2010 Lexus GX 460 Premium

Mid-sized sport-utility vehicle with off-road capability

By Nina Russin

2010 Lexus GX 460

The Lexus GX fills the middle ground between the full-sized LX 570 and smaller RX. Like the LX, the GX is a body-on-frame truck, with full-time four-wheel drive and towing capability up to 6500 pounds.

The current model rolled out last Fall, replacing the original GX 470. The 4.6-liter V-8 engine on the new car is more compact than the 4.7-liter engine it replaces, though it out-performs it. The smaller engine saves a little weight, helping to extend fuel economy by thirteen percent.

Three rows of seating hold up to seven passengers. The second-row seats move fore and aft up to four inches to increase legroom. The seats fold flat 60/40, easing access and egress to the third row, or extending the cargo floor.

Despite its off-road and towing capability, the GX is first and foremost a premium vehicle. The $65,754 MSRP on the test car positions it on the brink of the high-luxury segment. Features such as heated and ventilated leather seats, adaptive air suspension, three-zone climate control and a Mark Levinson audio system appeal to buyers who want to take the comforts of home with them.

Last Fall, I drove the 2010 GX 460 at a media program in the San Diego area. This week, I got the chance to test drive the premium grade on a road trip through Indiana and southern Ohio.

Base price on the test car is $56,765, not including an $875 delivery charge. The Mark Levinson audio upgrade is a seventeen-speaker, 7.1 surround-sound system with navigation, Lexus Enform telematics, satellite radio and real-time traffic and weather updates ($3930).

Lexus’ pre-collision system automatically primes the brakes and tightens seatbelts if sensors determine an accident is imminent. The same option includes dynamic radar cruise control, which maintains a preset distance from the car in front. Crawl control, in the same option package, modulates the throttle and brake on extreme off-road trails to maintain five preset speeds ($1,720).

A dual-screen rear entertainment system can play two movies at the same time or one widescreen feature ($2400). The final option, a cargo net, costs $64. Read the rest of this entry »