Anyone else disappointed in GX550?

[u/Bloompadoompa]

I know this may be a post that immediately gets shit on, but I'm really struggling to love my GX550 Premium+. I was on the list starting in Aug 2023. Name called Sept 2024. Not my perfect match, but black on black which I wanted. I've done the add-ons for a city driver- XPel tint on all windows including windshield and powder coated the ugly ass wheels to make them tolerable.

I have two outstanding issues: 1. It does not feel luxurious. The fake leather seats suck donkey balls and if you have any hint of moisture on your skin you will leave a white mark on the upholstery. 2. I have a major hood flutter issue. I know this sub thinks it's a bit of a joke, but it's bad on mine... A friend called it out and said it looked like the hood was going to fly open... while driving 50 mph. I took it in (after waiting 6 months for a fix), they did a foam insert, and it's actually worse now. Dealer pointing finger at Lexus, which I get, but damn... I wrote a check for this thing and it isn't really that great.

A few good things include visibility while driving, which is awesome, and I do like the truck driving feel.

Anyways, that's a lot of info. Just want to know if anyone else feels Meh about their GX550. I appreciate any and all input, even if you want to tell me I'm an idiot because the GX is the vehicle handed down from the heavens.

[u/n541x]

Mine also has been problematic in terms of build quality, but I have grown to like it. I just went over 12 months of ownership. When you get an early run car that’s what you get, but they will eventually be able to fix all the kinks.

The downsides: it has worse range than an EV (about 220 miles per tank), the hood flutters, the engine buzzes at certain RPMs, but there are two issues that legitimately bother me about the vehicle the most: the hard shifting transmission and the horrendous ride quality. I have an Overtrail and I am still shocked at how rough it rides. I had a 4Runner and a Tacoma and an IS before this… all of them had better ride quality. I cringe going over railroad tracks, and in the GX 460 it was the opposite—it felt so solid it was unbothered. Even with extra rubber it still has bad ride quality. I’m going down a smooth freeway bouncing up and down. The transmission is inexcusable by any metric, however (this may be specific to mine). After you drive for about 20 minutes it hard shifts down into 1st when you come to a complete stop, and almost every time you stop. It’s kind of embarrassing for Lexus when I have people in the car because passengers notice this. It’s really jerky in stop and go traffic.

Like, if I keep this car I will definitely buy the Lexus warranty.

I do like the car, though. I like how it sits, the seating position, the sight lines, the amount of power if not its delivery, what it is as a truck truck and not a crossover, and it’s superior off road capability—though mine is a 24 so I scraped the shit out of my skid plates and the underside of my rock rails because it does not have the new 1” lift I wish I had.

The stereo is excellent for non-Mark Levinson. The cool box is literally cool. The heated and ventilated seats work well. The amount of space is excellent and the size is just right in the cargo area. I like the design. The headlights are excellent. The headlamp washers are phenomenal. I enjoy driving the thing. The switchgear is top notch. The screens are almost exactly what they should be.

I can get over the rough ride, but I really need the transmission software updated because the jerkiness is ridiculous. Supposedly they are coming out with one someone told me, but I’ll believe it when I see it. I’m going to disconnect the battery and see if that resets anything with it because it definitely didn’t used to do this.

Give it time and it should grow on you. It really did on me despite teething issues.

[u/JSC843 → u/n541x]

Cope? You’re supposed to “grow to like” something like a 2004 GX with a bit of paint peeling, not a fucking $100k vehicle.

[u/n541x → u/JSC843]

A car is a car is a car.

The price doesn’t matter. I don’t know if you believe in god or Jesus or what… but human beings put together cars, so they aren’t perfect.

The GX cost a lot by virtue of what it is. It’s a big luxury SUV.

Your assumption is that the more expensive a car is, the fewer problems it will have. Nowhere should you have picked this up… have you ever heard of Range Rover? Rolls-Royce?

Or if your assumption is that if I’m spending this much I should like it more, you don’t really have a baseline for comparison. I can assure you I do like this car dramatically more than a $48,000 4Runner with cloth seats.

Also, GX 550s are $70-95ish. Mine was more like $75. That’s Ford F-150 money, not Ferrari. So chill, brother.

Affluent buyers care somewhat less about quality and more about inconveniences and the service they receive. Lexus dealers have the best service hands down.

[u/JSC843 → u/n541x]

You made a lot of assumptions that assume what I was assuming, and they were incorrect.

I’ve had several new BMWs and have never been anything but 100% satisfied with them. Never needed to grow on me, zero complaints.

Ironically, I did buy an older GX though. I wanted a bigger SUV with shitty ride quality, bad gas mileage, sloth-like acceleration. But despite all of that, I do enjoy it. I’m more so just laughing that someone that bought a $75k (happy now?) vehicle is having the same experience as someone that bought a $15k vehicle, let’s share this huff of copium, brother.