2019 Toyota 4Runner vs 2020 Lexus GX

If you’re in the market for a modern SUV capable of getting off the beaten path, you have only a handful of options. These include the 2- and 4-door Jeep Wranglers, the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk, the Land Rover Range Rover, and the Toyota 4Runner. Of those, only the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the 4Runner are 4-door SUVs that put off-road grit above all else.

While the Jeep Wrangler is only one year removed from a complete redesign that brought in many new technologies, the 2019 Toyota 4Runner is based on a design first introduced in 2009. For those keeping score at home, that means the DNA underpinning the 4Runner is a decade old. Yet picking which vehicle I’d choose as a daily drivable, off-road-capable SUV is a surprisingly difficult decision.

So where does an old goat like the 2019 Toyota 4Runner fit in the modern SUV market? Interestingly, the 4Runner's advanced age actually helps it in some respects.

Depending on who you ask, the modern SUV will continue to dominate the new-car market until it's the only type of vehicle on the road (except pickup trucks). That prediction makes sense; modern SUVs drive like cars, can get through most snowstorms, and have the cargo space to tackle most of what daily life throws at them. They are great all-around vehicles, but in trying to master everything, many have lost the specialization that made them noteworthy in the first place. In particular, many luxury SUVs have lost their off-road credibility.

There are exceptions to this trend, including upmarket trims of the Jeep Grand Cherokee as well as most of the Land Rover lineup. Another brand that bucks the trend is Lexus. Sure, the Lexus RX pretty much created the modern luxury crossover, but it gets sold right alongside the immensely capable Lexus LX and this vehicle: the 2020 Lexus GX.

You’ll be forgiven if you forgot the GX was still available. Lexus has updated the GX for 2020 with fresh styling to make it a bit more memorable. Still, beneath that new exterior is one of the oldest vehicles offered today, and as you’ll learn, that has its advantages.