Exterior
There's no argument that the GX 470 is a pretty SUV. This was a full-sized mama with curves in all the right places. The GX was big without being bulky or obnoxious, like some of the other huge SUVs on the road. Instead, it's softly rounded and delicately accessorized. The GX was way too classy to be dripping in chrome, which only appears on the front grille, door handles and in a single strip under the windows. The rest of the sparkle comes from a gorgeous metallic paint. My test car was a fabulous Salsa Red Pearl, a deep red that was fun without being over the top.
The passenger doors opened easily, even for the little ones, and stayed where you put them. The armrest on the rear door worked as a grab handle when kids were climbing in, and the running boards meant that the higher climb-in height was still manageable. In the back, a flat stepping area gave solid footing to passengers climbing into the third row.
The rear cargo door, however, was one of those things that made me wonder what Lexus was thinking. The door opened to the side instead of upward like most SUVs. It's really odd and rather awkward, because the rear door is big. Most luxury SUVs have a power liftgate feature that makes opening the cargo door a breeze, but the GX is its own woman. Er, person? Car? Let's just say it's unique.
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times
See also:
Safety, Features & Pricing
The CT 200h achieved top scores in all four crash tests by the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety, earning the car a Top Safety Pick designation. The
CT has not been tested by the National Hig ...
Intuitive parking assist
The distance to obstacles measured by the sensors is communicated via the multi-information display and a buzzer when parallel parking or maneuvering into a garage. Always check the surrounding area w ...
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological driving, pay attention to the following
points:
Use of the Hybrid System Indicator
More fuel efficient driving is possible by keeping the indicate of the Hybrid
Syste ...