Thank you so much for this comparison. We were shopping the Pilot back in March and noticed that a lot of it seemed half baked. I hate the bezel for the large screen like in the Accord, but they only put in the smaller screen. I hated the idea of paying $60k for a Honda Pilot after spending ~$35k on an Odyssey of similar trim level (yes, it was 12 years ago).
The TX has us very interested for our first post-minivan purchase. We loved the size of the 3rd row and storage behind it in the Pilot, so I’m intrigued to see how they compare with real world storage. Guess I’m bringing some luggage to the dealership.
Have you considered another new Odyssey? Or even the Grand Highlander? Isn’t it basically the same car for less money? (Understood that there are the Lexus luxury feature differences, but is it really worth the difference?)
I was able to get just over 9% off msrp on a TX350. There’s a ton of these things on dealer lots in Southern California, optioned in all imaginable ways.
Like the OP, I was also looking at a grand highlander, but for whatever reason there’s barely any available, and not one spec’d to my needs. Even had I found one, it would likely be at msrp, and with the discount I got on the TX, the price difference would’ve been about 6-7k. IMO the Lexus is easily worth that upcharge.
We love the TX, it’s perfect for our family of 5. The base 350 engine is smooth and capable enough to zip around town (admittedly, not sure how it would perform loaded with 6 adults and luggage, however). The size/interior is amazing and the #1 reason we bought it. I like the infotainment, and the semi-touch hvac controls are surprisingly easy to use (I absolutely hate the hvac on the xc90 and q7).
I also looked at an Infiniti qx60, and the TX is significantly larger, it wasn’t close. The TX drove nicer than the Infiniti, despite the qx60 having a v6.
There’s no lease support or subsidized financing from Lexus, so I doubt many here will be considering a TX. But for those that are looking to purchase in this vehicle class, you’ve gotta check it out.
If it were to be my car, I’d get the Sienna in an instant. But it’s my wife’s, and while she loves her minivan, our family is at an age where if we bought another minivan, that would be the car until the kids are in college. Alas, she doesn’t want to be driving a minivan that long, so we’re looking at other options. But there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that has the utility of a minivan.
Regarding GH vs TX, if I’m going to spend that much money on a vehicle, it’s #1 going to be loaded, and #2 not going to have a Toyota nameplate on it.
Thank you, this is great feedback. We are also a family of 5 and I found this insight invaluable. Have you taken it on a road trip yet?
no road trip yet. 99% of our mileage is stop n go city traffic, and the low end torque of the turbo 4 handles that very well.
I’ve taken it on the freeway a few times so far and it’s been surprisingly smooth. Like the other poster mentioned, this thing is incredibly quiet, which speaks to the build quality and fit & finish.
I definitely agree that if one is willing to spend $50-55k on a grand highlander, another 5-10k to upgrade to the Lexus isn’t that outlandish. The only grand highlander i was able to see in person was a base trim XLE and IMO the TX is easily worth the upcharge (maybe a limited or platinum GH would’ve been satisfactory, but there weren’t any on a nearby lot).
Savagegeese has a good (very favorable) review of the TX for anyone interested.
A few co workers here in TX went up and down the state to get a deal but due to demand the dealers aren’t doing much to discount. It seems anyone who wants the TX needs to pay demand rate
Not what I am seeing in the Lexus TX groups on Facebook. Lots of dealers in Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana are selling below MSRP.
I do not think the lease deals are there yet, but I imagine they will come. Everybody who wanted a TX right away will likely have one by February, and then the GX will be the next thing, I am guessing we see lease offers for TX’s in the $700-900 range or lower come summer.
Apparently pick up isn’t terrible, but I agree its a lot of money for a 4 cylinder.
@max_g - Not saying there is overlap, I just mean that most of the folks who were waiting to buy a TX will likely have one in their driveway by the time the GX hits dealerships, so demand should be cooling off anyway.
I briefly looked at the lease numbers for the TX and while the residual is high enough to support a good lease program (along with the dealer discounts already discussed), there’s no incentives from Lexus and the money factor absolutely kills any chance at a deal.
Lexus still thinks leather seats and wood grain are luxury. The only thing Lexus has going for them is reliability. Just by looking at the TX the base model and higher trim don’t look much different.
I agree that the interiors/tech for prior generation Lexus models were very dated compared to other luxury brands, however, they did an excellent job with the new tx and the current gen rx and nx.
While maybe not quite as luxurious as German brands, Lexus has modernized the interior and infotainment, and I’d say they are well ahead of their Japanese counterparts. As Lexus is typically cheaper than German luxury, they offer a good value proposition.
X7 and GLS are way more expensive. Q7 is smaller and obsolete. As is the Nissan/Infiniti product. GM 6.2 and Ford 5.4 3v failures left a sour taste for a lot of people.
Reliability suddenly becomes a real luxury when one’s prior memory is being on first name basis with service manager or lemon lawyer
