I went back to Miramar Motorsports in San Diego today to get some test drives in. I was upfront and honest that I was not in the market right now and not even living here, but that in a few months I’ll be living close by. These guys let me crawl all over their trucks last Friday and then drive 3 different models today. They also said that if I had any particular things I wanted they would do the work, like if I wanted a different lift, roof rack, etc. It would be a premium over buying private party and DIY, but it would also save a lot of time and energy. I’m not committed to buying from them later, but I wouldn’t be opposed based on the customer service. There are some things I’m willing to trade my time for money.
For clarity purposes, this test drive wasn’t anything fancy. It was around a few city streets that let me get up to speed, a few sweeping corners, some tight areas with a U turn and back to the lot. But good enough for what I needed today.
First up was a GX470. I immediately noticed on sitting it and looking at the cup holders in the center that I remember how terrible they were. I used to use the actual open console part to hold my water bottles! But the engine is smooth with good power off the line and just builds as you go. The ride was more truck like, but that is owing to the OME 2” lift using mid weight springs and air bag delete. It handles well and has a good turn circle. It doesn’t feel huge, but it isn’t tiny either. The third row can be completely removed leaving a sizabe area. All in all I still really like the GX470.
The GX460 was next. When I saw it on Friday it was getting detailed and didn’t yet have the lift, but it was installed today so it was a good apples to apples comparison. It is a bit nicer inside, but not staggeringly so. The cup holders are WAY better though. It is strong off the line, but then feels like there is a massive torque dip unless you really floor it. It was a bit surprising. If you weren’t putting your foot down it wanted to lag off compared to the 470. It has push button start. I don’t know why, but I’m just not a fan of push button start. I feel like if I have to carry the damn key fob, it should be for more than just locking and unlocking the doors. The third row folds flat, which is nice. And at first I was like “oh cool, I wouldn’t have to find a place to store them,” but then I realized the floor is a good 5-6” higher than the 470 floor. So maybe more convenient at the cost of a higher load deck and some potential up and I just wasn’t as impressed with the 460.
On to the 200 Series Land Cruiser. The LX570 they had was not available as someone put a deposit on it this past Saturday. But I think they are pretty close enough for my purposes today. The motor is great, the ride, which I believe was stock suspension, was also great. It has push button start too. Eventually I’m sure I’ll have to accept this. It isn’t a huge deal. But what is huge is the truck. It is pretty freaking big and it felt so driving it around. It felt about as big as my old Titan even though I know it is about a foot shorter in overall length. It cound’t handle the U-turn spot as well as the GXs. It really was awesome, but I think it may just be a bit too big for what I’m looking for at this point.
So I think the GX470 is my winner. It will be interesting to see how long I can actually hold off from buying as I don’t really need it until we have a second kid and they take about 9 months to cook and I’m not even home! But it does give me time to find a good one or two owner with full dealer service history. Or perhaps one that someone else has sorted out well already.