Lexus GX
Midsize body-on-frame luxury SUV · 2003–present. 30,914 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
It was created by Lexus, Toyota's luxury division. At its 2002 debut the brand's spokesman was Denny Clements, Lexus group vice president and general manager. The current generation's chief engineer is Koji Tsukasaki, working with Lexus Takumi masters Kazuyuki Ueno (off-road driving) and Shuichi Ozaki (on-road driving).
The original 2002 release identifies Tahara, Japan, as the GX 470’s exclusive assembly plant. Current GX releases also locate assembly at Tahara; development included testing at Shimoyama, Japan.
It was unveiled on January 7, 2002, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2003 GX 470 was announced for U.S. sale in early December 2002; the subsequent annual report confirms a December launch, priced at $44,925 plus $575 for delivery.
For years the numbers followed engine size: GX 470 for its 4.7-liter V8 and GX 460 for its 4.6-liter V8. Today's GX 550 breaks the rule: its engine is a 3.4-liter V6.
In the early 2000s, rival luxury brands were adopting two-SUV lineups, and Lexus wanted an edge with three. The GX filled the gap between the car-based RX and the big LX 470: a midsize SUV with a truck frame, full-time four-wheel drive and Lexus luxury. Lexus described it as the best mix of business and pleasure.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12003–2009
GX 470: V8 off-road capability with Lexus luxury
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 What changed. It was the first GX: a body-on-frame SUV with a 4.7-liter V8 making 235 hp and 320 lb-ft, a five-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive with low range. With the optional towing package it could tow up to 6,500 pounds and carry up to eight people with the optional third row. Lexus hoped to sell more than 20,000 a year, and the first full calendar year, 2003, recorded 31,376 units.
The innovation. It combined self-leveling rear air suspension, Adaptive Variable Suspension and height control with Downhill Assist Control, which creeps down steep slopes without you touching the brake. The V8 delivered 80 percent of its peak torque from just 1,100 rpm, ideal for dirt roads.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists campaign 16V065 for the 2004–2006 GX 470: the side curtain air bag control module could be improperly programmed. The 2003 model has two campaigns: a label with the wrong gross vehicle weight rating (03V031) and a second-row seat latch that was hard to lock on vehicles with the Lexus Link storage case (03V088). Ask for proof they were done. - Gen. 22010–2023
GX 460: fourteen years of V8 and up-to-date safety
Photo: SsmIntrigue · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It was introduced on November 23, 2009 with a new 4.6-liter V8 making 301 hp, a six-speed automatic and 13 percent better combined fuel economy (17 mpg versus 15). It brought ten standard air bags, including knee and second-row side air bags. It was refreshed in 2014 with the spindle grille and LED headlamps, and in 2020 it added standard Lexus Safety System+.
The innovation. Its optional Pre-Collision System could include Driver Attention Monitor: a camera that watches the driver, warns if attention drifts and lets the system brake. The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), which cuts body lean by up to 50 percent, also gained steering and yaw sensors.
If you buy one usedThe 2010 GX 460 built between November 16, 2009, and April 8, 2010, had campaign 10V159: in a sharp, high-speed turn it could slide sideways, and the fix was a stability control reprogram. Takata passenger campaigns16V340,18V024,19V005 and19V741 together cover certain2010–2017 GX460s, with year and geographical conditions. Campaign19V741 includes specified replacement inflators from prior repairs. The low-pressure fuel pump could fail on 2014–2015 (20V012) and 2018–2019 (20V682) models. - Gen. 32024–present
GX 550: the premium off-roader
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It debuted on June 8, 2023, in Austin, Texas, as the first all-new GX since the 2010 model. It swapped the V8 for a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 349 hp and 479 lb-ft, a 10-speed automatic and the GA-F platform shared with the LX 600. It introduced the Overtrail and Overtrail+ grades, with 33-inch all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential, and towing rose to more than 9,000 pounds.
The innovation. It debuted Lexus's first E-KDSS: a suspension that electronically unlocks the front and rear stabilizer bars so the wheels can move freely off-road, then locks them again for stability on the highway.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists campaign 25V767 for the 2024 GX: manufacturing debris could contaminate the V35A engine and damage the main bearings, which can stall the engine. The 2024 and 2025 models are in campaign 25V744 (the rearview camera could freeze due to a software error on Panoramic View Monitor vehicles) and 26V179 (labels). The 2024 also has 26V341 (the instrument cluster might not show certain warnings). Ask for proof they were done.
Lexus RX1998–present
Lexus NX2014–present
Lexus ES1989–present
Lexus TX2024–present
Ford F-Series (F-150)1948–present
Toyota RAV41994–present (US from 1996)
Honda CR-V1995–present
Ram 15001981–present
Tesla Model Y2020–present
