GX or GXL

[MattPrado Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close MattPrado]

Hi Everyone,

I'm still really keen to get my first Prado sometime in the next few months.
A question for all the Prado guru's on the forum.....
What are the major differences between the GX and the GXL models?
It seems that a lot of the diesel models I see advertised are GX.
Just wondering what your thoughts were on the GX vs the GXL?

Thanks

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Re: GX or GXL

It really depends what year model your talknig about. Up until Nov '06 the GX was the "poverty pack' with no flares and skinny wheels. Post Oct.'06 the GX has flares and wide wheels (after this date the "Prado Standard" was introduced as the base model poverty pack).

Apart from that it is difficult to give a definate answer as most of the GXs will have some options fitted. ie. A/C was an option on the GX but very few GXs were sold without air.

One thing to be aware of is that a lot o GXs will be ex mine/construction company vehicles.

Leachy

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Re: GX or GXL

It depends on what final specification level you are looking for and your ego. I was after a GXL D4D auto with option pack but there was no supply (have a look at "New Vehicle Delivery Times" for the start of last year). One of the dealers offered a GX D4D auto with option pack 2 which I think was a cancelled order so the price was right. Differences were:

GX badge instead of GXL badge (lower resale but depends on who when where the resale occurs)
No roof rails (not bothered as my roof rack wouldn’t easily fit on the factory rails anyway so I bought an ARB fitting kit and all is good)
Steel wheels (picked up Phoenix alloys for $1,000 which gives me two trailer wheels and three extra spares albeit with Grandtreks)
Single CD without blue tooth (fitted after market blue tooth and use iThing for noise on trips but I would buy the Dig_Options TP09X1 if I had my time again and get DVD, GPS and rear camera and forget about the reversing sensors)
No rear privacy glass (tinting fixed that)
No fog lights (fitted driving lights to the bullbar)

Everything else was what I was after, dual air, traction control, stability control etc etc. Can use low range anywhere as the centre differential is locked via a button but that is automatic only. Even the seats including fabric and pattern was the same as the GXL. Price was lots of $k less which will make up for the loss in resale but as that event is another 5 years or so away not bothered about that either.

So it depends on what you want. You can easily compare specs directly from the brochure. Download the pdf from

http://www.toyota.com.au/prado/specifications

My decision was made because of supply but I haven't regretted it and by the way the $ I saved paid for the snorkel, dual battery, tow bar, reverse sensors, lift kit, ATR tyres, alloys, bullbar, spot lights, compressor, tinting, blue tooth unit with some $ left over. You need to do your own calculations though.

You of course are aware that a new model is imminent so there may or may not be specials soon or you may wish to wait for the new model but who knows what the pricing will be.

Michael

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

Re: GX or GXL

Horses for courses... but we love our GXL!

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

Re: GX or GXL

Does the current model GX have air-conditioner vents for the second and third row passengers?

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: GX or GXL

We have a 2008 GX at work. Single air, skinny steel rims and skinny Grandtrek tyres, no fender flares, black rear bumper and no rear seats (third row). It has single cd and no blue tooth. D4d with auto and looks pretty much identical to my GXL.

My boss has an upspec GX, 2008 model D4d with auto, wide steel wheels, fender flares, colour coded bumper, rear seats.

A couple of Perth dealers are selling upspec GX with wide steel wheels, flares, colour coded bumpers, 3rd row seats, dual air, dual air bags, 6 stack, etc. They don't have roof rails and are predominantly white. There isn't much difference between these and the GXL, maybe only alloy wheels, roof rails.

There are heaps of GX and GXLs around since the decline in mining as fleet renters such as Thrifty, Avis, etc declined orders for the mining fleets and these are now being sold through dealer outlets.

How much do you want to spend (how much can you afford)? What extras do you really need? What bargains are there waiting to be purchased.

I would have settled for an upspec GX but I definitely didn't want white. I didn't need 6 stack CD, and didn't particulary need the dual air or third row seats but I opted for the GXL so I could get my Dune.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Re: GX or GXL

Does the current model GX have air-conditioner vents for the second and third row passengers?

Look at the specs, option pack 2 gives the GX dual air. Not sure how many are brought out with this option though you need to chase it up with the dealers.

[gavdan1968 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gavdan1968]

Re: GX or GXL

Mattprado,

Like the others have said, it depends on your budget - what year you want or prefer and what you can actually afford. I was looking around in 2006 for a 2nd hand diesel GXL, everyone selling them didn't seem to want to budge below $42,000, and I was looking at a 2 - 3 year old car with about 60,000 km. Looked at the GX base model, which is a fine standard rig, but with the wife driving it regularly around town I wanted ABS - few GX's with ABS, although it was offered. At the same time - and in anticipation of the release of the D4D diesel engine- Toyota "ran out" their old diesel engine in a GX Limited model, which has ABS, 2 airbags, single CD (no input or bluetooth, but MP3 compatible) and externally looks the same as the GXL except for the lack of the alloy wheels - it has the same sized 17"x 8" steel wheels. It has the colour coded bumpers front and rear, front fog lights and scored the roof rails from the Grande. I simply added Autron cruise control. The GXL scores leather steering wheel & gear selector knob, which is no deal breaker. The GX limited air con is the single unit and it has power windows all round and chrome look external mirrors, chrome look grill. All of this was $47,000 drive away (plus cruise control). The GX limited - having the flared guards of the GXL - runs the same width tyres as the GXL - 265/65 17. The GX runs a 225/70 17 on 17" x 6.5" steel rims. Depending on your needs and what features you have to have, a well cared for GX would be money well spent as they are a bargain compared to GXL prices. I have seen a few GX limiteds on the various web sites for $35,000 with around 50,000 km - manual and auto. I'm happy with my GX Ltd, the differences between this model and the GXL are minimal IMHO. Good luck,guess it depends on your budget and your needs.

[MattPrado Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close MattPrado]

Re: GX or GXL

Thanks guys for all the informative replies.
Am thinking GXL now, like to have cruise control and love the flared guards. (I'll be getting an older second hand one)
Happy motoring.
Cheers.
Matt.