HMM...QUALITIES...WHERE to START. EVERYTHING. I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IT IS AN EXCEPTIONAL VEHICLE. ESPECIALLY THE MARK LEVISNSON DVD NAVIGATION SYSTEM..TOO BAD I CAN'T WATCH WHILE DRIVING THIS BABY PRACTICALLY DRIVES ITSELF!!!!

gas milage is bad-descent. That's all. Everything ELSE rules!!!

This is a totally redone version of the LX 450 that was introduced two years ago as essentially a Toyota Land Cruiser with the upscale Lexus badge. This time around, the Lexus gets a different front end and some suspension changes that give it a different character than the Land Cruiser.

The first big news is the 4.7-liter, 32-valve double-overhead camshaft V-8 that replaces the huge 4.5-liter six in the old model. The old engine was as reliable as a trusty shovel and developed 212 horsepower. It got the job done, but by the standard that vehicles costing more than $50,000 are judged, it didn't have nearly enough power or sophistication.

For the new LX 470, Lexus increased the displacement of the 4.5-liter V-8 used in the LS400 luxury sedan, and the result is an engine that produces 230 horsepower and 320 pounds-feet of torque. The same engine is standard in the Land Cruiser.

Performance numbers, however, tell only part of the story. The new V-8 is very smooth and quiet, erasing any last tinges of truck persona that might have been handed up from the Land Cruiser.

The engine is linked to a four-speed automatic that drives a full-time all-wheel-drive system that has both a normal ``high-range'' gearing for everyday use and a ``low-range'' setting for off-road driving or exceptionally slippery conditions.

Also new to the LX 470 is a computer-controlled suspension that can select 16 different shock absorber settings to match the ride with road conditions. The driver can also, by way of a console switch, select ride settings that range from firm to soft.

Even with the ride setting on ``Firm,'' the LX 470's ride was nearly living-room smooth and devoid of any serious pitches or rolls over uneven pavement. It's a noticeable improvement over the LX 450, which did a good job of reducing bumps to mere ripples. Now, the LX 470 rides nearly on a par with the LS 400 sedan.

In addition to the improved ride, the LX 470 gets a ride-height adjustment system that allows a driver to raise or lower the vehicle by several inches. A console switch activates a hydro-pneumatic system that sets the car at three different heights -- low, normal and high.

The default setting is normal, and high is for serious off-road use, when ground clearance is an issue. Low is not a bad idea for climbing in and out of this beast.

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TOYOTA LANDCRUISER...Samething, only with a few more gadgets and gizmos, well worth it's extra few K.

Quality, Quality, Quality.

No Available GPS.

By far the best SUV out there. I owned a 1997 LX450 and I thought it was the best then. Over 2 years ago, I bought a 1998 LX470 and I am in the market again for another. I have recently driven most of the new ones out there, and the only close competitor is the Range Rover. I believe the Range Rover has a more attractive exterior, but the interior pales in comparison. The Range has more luxury amenities, but the overall quality was much worse. There is a Nav system available for the Range Rover.

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Range Rover, Escalade

smooth engine with some power( could be improved) quiet interior, with comfortable seats and good sound system

Suspension, rocks side to side quite violently going over bumps, brakes failed after 20000 km!

Much too expensive for a toyota. I would recommend buying a toyota, and save a bundle of money!

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suburban

I have never driven a more impressive SUV than this one. The ride feels like you're not touching the ground when you are moving. It has great power for a truck its size and I have no complaints. I traded my 97 Ford Explorer, WOW!!! what a change.

Gas mileage could be better. But, I knew this before I bought the truck.

Lexus did not wiggle too much on the price, but they made me some other very good offers that I could not pass on which helped make the deal go through. Overall, if you can afford one, get it.

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As mentioned before, I owned an Explorer, you can't compare the two.

impeccable fit & finish; superb ride; very quiet cabin (for an SUV); manufacturer's attention to detail

fuel economy; sluggish acceleration & handling

The quality of the LX-470 is beyond reproach. The feel, looks, and panache of this SUV put everything else I've seen on the market, and I'd particularly include the Escalade and Mercedes SUV's in that category. The interior comfort is tops, though I could nit-pick Toyota on the illumination of the console LED displays and the relatively puny glove box compartment. I might also nit-pick the Nakamichi stereo system, which has marginal FM reception, but it's still far better than the "No-Highs, No-Lo's" Bose system in the Escalade.

The LX-470's biggest flaws are its accelleration and fuel economy. Compared to the "he-man" SUVs I've driven before, like the GMC Yukon, the LX-470 is a very heavy car with a somewhat under-powered engine. There just ain't no "get up and go here," particularly compared to the Yukon. But I suspect that if Lexus put anything bigger under the hood, it'd suck gas even worse than the 11-12 MPG it gets now. Expect frequent refuelings with this car. But those are the _only_ complaints I have.

I think the biggest question any buyer has is: is the 470 really worth $10K more than the otherwise-identical Toyota Land Cruiser, on which it's based? I think the styling and "creature comforts" of the Lexus are worth the money, but not everybody will.

This is my third Lexus -- started with an LS-400 in 1989, went with an SC-400 in 1994. The latter nearly killed me in a serious car wreck in '96, which I blame on the car because it lacked electronic traction control. (Fish-tailed on wet pavement and flipped off a 10' wall overlooking the Hollywood Freeway. Don't ask.) Happily, the LX-470 does have ECT and some other anti-skid features, and I'm convinced it's one of the safest consumer trucks on the market.

After being unable to find a '99 LX-470 in the LA area, I finally resigned myself to going for a 2000 -- price be damned. The 8 dealers I contacted wouldn't or couldn't deal on the price, but I ultimately got a great lease from Nationwide Auto Leasing, whom I highly recommend (strictly as a satisfied customer).

The LX-470 I wound up with had a sticker price of $62K, but we worked the lease out based on about $8K under that, which was considerably better than I could get locally in September of 1999. Note that it's essentially impossible to get the car in any form except totally loaded with every option, which belies Lexus' alleged $56K base price.

I love the car enough that I'm positively going to buy it at the end of the lease. So far, the 470 is the best car I've ever owned, and that includes the two Lexus models I had before it. I think it's overpriced by about 10% (reflected in the rating), but champagne and caviar dreams don't come cheap.

--mwielage@hotmail.com

P.S. As a postscript to other 470 owners, I suggest you add three things to the car:

1) "white" halogen bulbs for the headlights, available for about $100 for a set of 4.

2) illuminated signal mirrors (ala the Expedition), available for about $300 from the Muth Mirror Company (www.kwmuth.com).

3) put in a better sound system. I'd highly recommend the Alpine Navigation / DVD multimedia system, which is first-class, albeit costly.

If I were Lexus, I'd make all three available as factory options! The lack of factory-installed navigation is a real omission on Toyota's part, IMHO.

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Cadillac Escalade, Toyota Land Cruiser, Range Rover, Mercedes ML-55, BMW SUV, Lexus 300

Everything

None

I've had my 2000 LX470 since the middle of September. I've taken it on two trips and it has been extraordinary. The ride is silky smooth and the comfort is unparalleled. I've previously owned BMW, MBZ and Lexus (a 1998 GS400 which was a little less than stellar)

The LX470 is the best SUV out there!

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Nothing like it

everything

fuel economy. not enough air vents for the back seat. No digital compass, my Grand Cherokee had one and I really miss.

Incredible truck. Nothing in the SUV class compares to the ride or the comfort. I've taken it on a couple of road trips and it was great, except for stopping for gas every couple of hours. Over bumpy gravel roads you wont even spill your latte. The Navigator has more creature comforts, but can't compare with the ride or the style of the Lex. I love the truck but I can't rate it 5 stars for the Value, no truck should cost $60,000, even a Lexus.

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Range Rover 4.6, Navigator, Escalade

comfort,convenience,curb appeal

none as of yet

(1999 Model) - The ultimate luxury suv,Idrove them all and none come close to the overall quality of this vehicle,it stands alone.

Adaptive suspension, Mark Levinson audio system, V8 engine.

Front and rear wipers, non so good for the amount of money you pay.

The best S.U.V. on it´s class. Smooth ride, power engine when needed. I live in a city 8,000 feet over sea level, where all moving vehicles loose 30% of there power cause of the altitude. You should see how the Lexus handles itself.

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Range Rover: 10 points behind. Slow S.U.V. with a lot of engine problems. Dodge Durango and Ford Expedition gave me back problems, plus very noisy engines.