Review Car

2011 Lexus GX

2011 Lexus GX is a good choice for buyers who want luxury, capability, quality and reliability. The 2011 GX's closest competitors include the Acura MDX, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Volvo XC90. Upon introduction, 2011 Lexus GX is equipped with a standard 4.7-liter, V8, 235-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The  GX is a carryover from 2003. The Lexus GX 470 ($45,075) is positioned in the luxury-utility vehicle market segment, with a single model strategy augmented by major options and option packages. That's marketing jargon meaning this baby comes loaded with expensive equipment and features, yet you can add even more stuff.

2011 Lexus GX 470 bucks the trend. Most luxury SUVs nowadays are based on cars. They are essentially high-riding, all-wheel-drive alternatives to luxury station wagons and are usually built on front-wheel-drive unit-body sedan platforms. The GX 470, on the other hand, is based on traditional truck engineering concepts. It uses body-on-frame construction, a rear-wheel-drive chassis layout, a rugged four-wheel-drive system, and a live rear axle.

2011 Lexus GX 470 rides smoothly and coddles its occupants in Lexus luxury. Yet it also offers incredibly good off-road capability that rivals.2011 Lexus GX 470 benefits from a powerful 4.7-liter V8 and a five-speed automatic that are responsive, smooth and quiet. It's equipped with the latest in off-road technology, including a suspension and drive train that gives it the ability to go virtually anywhere. But it's also prepared very well for on-road driving, where most of us spend most of our time. Its brakes are excellent and it's equipped with Vehicle Skid Control, a sophisticated system designed to help the driver maintain control in slippery corners. Inside, the GX 470 is roomy and quiet, swathed in leather and birdseye maple. It is a Lexus, so everything is where it's supposed to be; the switchgear and other controls are a study in ergonomic excellence. More than 20 premium features come standard, from glass moonroof to illuminated running boards.

Standard passive-safety equipment includes dual multi-stage frontal air bags and side air bags for the front and second-row seats. Roll-sensing curtain air bags are being added to late 2011 models.

2011 Lexus GX is a big, brawny vehicle. It doesn't look big on the outside, however, especially without the optional roof rack. Massive headlamps and high-mounted, complex tail lamps adorn its corners, yet a minimum of decoration and its overall shape result in a nice and simple appearance. 2011 Lexus GX 470 is a smooth, comfortable SUV for everyday driving with some of the best off-road capability available in a stock vehicle. Its array of onboard electronics is unrivalled in this segment at this price, and all systems work in concert to make this machine come alive, whatever the driving conditions. Lexus fits the GX with its newly developed five-speed automatic transmission, which offers quicker response and better gearing than a traditional four-speed automatic. Like the engine, the transmission is very smooth. Drive the Lexus GX 470 too fast into a slippery corner or make an emergency lane-change maneuver to avoid a wreck and technology comes to the rescue. It's smooth and powerful on the road and can go virtually anywhere off road.