Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2023 Lexus GX

Both the 4Runner and the GX 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available four-wheel drive and around view monitors.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the GX (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 GX’s camshafts. If the GX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GX was rated second in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Lexus is rated lower.

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 overall reliability. Lexus is ranked third.

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

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (5 out of 10) than the Lexus GX (3). This means the 4Runner produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GX every 15,000 miles.

The 4Runner stops shorter than the GX:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport has standard 20-inch wheels. The GX’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 GX.

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

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the GX’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 GX (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 GX.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the GX (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 GX.

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

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 GX’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 GX doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’s cargo area is larger than the GX’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 GX’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

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

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

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

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 62.96% to 69.47% of its original price after five years, while the GX only retains 46.1% to 47.91%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the GX 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 GX, 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 $24407 to $24949 less than for the Lexus GX.

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.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Lexus GX by over four to one during the 2022 model year.