The redesigned three-row Lexus GX SUV ushers in a new era for the brand’s most off-road focused model, elevating the technology and increasing performance. It also rounds out Lexus’ SUV lineup, which ranges from the small UX to the mighty LX.
The previous GX gained a reputation for rock-solid reliability and off-road prowess since it was based on the rugged Toyota 4Runner. This new GX modernizes the concept, while tilting its focus away from on-road luxury and more toward the dirt road less traveled. It’s also longer and wider than the last version, and offers more interior space than before. The added size and capability come with a downside—still pretty miserable fuel economy—at least until a hybrid powertrain is added in the future. But keep in mind that the GX remains an old-school, body-on-frame SUV with a live rear axle—a breed that’s almost extinct nowadays.
Lexus buyers considering making the leap up (quite literally) to the GX from, say the more common RX, should know that this is not a pampering vehicle that coddles occupants with a silent cabin and a serene ride. Instead, the GX is a trucklike vehicle with a jiggly, often uncomfortable ride that is anything but a chill family hauler. Indeed, the GX has a tall stance that enables the driver to sit up high for a commanding view of the road. But this burly vehicle brings lots of compromises, especially when it comes to ride comfort, handling agility, and overall civility.
Yet, despite all that, the GX garnered a number of fans among some of our testers. One reason the GX received so much praise is in its basic charm and simplicity. For example, everyone was overjoyed that the GX comes with “normal” internal door handles instead of the electronic versions we’ve experienced on other Lexus models. Also, there was consistent praise for the GX’s straightforward gear selector. Said one tester, “the shifter is awesome! It’s perfect for resting my hand on and not that weird nub the other Lexus’ have.” (The “nub” in question is found in a bunch of Lexus and Toyota models—it’s a stubby little electronic gear selector that’s unintuitive and annoying to use.)
It’s not that we were ignoring the GX’s faults—and there are many. But what the GX brings to the table is a dash of character that’s difficult to define. One tester said “It’s pretty silly in many ways, though I don’t dislike driving it. Styling-wise it kinda feels like a cross between a Mercedes G-Wagen and a Land Rover Defender, and it actually drives that way, too.” But others definitely were not buying into the nostalgia theme, commenting that “It’s a classic, old-school clumsy SUV that nowadays seems like a relic.”
But for Lexus buyers seeking more genteel family transportation, the new TX (which we’ve also tested) is actually the smarter choice for most people who are seeking a three-row SUV.
We bought a Lexus GX550 Premium+ for $71,610—anonymously from an area dealer, as we do with every vehicle we test—for the purpose of this road test review.
A stout 349-horsepower, 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 linked to a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission provides the GX with plenty of acceleration. Punch the gas, and you’ll find that the GX pulls hard, with abundant low-end torque. The GX scampered from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.0 seconds, which is decently quick for such a bulky truck. But in spite of the plentiful grunt, we noted some low-speed drivability issues. For example, the power can come on too abruptly when taking off from a full stop, yet there’s a notable delay between the engine and transmission when accelerating from a rolling stop. The V6 also sends some vibrations through the steering wheel that weren’t there with the old V8.
Plus, combining that vigorous engine, bricklike aerodynamics, and somewhat porky mass did it no favors in our fuel economy tests: The new GX returned a dismal 18 mpg overall—just 1 mpg better than its V8-powered predecessor. And the pain is exacerbated by the fact that you have to fill it with premium fuel.
Like the previous GX, there is a full-time four-wheel-drive system and a low-range gear set to facilitate hard-core off-road situations—it climbed up the challenging rock hill at our test track like a mountain goat. On-road handling, however, is downright clumsy, with slow steering and significant body roll through corners. There is nothing carlike in the way this SUV drives—which might be why the audience for these types of old-school rigs such as the GX is much smaller than more mainstream luxury SUVs like the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Genesis GV80, and Lexus’ own RX. The GX’s handling limitations were certainly laid bare during our challenging avoidance-maneuver test where it managed a low speed of only 47.5 mph.
Although the ride initially feels absorbent, on even slightly rough roads the GX becomes unsettled, jiggly, and tends to rock occupants back and forth. Even on a smooth highway with no apparent or regular bumps, you can still feel the GX moving around quite a bit.
The GX’s braking performance was commendable with very short stopping distances, especially in the dry. But the truck tended to nose dive a bit during our panic stop tests.
Wind noise intrudes heavily on the highway, as the blocky SUV punches through the air. Road noise is well suppressed, and the engine doesn’t get too loud—and the sounds we heard, we mostly liked.
Most interior materials are soft or have a premium feel, but there’s a utilitarian vibe to the GX’s cabin that lacks the flourish and panache expected at this price. The GX’s interior felt more rugged than luxurious—think more L.L. Bean and less Saks Fifth Avenue.
The GX is a very tall vehicle, which gives the driver a commanding view of the road. There’s also a lot of glass area all around, improving the GX’s overall outward visibility. Getting up and into the cabin, however, is a hike. Our GX came with running boards and handy grab handles, which helped ease access somewhat.
The mildly-bolstered front seats deliver a good balance of support and comfort, though it’s surprising that our Premium+ trim test vehicle only has two-way (rather than four-way) lumbar adjustment. The second-row bench seat is flat and not that comfortable. Headroom is plentiful but the bottom cushion is short on underleg support. No adult will want to go for more than a short jaunt in the super-tight third-row seat. And getting into that way-back seat requires dexterity that is more often found among the youngest of one’s respective posse.
As you’d expect of a vehicle this big, the GX has a ton of cargo space in back. The cargo floor is tall—being waist height for an average-sized adult. But there is precious little room if the third-row seat is upright. Fold the third row down, and there is a massive space that is wide, tall, square, and flat. Fortunately, and unlike the previous GX, the rear gate now swings upwards instead of sideways.
As with other recent Lexus models, most controls are easy to use. Unfortunately, the infotainment system lacks a home screen, which forces extra searching around on the display. Wading through menus within the driver’s instrument screen is also confusing. The temperature controls are finicky—sometimes turning the knob one or two clicks accomplishes nothing. We like the physical rotary volume knob, but its placement is out of the comfortable reach of the driver and the small size can make it difficult to use. Other annoyances include the lag time to load the full climate menu, and the lack of tuning and seek knobs.
Active safety and driver assistance
The Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is standard on the GX, bundling a full suite of active safety and convenience features. Standard systems on the GX include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorcycle detection, along with automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane centering assistance, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams.
Toyota’s “Proactive Driving Assist” system provides light braking and steering assistance when entering turns, and helps for reacting to other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. There is also a standard end-of-trip rear occupant alert to help ensure little ones and pets are not left behind, and a belt minder that alerts the driver if a rear passenger unbuckles their seat belt during a trip.