How nice is too nice?

[NCjeff]

If your a "gringo" getting out of a Lexus in any country south of U.S. you are going to get some attention. Not saying all bad attention, but as a gringo, your going to get attention anyways. Stepping out of a Lexus...

I would go 3rd gen 4runner. Comfortable drive, and sounds like your going to drive quite a bit. Limo tint back windows and sleep in it, store stuff, and nobody can see in. Decent gas mileage, and they are a dime a dozen. Modify it a little bit and can still have stock appearance.

 

[Mike368]

Hmm...I would suspect that a Toyota truck would be more likely to send you to the chiropractor than a Subi, unless you were encountering a lot of big ground-to-undercarriage impacts :Wow1: The Subarus definitely seem to float over terrain more smoothly, in general.

I'm used to driving heavily-loaded 22REs. One is a 22-foot classs C RV. The other has a wooden, 8-foot popup truck camper in the back. Although they don't easily keep up with modern traffic in the US (which is much too fast, IMO), they might still be well-suited to the smaller roads S. of the border. If you do a paradigm shift and take your standards back a few decades, the 22RE is quite satisfying.

If security and stealth are concerns, you might consider a conventional topper instead of a flip-pac. Flip-pacs are kind of a rarity there, I imagine, leave little doubt that someone is sleeping in one and are vulnerable when open. Trucks with shells are everywhere, and passersby may never suspect one is occupied or being lived in. There is less space, but I've seen some very cozy and resourceful, non-expanding setups.

They can kind of keep up with modern traffic? Driving the mountains of Cali, OR, WA I'm seldom the slowest thing on the road. Is it fast? NO! But I drive trucks for a living so the toys with a 22r don't seem that slow. Mine will go 70 down the freeway fully loaded mild hills no problem. Steep stuff, well not so much.

 

[the kid]

If your a "gringo" getting out of a Lexus in any country south of U.S. you are going to get some attention. Not saying all bad attention, but as a gringo, your going to get attention anyways. Stepping out of a Lexus...

I would go 3rd gen 4runner. Comfortable drive, and sounds like your going to drive quite a bit. Limo tint back windows and sleep in it, store stuff, and nobody can see in. Decent gas mileage, and they are a dime a dozen. Modify it a little bit and can still have stock appearance.

...and they look like a Land Cruiser Prado 120, to them it will be a Land Cruiser Prado 120, not a Lexus. they dont have Lexus down there, so if you dont draw attention to yourself and spend like $100 and rebadge it to a Prado from a GX 95+% of them wont be the wiser...

as far as the gringo thing goes, any american that far south getting out of a vehicle will get attention no matter what vehicle they exit. we are speaking central and south america, not Mexico. in Mexico americans are quite prevalent, dare i say everyday occurrences, the further south you go the less and less... that also goes with the Lexus, in Mexico they will know a Lexus is and know(read think) it means money. the further south you go the lines get blurred and start going more to the Prado. Mexico will be the hump to get over, from there i am willing to say everything will get easier. -imo less chance of kidnapping(further away from home and harder to orchestrate exchange ect), and unlike Mexico they people understand more and more that you are their "cash cow" and a good source of commerce, they take you or your rig away and you are not gonna be paying anyone anything or ever coming back. in Mexico they dont care, again a gringo is a dime a dozen and "another one is right around the corner" if they dont get what they want.

having owned a 3rd gen 4runner and built it up and used it for all sorts of stuff from daily driver to exploring rig to wheeling/camping, i can tell you id rather take my GX on this trip hands down over the 4runner. the Lexus is more comfortable, just as capable and the chassis is much improved. not to mention its gonna be easier to break into or steal a 3rd gen 4runner. and no a 3rd gen does not get decent mileage, my GX gets better mileage and has more power and has more room. not to mention that 3rd gen 4runners are not as popular as Land Cruisers down there, and so it would "stand out" just as much, if not more than a GX.

 

[RBishop]

I would do my homework on solo (or duo) travel in S. America. A lot of people say "no worries you will be fine, I have been down many times and no issues" etc. But please be aware there are dangers there. In some places serious dangers. I know there are dangers everywhere, but what I am saying is educate yourself on where you don't need to be and when you don't need to be there. People do go on adventures there and don't come home. I would not take a Lexus on that trip.

 

[NCjeff]

...and they look like a Land Cruiser Prado 120, to them it will be a Land Cruiser Prado 120, not a Lexus. they dont have Lexus down there, so if you dont draw attention to yourself and spend like $100 and rebadge it to a Prado from a GX 95+% of them wont be the wiser...

as far as the gringo thing goes, any american that far south getting out of a vehicle will get attention no matter what vehicle they exit. we are speaking central and south america, not Mexico. in Mexico americans are quite prevalent, dare i say everyday occurrences, the further south you go the less and less... that also goes with the Lexus, in Mexico they will know a Lexus is and know(read think) it means money. the further south you go the lines get blurred and start going more to the Prado. Mexico will be the hump to get over, from there i am willing to say everything will get easier. -imo less chance of kidnapping(further away from home and harder to orchestrate exchange ect), and unlike Mexico they people understand more and more that you are their "cash cow" and a good source of commerce, they take you or your rig away and you are not gonna be paying anyone anything or ever coming back. in Mexico they dont care, again a gringo is a dime a dozen and "another one is right around the corner" if they dont get what they want.

having owned a 3rd gen 4runner and built it up and used it for all sorts of stuff from daily driver to exploring rig to wheeling/camping, i can tell you id rather take my GX on this trip hands down over the 4runner. the Lexus is more comfortable, just as capable and the chassis is much improved. not to mention its gonna be easier to break into or steal a 3rd gen 4runner. and no a 3rd gen does not get decent mileage, my GX gets better mileage and has more power and has more room. not to mention that 3rd gen 4runners are not as popular as Land Cruisers down there, and so it would "stand out" just as much, if not more than a GX.

OPs title of the post is "How nice is too nice"? My opinion is a Lexus GX is too nice for a road trip thru the 3rd world. There are dudes guarding the gas stations in Nicaragua with AK-47s.
Spend $5-10K on a 3rd gen, built and well maintained. Instead on $15K for a Lexus, then another what, $3-5K building it??
But its just my opinion. No right or wrong, just telling the OP my thoughts, not trying to prove myself to anyone.