GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

[Eugene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eugene]

Hi,

I was ready to go in and order a new GXL TD Auto on Monday, trouble is I drove a VX on Saturday and liked it alot, power seats and swing up wheel, KDSS, and all the other little nice thing were very impresive, I am now tossing up a VX instead of the GXL, what I need to know is there any reason not to buy the VX from a practical (off road) standpoint.

It will be used for towing a 1.3 t van, a campers etc as well as everyday soccer mum duties.
I know the VX has 18" wheels, I have only has 16" before, is there any restrictions in tyre choice caused by the 18" wheels.
The VX also has the KDSS, do I loose any other nice things because of this, I know the 200 has had it for a while, how does it hold up, or is the GXL's traction control up to the task.
I dont realy care about the electir rear seats, are there any other reasons to spend the extra cash on a VX over a GXL?

I know the GX and GXL will be the bread and butter for sales volume how do the upper range models hold up in resale compared to the mid spec 120's.
it wil cost about $35. more per week on repayments so it isnt really enough to worry about, but I dont want to buy a VX and then discover I should have got the GXL from a practical useability point. Or is the VX aimed more at the in town Mummies trying to steal some X5 and Landy sales??

Please help, I know I will be happy with the GXL, but the VX is Nice, really nice.

Thanks

[xvprado Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close xvprado]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

The spec has changed a lot over the last couple of years, the VX main sales point was the TC and other electronics, now all in the GXL alog with climate air

So, what does the VX give YOU that is worth the $$ ?

KDSS is sensationally good, is it an option add on to the GXL ?

No idea on choices for 18" tyres, but I would avoid them like the plague personally for off road use, 17's are bad enough

Seriously, you wont get your $$'s back at sale time on a VX over a GXL to the extent that you paid

Buying a VX has to have some intrinsic value to you over a GXL, thats my take on it

[Eugene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eugene]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

Well,

Thanks for the reply, I had concerns about the 18" rims and tyres off road too.

I called in this afternoon and picked up a quote on the VX, $75,000. drive away with trade, over $11,000. more than the GXL, which was more than I was expecting and when I add the extra running costs of insurance, tyres etc it makes it a bit too much for a car which will spend 85% of its life inside a garage.

A GXL it is, in the silver, I will order tommorow.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

a bit too much for a car which will spend 85% of its life inside a garage.

Mate ~ you need to get out more often. There's heaps of fun to be had with your Prado. As they say in the BCF ads, 'that's not living!'. 8)

[winniliss Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close winniliss]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

If you get a GXL, you have $11000 of accessories that you could buy.
My mate has a Pajero with 18inch wheels and hates it. It costs him $100 more a tyre going from 17inch to 18 inch.

At the end of the day, look at what you are going to use it for, what accessories you will need. See what the final cost is and got from there.

That's what I did and by the time I get all the stuff I want, the Prado will cost me around $67 grand.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

If you get a GXL, you have $11000 of accessories that you could buy.

That's why we went with the 120 series GXL. I convinced my missus that the savings over the VX could be used to set-up our car exactly how we wanted. And we have and it's perfect.

Of course, it all depends on your money circumstance and need. But IMHO if you are happy with the GXL but have the budget for a VX, you might have better options available to you to accessorise or modify to suit your needs if you go with the lower spec model.

[Simo76 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Simo76]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

We were in the same dilema, the other half wanted the vx and i must admit i did think pretty hard about it too, but after talking about it, i think we were better off getting the gxl, by the time we put leather in it (2k) we still have plenty of change for all the other goodies before we hit the vx price. (picked it up yesterday, love it!)

[pjorek Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close pjorek]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

$11k plus INTREST by the sound of it remember if you buying anything (even a carton of beers $50) and you still owe a bank something (homeloan/cars) it's the $50 you could have put towards your interest hence the carton costs you more like $53 (years interest). If all of us start to look at things we purchase that way we'll pay off our mortages a lot quicker, then we won't need to work as much and finally we will have enough time to play in our prados

[Eugene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eugene]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

$11k plus INTREST by the sound of it remember if you buying anything (even a carton of beers $50) and you still owe a bank something (homeloan/cars) it's the $50 you could have put towards your interest hence the carton costs you more like $53 (years interest). If all of us start to look at things we purchase that way we'll pay off our mortages a lot quicker, then we won't need to work as much and finally we will have enough time to play in our prados

I hear what your saying, BUT, this is a "work" (buisiness) car, and kev help pay if you know what I mean, I am self employed and earn enough to pay off a few prados if I like but dont like to waste money either, as for getting out, I work about 60 hours + travel at 12 hours per week, so it only leaves the week end when I am usually in my HDJ79 ute with the boys shooting, or getting wood, or mowing lawns.

Wife only does around 12000km per year now which is a Quarter of what we were doing last year, so car wont get many K's, my ute on the other hand does 70,000km per year.

The thought of going without beer so I could pay a home off (i dont have a mortgage on home) or alike makes me shiver, life is too short and money is too cheap, under 8% on car loan and low 6% for rural block is not enough to worry about, IMHO.

[BIGBLACKDOG Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close BIGBLACKDOG]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

Horses for courses. I have gone for the VX . Has a good range of options and as long as it gets me along the beach to those secret surf spots then will be happy. The debate about tyre size is not a worry for me. Not enough hard core off road work to be a concern for me. Have read on other posts (not on pradopoint) that the Landrover D4 is the same price as a Prado. Yes the Kakadu but you dont get the toyota reliability and not as well optioned in my opinion. I am moving back to Toyota after 10 years of Landrovers. Last one has been a mechanical disaster and have had enough. The D4 may well be mechanically sound but I am not willing to find out.
I opted to move up from the GXL because I could. Should have the new machine in 7 days.

[RobA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobA]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

Some interesting comments but consider these simple matters when comparing the two models. Below are the VX specs above GXL
- Electronic KDSS suspension
- Leather seats + door trims
- Electric fold third row seat
- 9 speaker + CD changer audio system
- Front parking sensors
- Rain sensing intermittent wipers
- Adaptive Front headlamp System (AFS
- Electric Tilt & Telescopic steering column
- Electro Chromatic interior mirror
- Illuminated entry system

For me all that makes a difference along with a better residual if that aspect is of any interest. For me VX is the pick of the bunch and owning a current model I think I can speak from some experience. I suggest you look more closely at the differences between GX and VX. If you want a workhorse then GX but your stated needs fit a VX

Enjoy the confusion

Regards

RobA

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

IMO - its only the KDSS that would perhaps attract me to buy the higher level spec. The others are nice, but not necessary. I'd still prefer to have the extra money (difference between GXL and VX) to spec up exactly as I want. Not sure you get all that great a benefit on re-sale between models over time, however, you may.

ATEOTD - it's what suits your personal needs, likes and most importantly of all - your budget. Hell - we're arguing about Prado's here... you really can't lose. :wink: 8)

[Eugene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eugene]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

Well,

I did it today, Ordered a VX, diesel, Silver pearl. No options, did get a set of mats "thrown in".

Got it for $73,800. drive away.

it will be a 2010 build and comply with delivery around Mid to late February.

I have never spent so much on a car, but after looking at the GXL and then a VX with the Black interior, + all the other nice things I could not go past it, now a 2-3 month wait while Mr Toyota put my car together.

edit for Typo

[Type[R]+ Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Type[R]+]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

I got the VX in the 120 series. Very nice compared to the GXL, huge difference actually.
However, I still wish I got the Grande, even if it cost an extra $10k for sat nav, rear suspension, mid console cooler, and sun roof.

Get the best you can afford. Toyota got great resale anyway when the time comes....... :wink:

[Eugene Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Eugene]

Re: GXL or VX, which to buy, please help.

+]I got the VX in the 120 series. Very nice compared to the GXL, huge difference actually.
However, I still wish I got the Grande, even if it cost an extra $10k for sat nav, rear suspension, mid console cooler, and sun roof.

Get the best you can afford. Toyota got great resale anyway when the time comes....... :wink:

I went the extra $10k up to the VX, the Kakado is another $20K on what I have paid, so it is not an option, that is a swimming pool in the back yard, or a new 10x9m shed for me.

I have only had one new car before, a 2004 falcon turbo ute, which I loved, my current car, a 2006 falcon turbo sedan was a Ex ford demo, so splashing out over $70k on a car is new to me, however, the car itself is less than $60K, there is over $12K in taxes and duties applied which makes me want to spew, but what can you do.

I am going to look at putting a Polaris or similar satnav/DVD/rear camera screen etc in place of the factory one, a friend has one in thier New CRV and is a nice factory looking unit.

An ARB Sahahra Bar, some nice HID driving lights will be first mods, than will see where we go from there.