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86 Land Cruiser FJ60 Flexing

Nicapwr land cruiser flexing right before chuck gets the roll cage and shock mounts put on for TDS trip. Frank is owner. Can ur truck do that?

New Lexus GX460 2010 Review

The Lexus GX460 is a gilded version of the Toyota 4Runner , a mall-cruising shopping-utility vehicle with the chops for off-road adventure. Both trucks have been significantly redesigned for 2010 and continue to share the same body-on-frame construction and solid rear axle. But whereas the 4Runner more or less embraces its off-road pretensions, the GX hides its ruggedness under a veneer of civility and opulence.

We praised the GX’s combination of versatility and refinement when it launched in 2003, yet by 2007, it could manage only fifth place in an eight-vehicle comparo of $50,000 luxury SUVs . Blame tight second-row seating, uncontrolled body motions, and an underpowered V-8. Times have changed since even then, with truck-based SUVs nowadays serving mostly as oversized workhorses or niche-filling extravagances rather than luxury rides. And so it makes sense that in today’s challenging automotive market, Lexus expects to sell only 14,000 of the redesigned GX next year, less than half of what the old model managed when new. On paper, then, the GX460 is a bit of a dinosaur. But how well has it evolved?

Much the Same, Just More of It

Replacing the 263-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 and five-speed automatic transmission in the previous 2003–09 GX470 is a 4.6-liter V-8—hence the new GX460 moniker—mated to a six-speed automatic. Although the new engine pumps out 38 additional hp and 6 more lb-ft of torque than the outgoing mill, 301 hp and 329 lb-ft are still on the low end of the segment. Indeed, that output merely matches that of some V-6s. Acceleration is adequate, but with 5300 pounds to lug around— 500 or so more than before—and a gearbox that’s hesitant to downshift except under full throttle, the GX460 feels like it could use Toyota’s larger 5.7-liter V-8. Lexus says the new truck is a couple of tenths quicker to 60 mph (at a claimed 7.8 seconds) than the GX470. However, the old model managed a 7.2-second run in our hands, and we expect the GX460 to do about the same. Towing capacity remains a significant 6500 pounds, and fuel economy improves slightly to a still-thirsty 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.