Insert Requisite Quote About Flexing From Long Beach To Texas Here

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

Obviously this isn’t the new Lexus GX460. Obviously. You know that because there’s no Predator grille up front. This is actually the 2014 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Talk about being visually challenged. It looks sort of like a developmentally handicapped chipmunk. But if you’d like to see the Lexus GX460, that’s fine too. I just kind of wanted to ease you in to the whole thing. Are you ready? Okay, one… two… three…


Whoa. Luckily, Lexus will pay you to take it.

Kind of. The price of the GX460 has dropped nearly five grand to $49,995 out the door, but if you’re willing to pay last year’s price you can get the Premium Package variant. That gives you heated rear seats, three-zone climate control, ventilation for the front seats, and a navigation system. Because for just $49,995, there’s no way you’re getting navigation. If you want navigation for $49,995, you’re going to have to buy three Elantras or something.

The GX460 has tremendous popularity with forty-year-old former frat-mattresses in sunshine states despite its extremely offensive road presence, low fuel mileage, and Corolla-esque interior trim. Or perhaps it’s because of all those things. The fact remains that Lexus can put the “spindle” grille on it and it will continue to fly out of showrooms. It could have any kind of front end at all, really. I’m pretty sure you could put the Lexus badge on the Ssangyong Rodius and it would sell ten thousand units a year in Phoenix alone.

Still, if you are trundling through upper-middle-class middle age and you’re still stuck with your first wife, you should definitely take her over to the Lexus dealership to check this rig out. While she’s busy trying to figure out how long she can leave the window sticker on it after taking delivery, you can ask for a drive in the Lexus IS350 F-Sport. t will be worth your time. Trust me on this one.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Pete Zaitcev Pete Zaitcev on Aug 26, 2013

    They should re-badge Rush as Lexus. That would be totally awesome.

  • Azmtbkr81 Azmtbkr81 on Aug 26, 2013

    Got a good chuckle out of the Phoenix comment but these days aging trophy wives of the great Phoenix area choose Land Rovers complete with 75 lb Bush II era chrome wheels of course.

  • ToolGuy First picture: I realize that opinions vary on the height of modern trucks, but that entry door on the building is 80 inches tall and hits just below the headlights. Does anyone really believe this is reasonable?Second picture: I do not believe that is a good parking spot to be able to access the bed storage. More specifically, how do you plan to unload topsoil with the truck parked like that? Maybe you kids are taller than me.
  • ToolGuy The other day I attempted to check the engine oil in one of my old embarrassing vehicles and I guess the red shop towel I used wasn't genuine Snap-on (lots of counterfeits floating around) plus my driveway isn't completely level and long story short, the engine seized 3 minutes later.No more used cars for me, and nothing but dealer service from here on in (the journalists were right).
  • Doughboy Wow, Merc knocks it out of the park with their naming convention… again. /s
  • Doughboy I’ve seen car bras before, but never car beards. ZZ Top would be proud.
  • Bkojote Allright, actual person who knows trucks here, the article gets it a bit wrong.First off, the Maverick is not at all comparable to a Tacoma just because they're both Hybrids. Or lemme be blunt, the butch-est non-hybrid Maverick Tremor is suitable for 2/10 difficulty trails, a Trailhunter is for about 5/10 or maybe 6/10, just about the upper end of any stock vehicle you're buying from the factory. Aside from a Sasquatch Bronco or Rubicon Jeep Wrangler you're looking at something you're towing back if you want more capability (or perhaps something you /wish/ you were towing back.)Now, where the real world difference should play out is on the trail, where a lot of low speed crawling usually saps efficiency, especially when loaded to the gills. Real world MPG from a 4Runner is about 12-13mpg, So if this loaded-with-overlander-catalog Trailhunter is still pulling in the 20's - or even 18-19, that's a massive improvement.
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