Welcome to Josh’s Cars of Japan, a channel for the Toyota and Lexus enthusiast! I’m Josh and am currently on my tenth Toyota, sharing my adventures in test driving and getting to know Toyota’s cars old and new along the way!
Got a question but don’t want to leave it in the comments? Email me at joshscarsofjapan@gmail.com! As
You can find the manual for any vehicle on the Lexus website so definitely give that a look. My gut tells me no because it’s a turbo engine and most of their turbos do actually require premium.
I get your critique on being a smart consumer and buying something that actually fits your needs: I watch various videos, but I am more than happy to stick with the 06 Camry going on 194000 miles so long as it gets from point A to B. Also a flex that I'm a safe driver that I can hold it year after year.
So fun. We had an Infinity QX about 8 years ago. It was like an owning a Gulfstream G whatever (airplane). Heaven on the hwy. in town…it really was like a Gulfstream and bumping into everything trying to maneuver it. The beltline (?) was so high, visibility was horrible. And the electronics were a mess. In Texas, it probably doesn’t matter.
YES to all of this. That’s why I have always stayed away from full size SUVs. Wonderful on the highway but way too much for city living. Plus, I don’t think it would fit in our garage anyhow and if I’m spending that much on a car it better be garage-able! Thanks for watching!
I'm a sucker for advertising hype. But I did get lucky a couple times in my life. I bought an 08 Tundra because of that deep voiced commercial of the thing towing a 10,000 lb trailer up the pyramids (or something like that). It has 229,500 miles on it and runs great and couldn't see replacing it for a new Tundra as why would I sell this to someone else who would get a great truck? As I have my own business so I can write off a vehicle over 6,000 GVW and didn't want a new Tundra we bought a 23 GX460. I wasn't fond of it's front end look and it doesn't have great ground clearance or approach angle and the gas mileage is, well..., but you know what? I LOVE that car! It's the smoothest driving vehicle I've ever ridden in. I've grown to love it's looks too. And the wood on the stearing wheel was almost a No Go for me but now I think it's genius. I love it's feel and it is very easy to clean.
Great video! Like your unsolicited take. Curious why you got rid of your 4Runner, or have a link to your video that explains? I couldn’t find a specific one. Thank you!
Hello, and thank you! You can find more detail on that at the end of the video linked below. Long story short, I bought the GX in the summer of 2023 and by fall I just didn’t feel like I needed both.because 4Runners hold their value so well, the dealer offered me $4K more in 2023 than I paid for it brand new back in 2019 and so that was a no brainer. Mentioned at the end of this video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Mm5TxIejW_o.html
Josh: 1:03:18 Me: ☕ 🥣 The weather is great...vacation time...let me watch and relax About the depreciation... a pristine Lexus es350 2016 I was looking at the price with 56k miles around 20k... same price as the new Nissan Altima , so they hold that good price after these years Buying the new Toyota products nowadays.... maybe Crown Signia(because it's Japanese), but Honda Mazda and The Korean brands are killing the game too...Even the American brands(more Korean/Mexican than American to be honest) are coming hard. Mazda interior is far superior than the other Japanese brands, thats why Honda interior look straight out of Mazda. Abt the youtubers ... I like Savagegeese and Topher and Ahmed from the care nut ... they pretty reasonable. Suzuki Jimmy is a classic... and they are so reliable and capable off road. You know what will be good...the 10k subs(it's coming) driving the new Camry or Lc500👀😁.
In your video about the GX550 you were spot on. Its about perspective. I have owned shitty cars/trucks/vans my entire life. Back in 2020 I purchased a Limited 4runner. From my perspective it seems super luxurious. We both know that its really not. The GX460 is old school Lexus luxury. It demonstrably luxurious. The GX550 seems more like an upgraded Toyota Prado from other markets with a Lexus badge. It seems to have some of the the bones of a Lexus GX but it is missing the heart and tuxedo. If you come from a 4runner the GX 550 will seem very luxurious I guess but why did Toyota market to 4runner owners as opposed to pervious Lexus owners? It will be interesting to see how the market plays out in about 3-5 years.
I actually think the 4Runner Limited is more luxurious than the 550. Nice, thick REAL leather. Solid, old plastics, proven and reliable drivetrain, etc. My 2020 4Runner most definitely felt better built and more solid than the 550. The tech is better in the 550 but it’s also the same tech as is in any new Toyota so like no big deal there IMO.
Great comparison video! I am an owner of a 2017 Rx350. How you compared the QX60 to the RX350 v6 is admirable. Great comparison within the QX60 trims, as well. Seems like we have the same taste because I would get the sensory trim. Thanks to you, If I were in the market today, I already know which crossover and trim I would buy.
Was smiling the whole way through! Love to hear your thoughts and mini rants. 😁 It's crazy, because I'm thinking the same things, but it's nice to hear someone else say them out loud. (confirms, I can't be the "only" one). lol
I'm surprised the amount of GX fans that have no idea what KDSS is and what it does. As soon as I saw only the Overtrail trims come with "E-KDSS" I realized the truth of how much more expensive this new GX-550 (despite all it's cost cutting). I'm keeping my '22 GX460 in Nori Green a long time.
Thanks for the vid. My 2024 Venza Limited has 4 cameras that act like 8 with the split view. To record ... in a dash cam sort-of-way, I have to buy another camera! Crying shame. It would be really great if an owner could access the video data for the cameras they already own without having to buy ANOTHER camera. Just thinking...
The primary reason for this is liability. There are many states that require two party consent to record and the vehicle manufacturers don’t want to get tied up in potential litigation should anyone sue for that. That said, I completely agree!
Made-in-Japan is a big feature for me. Also, direct injection is another thing to put in mind. Beautiful car though and more value for money as compared to Lexus/Toyota.
Direct injection is one of those things that was an issue back in the nineties and early 2000s but has evolved to not be problematic, especially with routine maintenance and care; but that people can’t stop complaining about today.
The T24A isn’t technically a truck engine, it’s used in all their new passenger cars. However, the old GX460, LX570, and LS460 all used the same UR-series V8 that was originally designed for Toyota trucks and that’s why they ran so beautifully and reliably.
I bought lexus lx 600 sport and received without the dash-cam that stick in windshield front only cables extended out. can i just buy the dashcam hardware and install it ?
Discuss cars made in China coming into the mainstream. Also Lexus and other manufacturers moving their assembly to Mexico and other markets not known for engineering prowess. My personal opinion is Lexus should exclusively be made in Japan, as the same with Mercedes, BMW and Audi.
Hi there! China is VERY interesting to me. I need to do more research on the details. Also, to your latter note I’m not sure if you’re saying that Mercedes, BMW, and Audi are exclusively made in Germany or if they should be. Today, many Mercedes products are exclusively made in the US (like GLE and GLS are all made in Alabama and then shipped to Europe) and Porsche Cayenne has always been made in Slovakia at a VW plant. BMW outsources manufacturing to Magna too. So all these car makers do the same thing.
@@joshjamescars The X5 and X7 are also US made. The cheapness on Mercedes models, is that mostly scene on American made models or does that include the models made in Germany.
I think it’s more the newer and cheaper models (plus the electric cars). Mercedes and Lexus both are like well if you’re not spending $100K with us you don’t deserve nice materials. 🙄
@@joshjamescars The Lexus LBX was a big shock honestly, a torsion beam suspension in a Lexus is just pathetic. Thanks for your opinion. Looking forward to tomorrows video!
@benoit.b9337 Same. The UX, and now LBX have always been lightly dressed up economy cars (Corolla and Yaris cross respectively)… I think they know people just buy for the badge today regardless of quality. There’s a TX video coming up next week (the 5th of July) and it’s horrendously bad for a Lexus-branded product.
I didn’t realize the prime back in 2021 was much cheaper. I just came back from your other video, breaking down how you basically paid only $32,000 out the door for your current 2021 model. I was looking at the 2024 prime as a next car, but realized that I would be overpaying by ALOT. The things is, I really like how the drive of the car is smoother and quieter than the hybrid, but at that price point I’m not entirely sure that it’s worth paying the $14,000 extra premium over.. versus when you got it for $32,000. If it were still that price I’d definitely get it in a heartbeat. It’s a shame Toyota raised the price so much 😢. Hopefully the new model that comes out will have a better discount hehe. Also the primes are all made in Japan, another reason I wanted to buy it. I currently have an 2005 rav4 made in Japan and still works great! I just wish the prime were $32,000(with the incentives) still 😢. You picked it up at a great time (: - also the analogy on the $10,000 could go a step further by putting it into a HYSA and locked in at 5% per year, by the tenth year you’d have more than $5000+ accrued 😮
Hello! Yeah, it’s really unfortunate that the Prime is so expensive. You can get $6,500 lease cash in some places on a Prime, and the trick to that is you lease the car from the dealer and then 3 months later, buy it out of the lease. That will save you a bit. Also, to be fair to Toyota, the $10K we got off ours was the $7,500 federal incentive plus a $2,500 state incentive so it wasn’t them giving us that money. But it absolutely made the final price of the car much more attractive than it is now. And finally-as expensive as it is now, considering the RX450h+ uses exactly the same drivetrain (literally exactly the same) and costs $75K, $43K for a Prime SE isn’t terrible.
@@joshjamescars LOL understandable! But you say all that with some steep discounts 😆 - about $3,500 extra versus today and also - the original msrp went up as well :( just be real man ahaha 🤣 you guys got an great deal! If it were still that price I 100% see it’s worth it, but because I don’t even have an electrical outlet like you guys, I will not be able to even charge overnight. I saw the 5 things you liked and the 5 things you disliked about the car and it’s clear that this Prime for me would be more of an luxury/impusle buy move lol. But still nevertheless I would have loved to try to go through the plug in hybrid route. I would have tried to make it work :p
The best off roaders (old GX, the 5th-gen 4Runner, the Range Rovers, Defender, and Grand Cherokee) have proven that you don’t have to compromise on road comfort for off road capability.
In my estimation, the reason a 460 owner would go to the 550 is that the tech in the 460 and previous gens is awful! To me that’s the biggest hook here - is upgraded tech interface.
Having owned a new Lexus product with the new interface, I can say it’s different but I don’t know if it’s better. All the connected features require a $20/month subscription (and having a map on screen is only free for 3 years). I also didn’t car for all the climate controls being on screen. When it freezes you’re locked out of that.
Mercedes is hit or miss for luxury-unless you like gaudy and that’s where they’re great. But their materials are starting to feel cheap too. I really liked the last generation of BMW cars but the current Neue Klasse design language is downright ugly to me. Porsche is great but pricey. Personally I’d probably buy or lease an Audi. I love their design and technology
As a three time Lexus owner from 1992 / 2014, their switch to plood from the beautiful wood used in older vehicles is a real disappointment. Their current lineup really lacks the magnificent materials and overall feel of the older vehicles.
I had no idea this still existed with the NA V-6. Turns out my local Infiniti dealer has 147 on the lot and there may be a good deal waiting for me. Does it have any type of self-driving? I'll go look at whichever version has ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, 360° camera and power folding mirrors. How about rear heated seats?
You’re looking for the Sensory or Autograph trim, in that case! Both have everything you’re looking for. The Luxe may as well but not sure about heated seats. It has the same level of “self driving” as any other car (adaptive cruise, lane trace, etc.) but those are one level below Blue Cruise/Super Cruise/Tesla Auto Pilot).
do you think just having this Cold air intake without the exhuast will make a difference. the exhaust and CAI together installed will probably cost 2k. trying to thinks if that's worth it
The exhaust is going to make a much bigger difference than the intake for purposes of making your 4Runner sound better. But with the cold air intake you can definitely tell the car can breathe a little bit better.
That older 2GR-FE is actually better in some ways because it’s a less complex engine. I had one in a Highlander and it was absolutely wonderful to drive.
@@joshjamescars Hi Josh. I have an opportunity to buy my cousin's 2015 RX450h w/ just 30,600mi. My 2013 RX350 currently has 75k mi. I test drove it this past weekend, and somehow felt that it was especially sluggish off the line. Found out that it is 309 lbs. heavier than the RX350. Everything is original on this RX, including the tires. My co-worker stated that future repairs/replacement of the hybrid battery, inverter, &/or generator can be quite costly. Do you suggest that I keep my non-hybrid RX350 instead of selling it to get the RX450h? Thank you for your time.
@jonlambert7903 hello! I think for me it would come down to whether you like the color or features on your cousin’s better than yours. At 75K you can get at least another 75K miles out of the car. The hybrid components can be expensive, but they rarely ever fail. Hybrid batteries are also so cheap these days (maybe $1-2K) compared to what they were. The “transmission” (which is really a single speed, planetary style reduction gearset) in the hybrid will last longer than the 6-speed automatic transmission in your 350. But even that you shouldn’t have issues with until you get closer to 150K.
@@joshjamescars Wow! Thanks for the really prompt reply. I was always under the impression that CVT's were not that reliable because it's belt/chain driven. I guess Toyota's cvt's are different. My "Claret Mica" (burgundy) RX350 has beige interior (seats, door panels, and carpet are all beige), which I really like. The RX450h is "Silver Lining" color with grey leather; but the grey is only on the seats, 4-doors' arm rests, and carpet. Everywhere else is black, so it's kinda like two-tone.
@jonlambert7903 The eCVT in Toyota’s hybrids is totally different than a belt and pulley CVT in a normal gas car. It’s actually not even a transmission, but just what Toyota calls the power split device that hybrids use because it’s the closest thing a hybrid has to a transmission. It’s a single speed planetary style reduction gearset in which a set of gears orbiting around a central hub which can blend power from the electric motors and the gas engine to drive the wheels. No belt and pulley there. As for the colors, personally yours sounds nicer to me; I’ve never been a fan of gray leather inside a luxury car… but if you like it, go for it!
Toyota or Lexus twin-turbo V6 engines have significant issues. Despite being aware of these problems, they still chose to put this engine in the new GX. Very disappointing.
Spot on- again! I am so glad that I did not purchase the GX550 vice the previous GX460 model. Yes- the new Land Cruiser should be a $50-$65K vehicle at most and fully loaded at that price range.
Infiniti is going to be coming out with a new QX65 which is supposed to directly compete with the Lexus RX so keep your eyes out. If they use the new design language as the new QX80 I’m sure the new QX65 is going to look sick. Infiniti has a good future ahead we just have to wait for them to deliver
Yes!!! I completely agree. I’m really hoping it comes with the same V6 the QX60 has. Rumors on Murano/QX65 have been split on whether or not it’ll move to a turbo I4.
I don't know why, but I watched the whole car review video for the first time without skipping. It was the best car comparison I've seen between Lexus and Toyota.
