There aren’t loads of off-road-oriented luxurious SUVs with seating for seven. A depend of the luxurious 3-row sport utilities at house on the street can be substantial. However the quantity simply as at house on sand or rock is tiny.
There may be, nevertheless, one standout worth within the small group. The 2023 Lexus GX is one thing astonishing — an SUV that may cocoon you away from site visitors in luxurious environment or take you up a dune or down a rocky path with out getting caught.
You would possibly be capable to do the identical in a Land Rover Defender 130 or a Mercedes-Benz GLE upgraded with all-wheel drive (AWD) and a few rugged choices. However neither of them can do it for the GX’s beginning value of $59,275 (together with vacation spot cost).
And the beginning value is all you’d must pay to get a nicely-equipped GLX. The most effective-selling mannequin of essentially the most rugged Lexus is the bottom mannequin. Upgraded Premium and Luxurious editions are pretty, however most patrons discover the usual GX 460 to be greater than luxurious sufficient.
The GX 460 has the bones of an actual off-roader — it’s constructed on the identical body because the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, a legendary off-road SUV not offered within the U.S. But it surely provides high-end options like simulated leather-based seats, dual-zone computerized local weather management, and a ten.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system full of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, a Wi-Fi sizzling spot, and extra.
And it comes with the peace of thoughts of shopping for from our 2023 Most Trusted Luxurious Model award winner. Lexus additionally took house Finest Luxurious Model in our 5-Yr Value to Personal Awards, which means you’ll recoup a lot of your funding when it’s time to commerce in your GX.
Let’s see what the 2023 Lexus GX 460 has to supply.
2023 Lexus GX 460 — $59,275
- 4.6-liter V8 making 301 horsepower
- Impartial double-wishbone-type entrance suspension with coil springs, gas-pressurized shock absorbers, and stabilizer bar
- 4-link rear suspension with coil springs, gas-pressurized shock absorbers, and stabilizer bar
- Full-time 4-wheel drive with Torsen limited-slip middle differential with digital differential lock
- NuLuxe simulated leather-based upholstery
- 10-way power-adjustable entrance seats
- Twin-zone computerized local weather management with inside air filter
- Energy moonroof
- Privateness glass
- Roof rails
- Heated, power-folding outdoors mirrors
- 10.3-inch high-resolution touchscreen multimedia show
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration
- Lexus Enform Wi-Fi with a 3-month trial included
- Lexus Security System with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert, and high-speed dynamic cruise management
- Trailer sway management
It’s the sort of function checklist that leads most patrons to purchase the bottom mannequin, seeing no want to maneuver as much as one thing costlier. Larger trim ranges get you entry to options like a 330-watt Mark Levinson premium sound system and a panoramic view monitor. They’re good additions however not needed.
Let’s take a better take a look at a few of our favourite options.
Critical Off-Highway Abilities
The GX is only a totally different sort of machine than most fashionable SUVs. Many luxurious SUVs are constructed like automobiles, utilizing a unibody structure that makes for a stunning on-road trip however severely limits capabilities off-road. The GX is constructed on a rugged truck body, capable of flex to maintain the wheels in touch with undulating terrain.
Customary 4-wheel drive — not part-time all-wheel drive — makes it extra rugged and succesful on the path, too. Add in a 2-speed switch case, a Torsen limited-slip differential, and downhill help management, and it feels like we’re speaking a few high-end pickup truck, not one thing that competes with BMW fashions for the eye of luxurious patrons.
That’s the purpose. There are fewer than a handful of true luxurious SUVs constructed to deal with the tough stuff. The GX is without doubt one of the better of them, with a Lexus badge and all of the reliability that comes with it.
Customary V8
The few actually rugged luxurious SUVs in 2023 have a tendency to return with much less energy than the GX. The Land Rover Discovery, as an illustration, might have the chassis and suspension to go many locations the GX goes. But it surely does it with a regular turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The Defender 130 has a V8 possibility, but it surely’s dear.
An old-school, mechanically easy and torque-rich V8 is customary tools within the GX. That issues over the lengthy haul because it retains upkeep easy and energy available.
Lexus Security System+
For those who haven’t been automobile buying in a couple of years (and most of us haven’t), you could be shocked to know the sort of security know-how that comes on even base mannequin luxurious automobiles in 2023. The Lexus Security System+ provides loads of peace of thoughts to the driving expertise.
It features a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert, a blind-spot monitor, and even a rear cross-traffic alert that may prevent from an accident when reversing out of a parking spot. Dynamic radar cruise management can preserve you at a secure distance from the automobile forward in site visitors, rushing up and braking to match its velocity.
A rear-seat reminder prompts you to verify for kids and pets if you happen to opened a rear door earlier than beginning your drive.
Customary Trailer Sway Management
The GX can go locations solely vehicles and devoted off-road SUVs dare on the path. It might additionally haul like one. A 6,500-pound towing capability and customary trailer sway management make trailering simpler than with many opponents.
Extra Lexus GX
Wish to be taught extra in regards to the GX 460 and the way it compares to the competitors? Learn our full Lexus GX overview or discover Lexus GX fashions on the market close to you.