Anyone buying any 550 for on road luxury performance didn’t understand what they were buying. That’s not Lexus’ fault.
📷 Lexus GX 550 Random Images
📷 Lexus GX 550 Random Images
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