Downhill Assist Control (DAC) makes it easier to control the truck down steep, slippery slopes: Simply take your feet off the pedals and the GX 470 slowly walks down the incline, using the anti-lock brake system and electronic traction control to keep the GX 470 pointed in the intended direction. Touch the brake or the gas to slow down or speed up, then take your feet off the pedals again and the system takes over. It even works in reverse, in case you have to back down a hill and try again. Downhill Assist Control is very neat feature that makes sense and a feature that anybody can use after one lesson. Going uphill? Hill-Start Assist Control helps keep the GX 470 stationary while starting on a steep incline.
On the road, Vehicle Skid Control improves control and lateral traction while cornering on dry or slippery road surfaces. Skid control helps the driver keep the GX on the intended path by reducing power or applying brake to individual wheels. Skid control can prevent a spin or reduce the chance of sliding off the road.

We found the brakes of the GX 470 to be superb. They are large, and all four discs are ventilated for long life and fade-free performance (most trucks use ventilated discs only on the front wheels). The GX 470 comes standard with the latest in brake technology: Anti-lock brakes (ABS) help the driver maintain control of the steering in a panic stop. Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) distributes the proper brake force between front and rear wheels to achieve shorter stopping distances. Brake assist can help the driver use the full potential of the brakes in panic stops.

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As heavy as it is, the GX 470 is no slouch in the performance department, capable of full-throttle sprints to 60 mph from rest in 7.7 seconds, with a nice V-8 intake roar to go with it. If you're towing anything up to its limit of 5000 pounds, this truck will handle it with ease. The bad news is that, even if you try hard, you probably won't see 20 miles per gallon for the life of the vehicle.

While it is heavier than a unibody SUV would be, we're happy to have the body-on-frame design of the GX 470 for the quietness it affords. The new power steering system, which actually has different-ratio gears on the outer ends of the steering rack than on the interior, makes steering quick and light in parking situations, but quick and heavy on the highway, so the truck never feels over-assisted and never feels darty. The GX 470 handles impressively well for a body-on-frame truck with a live rear axle. It uses an adaptive variable suspension that continuously changes the shock absorber damping at each wheel individually in response to road surface conditions, speed, and driver steering and braking inputs. Four driver-selectable settings are available to tailor the system to driver preferences, mood, or driving situations. You might want the softest setting for a bumpy boulevard or a firmer setting for driving quickly down a winding rural road. The system automatically increases shock absorber stiffness in transitional maneuvers. It also reduces dive under hard braking and squat under hard acceleration. The rear air suspension can raise rear ride height in rugged terrain or lower the rear end when loading cargo.