2003 Lexus GX 470; A matter of balance.(SUV debuts Dec. 2002, priced around $45,550)

Byline: MIKE FLOYD

Designed to deliver both sweeping on- and off-road performance, programmed for optimum stability in any driving situation and tucked neatly into the middle of the lineup, the is a study in equilibrium. Think the Flying Wallendas' high-wire act.

A cousin of the Toyota 4Runner, the GX acts as a fulcrum between the entry-level, car-based RX 300 and the flagship LX 470. Set to debut in December, the GX will butt bumpers with BMW's X5 4.4i and Mercedes' ML500. At least, that's Lexus' intent.

At $45,550, it's priced right to take on its stated competition. And an acronym-soup of traction and control systems was designed to give the GX a balanced ride and off-road advantages over its German rivals.

To get a feel for the tallish, beefy-fendered midsized ute, we drove a series of loops around the former hardscrabble mining town of Park City, Utah, a locale chosen to showcase the GX 470's down and dirty capabilities.

Tucked in the Wasatch Mountains, Park City, with its numerous ski areas cut into the slopes like a razor through shaving cream, is a winter playground for the wealthy. With its neatly landscaped boulevards, rugged two-tracks and cozy chalets, it's a balance between rugged and royal, a place where the GX must roam freely if it's to be a success.

Park City was also the site of several events of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics, and most of the trails where we piloted the GX were once part of the Olympic cross-country venue. Medals were not handed out for quickest times around the trails. Too bad, because the GX's capable 4.7-liter V8 (also in the LX 470 and available for the 4Runner), rated at 235 hp at 4800 rpm and 320 lb-ft at 3400 rpm, would have produced some decent times.