ROBERT-A Posted June 21, 2004 Posted June 21, 2004 We purchased a 2004 GX-470 last month, and have about 2000 miles on it. I read everything I could find on comparable SUV's, and test drove many. The RX-300 was a little small, The MDX was a little drab with a few important features missing. Now that I have had the vehicle this long, I can't believe I was impressed with the ride and handling! We only had a fifteen minute test drive, and bought the vehicle out of town, but to me it handles like a truck, not a luxury SUV. I feel I have to constantly correct the steering. Although it is very tight, it does not track well. The wind blows the vehicle all over the road. The suspension is very disappointing. No matter what setting it is on, it is either too bouncy, or too stiff. This is something I did not notice on the RX or the MDX. I still can't believe I didn't notice this from the beginning. Please let me know if anyone else feels the same.
GS400jon Posted June 21, 2004 Posted June 21, 2004 Hmmmm. It doesn't even sound like we are driving the same model vehicle. Well, first of all, it is a truck so it won't have a sedan ride like the RX330, for example. I have driven three different RX330's and my truck rides just as smoothly over decent roads which don't have breaks for expansion, etc. One thing for sure, the GX is definitely quieter inside the cabin than the new RX. I have the air suspension setting at the second position from the left. My truck tracks very well on the roads without a lot of sloping. As far as crosswinds, I had heard the same rap (moves around a lot) on the 2003 model. Maybe it's the KDSS but with crosswinds while driving 65 to 75 MPH, the handling is comparable to an ES330 or RX330 but not as good as the GS400 I had. There's a lot of vertical surface area, which goes without saying. I'm really happy with the Michlein tires. I would suggest you get a complete wheel/front end alignment job and maybe check tire pressures for uniformity.
monarch Posted June 22, 2004 Posted June 22, 2004 I agree with GS400jon that the GX470 is a TRUCK (based on Toyota 4-runner chassis). So that means the ride and handling will be slightly less civilized compared to the front wheel drive RX330, Acura MDX, etc. On the positive side, the GX470 is a mans SUV - it's inherently more rugged than any of the front wheel drive SUV's. So years from now the GX470 won't be having all the suspension / steering linkage, etc. wear out problems that are typical of front wheel drive vehicles.
soapy Posted June 22, 2004 Posted June 22, 2004 The only place I have found that the GX 470 does not ride better than my old MDX is going over railroad tracks crossing the road at speeds over 35 mph. THe mdx would fly over the tracks and not give any jarring sensation like the Gx does. Prior to the Mdx I had a infinity QX4 that would bottom out and pound the pasangers. The GX does not bottom out. I think that both the GX and the Qx4 had solid axles vs. the independent rear suspension on the Mdx and that is why the difference. In all other aspects I find the ride on the GX to be better than the MDx. It also is much quieter than the Mdx or Qx4.
ROBERT-A Posted June 25, 2004 Author Posted June 25, 2004 Well, I took the GX to the Lexus service department, and they said everything was as it should be as far as alignment and suspension is concerned. If this is true, I cannot understand posts which favor the ride and handling of the GX over the MDX, the RX, or any other luxury SUV I have ever driven. As I stated earlier, the ride is either too bouncy or too stiff, depending on the setting. The vehicle leans in the corners, and is a chore to drive in moderately windy conditions. This is not a truck, it is, or at least I thought it was, a luxury SUV. Every other luxury SUV I have ever driven was close to a luxury sedan in ride and handling characteristics, not as good, but close. Mine is not. Some of the replies I have gotten have been from owners with KDSS equipped GX's. Maybe that is some of the difference, but I don't believe I should have to spend another two grand to get a vehicle that rides as good as an MDX. All things considerred, if I knew then what I know now, and the KDSS would make a substantial difference, I would have been glad to spend another two grand, for now I dread taking the vehcile out. I even asked my salesman about the KDSS suspension, and he said unless I plan to do offroading in the GX, I didn't need it. I try to like the GX, because this was really a financial stretch for us, but I am constantly reminded by the ride and handling what a poor decision I made. If I can trade the vehicle without taking too much of a beating, I will gladly take a drab MDX with superior horsepower, superior ride and handling, and a real third row seat. I could have gotten it to start with for $5200 less, with every bell and whistle they have to put on it. Interested in any genuine replies, Robert
GS400jon Posted June 26, 2004 Posted June 26, 2004 If it didn't take at least a few hours of work on your truck to check the alignment, your service department is not doing it right. I wanted to have my steering wheel straightened, as it was just a touch off center but the truck tracked very well. The service department wouldn't just adjust the steering wheel. They checked the front end and wheel alignment. I paced around for a few hours watching the master tech do the work. The GX is a TRUCK so you cannot expect it to have a soft, smooth ride over uneven surfaces like a car based RX or MDX. If you wanted a soft ride, unfortunately, you bought the wrong vehicle. If you took the RX and MDX off road and then compared the performance to the GX, you might appreciate why the GX handles the way it does. The interior quality of the GX is way over that of the RX or the MDX with its plastic wood, so that's the luxury SUV part. KDSS is not only for off road. It works during normal driving too. Having owned a GS400 with 17 inch, Toyo Z rated tires then going to the GX and being happy with the AVS at two positions from the left is saying something. Sure, I don't drive the GX into the corners like I did "occasionally" with the GS but leaning at any speed in a corner is not a pleasant feeling. If you ever have a chance, check out the relative diameters of a non KDSS truck's sway bars versus the ones on a KDSS truck. Big difference. The third row seat is in my closet, so that's my comment on the functionality. The only problem with KDSS is that it only comes on FULLY optioned trucks. I have yet to use the DVD player, after four months of ownership.
ROBERT-A Posted July 20, 2004 Author Posted July 20, 2004 Well, I finally got sick and tired of driving a so-called "Man's" truck posing as a luxury SUV, and traded the sucker in on a 2004 MDX. Couldn't be happier! I had to dress it up some, adding body side molding, fender flares, side steps, rear spoiler, wood grained dash and shift knob, and it almost looks as good as the GX. The kicker, at least for me, is that it rides like a luxury SUV should. Smooth and controlled over bumps, rises, and dips, and stable in the wind. 265 horsepower, 20 miles per gallon. We even got the MDX with the audio upgrade and DVD player, and it actually has an in-dash cd player with the upgrade, not just a changer. The rain sensing wipers work when it rains, and stop when it isn't raining. Michelin tires instead of Bridgestones. And, it has a functional third row seat, which recesses in the floor of the rear compartment. It is roomy enough for two adults, and doesn't block your view when it is down. Put 2000 frustrating miles on the GX, and only lost $1000 in the trade. I will say this, I really wanted the GX to work. It is a really classy looking vehicle, with some nice features, but the bob and weave ride and unstable driving conditions in the wind, along with a few manufacturing defects, just couldn't be overlooked. I know some of you may be offended by my comments, but these are my honest opinions. I plan on monitoring the GX over the next few years, to see if these problems were corrected. Good luck to all, Robert A.
pagemaster Posted July 22, 2004 Posted July 22, 2004 That is really unfortunate that you did not enjoy your GX470. I have read in many sources that the ride of the GX is not that good and the winds cause the vehicle to go off track. Other than that, the GX is a truck more than a car based SUV so that will happen. My parents have a 2004 Toyota 4runner which is the platform of the GX and I must say that the ride is perfect. Did you ever try the 4runner? The 4runner is not as tall or roomy as the GX. Good luck with your MDX, you should have endless miles of enjoyment as that SUV is one of the higher rates SUVs.
gx470forme Posted July 22, 2004 Posted July 22, 2004 Yeah, I am regretting not getting the KDSS option now, this thing does have some tracking issues, and dispite the Lexus touch to the suspension, it still very much rides like a truck. I almost looked at the VW Touareg before purchasing the GX and now wish I had. It has all the off-road capabilites of the GX, plus 4-wheel independant suspension, 4-corner air shocks, and bi-xeon headlights. I just couldn't get past a 50K VW, but that may have been my ignorance for not at least giving it a serious consideration. Might look into a trade maybe next year though.
GS400jon Posted July 23, 2004 Posted July 23, 2004 The GX rides like a truck because it is a truck. Well, on a decent road surface, it rides as smoothly as a car. The Michleins probably help a lot there. I haven't had any stability issues. Having had a GS400, I would probably be sensitive to any significant handling differences. I looked at the Touareg and the Cayenne and the overall quality of the interiors were not impressive compared to the GX. Closing the driver's door on the Cayenne made an awful tinny sound. Since I was looking for a high quality SUV, a lot of horsepower and exhaust rumble was not a selling point for me. I guess it's the Teutonic character, all the goodies are in the engine compartment and under the floor boards. A couple years ago, I had a deposit down on a MDX. You get what you pay for.
sqlb Posted July 23, 2004 Posted July 23, 2004 I completely agree with your statements - GS400jon. Any SUV feels likE a truck at times but the GX-470 is I believe oneof the best one at least in terms of smoothness on paved roads. That why I prefer driving our GX470 for long distance trips over my X5 though the X5 I believe is probably the best handling, balanced SUV in the market. For short trips, I love it. Long trips though, my kidneys can only take so much. lol. Take care!
SW03ES Posted July 23, 2004 Posted July 23, 2004 It sounds to me like you were looking for reasons to get out of that GX470 ;) Basically what everyone else has said, its a truck. I drove a truck based SUV for years, a 97 Explorer Limited. Really a nice truck with air suspension, all the bells and whistles but it could not deny its soul and heritage, its a truck and so is the GX. I'll never buy another truck based SUV again for that very reason, I don't drive it offroad or need maximum ground clearance, and I like the ride of my sedan. If I were going to buy buying an SUV for me to drive myself right now I would buy an Infiniti FX35. if I were going to buy something for trips or for carting kids or for my fiance to drive, I'd buy an RX330. I'd never buy a GX470 because it is just that, a truck. I've driven it and its nice, but its a nice truck. Now when you get into REAL heavy truck based SUVs like Navigators, LX470s, and Tahoes/Suburbans then their awesome weight helps smooth out some of the trucky feel. Truck based SUVs in that weight and size class though, GX470, Explorer, 4Runner all suffer from a truck based frame and not a lot of weight. I would buy an LX470 or a Navigator because of this, but not a GX. Glad you got into something you're happy with though.
gx470forme Posted July 24, 2004 Posted July 24, 2004 And for that reason, I think the VW Touareg would be the top choice for the mid-size if you are looking for a car based SUV but with the off-road capabilities of a truck based mid-sized SUV.
SW03ES Posted July 24, 2004 Posted July 24, 2004 But the one main problem is its a Volkswagen. Not the greatest reliability and some of the worst service in the industry. Thats the great thing about the Infiniti FX, great styling, sporty handling, carlike ride, good reliability, AND great service from Infiniti. Plus, no one who buys a vehicle like that is going to use it offroad anyways, even if they think they will.
gx470forme Posted July 24, 2004 Posted July 24, 2004 But the one main problem is its a Volkswagen. Not the greatest reliability and some of the worst service in the industry. Thats the great thing about the Infiniti FX, great styling, sporty handling, carlike ride, good reliability, AND great service from Infiniti. Plus, no one who buys a vehicle like that is going to use it offroad anyways, even if they think they will. True in most cases, but I use mine in the snow and off-road. Especially early and late in the winter season to get my snowmobile into good snow. I also fold back the rear seats and sleep back there on my weekend snowmobiling trips. Don't think the FX35 would work for me. I do agree that the FX is a contender for on-road, but for true off-road the Touareg is the closest as far as a car based is concerned. And your concern that it is a VW is what kept me from seriously looking at it. But I think that may have been naive. Sure the customer service isn't up to Lexus, but the Touareg has been getting rave reviews from all the car and off-road magazines. It even beat out the GX in Car & Driver.
SW03ES Posted July 24, 2004 Posted July 24, 2004 My mother had a VW, and it was a complete mess and VW was no help. They were so rude it made my father and I swear we'd never buy VW products again, ever. It was that bad.
GS400jon Posted July 24, 2004 Posted July 24, 2004 The RX330 was never a consideration for me. I will reserve my comments on the FX styling, since that's a personal thing. What's nice about the GX is the driver's sitting position. I have mentioned before how it was so exasperating, vision wise, to be behind mini vans, SUVs and pickups. The other thing I got tired of was not being able to see what was coming down the aisle in a parking lot when backing out because invariably, one of those vehicles would be parked next to me. Now, probably 75% of them can't see around me. The backup camera is another great feature. I have two angled, convex mirrors attached to the side view mirrors so there are no blind spots going backwards or forwards. There's no doubt about being partial to Lexus but that's the result of my dealership experiences since 1999 and an absolutely bullet proof GS400. The jury hasn't even been assembled yet on the GX and ES.
mercedes Posted July 26, 2004 Posted July 26, 2004 Interesting. Although soft for my taste (my car is an Audi S8), I've driven my wife's GX470 from Dallas to Houston in both sunny, thunderstorm and windy conditions. Setting the car at the stiffer setting made it drive perfectly at constant speeds of 75-85mph. In comparison, a Volvo S80 rental I drove last the same route was all over the place (very unstable). There must be something with your vehicle (alignment or tire pressure).
Reggie Posted August 20, 2004 Posted August 20, 2004 Of course it drives like a truck. That is what it is. For a truck it's awsomely smooth. Why did you buy it if you wanted a limosine?
Unlisted Posted August 20, 2004 Posted August 20, 2004 We purchased a 2004 GX-470 last month, and have about 2000 miles on it. I read everything I could find on comparable SUV's, and test drove many. The RX-300 was a little small, The MDX was a little drab with a few important features missing. Now that I have had the vehicle this long, I can't believe I was impressed with the ride and handling! We only had a fifteen minute test drive, and bought the vehicle out of town, but to me it handles like a truck, not a luxury SUV. I feel I have to constantly correct the steering. Although it is very tight, it does not track well. The wind blows the vehicle all over the road. The suspension is very disappointing. No matter what setting it is on, it is either too bouncy, or too stiff. This is something I did not notice on the RX or the MDX. I still can't believe I didn't notice this from the beginning. Please let me know if anyone else feels the same. try and drive a GX at a dealer with the KDSS suspension. See if that makes a difference. Some 04's had it, and i think all 05's will. Good Luck
darylhuff Posted September 14, 2004 Posted September 14, 2004 But the one main problem is its a Volkswagen. Not the greatest reliability and some of the worst service in the industry. Thats the great thing about the Infiniti FX, great styling, sporty handling, carlike ride, good reliability, AND great service from Infiniti. Plus, no one who buys a vehicle like that is going to use it offroad anyways, even if they think they will. I couldn't agree more on the VW comment. I actually had a Touareg. It was a great car. I loved the styling of the car, the ride was fantastic, the features were top of the line, and it had plenty of power (310 HP in my V8). The problem was that it was a Volkswagen. I had never had a VW before and I guess I should have done my research a bit better before buying. VW has consistently been at or near the bottom of the JD Powers ranking for the past 5 years. My Touareg had nothing but problems -- transmission lurching, battery problems, a flashing compass light, emissions problems, fogging windshield with the A/C on, ... To make matters worse, VW service is worse than their car's quality. I had my car in the shop twice for 7 days for a problem that should have taken no more than 2 days max to fix. To make a long story short, I'm glad I live in California with some of the most consumer friendly laws. After the 4th unsuccessful attempt to fix the lurching transmission I got a lawyer and lemoned the car. I actually got most of my money back thanks to the CA Lemon Law. http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1430528 I'd never known anyone that had lemoned a car, but in addition to mine, I know 2 other folks that have lemoned their Touareg and the vwvortex alias has had a steady stream of folks doing the same with their Touareg. There are a lot of good SUV's out there. The Touareg is not one of them.
SW03ES Posted September 15, 2004 Posted September 15, 2004 Its really a shame because VW has several really appealing cars, especially in the Audi line that I would be just plain afraid to buy... Talk about insane waits for service. My mother's beetle had a serviceable battery, meaning you have to check and add to the electrolyte levels circa 1982. I have never even seen a servicable battery in a car and I'm 23 years old and have been poking around our cars my whole life. Why VW woiuld use servicable batteries and say NOTHING IN THE SERVICE LITERATURE about it on a 2000 car is simply beyond me. It never would of occured to me to check the electrolyte levels in the battery, and apparently it never would have occured to the dealer either. One day on startup the battery exploded due to low levels. Well she had it towed to the VW dealer where they preceeded to keep it 4 DAYS simply to replace the battery. Horrible service. How they think they can keep the owner of $40,000 vehicles and $60,000 vehicles happy is beyond me.
Lexus&me Posted September 16, 2004 Posted September 16, 2004 We purchased a 2004 GX-470 last month, and have about 2000 miles on it. I read everything I could find on comparable SUV's, and test drove many. The RX-300 was a little small, The MDX was a little drab with a few important features missing. Now that I have had the vehicle this long, I can't believe I was impressed with the ride and handling! We only had a fifteen minute test drive, and bought the vehicle out of town, but to me it handles like a truck, not a luxury SUV. I feel I have to constantly correct the steering. Although it is very tight, it does not track well. The wind blows the vehicle all over the road. The suspension is very disappointing. No matter what setting it is on, it is either too bouncy, or too stiff. This is something I did not notice on the RX or the MDX. I still can't believe I didn't notice this from the beginning. Please let me know if anyone else feels the same. try and drive a GX at a dealer with the KDSS suspension. See if that makes a difference. Some 04's had it, and i think all 05's will. Good Luck Sorry guys - I really agree with Robert - I have the KDSS and everything you can imagine on the 2004 GX470 - The steering is awful - keeps drifting either to the right or left - Its in the shop now and I have a loaner 04-RX330 (with nav etc) - It is a much better vehicle than the GX470 - with even more bells and whistles (head lamps - door illuminators etc ) - I am going to tradein the GX as soon as I find something comparable (with a third row seat) - There are rumors about a BMW coming out soon ! -rm
GS400jon Posted September 16, 2004 Posted September 16, 2004 That's weird. Usually if there's any drifting, it's consistently to one side on a normally crowned road. KDSS has nothing to do with minimizing drifting so you've got some other problems like front/rear alignment, steering or tire balance. I don't have any problems with steering/drifting. I've driven a few RX330's and it wasn't even a consideration prior to buying the GX. Since you're having problems though, I can understand your comments. They're not really an apples to apples comparison anyway. Hmmm, has the dealer tried switching the tires around?
ADVocate Posted September 20, 2004 Posted September 20, 2004 If I can use my GX as an example, I would say that whoever has the steering drift problem should have it looked at. I have had no such anomoly with my truck. In fact, it pretty much stays on track without a problem. I agree that the KDSS should not have any bearing on a tracking problem. It almost sounds like you have an alingment issue. This is by no means a LIGHT auto and other cars passing by it or a light wind should NOT effect it. If you live in an overly windy place, I would hazzard a guess as to say the high profile of the vehicle is probably more at issue. If the GX cannot work for you, than good luck on finding the auto that will. I have not had any major complaints, but there have been the minor ones (like storage space by driver, or 6-way power seat on passenger side, Navigation changes while driving). I know that what I bought certainly fits what my expectations where, and I have not found those serious design issues that others claim to have found. Oddly enough, it seems that most complaints seem to be an auto of this cost and calibre should behave better. Have you tried to drive something that was more frugal , or should I say, cheaper. Because, most of that other stuff (more inexpensive autos and trucks) do feel like just that .... cheaper! BTW, I have dealt with the Lemon Law in California, it is a pain the butt, but it does work and you can have your day in court.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now