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Review 5 of 19
Price Paid:
$35600.00 Strengths:
HMM...QUALITIES...WHERE to START. EVERYTHING. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IT IS AN EXCEPTIONAL VEHICLE. ESPECIALLY THE MARK LEVISNSON DVD NAVIGATION SYSTEM..TOO BAD I CAN'T WATCH WHILE DRIVING THIS BABY PRACTICALLY DRIVES ITSELF!!!! Weaknesses:
gas milage is bad-descent. That's all. Everything ELSE rules!!! Summary:
This is a totally redone version of the LX 450 that was introduced two years ago as essentially a Toyota Land Cruiser with the upscale Lexus badge. This time around, the Lexus gets a different front end and some suspension changes that give it a different character than the Land Cruiser.
The first big news is the 4.7-liter, 32-valve double-overhead camshaft V-8 that replaces the huge 4.5-liter six in the old model. The old engine was as reliable as a trusty shovel and developed 212 horsepower. It got the job done, but by the standard that vehicles costing more than $50,000 are judged, it didn't have nearly enough power or sophistication.
For the new LX 470, Lexus increased the displacement of the 4.5-liter V-8 used in the LS400 luxury sedan, and the result is an engine that produces 230 horsepower and 320 pounds-feet of torque. The same engine is standard in the Land Cruiser.
Performance numbers, however, tell only part of the story. The new V-8 is very smooth and quiet, erasing any last tinges of truck persona that might have been handed up from the Land Cruiser.
The engine is linked to a four-speed automatic that drives a full-time all-wheel-drive system that has both a normal ``high-range'' gearing for everyday use and a ``low-range'' setting for off-road driving or exceptionally slippery conditions.
Also new to the LX 470 is a computer-controlled suspension that can select 16 different shock absorber settings to match the ride with road conditions. The driver can also, by way of a console switch, select ride settings that range from firm to soft.
Even with the ride setting on ``Firm,'' the LX 470's ride was nearly living-room smooth and devoid of any serious pitches or rolls over uneven pavement. It's a noticeable improvement over the LX 450, which did a good job of reducing bumps to mere ripples. Now, the LX 470 rides nearly on a par with the LS 400 sedan.
In addition to the improved ride, the LX 470 gets a ride-height adjustment system that allows a driver to raise or lower the vehicle by several inches. A console switch activates a hydro-pneumatic system that sets the car at three different heights -- low, normal and high.
The default setting is normal, and high is for serious off-road use, when ground clearance is an issue. Low is not a bad idea for climbing in and out of this beast.
Similar Products Used:
TOYOTA LANDCRUISER...Samething, only with a few more gadgets and gizmos, well worth it's extra few K.
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