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Lexus GX 470
Does anyone know what changes are in store for the GX470 in 2004? I heard about a different rear suspension. Will this affect the 3rd row seating? Any chance the 3rd row seats will be modified so that there are foot wells under the seats instead of just sticking seats in the back so that Lexus can claim its got 3rd row seating?
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However, I was able to read with my own eyes about the fancy new "Dynamic suspension system" which the salesman told me would make the GX even a better off-road vehicle and smoother too.
He actually got a list of changes in his hands and it was the exact same 5 posted by someone on the GX forum:
1)back-up camera
2)new Dynamic Suspension system
3)Roll-over sensor
4)tire pressure sensor
5)gross weight increase to above 6000lbs
Nothing mentioned about changes to that sorry poor-excuse-for-a-3rd row seat.
No mention of HID headlights or that new fancy new headlight system in the RX330 that turns as the car turns.
Oh, by the way, the voice recognition of the NAV is pretty primitive. The technology is apparently not all there.
No other changes.
I have the brochure in my grubby hands right now
and noticed the same 5 changes posted above (in small print it says "available in November 2003")
Did your dealer have any idea what the actual ETA of those models might be? I think I'd like to have the KDSS, but not at the expense of missing the year end tax deadline. I can wait as close to December 31st as necessary, but I won't miss it.
The dealer would not be specific on the KDSS option, only that it would be offered starting with the November builds. He advised me to get an order in if I wanted KDSS so he could get a VIN# assigned and then we could get an idea of a arrival date. Remember, they are built in Japan (slow boat to U.S.) I think Lexus is missing the boat with the bits of information pipeline. I need hard dates and accurate information to make a 50K decision not the BS we have been getting. I would have a plan B ready. I will not miss the deduction this year either.I would bet it will be re worked by next year like 8000 to qualify. The one good thing is the government works slow, kinda like the Lexus information pipeline...
I asked about plans to offer the xenon headlights in 04. Unfortunately, she said Lexus has no plans to do that for the 04 model. But, if customers complained and/or requested xenons, then Lexus would offer the option next year. (Hint! Hint! People.)
Lastly, I asked about the optional alloy wheels shown on Lexus.com under GX Accessories. The 10-spoke rim looks great, but, by mistake, it is not being offered for the GX as a Lexus-installed option...got to talk to the dealership to do an aftermarket add-on...bummer!
$2K over invoice on a fully loaded GX means at least $6K off MSRP. That is great. You should be very happy with that deal!
And it's even a hot 2004 model with all the upgrades!
I'd love to know, because if you can get all those before year end by placing an order now, then I'll head to the Lexus dealership this weekend.
I guess you got about $4K off MSRP, which is a pretty good deal on a 2004.
Oh, you will be very glad you got the NAV.
After you spoil yourself using the NAV, you will love it forever.
"The GX 470 that you have outlined in your e-mail, Kinetic Suspension, Tire Pressure Monitor, and Roll-Sensing Airbags, will not begin production until December of this year. This means that we will not see them until sometime in January or February. And this vehicle will be the first series to qualify for the over 6,000 pound gross vehicle weight. The 2004's that we have received so far still do not qualify."
Has ANYONE EVER seen a GX with a GVWR>6000 as of this date? If they can't get one buy the end of the year, I'll be buying something else. No choice.
Thanks for the info, I've emailed my dealer again and asked him to double check. Do you mind telling me which part of the country you're in? I'm in Greensboro, NC. I may try emailing the dealer in Raleigh to see if they know anything better. My wife is probably going to kill me, I keep taking her up and down the GVWR roller coaster, one day I think we can get the GX, the next day I'm told we can't!
agostine,
The weight issue is this: there is a tax loophole in section 179 of the tax code that says if your vehicle's GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating--not curb weight)is GREATER than 6000lbs, then it's treated differently than a passenger car. Bush's latest stimulus package raised the depreciation amount so that you could depreciate up to 100% of the value of the vehicle in the first year. So if you are a small business owner and use your vehicle 100% for business, then you can buy an SUV with a GVWR over 6000lbs and depreciate it 100% the first year. So if you bought a $50K SUV and were in a 40% tax bracket, you'd get about $20K off your taxes. The GVWR must be OVER 6000--so the '03 GXs DO NOT count no matter what the sales guy says. It has to be at least 6001 lbs. That's what I'm waiting on, the '04s to have a GVWR >6000. Hope that helps.
So are you serious?
You would save $20,000 on your income tax just for one more pound on the GX?
So on your business deductions (spending), how much do you deduct in order to save $20,000?
Do you deduct $50K?
If so, I gotta find myself a small business:-)
Yes, I'm serious. But I am not an accountant. But I have discussed it with mine and read everything I can find on the topic. Do a search for Section 179 SUV tax loophole on Google and you'll find lots of stuff. The % you can save depends on 1) the % you drive it for business and 2) the % tax bracket you're in. Plus, you CANNOT count commuting mileage to your primary office from your home as business mileage. Let's say you own your own realty company. You have an office 5 miles from your home. Off the top, you can't count that 10 mile commute each day, but all the other business miles count. So if that comes out to 99% business, then you can write off 99% of the price of the SUV. And if you're in a 40% tax bracket, then that comes out as about a 40% price on the car. Notice this is a tax "deduction" not a tax "credit". I think if you buy an electric car you can get a 2 or 4 grand tax credit, which means you actually get all 2 or 4 grand back at tax time.
Before you even consider this you should thoroughly grill your accountant about your personal situation.
The other caveat is that you have to keep the SUV for 5 years, you can't turn around and sell it next year for a profit. If you sell it early, the IRS will "recapture" part of your deduction.
"Unfortunately, the GX470 does not qualify for the 6,000 lbs vehicle tax break, as of yet. It will be reviewed and changed February 2004. To receive the tax break before the end of the year, the only vehicle that we have that
is over 6,000 lbs. is our LX470."
That doesn't sound promising. I even mentioned the info about September builds with the 9700B code that rjmespn provided.
Just to make it sound "NEWER"?
It doesn't make any sense to me.
It might back-fire because most people expect more high-tech these days. What I mean is, the 2004 Acura MDX already has side curtain airbags for ALL THREE ROWS and yet the 2004 LX470 and GX470 do NOT.
People will say, "a 2005 GX doesn't even have side curtain airbags for the 3rd row and a 2004 MDX has side curtain airbags for all 3 rows?"
That makes Lexus look very "behind" on technology.
What happened to the "passionate pursuit of perfection" ?
But, then again, why would the sales manager lie to you? He was not kidding around, right?
The other juicy tidbit I did not mention when I test drove the GX was that the LX is getting a bigger V8 next year and a lot of the GX technology will be integrated into it as well (suspension, etc.). Obviously, Lexus wants its flagship SUV to compete better with Infiniti, Lincoln, and Cadillac SUVs. I got to say when I test drove the GX, it was the best, smoothest, quietest ride of any SUV or sedan I have driven. The fit and finish were far above any other brand I've seen (caveat: I haven't driven any Rolls, Bentley's, or other super-luxury cars). Anyway, after the test drive, I was convinced the GX was for me. I gladly leave the Volvo XC-90, Acura MDX, VW Touareg, and BMW X-5 for other people to buy. Test drive them all and see for yourself.
By the way, I called LexusUS.com, and the guy said I can expect about $4K off MSRP. He said the lowest prices usually come from the CA dealerships and that it would cost me about $600 to ship it cross-country. This is the best offer I've heard so far--sounds like a winner to me.
Are you getting the extended warranty or trading in a vehicle?
Like I've told my friends and family, once you own a Lexus, you are hooked for life. You look at a $80K Range Rover and then look at a $53K GX470 and the Lexus still looks a lot better.
It's good that the LX is getting more improvements. Like you said, it only means the GX will also inherit those improvements.
I most likely won't buy any extended warranties for the GX or any Lexus.
I think it's so cool that we can get such huge discounts on the GX. This makes buying the GX a lot easier when doing the comparison shopping.
Good luck on your purchase of the very awesome GX470!
Many features like V-8, side air bags, 11 spkr stereo, xenon lights are not available to this market.
Does US model come w/ xenon's ?
If not , does anyone have experience w/ retrofitting the oem lights w/ xenons ?
yjlaufer@netvision.net.il
Does anyone know if there are any additions to the GX to adhere to Calif. emission standards that are not necessary anywhere else?
Here are the dimensions I measured from my 2003:
62 long, 45 wide (inside the wheel well), and 41 high.
I love my GX, but hauling things other than people definitely isn't one of its strong suits. The layout is uneven and the 3rd row seats get in the way unless you remove them.
Good luck.
We took delivery last month of an '04 GX and left on a 3400 mile trip. We relied on the Nav 95% of the time. It makes driving in unfamiliar areas much less stressful and I'm not a wimp about driving in strange places. I also found that we explored areas that we would have never known about, due to the detail of the maps. Not all minor roads have guidance, but you can see your route as you progress and see where you will end up. We confidently took back roads in PA and VT which were not on any maps we had. Also drove around cities using only Nav to explore areas we had not prev seen. When we were thru sight seeing, put in the hotel address and had Nav take us back.
The learning curve is moderate, read the book, watch the CD and get out and use it. The combination of dash buttons and touch screen buttons is a good combination.
I'll never have another main car without Nav, and the quality of the Nav will be a big factor in a buying decision.
http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2003/09/03-1-toysales.ht- - ml
Sales of both were down in September, with Toyota/Lexus selling about 7,500 RXs and fewer than 2,000 GX's.
http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2003/10/01-1-sales.html
With standard feature sets (and typical discounting), the price gap between RX's and GX's substantially exceeds $3000, particularly since the "optional" 3rd row seat on GX's comes on about 98% of them and bumps the price up $2030 all by itself.
There are many reasons to prefer the GX. "Value-pricing" as compared to the RX, though, would be a stretch.
Also, I would like to wait for the reverse camera, does anyone know when the car will be equipped with the camera?