GS400jon

The mileage computer on the ES330 is very accurate, at least the four or five times it has been checked against hand calculation. The computer average miles per gallon is with a tenth or two of the manually calculated number. The trip computer on the GX, consistently reads 2 MPG high.

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.

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.

Considering the high center of gravity and comparing it to the 2003 GX test drive, ES330 and GS400 I used to own, the GX handles really well on flat corners and in the mountains. The sway bars on a KDSS truck are quite large in diameter. I don't normally drive in the "Sport" mode. It was worth waiting the five months. Other people on the forums have some glowing reports on KDSS (not off road usage) since they have a SUV basis for comparison. I have not taken the truck off road. You cannot get the factory towing package on a KDSS equipped truck. There are, however, after market towing setups that will work. Either this forum or the Club Lexus forum have threads on this subject.

I used to complain a lot to the salespeople about the GX rear door before my truck arrived. Now, even though I park the truck on the left side of the garage, walking around the door while unloading stuff has never been an issue (California weather helps some). I rented a Toyota 4Runner a few weeks ago while on vacation and that back door is NOT easy to close. It takes quite a tug on the rope to get the door down and a firm push is required to close it. A power rear door like on the RX330 is what I would like to see on the GX, although, I have had problems figuring out what sequence to use on the loaners. The power door doesn't respond to the remote like a normal trunk release for whatever reason.

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.

I vote, then look to see what the stats are. I am the only one that has voted. Cracked me up

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.

You're right. I do like the real shiny look it gives, especially on Black Onyx. There are a few more complete applications to go and, if the GS400 I had is any measure, a bunch of freebee applications by the dealer over limited areas. Side note: There was a Blizzard Pearl GX on the showroom floor today. After four months of driving my GX, I am finally at peace with my decision to go with black/KDSS versus Blizzard Pearl/KDSS and still waiting.

WOW!!!!!!!! Nice pictures!!! Anyway, I was at the Lexus dealership today and the service consultant said they will "clay" my truck. When my truck was serviced, the wash job didn't remove the tree sap. I didn't have time to get it done today but it sounded like it might not cost me. The truck (1,600 miles) has dealer applied MagnaShield protectant, which will not be affected by claying, according to the service person helping me. Thanks for the thread on claying. I was not familiar with this process until reading your input the other day.

If your wife is tired of a truck ride, she will be much happier with a RX330 or wait til the end of the year and get the hybrid RX400h. My wife has two girlfriends that have RX330's and they both love it.

It's interesting how popular the subject of HIDs seem to be. I had a GS400 and currently have a ES330 with HIDs. The GX headlights, with the driving lights on, seem to be quite adequate to me. Sometimes I think the HIDs are more impressive coming at you than sitting behind them, IMHO. Maybe the night driving conditions are much different in other parts of the country. Seems that it was Consumer Reports that dinged the HIDs because of the sharp cutoff of light and lack of range. Should I duck now or later???

Apparently there's a hitch made by Draw-Tite that will work with KDSS. Look for a thread on the ClubLexus forum. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/forumdispl...?s=&forumid=115

For what it's worth, the center section of the cup holders lifts out. That allows a teeny weeny more space for storage. I too, was also amazed at the lack of center console storage space. The ES330 has a large, lower storage space on the center console in addition to the smaller compartment above that.

The navigation system/screen was not designed to handle DVDs. Some people have found a way around this, although it's against the law in most states. The DVD player is located at the rear of the center console.

You should probably have your truck checked by the dealer. It may require leaving the truck at the dealer overnight, so they can check/adjust when the engine is cold. Running at 2500 RPM on a cold start is really too fast, regardless of the outside air temperature. Freezing temperatures and thickened engine oil might have some effect. The ES 330 also cold starts at 1500 RPM and starts dropping right away. The key, turn and release feature, while the engine continues to crank, works the same for a cold start or warm start and doesn't have anything to do with engine RPM control.

OK, I had not driven the truck in a couple days so couldn't respond right away. This morning, the truck started at 1500 RPM and immediately started decreasing to 1200 RPM. This was within about 5 seconds, then I backed out of the garage. It seemed that 2500 RPM was pretty high for a cold start but never really checked that before.

4. Well, there's loading and unloading....for whatever that's worth. And, there's an outside chance that increasing the rear height will provide additional rear ground clearance during slow speed off road driving. That's about it

Well, it's good to hear that your navigation is working. Yesterday, a tennis friend was riding in my truck and was VERY impressed with the navigation display, dash layout, quality of interior materials and the smooth ride. He drives a 2004 Mercedes S55 AMG. AMG translated means 493 HP, 516 FT-LBS torque, 0-60 in under 5 seconds and $111,000. I am impressed that he is impressed :o

I'm laughing at your response about the third row seats. You know, I asked my salesman if I could store the seats at the dealerhship until it was time to sell the truck. He started laughing and I just couldn't keep a straight face. Well, the upside is, I had to get rid of some old stuff in MY closet to make room for the seats. The last upside is someone out there is going to like having the third row seats, AC and entertainment system when I am ready to buy the new "GX500". That's the one with 300 HP gas and 200 HP electric and gets 70 MPG AND comes only with two rows of seats. :) :) :) :)

The manual talks about break-in. In general during the first 500 miles or so, no fast starts or to the floor acceleration. Don't drive for prolonged periods at the same speed. The Lexus website talks about KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) as well as on this board. KDSS gives the truck much better handling but you can't have the factory towing option.

:cries: Give me a second while I pull out my violin. Here's what I found out during my quest for a Blizzard Pearl GX with KDSS. After a few months of reviewing the factory allocation reports with my salesman, here's what came out. Only 10% of the trucks built for the Western Region have KDSS. All of those have the third row seat, rear entertainment as well as Navigation/Backup Camera and ML options. Of the 10% with KDSS built in January/February (all 10 of them :( ) only four of those were Blizzard Pearl . So, I settled for a dealer allocated Black Onyx/Gray interior GX with KDSS. Somewhere in another thread I talk about having a 1999 black GS400 and being tired of keeping the car clean. Anyway, that's the story about mandatory "options" from Lexus. My third row seats are in a closet and I may never find out if the DVD player works. When you think of having some $3500 in unwanted options plus $1750 for KDSS it makes one doubt their own sanity. But, I love this truck!!!!!

Well, first of all, there are a couple things you probably don't want to hear. First, you should have waited for a KDSS optioned GX. It makes a large difference in the handling of the truck. Second, there are no coat hanger hooks with the third row seat option. That space is taken up by either the rear air conditioning vents or the third row shoulder belts, not sure which. I have a 9700E build. If you look at your Lexus window sticker (the one that lists standard equipment and options on the truck), on the upper right corner you will see: DESCRIPTION: GX470 5-DR SUV YEAR/MODEL: 2004 / 9700 E

You should have received or will receive a corporate Lexus, new car customer satisfaction survey. That will be your chance to really ding the dealership. The dealer should also have provided a signed checklist indicating the car was completely prepped and operational at time of delivery.

bday, what did the dealer find out about your GPS problem?