LOL!!! You keep saying I have some sort of agenda. Is that the best you got? You were the one who said that LX570's are in such high demand.

Not disputing this.

Your truck does not have active park assist and cannot park itself. My GL can. And you obviously haven't tried to parallel park your behemoth into a tight spot yet. Apparently you don't know your LX very well.

Too bad it doesn't have the overhead 360 degree camera. It's a pretty cool feature and makes getting into tight spaces easier.

I have heated and cooled cup holders. Your LX does not have a refrigerator. It has a "cool box"....which is no more effective than cooled cup holders. Even my wife's Honda Odyssey has a "cool box". Can yours keep coffee hot? Mine can. My GL does lower automatically when I put it in park Apparently you don't know the GL very well either.

I think you just like to make things up to try and make points. My service adviser who's been working for MB for over 30 years said he has toured plants in Germany and the US....and that the US built cars are built to the exact same standards and quality as the German built ones.

Of course it doesn't make sense to you. You don't even know what equipment is standard or available for the LX and GL....the 2 vehicles that you spent so much time researching before choosing your obviously superior LX.

Warranty has nothing to do with how good a vehicle is. You're a funny guy!

 

Don't know how you can retrofit a tailgate on the GL or install easy entry without burning out the compressor.

I agree with you on the more advanced the technology, the more maintenance it will require. Not disputing the fact at all you've owned many Benzes with alot of miles. These cars can run a long time with proper upkeep. Engine and transmission usually far outlast the electronics.

 

Got me on the tail gate. I personally don't have a need there so that's not appealing to me.

On the suspension lowering, it is easily achieved via a OBD2 lowering module. There are many out there that can do it. Here is what it looks like when you lower the GL. You don't need to be in the car to lower. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0L8...ature=youtu.be

 

Or you just don't know how to drive or park a vehicle of such size. Perhaps you should gotten a smaller vehicle.


I hardly use the backup camera on my LX. No problems yet. If you have to rely on that much "tech" to park for you and get you into parking spots, you shouldn't be on the road or you have a vehicle that's too large for you.


You can cool 1 cup. I can cool a bottle of wine, keep lunch meats, cheese cooled while camping etc. It works quite well and effectively. I don't need to keep a drink hot for too long. A good insulated thermos is pretty effective enough.

I think you are misinformed of what easy access/entry actually is. The GL doesn't have it. Do you have proof it does? I'll gladly eat my words.


Woohoo. My senior service advisor has also been to the Germany plant. Again, he's not a fan of some of the quality coming out at the 'Bama plant. I asked him his honest opinion because my ML was built there.



Of course it doesn't make sense. It's a false claim.

 

OMG.....you should have been a lawyer, Willie. You'd be just as good at twisting the truth and making sh*t up and arguing its validity as Adam Schiff.

There's no point arguing with you any more. Talking to you is like trying to have a common sense conversation with a modern day Millennial Democrat.

 

Arguing? Who said this was an argument? I just thought it was simply friendly banter.

 

That video of "serious off-road abiilty" is just a paved road and some dirt with potholes. That's not off-roading. That vehicle wouldn't get 10 yards up a off-road trail that my expensive LC goes, with other expensive LC's mind you.

 

That demo was done with stock 21" wheels and low-profile summer tires. Considering that the 2nd gen GL had a wheel base of 121" vs the the LC/LX wheel base of just 112" with 18" wheels and high-profile truck tires, I'd say it does very well. Put some 19" wheels with higher profile truck tires and put the suspension in "raised" mode on the GL and make it an even competition in the mud and on the rocks. Less than 1% of SUV owners (including LX/LC owners) ever take their cars off-roading. It's really just a marketing campaign.

Have you seen any of the videos yet of the 2020 GLE and what that thing can do off-road? It can bounce itself out of deep sand & mud and each wheel is individually height adjustable. It looks like it will be able to keep up with the best of OEM SUV off-roaders on the market.

 

The GL needs the "off road" package to do what the Toyota does stock. The Toyota is the better off roader in stock form but the GL is an incredible on road machine. With the off road package, the GL does what the Toyota can do but the Toyota can't really perform like the GL on road with any option package. In all reality, all the GL's should come stock with the "off road" package, decent stock headlights, and a few other key safety options.

 

There's no reason for the all GL/GLS' to come stock with the off-road package. Almost nobody ever takes their SUV's off road.....even when they're fully capable of doing so.

 

Goodness, let him enjoy the LX. This thread went downhill.

A friend at work had one and loved it. Both are nice vehicles and the “better” one is subjective.

My bet is the LX costs less to own over the long term.

 

My buddy just picked up a new 2019 LX570 on 12-31. Sticker price on it was a little over $102k. He haggled the dealer down to $74k + sales tax. I was shocked to hear that you can get one discounted by that much.....and that you could still find a brand new 2019 on the lot in late December.

 

2 1/2 years after starting this thread I am back. My love fest with the LX570 has ended. I apologize to @DaveW68 you were right.

Im looking at 17-19 GLS550’s. Any advice and must have options?

 

ACTIVE CURVE and Distronic are the features that I appreciate the most in my 2015 GL63. I also love the auburn brown interior. The GLS550 and GLS63 come with a lot of standard equipment.

 

Thank you. Hard to find Active Curve in used 550’s. I’m leaning towards 17-19 GLS550 for practicality with the family and daily driving. However a used 14-16 GL63AMG for similar price has my attention.

 

Agree with the active curve and distronic but not the auburn brown. It tends to look like dookie brown as it ages and I've noticed the brown interior vehicles tend to sit for a long time and go for way lower prices than other interiors on the used car market. So it seems, every time I find a smoking deal on a GLS63 or GLE63, it's got the brown interior. Go for black or grey interior if you can find it. The darker the color the better it will look long term but, with that said, the linen and black interior is also very nice.

 

Hi,

We own both of these vehicles. A 2013 certified GL450 purchased in July 2019 for about $23,000 and a 2013 certified LX570 purchased in October 2017 for about $43,000. Both had just over 60,000 miles at time of purchase.

Cost: LX570 is more expensive initially, GL450 is far less reliable and can have shockingly high repair costs, but is cheaper up front.

Reliability: I've taken a Honda Odyssey to over 250,000 miles (then totaled) and my first car from 11,000 to 186,000 miles. I say that to indicate I generally take pretty good care of my vehicles. The LX570 has had two small issues under warranty. A blower motor actuator door I think and the Brake Master Cylinder. (I would add that I think a young tech broke the blower motor door trying to check the cabin air filter during an oil change. Also, the locking differential light was flashing and the Toyota service guide recommended replacing the master cylinder first - not sure there was actually a problem with it - this was about a month ago.) The engine is being replaced for cylinder scoring on my GL450. (Numerous other warranty claims: tensioner assembly, rear air bags, couple of oil leaks, etc.)
We purchased an additional two years of warranty on the GL450 (3 years/unlimited mileage). Lexus offers an additional 5 years on their certified used vehicles. (We have a 7 year unlimited mileage warranty on the LX570). For me, the Toyota service and parts availability is really nice. That said, we do have an excellent Mercedes service department where we live and the CPO warranty has been shockingly hassle free. I am nervous about when it expires.

Strength: The GL450 has a 600lb towing capacity advantage over the LX570 on paper. That said, we regularly tow a small travel trailer with the LX570 and I've never used the trailer hitch on the GL450 except for a bike rack. I cannot imagine towing regularly with the GL450. It does not seem rugged enough. The AHC and heavy mass of the LX570 makes towing a pleasure.

Drivability: The LX570 drives more like a truck. The GL450 can be driven for long periods on the interstate and is less fatiguing. It seems more like a car.

Cabin: LX570 holds eight if necessary and has great climate control and seat comfort. GL450 only holds seven. (We have five kids - hence the two large vehicles). The LX570 does have rear monitors which our younger children appreciate. I think the LX570 with the Lexus windshield is a little quieter inside the cabin. (both have newer/higher quality tires and it's pretty much all you can lightly hear in the LX570. I road force balance both vehicles regularly.

Safety: The LX570 feels like a tank and seems like it would hold up extremely well in an accident. I was in a high speed accident on an interstate previously in an RX450 and it held up beautifully. The GL450 does have better lane departure/avoidance technology in our 2013 models.

If you value simplicity, can afford the up front cost, regularly tow or drive off road/winter conditions, and/or want to own it for a long time go with the LX570. The GL450 is a little easier to drive, has better safety technology systems in our model year, and is much cheaper initially. My wife greatly prefers the 570 over the GL450 - which may be the only criteria that matters.

 

Thank you, Landon27 for posting your feedback.

I considered selling my 2012 GL550 last year to get a LC, but held on to her. I bought it with 100k on it. She now has 140k on her with 70% of the miles in the last 40k being used for towing. I change the oil twice a year and drivetrain annually.

I have had 2 issues to date. I had a rear bag go out shortly after I got it. It cost me less than $100 and 30 minutes of time to fix that. The fuel pump went out this year. Mine didn't have access man hole covers in the floor so the tank had to be dropped to replace them. To drop the tank you have to drop driveshaft and exhaust. That was not a fun job and took about 7 hours and cost about $400 in parts to replace pump/sender/seals.

The X164 models seem a little more robust in my opinion and it fits in between a LC/LX570 and X166. I told my wife I will likely replace it with a new Sequoia or 4Runner when the next generations come out. Key for me will be being able to comfortably tow our 21-foot boat. Our 6 kids are getting older now with 3 drivers so the extra seating is becoming less important.

 

Interesting thoughts. I’ll add mine since I just went from a 13 LX 570 (bought with 92,000 miles sold 2 years later with 127,000 miles) to a CPO 17 GLS550 with 41,000 miles.

There are many pluses leaning towards the GLS over the LX. First I’ll start with the positives of the LX. It seems overbuilt and solid and the interior materials seem to hold up well. The Mark Levinson system was my favorite feature and sounded phenomenal. The kids used the rear seat entertainment however it was limited and outdated accepting only DVD and no Blu-ray. You definitely felt safe and on the highway it was very plush. I did not tow or go off-road so perhaps this was not the vehicle for me.

The LX even with the 5.7 Liter V8 feels like a heavy pig driving around town. The gas mileage is poor averaging between 12-14 mpg with a small tank. The steering can be heavy, disconnected and non precise. I replaced almost the entire front end trying to tighten up the steering feel over bumps and eliminate the twitching steering wheel, a front end clunk and bump steer to no avail. All I got from multiple Lexus dealers is "that’s how they all drive" which I highly doubted and chalked it up to lazy techs not wanting to spend time nailing down the issue. Then there was this vibration at highway speeds around 70-80 miles per hour no one could ever figure out after multiple balances and tire rotations. I feel as if my steering rack may have been going however I was not about to put a $2500 guess into a new rack (yes the labor on a LX570 rack is intensive). So even though the truck never left me stranded and I never had a CEL, (however the differential lock would flash every now and then), it was not without its share of issues.

The GLS550 drives a million times better it’s literally night and day and that alone is worth the upgrade. Even with the immense power upgrade, the gas mileage increase over the 570 is such a pleasant sight to behold even as I’ve been stepping on it. The handling is hands down significantly better. The Harmon Kardon is no match for the Mark Levinson though. The GLS is roomy, feels solid and the third row is so much more comfortable. The 3rd row seats fold better flat into the floor rather up to the side as the LX. Some of the interior materials feel cheaper in the GLS but some other materials feel better than the LX. I bought CPO and hopefully it doesn’t spend every other month in the shop, however the drivability of the GLS seems worth the "less" reliability of the LX. I would not get ANY enjoyment driving the LX 200,000+ miles.

 

The gas mileage is shockingly poor on the LX570. I think we average around 9mpg towing the travel trailer. On the vibration front, I refuse to let our Toyota dealer balance the tires. I've had the best luck with the Discount Tire road force machines. I really dislike steering wheel vibrations and at least for our vehicles this has solved it. The fold flat seats are really nice on the GL.

The ruined engine at 100k would likely prevent me from buying another GL in the future. I think that I would love the (active ride control?) on the 550 and there's zero doubt even the 450 Mercedes is more fun to drive.

If you are mechanically skilled, have proper tools, and a little lucky - you are probably okay owning the GL series out of warranty. It's the first time I've owned a car where a properly maintained part broke (engine) and without the warranty I likely would have had to salvage the car due to the shocking repair cost. (even for a used m278 swap that might put me right back in the same position down the road)

 

This is simply false. I bought one similar to OPs with 105k. It might as well have 10k, I can not emphasize that enough.

Also it's false about the LC forums. Go over to ih8mud forums and look for prevalent mechanical problems in the 200 series LC/LX. Good luck in your search.

I love Mercedes as much as anyone but you're really selling the Land Cruiser short. It is astounding the quality control and engineering that goes into them. They are engineered to last 25 years in the worst of conditions, literally. Think jungles and deserts. Australian outback. I saw dozens in Afghanistan withdrawal where they are actually needed for their capabilities. The news people were riding in a motorcade of them. They're just not as fancy there as the ones sent here bc they are needed for basic duty.

And it's not slow, not as fast as a GL, sure. But it has zero trouble getting up and going. 5.7 has lotttts of grunt.

You are also incorrect that people don't off road these. I went to a mud pit an hour after delivery. When you are searching (and you will be searching) for common mechanical problems on a 200 LC/LX you will see this. Lots of filthy rich people buy these brand new and spend thousands modding them JUST for off-roading.

 

I'm not filthy rich, but I have dropped thousands and spent many hours on the installations. Just to abuse it on off-road trails and trips to the desert. My GL550 and the LC have the same mileage, but the blue book value is $35k versus $58k. The LC will continue to hold its value. Last of the V8's.

 

Well, the monster of Mobile is a true POS; though the paint and when its no running in the driveway looks great. The interior leather is really nice. The maintenance bills are brutal. Plan on Air Matic issues to be 5-7k every 4 yrs (40k miles). plan on sensors failing at 100k. plan on compressor failing at 50-60k. plan on tires 20-30k. plan on true winter tires as all season won't cut the snow. plan on $500 in fluid/maintence every yr. Plan on brake and fuel lines to rot out at 10yr ($8k). Also door network dies and thats $1k/door. Front Sensors die in winter due to road salt/sand.
So for a $105k car, you can expect another 40-60k in costs over 10 yrs. (I only have the dealer do the work, they make fun of me every time and tell me to dump the car... I thought they were in sales.... nope they were just being truthful.)
MB from Mobile Alabama are (Scheisse). I could have bought 2 LX's for this and had the same out of pocket cost.

 

Lexus is the best bro. Period. I say that owning a 2012 GL550 and having owned a 2007 GL450

 

I ended up selling my LX570 2 years ago and bought a 2017 GLS550 and do not regret it one bit. The ownership of the LX was frustrating to say the least. Lexus dealers experience is underwhelming especially when you need a problem diagnosed. I wanted to love the LX, however the driving dynamics of the LX are horrible compared to the GLS. The LX had a slight vibration in the steering wheel at highway speed that never got figured out by multiple dealers after multiple parts were thrown at the truck, road force balances and new Michelin tires. It also had an issue where the steering was slow to return to center out of a full lock u turn at random times. Lexus has its issues as well. I got tired of it.

Only thing I miss about it is the Mark Levinson stereo system, but those amps are know for failure and cost a lot to replace. Lexus service/parts are just as expensive as Mercedes. The GLS550 has a ton more power it can actually hang with some sports cars, more modern fuel efficient engine, usable third row, handles very well in sport mode, is quieter than the LX and feels solid as a bank vault.

I bought the GLS CPO and extended the warranty additional 2 years. It has already paid out thousands but everyone knows not to own one without some type of warranty. But it is totally worth it as the driving and ownership experience over the LX570 far exceeds!