Head to head

Lexus GX 460 vs 5th Gen 4Runner

For the same used money, the GX 460 gets you a 301-hp V8, a six-speed, full-time 4WD and a far nicer cabin, and right now it's often the cheaper of the two. The 4Runner earns its premium with a factory rear locker on the off-road trims, better angles and clearance, and an aftermarket nothing else can match.

The short answer

Buy the Lexus GX 460 if

you want V8 torque, full-time 4WD with a locking center diff, 6,500 lb of towing and a luxury cabin for less than a comparable 4Runner

Buy the Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen if

you want a factory rear locker (Trail, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro), more ground clearance, the biggest aftermarket around and simpler suspension

Side by side

	LEXUS GX 460	TOYOTA 4RUNNER 5TH GEN
Years (US)	2010–23	2010–24
Engine	4.6 V8 1UR-FE, 301 hp / 329 lb-ft	4.0 V6 1GR-FE, 270 hp / 278 lb-ft
Transmission	6-spd auto	5-spd auto
4WD	Full-time, Torsen center with lock, 2-speed	Part-time 2-speed (SR5, Trail/TRD); full-time on Limited
Suspension	IFS, solid rear; KDSS standard; rear air on Premium/Luxury	IFS, 4-link coil rear; KDSS optional on Trail/TRD Off-Road
Factory lockers	Center only (A-TRAC)	Rear e-locker on Trail, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro
Crawl Control	2020-on Off-Road package; retrofit on 2010–19	Trail, TRD Off-Road, TRD Pro
Wheelbase	109.8 in	109.8 in
Ground clearance	8.1 in ('10)	9.0 in; 9.6 in TRD Off-Road/Pro ('24)
Approach / departure	28° / 25° ('10)	30° / 26°; 33° / 26° TRD Off-Road/Pro ('24)
Curb weight	5,128–5,199 lb	4,400–4,805 lb
Towing	6,500 lb	5,000 lb
Fuel economy (EPA)	15 / 20 / 17 ('10), premium	16 / 19 / 17
Biggest tire, no lift	255/70R18 (≈32 in)	275/70R17 or 255/75R17 (≈32 in)
Typical prices now	$20k–33k driver; $45k–64k late/low-mile	$25k–46k driver; $50k–58.5k low-mile TRD Pro
Best years	2014 on	2020–24

Cousins, not twins

The GX 460 is a J150 Prado underneath, and the 5th-gen 4Runner is the same Prado recipe adapted for America, with the same 109.8-inch wheelbase, ladder frame, independent front suspension and live rear axle. Both arrived for 2010 and neither changed much mechanically for well over a decade.

The drivetrains are where they split. Every GX has the 4.6-liter V8, a six-speed automatic and full-time 4WD with a lockable Torsen center diff. Every 4WD 4Runner has the 4.0-liter V6 and a five-speed; most use a part-time transfer case with no center diff, and only the Limited is full-time. The GX also uses a side-hinged rear door where the 4Runner has a liftgate with a roll-down window.

Off-road

Stock for stock, the off-road 4Runners have the edge. The Trail (2010–16), TRD Off-Road (2017–24) and TRD Pro get an electric rear locker with Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select, and Toyota's 2024 brochure lists them at 9.6 inches of clearance and 33° of approach. The GX has no axle lockers, only A-TRAC brake traction control and its locking center diff, and Lexus Canada's 2010 spec sheet gives it 8.1 inches of clearance and a 28° approach angle.

The GX fights back with standard KDSS, which hydraulically frees the anti-roll bars for articulation, and full-time 4WD you can use on any surface. Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select came with the 2020-on Off-Road package, and IH8MUD owners have retrofitted both to 2010–19 trucks of any trim with factory switch panels.

On-road and daily use

The GX is the nicer truck to drive every day. Its V8 has 31 hp and 51 lb-ft more than the 4Runner's V6, it has a six-speed to the 4Runner's five, and it's rated to tow 6,500 lb against 5,000 lb. It's also roughly 300–800 lb heavier, and it wants premium fuel.

Fuel economy is surprisingly close: the EPA rates the 2010 GX at 15 city, 20 highway and 17 combined, and later 4Runners at 16, 19 and 17. Drivingline sums up the trade: buyers comparing used examples may be drawn to the GX's V8 and better amenities for similar money, while others will want the 4Runner's more rugged personality.

Reliability and what breaks

Both engines use timing chains and both have good reputations, but the GX has the longer list of known leaks. Owners report water pumps seeping, the coolant valley leak behind the engine (about $1,500 at a dealer), and driver-side timing-cover oil leaks that dealers have quoted at $2,600–3,500. 2010–2013 trucks had common secondary-air-pump failures, covered by Lexus's extended program ZLH, and some trucks throw P2714/P0761 shift faults on cold starts.

The 4Runner's issues are smaller and mostly mechanical: leaking front axle seals, torn CV boots on lifted trucks and leaking KDSS cylinders, which owners describe as expensive to fix. Autotrader says the fifth gen has no major issues of concern. Both share the Takata airbag recalls and the Denso low-pressure fuel pump recalls for 2014–15 and 2018–19 trucks, so run the VIN at NHTSA.

Modifying

The 4Runner aftermarket is enormous: lifts from Old Man Emu, Bilstein, Dobinsons, ICON, Fox and King, upper control arms from Total Chaos and JBA, and KDSS correction kits. Trail4R puts the practical lift on a KDSS truck at about 3 inches. SR5 and Limited owners who want a locker retrofit one, such as the Eaton E-Locker Trail4R installed.

The GX shares a lot of that. IH8MUD's build guide says 5th-gen 4Runner KDSS-compatible front skids and gas-tank skids usually swap over, though bumpers and body parts are GX-specific. On Premium and Luxury trucks, convert the rear air springs to coils before you lift; Metal Tech 4x4 and Southern Style Offroad sell kits.

Buying one now

The GX is now the value pick. Bring a Trailer's GX 460 sales from January 2025 to October 2026 had a median of about $26,000, with early 2010–13 trucks from $11,000. The 5th-gen 4Runner's median over the past year was about $38,000, and low-mile 2022–24 TRD Pros still sell for $53,500–58,500.

For a GX, 2014 and later avoids most of the air-pump trouble; on an earlier truck, confirm the updated parts are in. For a 4Runner, Autotrader recommends a late truck, preferably 2020–24 for Toyota Safety Sense and CarPlay. On either, records and frame condition matter more than the year.

Questions, answered

Is the GX 460 just a luxury 4Runner?

It's a Lexus-badged Land Cruiser Prado 150, and the 5th-gen 4Runner shares that platform. The GX adds a V8, a six-speed, full-time 4WD, standard KDSS and a luxury cabin, but no rear locker.

Which one has a locker?

Only the 4Runner, with a factory electric rear locker on the Trail (2010–16), TRD Off-Road (2017–24) and TRD Pro. The GX 460 has a lockable center differential and A-TRAC traction control, but no axle lockers.

Which is more reliable?

Both have strong reputations. The GX's known faults are leaks (water pump, coolant valley, timing cover), early air-pump failures and a cold-start shift fault on some trucks. Autotrader says the 5th-gen 4Runner has no major issues of concern.

Which tows more?

The GX 460, at 6,500 lb against the 4Runner's 5,000 lb.

Do 4Runner parts fit a GX 460?

Some. IH8MUD's build guide says 5th-gen 4Runner KDSS-compatible front skids and gas-tank skids usually swap over. Bumpers and body parts are GX-specific.

Which is cheaper to buy used?

Right now, usually the GX. Recent Bring a Trailer sales put the GX 460's median near $26,000 against roughly $38,000 for the 5th-gen 4Runner.

The full guides

Sources