Lexus GX 460

Angular Front Exterior View - 2010 Lexus GX 460 4WD 4-door

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Shopping for a 2012 Lexus GX 460? MSRP: $53,245 - $58,040

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The Lexus GX is a mid-size, truck-based luxury sport-utility vehicle built in a Toyota factory in Japan and marketed in the U.S. as the middle SUV in the Lexus lineup. The GX 460 is based on the same running gear as the Toyota 4Runner and FJ Cruiser, and slots in between the entry-level crossover RX and the premium full-size LX SUV.

Lexus introduced the first GX 470 sport-ute at the 2002 Detroit auto show. On sales as a 2003 model, the GX offered Lexus buyers the toughness and off-road capability of the Toyota 4Runner, with a layer of luxury features including leather upholstery, wood trim and the Lexus showroom experience. In the first generation, the GX shared the larger LX's 4.7-liter V-8 engine. Teamed with a five-speed automatic and a four-wheel-drive system, the GX 470 also had an adaptive suspension with adjustable roll bars for better off-roading. The GX could hold up to eight passengers, but the third-row seat was notably small. Among the options: a Mark Levinson sound system and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. The GX was updated for the 2004 model year to include an optional rearview camera.

For the 2010 model year, Lexus introduced the second-generation GX 460, which featured a more powerful but slightly smaller displacement V-8 engine. The 301-horsepower V-8 is mated to a a six-speed automatic transmission. Built on a ladder frame, the GX has made its adjustable roll bars standard equipment. There's also a standard adaptive suspension and height adjustment for the rear shocks; a handful of electronic controls to help with hill descents and rock crawling; and electronic simulation of a locking differential, using the anti-lock brakes.

TheCarConnection rates the GX's performance as adequate, and styling's a bit too folded for many tastes, but the GX comports itself well on the open road and off the pavement thanks to its electronics. However, early in 2010, Consumer Reports found in testing that the GX's stability control system didn't perform as expected in emergency maneuvers, and the magazine issued a rare "do not buy" warning to its readers after it observed heavy oversteer in testing. Toyota later discovered a flaw in the GX's stability-control programming and issued a fix, which led the magazine to lift its embargo.

Otherwise, the GX provides amply for safety. There are standard side and curtain airbags, as well as knee airbags for driver and front passengers; the GX also gets fitted with active headrests, tire pressure monitors, and a lane-departure warning system. A front and side-camera warning system is an option.

Angular Rear Exterior View - 2010 Lexus GX 460 4WD 4-door

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