Photos by Dustin W. Johnson
There are several facets to the concept of luxury. One is immediacy, not having to wait. Another is convenience – why do for yourself what you can have someone or something do for you? More fundamental than those is choice. You’re in control when you have options. And that’s one of the things that makes the all-new Lexus GX the more luxurious corporate cousin of the Toyota Land Cruiser, with which it shares the TNGA-F platform. Whereas the 2024 Land Cruiser is strictly a two-row model only available in three trim levels (we reviewed the 1958 and Land Cruiser options), many models in the broader GX lineup, which includes the Premium, Luxury, and Overtrail grades as well as the more generously equipped “+” versions of each, have an on-demand third row. My colleague Luke Lamendola (the host of the below video review) and I discovered what choosing the 2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+ gets you—and doesn’t get you.
FROM THE GROUND/TRAIL UP
After a decade and a half of the outgoing GX 460, in June 2023, Lexus finally announced a completely new, third-generation GX was coming. In addition to its new chassis architecture and boxier, angular styling, the 2024 GX 550 has a much more modern power plant than its predecessor. Just like it did when it went from the LX 570 to the LX 600, Lexus dropped the old engine and transmission combo and replaced it with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 and a 10-speed automatic. As before, the GX gets over obstacles with the help of full-time four-wheel drive with a dual-range transfer case. Prices (including a $1,350 delivery, processing, and handling fee) for the 2024 model start at $64,250 for the entry-level Premium model and reach $69,250 for the Overtrail. Our Luxury+ review vehicle had the highest MSRP of the group: $81,250. That builds on the Luxury model by adding an 1,800-watt Mark Levinson 21-speaker audio system, an Adaptive Variable Suspension, and a digital rearview mirror. Options that included heated second-row captain’s chairs, Traffic Jam Assist technology, a head-up display, and roof cross bars took the as-tested price of our media loaner up to $84,485.
AT FIRST (AND SECOND AND THIRD…) GLANCE
For that kind of money, you expect something that stands out. Despite wearing a shade of gray Lexus calls Incognito, the GX delivered. The grille and headlights appeared as if they were machined into the sheet metal, giving the rig a stark, industrial look. The upright two-box design stood tall on its standard 22-inch wheels. At the rear, the taillights were linked by a light bar that blazed under the “LEXUS” lettering, which visually ties the GX to its SUV and crossover siblings that previously adopted that badging.
COMFORT FOR (ALMOST) ALL
The front row of the Luxury+ model’s semi-aniline leather interior was not only heated and ventilated, but it also offered massages. Those seats and the heated steering wheel were connected to the automatic climate control system and would warm or cool accordingly. Retracting the power overhead sunshade revealed the massive Dynamic Sky panorama glass roof, which could be switched from transparent to opaque with the push of a button. The center console contained a cool box for icing down beverages. Although the optional 10.7-inch head-up display and the standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and 14-inch infotainment system touchscreen were thoroughly modern, helpful features, the last one on that list oversimplified things a little too much. For some reason (perhaps to maximize screen space), Lexus put the fan speed and seat climate control functions on the touchscreen. Those would’ve been easier to adjust on the fly with traditional buttons you can use without making sure you’re eyeing and touching the correct part of a screen while you’re supposed to be looking at the road.
With the turn of a dial, the drive mode could be set to Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+, or Custom. Even with the suspension in the Comfort setting, it was clear that the GX was a substantial, body-on-frame, four-wheel-drive vehicle. The upside to that was that it had much of the same adventurous feel as the Land Cruiser, even if I was just driving through the suburbs to run errands. When I didn’t have the Mark Levinson sound system cranked up, the wind noise generated by the GX at 50 mph and above was substantial. I attribute most of that to the roof-mounted cross bars.
The second row had creature comforts such as ceiling-mounted HVAC vents, manual sunshades, heated captain’s chairs, a separate climate zone with an auto mode, and a pair of USB-C ports. Although the seats didn’t slide, they did recline and offered an adult-friendly amount of legroom. They could also be folded and tumbled forward, but depending on how you have the front seats adjusted, you’ll have to remove the second row’s headrests to do that.
The Luxury+ model comes with a power-folding third row, but it’s not for every situation or type of passenger. With the third row folded flat into the floor, the GX has 40.2 cubic feet of cargo space. Raising it drastically reduces that figure to 10.3, so if you need to fit people in every seat for a road trip, you’ll have to figure out how to transport everyone’s luggage. Sitting in the third row also has its drawbacks. It had a decent amount of legroom for someone my height (five-foot-ten), but it required me to stuff my feet into the space under the second-row captain’s chairs. The raised floor back there also pushed my knees up. Whether the third row was completely upright or reclined, the top of my head brushed the back border of the headliner. Children and adults of a certain height will be comfortable in the third row, but long trips will leave taller people wishing they had called shotgun or jumped into the second row in time.
STILL THIRSTY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
In switching from the GX 460’s V8 to the new 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6, Lexus increased horsepower from 301 to 349 and torque from 329 to 479 lb-ft. That’s more than enough to give the new rig, which has a minimum curb weight of approximately 5,500 pounds, undeniable potency and urgency. According to Lexus, the 0-60 mph time has improved from 7.8 to 6.5 seconds. Maximum towing capacity has increased significantly from 6,500 pounds to more than 9,000.
But don’t expect huge gains in fuel economy. The last-generation GX only delivered 15 mpg in the city, 19 on the highway, and 16 combined. Despite the new engine and transmission pairing, our GX 550 Luxury+ tester’s official figures were only 15/21/17, respectively. After 373.7 miles, the onboard gauge indicated it was returning an average of 16.4 mpg.
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE – CAREFULLY
No matter which 2024 GX 550 trim level you select, you get a Torsen limited-slip locking center differential, 26 degrees of approach angle, and 8.66 inches of ground clearance. Those features and the Luxury+ model’s 23-degree breakover and 21-degree departure angles and 265/50 Dunlop Grandtrek tires got me over the rocky dirt trails outside of the Peoria, Arizona suburbs. If you go camping in areas that require light off-roading or want a well-appointed SUV that can handle the snow on the way to your winter cabin, the GX 550 Luxury+ should be a great fit. However, it’s far from the most capable GX in the 2024 lineup. To get that, you have to opt for the Overtrail or the more lavishly furnished Overtrail+. Both come with the Adaptive Variable Suspension as well as the Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS), Downhill Assist Control, Multi-Terrain Select, and an electronic locking rear diff. On top of that, they have better departure (22 degrees) and breakover (24 degrees) angles and a higher amount of wheel articulation (24.45 inches versus 22).
Click above to watch our full video review on YouTube!
GOING DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH
The 2024 Lexus GX 550’s variety of trim levels fits a wide spread of customers and gives them all one of the greatest luxuries: the freedom of choice. It all depends on what’s more important. The GX’s base level of capability in the wilderness should be more than enough for buyers looking for a blend of refinement and ruggedness. Those who want an impressive and satisfying array of comfort and convenience features would be best suited by the Luxury+ variant. Prospective buyers who value off-road prowess above all else can choose the Overtrail or Overtrail+ and get upscale features as a bonus.