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The 2009 Lexus GX is a 8-passenger luxury
sport-utility available in one trim only, the Sport
Utility. Its closest competitors include the Acura MDX, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Volvo XC90.
The Lexus GX 470 is positioned in the luxury-utility
vehicle market segment, with a single model strategy
augmented by major options and option packages.
Most luxury SUVs nowadays are based on cars. They
are essentially high-riding, all-wheel-drive alternatives
to luxury station wagons and are usually built on
front-wheel-drive unit-body sedan platforms. The
GX 470, on the other hand, is based on traditional
truck engineering concepts. It uses body-on-frame
construction, a rear-wheel-drive chassis layout,
a rugged four-wheel-drive system, and a live rear
axle. Upon introduction, it is equipped with a standard
4.7-liter, V8, 235-horsepower engine that achieves
15-mpg in the city and 18-mpg on the highway. A
5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is
standard. It is a carryover from 2003.
2009 lexus GX rides smoothly and coddles its occupants in Lexus luxury. Yet it also offers incredibly good off-road capability that rivals. It benefits from a powerful 4.7-liter V8 and a five-speed automatic that are responsive, smooth and quiet. It's equipped with the latest in off-road technology, including a suspension and drivetrain that gives it the ability to go virtually anywhere. But it's also prepared very well for on-road driving, where most of us spend most of our time. Its brakes are excellent and it's equipped with Vehicle Skid Control, a sophisticated system designed to help the driver maintain control in slippery corners. Inside, it is roomy and quiet, swathed in leather and birdseye maple. It is a Lexus, so everything is where it's supposed to be; the switchgear and other controls are a study in ergonomic excellence.
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