Friday, June 11, 2010

Lexus GX 460 Offers Inspired Styling, Good Safety


It can be tough out there for luxury SUV makers. First you get slammed by rising fuel prices, then you get hit by a crappy economy.
Finally, if you're Lexus, you get smacked with Consumer Reports magazine's kiss of death, the Do Not Buy label, which was bestowed on the GX 460.
It was given this dubious status because, the mag said, it is top heavy and if it were driven aggressively through a corner, then shifted in direction, it could lose stability and tip over.
Well, yeah.
Toyota, Lexus's parent, quickly stopped all sales of the GX until the problem was fixed.
It's back on the market now.
So how is it?
It has a powerful engine and pretty sharp interior and exterior design cues.
It has three rows of seats, all of which are adequately spacious.
The 4.6-liter V-8 engine makes 301 horsepower and is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel-drive.
The GX gets 15 mpg city, 20 highway, according to EPA.
You must give the GX props for its safety features -- 10 airbags, electronic stability system, active front head restraints and antilock brakes.
Also, there's a pre-collision system that tightens seat belts and enhances stopping performance before a collision.
For convenience, the second-row seating slides fore and aft for increased leg room. The third row folds flat into the floor.
A backup camera, nine-speaker audio system and navigation are standard.
Three-zone air conditioning is optional.
Prices for the base model start at around $52,845 and for the higher trim at $57,640.

1 comment:

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