vizaggolfer

Coming from a BMW M5, I couldn't tell the difference between KDSS and non-KDSS, so save your money and have one less thing to worry about as the vehicle ages. I test drove vehicles with both configurations and body roll/inertia into a curve is a fact of life with these heavy and relatively tall vehicles. It is not too difficult to adapt to the ride as it becomes second nature to re-calibrate to an SUV vs. a sedan. To be fair, the salesman did advise me that I wouldn't notice KDSS unless I'm into serious off-roading, which I'm not. The purchase experience was a no-pressure affair and the people at the dealership were extremely professional (as were the salesman at the Volvo and BMW dealership where I cross-shopped an X5 and XC90). I went armed with my Edmunds TMV printout and the salesman offered $1500 above invoice as his opening pitch, which was $2,000 less than the TMV. You can get great values for 2007 GX470s. Plus, I got coupons for 3 free services and 3 free in-shop manicures/pedicures for my wife. The salesman pitched paint/leather protection and extended warranty (refundable if you don't use it) which I passed on. Hope this helps. Good luck with your purchase - we absolutely love this vehicle.

2007

We just traded my wife's Volvo V70 for a GX470 to accomodate our growing family and I wanted to post my first impressions. To begin with, the fit and finish on the GX470 are a couple of notches above the V70 (and even a Volvo XC90 that we test drove). The engine is buttery smooth and the power/torque more than enough for our needs. The ride is smoother than the Volvo, but less confidence inspiring at speeds approaching 80 mph, or even at lower speeds on bumpy roads or windy days (and I thought my wife's Volvo handled like a dog compared to my BMW M5). This is not a problem, since the reason for purchasing this vehicle is not to drive fast or to carve up corners, but to comfortably transport a truck-load of people (Ha!). The ride on long drives is extremly comfortable, which makes this a terrific cruiser with a load of 6 passengers. The navigation interface is much better than my 2006 M5 and all 6 CDs slots can play MP3s unlike my M5 which has a 1+6 CD configuration with only the in-dash player having MP3 capability. Bluetooth connectivity and address book download from my wife's BB worked flawlessly, but the crippled phone/nav functions while the vehicle is in motion are disapointing, to say the least. Overall, very satisfying compared to compromised solutions (e.g., BMW X5 - sport vs. reliability/comfort or Volvo XC90 - safety vs. reliability/sport/comfort or Land Rover LR3 - image vs. reliability/comfort). In many ways, this is philosophically like my M5. The M5 is uncompromising in its performance, while the GX70 is uncompromising in the comfort with which we can schlep our clan. Cheers, Vizagolfer