Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
It’s really the best of two sport ute worlds. Underpinning the GX 460’s revised body shell and beautifully detailed interior is nothing less than a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, one of the most respected 4x4s in the world. It’s a traditional body-on-frame SUV, which means that it’s just as useful for towing heavy loads as it is for wilderness expeditions. The extent of my exploring during my test drive was kept to pothole infested inner-city alleyways, which I can attest were no problem
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Yes, Lexus provides driver selectable modes to make the most of each driving situation, and as you might expect I left the GX in Sport mode most of the time. Of course I tested its centre default position and Comfort mode in order to make a report, both of which were expectedly softer than its sportiest setting, but being that I wasn’t able to venture very far off the paved path the Sport setting gave the big ute a slightly stiffer ride for improved handling.
On
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Throttle
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
To minimize fuel consumption it’s best not to delve too deeply into that accelerator, mind you, the GX being a fairly hefty SUV at 2,326 kilograms (5,128 lbs) and therefore hardly easy on gas. Its Natural Resources Canada-claimed rating is nevertheless fairly good at an estimated 14.1 L/100km in the city, 10.0 on the highway and 12.2 combined.
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
As previously mentioned the GX 460 is ideal for towing, and comes with a rating of 2,954 kilos (6,500 lbs). New for 2014, Lexus added a Trailer Sway Control Brake System for more stability when hauling a load, while Premium models like the one I drove also come with an Automatic Load Leveling Rear Air Suspension system that automatically adjusts ride height when attaching a trailer or loading in heavy cargo. You can select a ride height mode from inside the cockpit too, opting for “Low” mode when
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
The GX also comes with Hill Start Assist Control that prevents rearward rolling when moving your foot from the brake to the gas pedal, and useful when under a heavy load or off-road it also boasts Downhill Assist Control to maintain a slow and constant speed when descending steep and slippery slopes.
All of these features can be modulated from within an interior that’s a cut above almost anything else in its class. The design should appeal to most everyone, as contemporary styling is mixed with old-world materials such as supple leathers and high-gloss wood trim. The expected soft-touch plastic surfaces can be found in
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
A pewter coloured metallic trim surrounds the centre stack, highlights the steering wheel spokes where the redundant cruise and audio controls reside, and spans the dash in front of the passenger where it joins up with a beautiful strip of high-gloss wood before highlighting the door grips and other trim. That beautiful mahogany veneer can be found on the doors too, surrounded by the same metal trim on the upper panels and, just below, on the panel that surrounds the power window switches. Mahogany also surrounds the twin USB slots, aux plug and 12-volt power socket, as well as the cover of the cupholder lid. The steering wheel incorporates
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Requisite in premium vehicles these days, the GX 460 is not without its share of top-tier electronics. A large eight-inch full-colour high-resolution Electro Multi Vision (EMV) touchscreen display provides access to a variety of infotainment functions, from voice-activated navigation and a rearview camera to an awesome sounding 17-speaker, 330-watt, 7.1-channel Mark Levinson 20 surround sound audio system. An interesting feature that would be especially handy off-road is the GX’s optional Wide-View Monitoring system. Four cameras are positioned around the
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Up above in the overhead console, a sunglass holder is also a welcome sight as I’m otherwise always looking for somewhere to safely store my shades. Then again the GX is missing an available panoramic glass sunroof, so those in back won’t be able to enjoy the sun and stars as much as those up front. To compensate, the powered tilt and sliding front moonroof is quite large.
Speaking
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Third row access is good too. Just slide the middle seat forward and climb in. The side steps really help in this situation. My five-foot-eight frame had no problem fitting in behind, with lots of head and shoulder room, although there’s not much space for feet and knees. I’d be ok trekking across town, but I’d probably want to limit my stay back there to 30 minutes or so.
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
There’s very little storage behind the third row, however, although the seatbacks power to reveal a sizable cargo hold behind the second row. The second-row seatbacks are set up in the most utile 40/20/40 configuration, allowing for almost every possible passenger/load combination. The only challenge might be when loading from curbside, as the GX 460’s swinging rear door was designed for its Japanese home market and therefore blocks access to the sidewalk when fully opened.
This is a minor issue with what is otherwise an excellent luxury sport utility. All of the GX 460’s recent upgrades have made it
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
The 2014 GX 460 starts at a very reasonable $58,900 plus freight, the Premium model for $66,600, while the top-line Ultra Premium packaged version goes for $74,800.
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