Ladder frame based SUVs are becoming more and more rare these days, but some are still around and mainly survive by blending exceptional off-road capability with luxurious appointments. This 2013 Lexus GX 460 Premium is one such specimen. The GX has been around in United States since 2003 and is based on the European Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. This platform is not the same as the current Land Cruiser that we get in North America. The Prado platform dates all the way back to 1990, so this Lexus GX is rooted in proven and reliable architecture and components. The GX also shares many components with the Toyota 4Runner. This is all good news, when you consider reliability, strength, and off-road capability.
The second generation Lexus GX was introduced in 2010 and christened the GX 460. The numeric designation refers to the 4.6 liter V8 motor that powers this beast, and it is the only engine available. This V8 is a fine motor and puts out 301 HP and 329 Lb-Ft of torque. It produces very nice and powerful sound, and it’s able to rev quickly and smoothly. It is backed by an updated 6-speed automatic transmission with the 6th gear suited for highway running. I verified this on a couple of short interstate trips. The GX turns just below 2,000 rpm at 75 MPH, which makes for a quite and seemingly effortless long distance cruising. Of course, this also help with the fuel economy and the GX is EPA rated at 20 MPG highway.
Personally, I am not very fond of the new GX 460 front end looks. Mainly, the shape and positioning of the HID headlights make the vehicle look startled. The rest of the car looks good to my eye. The profile is classic SUV, and the rear is clean and very well executed. The 2013 model does not have any visual differences from the previous year. Every Lexus GX review is quick to point out that the rear hatch opens to the side instead of up. I did not find this to be an issue at all, but I live in the suburbs. It may be an issue in a metropolitan environment, but I would hope that you leave your GX at your ski lodge or mountain chalet instead of the big city.
Those of you who are familiar with the current Toyota 4Runner’s interior will find many resemblances in the cockpit of the Lexus GX. It’s not a bad thing, plus the Lexus interior looks and feels more sophisticated and refined. I did however have a couple of issues while in the driver’s seat. First, my knee kept hitting the big round Audio system’s on/off/volume knob. I am a little over 6’2” and my knee is likely to be higher than some, so I am not sure if this is an issue for people of smaller stature. Second, when the gear lever is in the Drive position, it blocked my view of most of the switchery to the right of it on the center console. These are the switches that control the ride height, suspension modes, hill descend crawl speed, and 4Hi/4Lo transfer case. This is not a big deal, but it’s not as easy to use as interfaces on some of the competitors.
In general, I found the driver seat very comfortable and the driving position high and road commanding. The second row room was very good as well. However, the third row room is very limited and adequate only for younger kids. Also, I found it difficult to fold the middle row seat in order to gain entry to the third row (surprising for a Lexus product). If you require a Lexus with more room, then choose a Lexus LX.
My Lexus GX460 was stocked full of options including: adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and Driver Attention Monitor. The latter system has a steering wheel column mounted sensors that can recognize when the driver is not facing forward. Another set of sensors is looking at the road ahead, and if a frontal collision is imminent and the driver is not facing forward, then this Lexus warns you with beeps, flashing light, and even pulsing of the brakes. This advanced safety feature is unique in this segment.
TFLcar has taken the GX 460 off-road on several occasions: in dry, muddy, and snowy conditions. This Lexus just laughed at anything that we threw at it. It has the hardware that makes it one of the best off-road vehicles out there. Among other things it also has Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System or KDSS. This system automatically disconnects the stabilizer/sway bars on uneven surfaces for better wheel articulation, and it also fixes the stabilizers in place for more flat cornering on pavement. The suspension works great off-road, but I found it a little bouncy in most on-road driving. Yes, I tried switching between Comfort, Normal, and Sport suspension settings. I did not find much difference between these three modes. All of the computers and rear air springs could not hide the fact that this is a ladder frame beast with a solid rear axle. I recently had the pleasure of driving the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit, and I can tell you that it handled the off-road just as well but rode smoother on pavement. Also, I felt that the Infiniti QX56 could handle the on-road duty in a smoother fashion than the GX. Simply put, the GX is focused on the off-road capabilities. If you want a smoother riding Lexus to take to the mall, then you should choose a Lexus RX.
| Starting Retail Price | City/Hwy MPG | HP / Lb-Ft | Max Towing Lbs | |
| 2013 Lexus GX 460 | $58,240 | 15/20 | 301/329 | 6,500 |
| 2013 Jeep Grand Overland Summit V8 | $50,685 | 14/20 | 360/390 | 7,400 |
| 2012 Land Rover LR4 HSE Lux | $58,995 | 12/17 | 375/375 | 7,716 |
| 2013 Porsche Cayenne S | $65,850 | 16/22 | 400/369 | 7,716 |
| 2013 Volkswagen Touareg VR6 Lux | $49,430 | 17/23 | 280/266 | 7,700 |
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the Lexus GX 460 a Lease It! I enjoyed my week with the $66,715 GX 460. It spoiled me with heated seats and steering wheel, comfortable seats, great sounding V8, and on and on. I averaged 17.5 MPG in mixed city/highway driving, which is neither bad nor great. In the end, I felt that it fell a little short at on-pavement ride quality and interior quirkiness. I would say: Buy It – if you plan to use it primarily for off-road or off-pavement situations. Otherwise, it’s a Lease It.
Please enjoy this TFLcar video adventure as Roman and Nathan take this GX 460 into the snowy Rocky Mountains.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, writer, and software engineer. On the weekends – you may find him at a car show, an auction, watching a race, or tinkering with a car in the garage. When not working or spending time with the family – he often scours the internet and other media for various automotive, mechanical, and computer related information.
