zeroday

a 270 hp vvti v8 with 330 lbs TQ is puny? i've driven an 05 4runner which has the same engine and i can tell you the thing BOOKS...it's a very fast SUV. the QX is a gas guzzling pig. albeit, a fast pig.

Beltfed

Yawn.........the QX is just a rebadged Armada.

These are big SUVs, suddenly we're concerned with drag racing?

The GX470 4.7l has 270hp and 330lb torque.

The QX56 has 315hp and 390lb torque.

Also, the QX56 happens to weigh 500 lbs more than the GX470.

DownUnder

For a 4.7L V8, 270HP is weaksauce. Not to long ago I was driving a rented Lincoln Aviator (4.6L 302HP) from Hertz for the weekend in Miami, and this kid next to me at a traffic light pulled up in a GX470 thought he was hot shit with his girlfriend or whatever with him and some rap music blasting loud. Light turns green he guns it first and then I go for it too and by 60 or so I pulled about 3 cars on him.

Xenogen

You wont get hit 60 in city block.

DownUnder

Just like the GX470 is a $50+K 4Runner with more wood and leather. BTW, the 5.6L are underrated, there are guys on the Titan forum getting 275+HP at the wheels.

DownUnder

In Miami you can hit 60+MPH easily on 41 for those of you that know the area.

zeroday

anybody who talks horsepower alone when comparing two vehicles obviously has no idea what they're talking about. 330 lbs of torque is nothing to sneeze at. I call on your story; what kind of a retard races an SUV anyway.

FYI lincoln aviator does 60 in 7.6 seconds, gx in 8. Three cars my ass.

bgsm1th

Of the two...I'd get the Lex.....

But I have seen a few of the QX56's around here with some nice rims on it, and I have to say I liked it quite a bit....

Beltfed

The GX470 is just a tad more than a rebadged 4-Runner.......unlike the QX56 which is basically just a rebadged Armada.

Not to mention, I don't see the QX56 winning any comparisons (unlike the GX470).

It was rated best 4 wheeler by 4-wheel magazine for 2 straight years. Not to mention, has one of the best SUV interiors on the market.

Edmunds also picked it over the Porsche, VW and Range Rover.... and that was before the GX's engine update.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=103624

DownUnder

The Aviator I was driving was RWD, those do 0-60 in about 7 seconds flat so enough with the mag racing. BTW, I floored it because the road I was on merges on to a 1 way lane he tried to beat me to it and failed miserably.

zeroday

sure ya did

Minch00

I didn't read this thread because I don't have that kind of time, but I vote for the QX56. That is all.

03TL-S

I say get the QX56. Its a nice SUV and Infiniti also has great service. The GX looks too narrow. The front is nice looking, but the rear and side profile look weird to me.

03TL-S

Actually, the GX470 is a rebadged toyota land cruiser

cob3683

LX470

03TL-S

No, i mean in japan, theres the regular land cruiser that is in the toyota lineup here, and then theres another landcruiser which is the GX here.

cob3683

I believe both are based off of the 4runner right?

rezurex

during my test drives i can honestly say that the GX didn't feel sluggish, the 330 ft-lb of TQ is definitely noticeable even at low RPM. maybe it was just me but the QX did feel a little more sluggish, but it felt more powerful? i dont know if that makes sense but yeah it felt like the engine was more powerful. handling wise the QX was i would say average. The GX's handling i would say was better but not by much.

interior... with all the goodies i would say the interior of the GX is better, particularly in terms of quality and fit n finish. Exterior styling... i cant say that im buying any of these cars because i like "the way they look". to me these cars would be something like a comfortable car with lots of cargo space... im more of a roadster/coupe type of person but like i stated before i would have a lot of use for an SUV so im shopping for one

really though... i mean i've never owned an infiniti, but is customer service and overall quality that much inferior than compared to a lex? my parents own a LS430 and i must say that it definitely is a great car, one of the best i've ever driven (inc S500 and 745li). i guess it wouldn't be too much to presume similar quality with the GX, which would definitely be a plus.

things i like about the QX - standard navi, larger cargo space.

things i like about GX - better interior and better fuel economy.

OH yea i did test drive the touareg but i didn't like it, it felt a little too "cheap" IMO. overall it was a great car but in terms of fit n finish i wasn't so impressed... maybe its just me.

what i will do is test drive the X5. i saw one on my way to work today with dual exhausts... looked pretty nice.

and i am a little wary on buying the ML.... it does look nice but i dont know, the only benz i would buy would be a coupe or sedan form preferably with AMG package (wont be anytime soon... )

thanks again

-rez

SPUDMTN

It seems to me that a LX470 may be a more appropriate choice, then. If you don't want to pay the full entrance fee, I'd say look into a pre-owned vehicle (certified or not--these things are ULTRA reliable). The LX470 is one of the kings of the luxo SUV segment. The ride is incredible, the power is more than adequate and it is ultra, ultra refined. The size was a perfect fit for my family and the cargo area was pretty versatile. This isn't a vehicle to perform in or drag race, but rather it is a comfortable cruiser, with great poise and presence. It's not quite as sleez...errr...flashy as the QX, though it does make quite an impression. Beyond this, the materials are, bar none, the BEST out there. It puts the GX to shame, and will blow the QX right out of the water.

With that being said, between your two choices, I'd say go with the GX470. It's a Lexus. It's a jack-of-all-trades.

heyitsme

LX or GX, neither have materials that are bar-none. Sure if we start talking about the RangeRover, VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne, ok, we start to move into bar-none category.


I don't think Lexus materials are bar-none at any price point.

SPUDMTN

The LX surely is on par with the Range Rover and VW, and is much better than the Cayenne...heck, I think the VW is ahead of the Cayenne.

But to each his own...

MSZ

GX = Land Cruiser Prado
LX = Land Cruiser Cygnus

Prado comes with 3 engine choices, the most powerful one is a 185hp 3.3L V6.

heyitsme

What? The Lx is on par with every other 2001 suv, not 2005 class leading luxury suvs. If I wasn't mistaken these pics would be of the limited edition tundra with nav, not some 70k super star...
























In the end of opinions, you're right, to each his own version of luxury....

SPUDMTN

Those are pics of a 2000-2002 LX (because of the wood steering wheel & shift knob, along with Navigation system and "Lexus" doorsills)...the 2003-2006 have a new interior design, which is nicer than the already nice 1998-2002 LX. Besides--pictures do not equate to luxury. The feel of the dash (all LX years) was soft and supple, the leather is ultra soft and hardly, HARDLY, wears down. Everything about the LX is quality.


I do not know if you have been in an LX470 or not, so I would have to say that pictures do not do the vehicle justice. The LX470 is a jewel.

heyitsme

Actually, at car shows, I lost that Lexus taste for autos even though they are praised as such quality- think thats tight screw quality, not design or material. I found that vw & audi really do excel on the details.

Even that knew pic you posted is nothing more than silver plastic.

cob3683

I agree with Spud that the LX is of very high quality, but it is far from being the best bar none. It really comes down to consumer opinion. The LX470 is awesome but I would never classify the materials as class leading or best in the industry because there are others that are much better.

Lexus overall is great because they do almost everything well, whereas other manufacturers do some things the best in the industry and lack in other areas.

Minch00

Man, I could never get used that that Cayanne steering wheel

DownUnder

I have a '98 LX470 with 62K miles and I'll say back in the day it was the best out there but today it really isn’t a standout anymore. My mine has been pretty good most of the time but it has had some problems, which surprised me cause it has relativity low mileage.

I've been in an '04 and it hasn't changed much overall other then the interior refinements, a new 5AT tranny, a little more power etc. But I didn't think it was a drastic improvement over mine so I wouldn't buy another one. I think they are way overpriced now at around $65K, I paid about $54K new for it in '98.

zeroday

the lx470 is based on a 1992 or so platform (toyota landcruiser) and i don't consider it competetive anymore. it's nice, but not worth 65k.

edit: 1990, not 1992

srika

the only Cayenne worth mentioning is the Turbo. forget the others.

mclarenf3387

If you get a huge monstrosity I will kill you Tony.

There are enough friggen trucks clogging up Jersey, no need for more. Not to mention 90% of SUV drivers can't drive for shit, not saying you can't drive

Oh, and get the GX. You'll love it for what you want.

Beltfed

The LX is an old design and to date, it still sells rather well and they do hold their value.

samkws

lexus without a second thought

but i assume it's more expensive...

F23A4

^^^ I drove both the ML350 and ML500 at length at an MB M-class rally event. MUCH more impressive than the 1G and the ML500 runs upper 14s. I came away from that event with A LOT of respect for the new M-class.

But the pricetag...

F23A4

IMHO (and I feel weird saying this as most VWs make me ) the Toureag is the sweetest SUV on the market right now.

mclarenf3387

THe old ones were the biggest peices of shit ever. Our family friends had one and it was always in the shop. They went from a LX 470 to that, and when the lease on the ML was up, they quickly got back into a Lexus, this time a GX 470 and they couldn't be happier.

Get the GX.

TheMirror

Just want to clear up a few things:

First of all, if you end up buying ANYTHING made in Germany, make sure that purchase price includes the longest, most airtight, covers absolutely everything extended warranty you can get your hands on. German anything costs an extreme pretty penny to fix, and reliability is not on a par with Japanese manufacturers. Quote the survey of your choice to confirm this fact. German manufacturers (especially Audi and Mercedes) recently got the crap beat out of them again in an owner survey taken in Germany. Ask any original ML owner.

Second, a 270hp, 330lb./ft. engine is not puny or weak. Drop one into a Miata or Fox body Mustang and see how well you go down the dragstrip. The issue with these vehicles is WEIGHT. The Lex weighs 4800lbs, the Infiniti an eye-watering 5600 (!). These things are trucks, pure and simple. Fancy and very well made trucks, but they're still trucks.

As far as Lexus vs. Nissan is concerned, I have extensive experience with a GX470. Its essentially a new 4 runner with more headroom, some extra standard features, and the resale value that goes with the Lexus brand. The Infiniti is based on the Armada, which is a fair sight bigger platform than the mid-sized 4-runner/Tacoma platform. Bigger in every way. Cargo space, wheelbase, length, width, turning radius, etc. etc. etc.
The Lexus is on a platform that is older, not as big or space efficient, and probably has a higher center of gravity.

Between the two, its all about a few key areas:

Size, interior quality, resale value.

Big vehicles are good for some things, and a pain for others. If you're hauling big gear all the time, get the Infiniti. If not, think Lexus. With interior quality, its Lexus all the way. Pretty easy to see. With resale value, compare LS430s with Nissan's Q. Once again, Lexus in a convincing victory.

The Infiniti to me is essentially a Chevy Tahoe. The Lexus is a 4 runner. Both are very nice, and very well made. I have no emotional attachement to the Lexus, SUVs ain't my thing. But, that being said, if I had to choose, I'd take the Lex because of the better interior, smaller size, better resale value, and better economy.

Here's a good breakdown:

http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/kw.kc.s...rnc&newcarstab

One man's meaningless $.02

-Mirror

Sclass88

Today, a family friend let me take his QX for a spin and that is one hell of a car. Don't get me wrong.. the GX is a real nice car but it seems more like a car that a soccer mom who had taste would drive.

The QX gets my vote.

Liftedoff420

get the lexus, the infiniti looks really hurt

if it was up to me, id definately go with a GMC YUKON, go test drive one seriously, they are alot nicer than what youd expect from a american suv

dallison

lexus, the infiniti looks like an overgrown pig