Any advice? Lexus GX470 or Nissan Xterra or Pathfinder

[Dan Speicher]

I just sold my 2000 Toyota 4Runner limited. It had been on craigslist off and on for a while, and last night I got a call to see it this morning. I met with the couple at 8am, they called back at 9:15, car was sold by 10am. I barely had time to kiss the old girl goodbye, between racing to the notary, and cleaning out all of my photography and ski gear.

While I had it on the market, the interest hadnt been very high, and I really didnt want to let go of it. But with a baby on the way, my wife wanted something that was newer, and had lower miles.

So now I sit here carless. I would love to get into a 4th Gen 4Runner, but the prices locally seem way to high for the mileage. And after my first 98 4runner frame snapped, I nearly bought an Xterra before replacing the 98, with the 2000 limited.

So I am seriously debating a 2004 Lexus Gx470, or a 2007 Nissan Xterra.

In genrall, the GX seems to have lower miles, and be a bit cheaper than the same year 4Runner. I also figure that they have probably been owned by soccer moms for most of their life, so most likely they have been dealer serviced, and not abused. I am looking at one with 123K on the odometer. I feel pretty confident that the motor will last me to close to 200,000. And it has lockers, comfy interior, luxury etc.

The 2007 Xterra x (base model) has 133K on the odometer, and is about the same price as the lexus.

Im also considering a 2007 Pathfinder SE Off Road with 114K miles.

I loved my old pathfinder but it was recalled due to the struts rusting out. So I ended up with 2 4Runners that I loved, but the 3rd gen frames dont handle the north east winters the way other cars do. I also love the styling and size of the Pathfinder, and while the GX looks like it was built for soccer moms (since it really was), I trust the Toyota motor to at least get me close to 200,000 miles, if not well over.

I drive around 20,000miles/year, and while the higher MPG would be nice, the most important thing to me is being able to get a 3-5 years out of it, or longer of all goes according to plan. I am on fire trails every once in a while, and have two bad snowstorms per year, where I truly need 4wd and some clearance. We are traveling more and more, but we wont be rock crawling, just taking some crappy roads and trails to do some camping/biking/skiing.

Size wise it seems like the Pathfinder or Lexus will have more cargo room and leg room. But I know the X is a pretty solid truck as it sits.

So what do you think?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Jack Stilts]

I've seen more and more of those Lexus trucks being turned into overland machines with very little effort needed.

I have a 2002 Xterra and I've been around tons of the newer ones (2nd gen); they're super capable and the aftermarket support is surprisingly large.

That being said, when it's time for me to get a larger / newer vehicle, I'm going for the Pathfinder instead of the newer Xterra. Slightly larger, more cargo capacity, and I don't need a rock crawler.

I know other Xterra owners will chime in about their 2nd Gens, but from my (limited) experience, it sounds like your needs steer you towards the Lexus or a Pathfinder. The 4WD systems on both, combined with all-terrain or winter tires, should be a pretty unstoppable combination. You don't need full lockers, 5" lift, and armor to get through some fire trails and a harsh winter

Just my $0.02!

 

[Dan Speicher]

Thanks so much. Yeah even when we do a trip through canada or the northeast, we never need much more than heavier springs and 265/75/16 AT's. Lockers are a bonus, but I have only "needed" them 2-3 times over the past 4 years. One of the concerns is related to higher mileage. I see toyota's with 200,000 miles plus all the time, but I rarely see Nissan's with that kind of mileage, being advertised for sale.

 

[Shagaroo]

Until a month ago I had an '05 Xterra. Great vehicle, loved it. Drove it for 6 years. Here are the weak points of the Gen 2's. Up until about 2010 the radiators have a problem of going bad and taking the transmission with it. Referred to as the SMOD, (strawberry milkshake of death.) If the radiator has not been replaced you stand a good chance of it going bad any time, unless the bypass was done. Opinions vary on the safety of doing the bypass. Differentials are known to be weak when it comes to more serious terrain. Folks who do serious offroading tend to lean toward doing a Titan Swap. My personal experience is that most aftermarket parts, armor, bumpers, etc., tend to be dramatically more expensive than other vehicles in the same category.

If you want a ride that occasionally sees forest service roads, shallow water crossings, no serious offroading, they are comfortable vehicles and a joy to drive. A lot of fun in the snow. In an offset, near head on, collision they protect the occupants rather well. If you want a vehicle to modify and turn into a serious rig I would look elsewhere.

 

[NMBruce]

All are good vehicles and I would think get you pass the 200k miles mark. I just purchased a 2006 GX470 and I am planning to modify it, don't really rock crawl, but I will put on a lift and bumpers. The GX does not have lockers at the differs, it does have a center transfer locker and ATRAC. The 4.7L is a great engine, girlfriend had a 2005 4Runner limited with that engine that he daughter drives, just passed 208k miles, runs great. So far my GX470 is getting about 16mpg around town and 22 on the highway if I drive light footed. There is a lot of information on GX470 on IH8MUD (120 platform, also know as the Toyota Prado). I found a dealer kept 2006 with 112k miles on it for $14,900, so deals are out there. Also if you get one with Nav, you are stuck with the Lexus system, nothing aftermarket.

 

[blackwood]

We have a GX470 and its pretty solid and it seats 7. Maintenance is easy, takes premium fuel though. Its mainly a grocery getter for us

 

[Dalko43]

2nd gen Xterra is a pretty capable 4x4 off the factory floor. You can find them for pretty cheap. Optional lockers, 6-speed (which is hard to find these days). Okay interior storage. Downside is tranny issues with some of the earlier years (SMOD) and front diff's aren't known to be the strongest (though that seems to be an issue only with those who take it on extreme terrain). Pretty mediocre mpg and somewhat small gas tank means limited range. In general, I've heard good things about it and I enjoyed it when I test drove it, but I've always felt that its overall quality and durability was second to that of the 4runner....IMO

Don't know much about the pathfinder. I think they are unibody now, but earlier versions were body-on-frame. Last bof model had independent front and rear suspension. optional v8. Good storage space though.

GX470. again dont know much about the vehicle. I've heard nothing but good things about its 4.7L (which you can also find in 4th gen 4runner and the LC 100). I've driven and owned Lexus vehicles before. I've always seen them as having nearly the same reliability and durability as Toyota's, but with a bit more luxury. I would pick this one in a heartbeat over the other 2, but I am slightly biased towards Toyota/Lexus.

You might also consider, LC 100's (same engine as the GX 470) or a 4th gen 4runner with either the 4.0L V6 or 4.7L V8. 4runner will have smaller interior space compared to the LC 100 and GX 470, but its very reliable and nearly as capable for a lower price.

As for worrying about a 4runner frame, or any frame, rusting/rotting out in the north...well that's kind of par for the course if you don't take care of them. There is a 2008 4th Gen 4runner with about 140k miles on it in my family. It has had a little maintenance done over the years, but otherwise runs fine. There is quite a bit of rust on the frame and undercarriage, but that's to be expected. I'll probably put it up on jack stands and clean up and paint over the rust as much as I can this coming summer. It certainly hasn't rusted to the point where stuff is falling apart, but still that is something that all northern car-owners should pro-actively address, otherwise it can become a problem for just about any car.

 

[EVP]

Really good artical with pros/cons: TOP 10 USED OVERLAND VEHICLES

 

[p nut]

...I drive around 20,000miles/year, and while the higher MPG would be nice, the most important thing to me is being able to get a 3-5 years out of it, or longer of all goes according to plan. I am on fire trails every once in a while, and have two bad snowstorms per year, where I truly need 4wd and some clearance. We are traveling more and more, but we wont be rock crawling, just taking some crappy roads and trails to do some camping/biking/skiing...

From what you're saying, I would think a crossover SUV might be a better option. We have a Subaru Outback, and it does exceptionally well on chunky dirt roads, while getting 1.5x the MPG of trucks. IFS/IRS smooths out the ride, MPG is north of 30 on the freeway, and the AWD system is phenomenal. Close to 9" ground clearance stock, as well. I think it handles much better on snow covered roads than my trucks as well, and in fact, I feel more confident in it compared to my Tacoma/4Runner/LC/F150 in sketchy driving conditions.
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If you're set on an SUV, I like Toyota's a bit better than the Nissan offerings. My inlaws have an Xterra and few other Nissan's. Ride comfort and reliability never seemed to be that great.

 

[Dan Speicher]

Thanks for the responses.

I looked into outbacks, and my sister has a 2013 or 14. Drove it to FL and while it was nice, I just didnt love it. I like it, it has good interior space, and with decent tires its good in the snow, but it gets stuck more often than my 4runner did when we are in deeper snow. My wife also doenst like feeling that low to the ground.

The 4runner also was known for the MOD. I put a transmission cooler on it and forgot about it. Never had a problem with the motor, and frames can be welded, but at 190,000 miles on it, it was time to move on.

The more I think about it, its probably more towards the GX or Pathfinder. I like a little bit of luxury, and comfortable seats are very high on my list of must haves. I was considering Land Cruisers/lx470 as well as 4th gen 4runners but they all are significantly more expensive, with considerably higher miles, than a GX or Nissan. If I could afford a 06 4runner (paying cash) I would do that in a heartbeat, but since I am looking to stay under $10k i am a bit more limited.

Does the 4.7 in the land cruiser and 4runner require premium fuel as well?

 

[p nut]

Does the 4.7 in the land cruiser and 4runner require premium fuel as well?

My 100 did say Premium Fuel only, but I ran regular. No issues for me. I know more people that ran regular than premium.
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You may also look at Tundra or Sequoia. 04-06 had the 4.7L and look to be solid rigs.
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One thing about the 4.7's, though. Your MPG will suck. Like, mid-teen's at best suck. I think the 4.0 in the 4Runner/Tacoma shines here. Driving 20k miles a year, that will amount to a decent amount of savings. Especially once the gas prices start to go up.

 

[CRolandLJ]

my wife's DD was a 2011 pathfinder for about a year and while i liked the size of it and the drivetrain with the V6/AT/4x4 and it even towed well... it was extremely lackluster in basically every other category. Also it shuddered while sitting still in Drive. We bought it new at the end of 2011 and it happened immediately and after mulitple trips to the dealer they basically just todl me "yeah all the pathfinders and frontiers do that" and stopped looking into it. That just bugged me.

 

[philndz]

All great choices, you can't lose. At 20k-miles per year though, I'd suggest the Nissans as your budget should get you a newer/lower mileage unit, and that will allow you to keep it in the usable-age/mileage-range for a few more years vs buying something w/ higher miles. I've got a low mile 3rd gen 4Runner (in storage) and new Xterra that gets daily driven, and the X is more like a newer 3rd gen 4R than a 4runner is these days, as they've grown considerably.

 

[Dalko43]

The 4runner also was known for the MOD. I put a transmission cooler on it and forgot about it. Never had a problem with the motor, and frames can be welded, but at 190,000 miles on it, it was time to move on.

Which generation? I've driven the 4th and 5th gen quite a bit and never heard about any transmission/cooler issues.

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One thing about the 4.7's, though. Your MPG will suck. Like, mid-teen's at best suck. I think the 4.0 in the 4Runner/Tacoma shines here. Driving 20k miles a year, that will amount to a decent amount of savings. Especially once the gas prices start to go up.

Yes, but "sucky" mpg is all relative.

The 4.7L in the GX 470 will only get 2-3mpg less than what more modern overlanders, like the Jeep Wrangler and Nissan Xterra, will get on the highway. And compared to a lot of other overland-centric rigs (used LC 80's, old jeeps, used domestic pickup's) the 4.7L gets fairly decent mpg.

GX 470's combined mpg of 15 sucks relative to a modern crossover or commuter sedan, but that's apple to oranges. Compared to most body-on-frame trucks and SUV's (used and new), its mpg is perhaps slightly subpar but nothing too outrageous.

Short of getting a diesel, 18 mpg combined is about the best mpg you're going to get with a truck or SUV.

 

[Dan Speicher]

Thanks for all the responses. Taking a few for a test drive today, and ultimately it will come down to best milage, newest year, and best price. That most likely means a Nissan Xterra or Pathfinder.