2010 LEXUS GX 460 REVIEW
Slotting
just below the Land Cruiser-based LX 570 in the Lexus lineup, the
mid-size 2010 Lexus GX 460 is all-new this year, itself based on the
Toyota 4Runner. While the 4Runner offers four-cylinder and V-6 engines,
the GX offers a V-8, power-folding third-row seats, plus a host of
luxury and technology options and much-improved refinementwhile
allowing impressive off-road and towing ability. Throughout the GX,
designers have blended the gentle, organic, and aerodynamic styling of
the Lexus L-Finesse designs of recent years with a "machined steel bar"
theme, giving it a more sculpted, solid look that separates it from the
cars and crossovers. From the front, the likeness with Lexus cars is
obvious, with a similar chromed grille flanked by rather large
headlamps (which bow slightly to meet U.S. regs). In back, the GX has a
clean, uncluttered look, mainly thanks to the narrow vertical taillamps
and a new wiper design that's hidden under the roof spoiler. Alongside,
the GX looks the most 'trucky,' with carved-out fenders and the very
tall, imposing beltline. Lexus likes to think of the interior as "tough
premium," with the GX combining the expected chunky trim and bulkier
door handles with soft, luxurious materials. The instrument-panel
design is quite upright and has a horizontal-bar theme running its
length.
OPTIONS AND FEATURES The 2010 GX
has a nice, high seating position in frontso much so that at least
looking ahead and to the side you don't feel that the beltline is so
tall. The front seats and driving position in the GX 460 remind us why
so many drivers were won over by SUVs in the past decade. Seating in
the GX 460 is superb in front, with nicely padded seats affording
plenty of support plus good headroom and legroom and a general feeling
of spaciousness. The second row of seating in the GX 450 is split and
slides fore and aft more than a foot in all so that third-row occupants
can get in and out more easily, and so that second- and third-row
passengers can compromise for the best allocation of legroom. The back
row is also split, with an all-new design that should be more
convenient for occasional third-row users; the sections are
electrically operated and can be brought up or down in a half-minute or
so by holding down a button just inside the side-opening rear hatch.
The upside of this new design, aside from the handy power deployment,
is that it's actually doable for adults for short stintsif you're
willing to accept a seating position that places your knees up near
your chest. But there's also a big downside to the new design: While
the third row in the old GX could be removed, making the GX feel more
like a vehicle that was retrofitted with the power third-row
arrangement on a budget, from an existing vehicle, than an all-new one.
There's very little cargo space behind the third row when it's up.
Overall, we're pleased with the look and feel of the interior
appointments. The GX has more unique interior pieces than ever before.
The controls felt better designed and less cluttered than those in
Lexus cars, and we loved the redesigned steering-wheel controls and
nice, legible gauge layout and cleanly laid-out center-stack for audio,
climate, and nav functions. The only odd thing is the sliding panel
that partially covers audio controls.
SUMMARY As
you might expect, the Lexus GX 460 comes with nearly all the
traditional luxury and comfort features standard. What you opt
upespecially on the Premium Grade modelare the rich technology,
entertainment, and information features, like 330-watt Mark Levinson
surround sound, a rear seat entertainment system, Intuitive Park
Assist, and the aforementioned safety-tech package. Lexus' navigation
system is now packaged with Enform, which offers a suite of services
delivering weather, stock quotes, and sports scores, among other
things, plus a Destination Assist service that allows a remote operator
to input program your nav system.