Compare the2022 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2021 Lexus GX460

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the 4Runner are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GX460 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the 4Runner and the GX460 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the GX460 (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the 4Runner’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the 4Runner’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the GX460’s camshafts. If the GX460’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Lexus is ranked third.

On the EPA test cycle the 4Runner gets better mileage than the GX460:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota 4Runner uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GX460 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The 4Runner stops shorter than the GX460:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport has standard 20-inch wheels. The GX460’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the 4Runner is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the GX460.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road performs Car and Driver’s emergency lane change maneuver faster than the GX460 (54.8 vs. 54 MPH).

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the GX460’s (37.4 feet vs. 41.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GX460 (9.6 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota 4Runner may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 750 pounds less than the Lexus GX460.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the GX460 (42 vs. 43 dB).

The 4Runner has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear hip room, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, .2 inches more third row hip room and 3.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the GX460.

The 4Runner’s cargo area provides more volume than the GX460.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the 4Runner easier. The 4Runner’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the GX460’s liftover is 33.8 inches.

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The GX460 doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the GX460’s in almost every dimension:

The 4Runner’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The GX460’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

The 4Runner has a much higher standard payload capacity than the GX460 (1625 vs. 1295 lbs.).

The 4Runner has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the GX460 (1700 vs. 1295 lbs.).

The 4Runner is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GX460 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the 4Runner owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the 4Runner will cost $795 less than the GX460 over a five-year period.

The 4Runner will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the 4Runner will retain 60.09% to 69.29% of its original price after five years, while the GX460 only retains 48.8% to 50.98%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the GX460 because it costs $263 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the GX460, including $212 less for a muffler, $202 less for a starter, $57 less for fuel injection and $860 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota 4Runner will be $19397 to $20099 less than for the Lexus GX460.

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The GX was 4x4 of the Year in 2003.