In a current time where body-on-frame SUVs are a rarity, Lexus keeps this exclusive and coveted party going strong in the latest GX 460. The 2014 Lexus GX 460 embodies its rugged and tall stature but embellishes on the plush nature of its smooth ride and luxurious interior to comfortable seat up to 7 passengers, all the while retaining true off-roading capabilities.
For the 2014 model year, the Lexus GX 460 gets a refreshed exterior featuring the unique Lexus spindle grill, LED headlights and available LED foglights. On the inside, the 2014 Lexus GX 460 gets some revitalization in the area of a larger 8-inch LCD touchscreen for the navigation and infotainment system and NuLuxe leatherette upholstery. In the area of safety, the 2014 Lexus GX 460 now has the availability of a blind spot monitor, cross traffic alert via the standard review camera, and trailer sway control.
The 2014 Lexus GX 460 masters its linage, sharing the rugged underpinnings of the capable Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser Prado, only with a little extra to offer in its powertrain with its 4.6-liter V8 engine producing 301 horsepower and 329 ft-lbs. of torque. Power is sent through a direct-feeling yet smooth-shifting 6-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels through its full-time all-wheel-drive system with an optional Crawl Control system as found on my Luxury-trimmed GX 460 test vehicle. Straight line performance will yield a run to 60 mph from a dead stop in about 7.2 seconds, not too bad for a big body-on-frame SUV.
There are just two trim levels being the base and Luxury trim. In either trim the Lexus GX 460 comes as a capable off-roading vehicle and retaining the ability to tow up to 6,500 pounds when properly configured. Performance on the road is surprisingly pleasant, as it seems to handle better than its outwardly tall-statured appearance would hint at. Basically, I was shocked to feel the Lexus GX handle itself well in turns keeping the body roll to a minimum up until a threshold, which is breached only when you thrash the tall GX 460 just to the point of the 18-inch wheels starting to howl in an attempt to manage all its 5,128 pounds. Thanks to the dual anti-sway bars and adaptive suspension on my test vehicle, the GX 460 keeps its composure more so than other midsized SUVs carrying less weight. The nature of the GX 460 being a body-on-frame architecture is never really a big take away from its performance as the chassis remains up to the task of emitting a sold feel yet remains easy to drive much like unibody car-based crossovers.
The highly boosted braking system of the Lexus GS 460 adds to your confidence as a driver, as does high seating positions and ample ground clearance at 8.1-inches. Even with the higher center of gravity, the Lexus GX 460 never pivots around like a boat as you may expect such a tall vehicle to do. Moreover, the optional rear air suspension with auto leveling keeps the body motion in check when you load up all 7 seats with precious cargo, or opt to fold all seats via the power folding buttons out back to pack in items throughout its 64 cubic feet of space. Accessing the cargo area through the rear tailgate remains to be an inconvenience due to the gate being a massive manual side-swinging door. This door can really get in the way and takes planning for unloading or loading items where objects behind the GX must be far out of the way for the door to swing all the way open and give you unadulterated access to the rear. Conversely, the door does have a quick-accessed tilt-open glass that can be opened by swinging it up for partial access to the rear.
The interior of the 2014 Lexus GX 460, slightly refreshed from last year, has good seating positions but the 2nd row feels a bit off for adults, possibly due to its 40/20/40 split folding setup. Though, the second row can recline and slide, they still leave a bit to be desired in for comfort department. The 3rd row, slightly difficult to access, is a departure from the 2nd row where passengers do not have much room to spare and can be a bit cramped for adults even having a power 50/50 split-folding back. In true Lexus form, the interior and dashboard has impeccable fit and finish. Many of the plastics pull off a balancing act of being initially perceived as a high-quality material until you actually touch some of the surfaces. All together the interior is an expected commonplace character for Lexus vehicles. The new larger 8-inch LCD touch screen is a nice change for the GX 460 featuring easy and quick-responding menu sets and seamless access to the app suite when properly connected to an internet-enabled Bluetooth smartphone. Confidence in the Lexus Enform telematics is also a major benefit to the GX 460’s advanced tech providing connectivity for vehicle assistance or crash notifications. The 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system on my GX 460 Luxury-trimmed test vehicle plays crisp highs and supple lows throughout the cabin while streaming music from my Bluetooth-connected iPhone – definitely a system for light-hearted audiophiles to salivate over.
On the road the 2014 Lexus GX 460 is a demanding presence and has enough power and low-end grunt to get the job done in more ways than one. Fuel consumption may be a hard figure to digest, but it remains to be consistent and doesn’t catch you off guard. Of course, that is if you know the MPG numbers to be 15 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. I frequently averaged about 17.4 mpg in all and saw a steady 19.5 mpg on the highway. Of course the GX isn’t an economical people mover, but more of a brute SUV paving your route through just about anything you can throw at it retaining a serine and luxurious experience for its passengers.
With Lexus keeping the segment for the GX 460 going strong along side of its bigger LX 570 sibling, the GX remains to be a highly desirable vehicle for those who know exactly what they want and never want to compromise in the area of a capable body-on-frame SUV that suites their luxury appetite. The starting price of the 2014 Lexus GX 460 comes in at just $49,995, making it an attractive buy when pitted against its direct competition. Loading up the top-level Luxury trim GX 460 can easily bring the price to my test vehicle’s bottom line of $65,965 but equipped with several highly desirable luxury and safety features.
Copyright: 2014 AutomotiveAddicts.com
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