The Lexus GX has made it onto my shopping list many times. As a family mobile, I always found them a bit too basic and utilitarian compared to most luxury SUVs. Since the family vehicle had to deliver more comfort than off-road prowess, it never made the cut. Still, they have always been popular with the off-road set, and I get the attraction. It’s a great mix of size, capability, and reliability and it makes sense that we have a couple of ongoing GX projects via Ross and Kamil.
The second generation (J150) was definitely ready for the retirement home after its thirteen-year run (2010–2023). So, when the 3rd gen GX (J250) was released for the 2024 model year, I was pretty excited to see how they did on the update. Let’s get at it.
2024 Lexus GX Overview
The GX has never been a huge volume seller in the U.S., averaging around 30,000 units sold per year. It rides on the TNGA: GA-F platform, home to the Lexus LX and various Toyotas, including the Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Tacoma, and Tundra. The outgoing 2023 GX started a just over $60,000, while this new one will get you for $64,250 for the base Premium trim. As you can see below, there are also Luxury and Overtrail versions, each with a “+” trim.
The Luxury+ is amid-to-upper trim level, with a few upgrades like:
- Electronically adjustable suspension dampers
- Power-deployable running boards
- Adjustable-tint glass sunroof
- 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system
- Digital rearview mirror function
- Cooled center console
Our tester was a GX 550 Luxury+ with a bunch of extras added like a $900 heads-up-display, $440 each for heated 2nd row captains chairs and roof rail cross bars, plus a few others.
All in, you’re looking at $84,590 out the door—not inconsequential in the competitive luxury SUV market. Let’s see how it performed during some daily driving drudgery during a scorchingly hot summer week.
2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury Inside & Out
The new GX looks good! I never quite got on board with the styling of the last generation. The rear window’s signature curve and stacked rear taillights didn’t do it for me. This new one is tight and muscular while maintaining a certain luxury-vehicle elegance. The predator grille remains in basic shape, but it’s nicely broken up by some slats and intersecting lines. The side has a broad-shouldered look, with strong character lines running down its full profile. Out back, there is a nice horizontal slab of red lighting and a merciful lack of over-designed bits.
I did get some pretty solid criticism about the wheels from folks on Twitter (“X” is stupid, don’t @ me). Most of the commentariat seemed to dislike them consistently.
Personally, I don’t mind them so much, but if given other options, I might not choose them. Let’s move on to the interior, shall we?
By the end of its lifespan, the outgoing GX had finally received a few interior upgrades. They had grafted in a larger screen and some upgraded tech, but the vibe overall still felt plasticky and chunky. The new GX benefits from Toyota and Lexus’ latest interior parts bin. That means a standard 14-inch screen and a more modern outlay of buttons and switches. It still gives you a little of that chunky-button vibe like most off-roaders, but it feels much more premium, as a Lexus should.
The GX had one of my very favorite features: massage seats! The overall massage function was great, but it didn’t work on the passenger seat. The window sticker says it should work on both sides, so I’m unsure what happened. To start the process, you do have to click through multiple menu items to get the massage seats to start, but they are really good once they do. The Genesis GV70 I had last week just requires you to push a button down near the seat controls, but the pressure and cycles of massage were not quite as good as the ones Lexus came up with.
With the third row up, there isn’t really any room behind the cargo area for anything meaningful. It’s a pretty paltry 10.3 cubic feet. So, if you are going to need to use all three rows on a regular basis, you aren’t going to have much space behind them. However, if needed, I found that at six feet tall, I could likely sit in the third row for short periods. The seat bottom is very short, but that actually gives you a surprising amount of room for your feet. There is a forward and aft recline button that only moves the seat a few inches total. Rear seats do go up and down with power function, which some of the last-gen GX models didn’t offer.
Also, you do have to remove the cargo cover to put the third row into place. There isn’t really anywhere to put it once it’s out. Of note, the GX has a fairly flat surface with the second and third rows folded, but because of the captain’s chairs, there is a gap in the middle. You could put some form of mattress in there for car camping and sleep two comfortably, though.
It doesn’t compare very well from a space perspective to other crossover-based SUVs; you lose some space in the body-on-frame platform. This wouldn’t necessarily be a deal-breaker for me, but make sure you cross-shop everything with your eyes open to the platform’s limitations.
2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury On The Road
Gone is the 4.6L V8 that made 301 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque in 2023. For 2024, all versions of the GX come with a turbocharged 3.4L V6, making a nicely upgraded 349 horsepower and a quite stout 479 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive is standard on every GX trim. Combined city/highway EPA estimates are up to 17 mpg from…well… 16 mpg for 2023. The new GX has a towing capacity of up to 9,096 pounds, which is quite good in the segment.
Out on the road, the Sport+ driving mode has a noticeable difference in engine and exhaust volume and sounds pretty beefy. It is hard to say whether there was a real performance gain, but compared to some Sport modes that bump up the revs, this felt like it did something different. The GX will hit 60 mpg in around 6.7 seconds, which is damn quick for the size.
Our tester did have some significant wind noise out on the highway. It’s hard to say whether it was coming from the roof cross bars, the side mirrors, or something else, but it’s noticeable. The ride is also a bit harsh compared to the typical crossover, a by-product of the off-road capability. Even in “Comfort” mode, it rattled hard through some poorly paved DC streets. I had passengers comment on it pretty often, so take a good long test drive on multiple surfaces before pulling the trigger.
My only other criticisms were minimal. The way I held the steering wheel at times (one hand at 12:00) triggered a warning that the driver attention system wasn’t available (due to my arm blocking the camera). It’s ironic because whenever it popped up, I looked down at it and got…well, distracted from driving. Speaking of distraction, there is a little plastic bit on the top half of each front window. They had me thinking there was something on the window, but as an owner I’m sure you’d get used to it.
Summary
At the end of the week, I wondered if the average luxury SUV buyer would want to endure the bumpy ride instead of getting a more spacious (if less rugged) option.
Then I realized all that it doesn’t matter.
Like the Toyota 4Runner, the GX has a significant following and will likely continue to sell at least around the same volume it has for the last decade or so. Perhaps Toyota/Lexus has high hopes that the latest GX will expand those sales figures. Regardless, if you are looking for a rugged and (likely) reliable luxury SUV, there aren’t many options on the market currently. A Land Rover Defender is about the only other luxury off-roader to consider, or a top-spec Wrangler or Bronco. So feel free to ignore my observations about the bumpy ride, annoying driver aides, and small cargo space behind the third row and just get the GX.
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