[toohigh13oi]

From you owners that purchase this vehicle have you guys have any regrets i want to purchase this vehicle but want to know if its the right choice. the only concern i have so far is the brakes but i talked the dealer ship and the said that they would have a bigger brakes and bigger caliper but he say that the supply and demand would be ready in May so id you guys have any issues please state it with me soon before i make any regrets thanks

 

[92TripleBlack]

Not sure why you'd want the Lexus. Not sure why anyone would buy one at all. I like the interior of the QX56 more. Its full size, not 3/4 size, faster, tows more, fits more people comfortably, etc. Only redeeming value of the Lex vs. infiniti is improved gas mileage. Oh, and you'll save $10 grand you can use to buy something like a new jetski.

 

[Cillyone]

More fun

The Q would be a LOT more fun to drive, the right hand pedal works much better. Toyota/Lexus SUV's are not without brake issues themselves. The LX is a nice ride but a little too nice, too refined for me. I prefer the size and power of the Q/Armada hands down. The Nissan 5.6 is without peer.

 

[andy]

I hate to say this but the LX470 built on the Landcruiser Platform will kick our Armada's butt offroad and in onroad manners. Yes I think the LX470 is boring compared to our Armadas and it's also $10-$20k more than an Armada.

Also the Lexus service dept kicks Nissans butt badly. I've had a '91 LS400, '94 LS400, '98 GS430, 2001 LS430. Lexus is in another class of service. They are great. If Lexus had an Armada sized vehicle with the 5.6L engine, I would have gotten it.

I was originally going to get the QX56 but when I saw the front end, the Armada to me looks way better.

Anyway, I'm still not 100% sold on that I made the right decision with the Armada only for one reason. The rattles. I've been driving a Lexus for 13 yrs. and its very hard for me to get used to rattles. Specially in a $44k Armada.!!! Take the rattles out of the Armada, it would be a totally different driving experience.

 

[Cillyone]

What are you going to do?

Andy, I agree on quality of the body. My old bottom–of-the-line stripped 4Runner is the BEST truck I have ever owned, it just might outlast the Armada. The cloth interior on the Sequoias is very cheap (thin) and prone to pilling. The simple fact that Toyota/Lexus does not make a tow vehicle that can handle my #8k toy box eliminated them from the running. A Suburban will not fit into my garage, the Durango is too small and ugly and the Expedition finished a distant second in my evaluation. There was no other choice for me. In my view the Armada is a truck and trucks are not as quiet as cars. Yes, a vehicle of this price should be tighter but I try to see the good stuff too, mainly the driveline and passenger room.

 

[92TripleBlack]

I hate to say this but the LX470 built on the Landcruiser Platform will kick our Armada's butt offroad and in onroad manners. Yes I think the LX470 is boring compared to our Armadas and it's also $10-$20k more than an Armada.

Also the Lexus service dept kicks Nissans butt badly. I've had a '91 LS400, '94 LS400, '98 GS430, 2001 LS430. Lexus is in another class of service. They are great. If Lexus had an Armada sized vehicle with the 5.6L engine, I would have gotten it.

I was originally going to get the QX56 but when I saw the front end, the Armada to me looks way better.

Anyway, I'm still not 100% sold on that I made the right decision with the Armada only for one reason. The rattles. I've been driving a Lexus for 13 yrs. and its very hard for me to get used to rattles. Specially in a $44k Armada.!!! Take the rattles out of the Armada, it would be a totally different driving experience.

I would beg to differ on the Lexus report. The Lex is smaller, but has less ground clearance and power. Off road, the Mada/QX could have an edge, depending on terrain.

On road, the Mada/QX will also improve dramatically its handling with a tire change. The tires on these things are the weak links. Mine now handles dramatically better, better than my old grand cherokee did. Over a typical road route with turns as well as straight aways, I doubt the lex could keep up. Most 4 bangers like civics, cavaliers, etc. have problems hanging with me. I pull away in straights and they gain ground back in corners.

The Lexux service department does kick Nissan's butt, as it should. Its a premium car, Nissan isn't. The Infiniti service department is very comparable to Lexus however. Free coffee/soda, large screen TV, free computer access, nice accomodations, loaner G35s, "good" looking staff, free wash with every appointment, etc. Very nice.

Last, the rattles. I have an '05. Not one rattle. And most '05 owners report the same thing. They fixed all of those this year. The rattles weren't there because it was a Nissan or wasn't a Toyota, they were there because it was a first year vehicle. The QX56 adds a softer suspension and more sound proofing. No rattles or road noise at all. The Armada will out handle it due to the softer suspension though but tires will still make a great difference.

Overall, the order I had after looking at all the vechicles out there was:
Armada/QX56, Tahoe/H2/Yukon/Escalade, Expedition/Navigator, Sequoia/LX470, Durango/Grand Cherokee. The first 3 are the only full size out there, the last 2 being more mid-sized.

Hope this helps.

 

[kthrash]

I own both...

The Lexus is used by my wife who likes it for it comfort and "smaller" size.. The Armada is a very large vehicle and is not the easiest to park in downtown garages/spaces.

My only gripes with the Armada are the Brakes and the rattles. Hopefully the brakes will be cured after May. Nissan did however increase thier brake warranty to 3 years unlimited mileage. So there are no worries there.

My only gripes with the Lexus are the puny engine and lack of towing capacity which is the #1 reason I even purchased the Armada. The Armada towing my Jeep will outrun the LX from a stand still.

If I could get my wife to drive the QX56 I would sell both the Armada and the LX 470 and buy a QX56 tomorrow and get myself a new toy . She however does not like the size of the Armada other than on road trips.

They both get the same fuel milage so that is a moot point. IF you have any specific questions from a current owner of both fire away.

I speak from a real world perspective.

 

[toohigh13oi]

made my decision i bought the qx56 and it drives so far so good and i also was worried about the brakes they said the would personaly pick up my car and have it done if i get that problem but nutin so far

 

[92TripleBlack]

made my decision i bought the qx56 and it drives so far so good and i also was worried about the brakes they said the would personaly pick up my car and have it done if i get that problem but nutin so far

:awesome: Congrats!

 

[desertdriver]

What about the QX56 vs. Lincoln Navigator? My wife likes the Navigator, they are the same price with the employee pricing offered by Lincoln. By the way, I'm a G35 driver.

 

[adjmcloon]

I drove the Navigator before I bought the Armada, and that thing was a dog. Nice interior, but t just felt way underpowered- particularly when compared with the Armada/QX.

I think the interior of the Lincoln might be a bit nicer though. I've heard they have had tons of trouble with the power side steps.

 

[92TripleBlack]

What about the QX56 vs. Lincoln Navigator? My wife likes the Navigator, they are the same price with the employee pricing offered by Lincoln. By the way, I'm a G35 driver.

Navigator is junk next to the QX. Worse ride, slower than the GM models which are slower than ours, smaller outside and inside, power tailgate optional, and HID is optional.

No smart cruise available either nor do they list a back up camera.

They did replace the trans finally with a 6 speed, but its still a dog. Tow rating is 500 lbs less also. The only thing you can get is power sideboards, power retracting rear seat, Power retracting side mirrors (should be on the '06 QX) and air from the seats. Not worth the extra $5k to me.

I like domestic as much as foreign. I've owned 4 fords and would buy an F350 in a heartbeat if that's what I needed. But the Navigator is still a step behind the Escalade and a couple steps behind the QX or Lexus.

 

[ZRMAnn]

have an 05 QX bought July 2nd with Jan '05 build date. Now have 2900 miles on it. No noises, rattles...anything. Not even the brake problem has shown up but my dealer put me on the list the day I drove it off the lot 'cause he said I will have the problem...just can't say when. I love this vehicle. Traded an 03 FX45 and I thought I might miss the FX. Not at all. I've added a few cosmetic mods: CF pillar covers, rear spoiler, hood deflector, and Burtman wood dash kit and 1 performance mod: AEM Brute Force Intake. That thing is awesome. Highly recommend (see other thread in Armada performance section). As for the Navigator...we drove one for a week when we were in Californial last year. That turned me on to the SUV thing (bought the FX the next month) but knew with certainty I'd never want a navigator...and almost didn't even drive the QX 'cause I thought it would be pretty much the same. Wrong! The QX handling, power, torque, comfort...everything is better than the Nav. And talk about interior? Well, the Navi's center panel...the big piece with "NAVIGATOR" written across tha conceals the audio? Well all that is painted plastic and once in the vehicle, feels...and looks extremely low-end. I was not impressed with any aspect of the Navigator after a week. I didn't drive anything else...not even an Armada, but I can't imagine anything being more suitable for us. I love the power and handling characteristics Nissan/Infiniti build into their vehicles. I suspect over the years the QX's materials will improve, but for us, it is almost perfect. Plus...this QX rolled out the door for less money than the Navigator. And as far as the "employee pricing" on GM, et. al.? Well, kiss resell value goodbye...they are killing the trade-in value of their vehicles and probably making it very difficult to sell off used. But hey, I guess you do what you gotta do to sell cars.

Anyway, I know I am writing a book here and will slow down, but I can't say enough positive things about the QX56. I have read and know all about the "first year" problems and many here have suffered through a lot. But if you are just now considering one...I'd maybe avoid a used 04, but so far, our 05 is exhibiting none of the issues I've read about. Now I know it is still "new" but many of the problems people talk about should have already shown up given our mileage. I'm optimistic that we've got a good one and that it bodes well for other 05's and as they move into the 06 model year.

Scott

 

[MCmada]

Only redeeming value of the Lex vs. infiniti is improved gas mileage

The LX470's mpg is actually worse than QX56's. LX gets 13/17 while QX has 13/19.

 

[DocHarley]

I'm with Andy on this one. Nothing beats a lexus for reliability, the only problem is they are so dam ugly. Looks is the only reason I bought the LE Armada, the only reason I did not buy the Qx56 is the front end, just does not apeal to me. Anyhow, both are the best looking SUV's on the road with AWESOME power. I now have 600 Miles on my baby, today I put the peddel to the metal for the first time. All I can say is WOW!!!! More power then my FX4 by far. I love my Armada!!!!! Buy the QX56 for sure.

 

[SilverQShip]

You dont even need to ask us just go drive both of em' =).

 

[clostoyo]

i have a qx56 and did think about thw lexus but i dont like the interior of it, to me its pretty small inside,i love my qx no qiestion about it

 

[Wildblue]

My choice ended up coming down to the Armada, QX56, and Toyota Sequoia. Bought the QX56. If Lexus had made a model in the same size class as those three, I would have considered it, too, but they don't. No Lexus equivalent of the Sequoia either.

 

[92TripleBlack]

The Lexus had bad brakes like Nissan did. They also aren't the "most reliable". We get a bad rap for reliability from Consumer Reports due to them only reviewing data from the first year vehilce and using that dated history to judge current models. It's BS. Ever been to a Lexus dealer without a repair shop? Yes, they break also just like everything else. They also have junk power steering pumps like all TOYs. For me they are bad to the point of being unsafe. Food for thought. BTW, why would someone dig up a post that is 7 months old to say the Lexus has worse gas mileage?

 

[Matrix]

Hmmmm...looks like Q/Mada are the chosen 1's.