The $71,000 Lexus GX 550_ Where Luxury Meets Adventure | Cars Uncovered | Forbes
It’s for good reason that the Lexus GX was one of the most-awaited redesigns of the year. This much-loved best selling SUV hasn’t had a redesign in more than a decade, so while its interior and tech felt dated, its off-road capability and seating for up to seven passengers made it a heart-felt favorite with fans.
The all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550 represents the most aggressive off-road vehicle you can buy from Toyota’s luxury division. The body-on-frame SUV benefits from a comprehensive revamp of Toyota’s chassis deployment, which has the new Lexus GX sharing underpinnings with new Lexus LX 600 and the recently-revived Land Cruiser. As the first full redesign of the Lexus GX in 14 years, the 2024 model represents a truly transformative vehicle in terms of design and capability.
Sitting on a lighter and stronger ladder frame chassis, the GX uses a double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. Every GX comes with four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case offering a low range, while an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) offered on Luxury and Overtrail models adds additional sophistication. Overtrail models also feature an Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) with roll bars that electronically disengage when off-roading. This allows up to 24.45 inches of wheel travel, further widening the GX’s spectrum of on-pavement refinement and off-pavement capability.
The all-new Overtrail trim is the most capable version of the new GX, with 8.9 inches of ground clearance and a locking center and rear differential. The other GX trims, Luxury and Premium, offer 8.66 inches of ground clearance and only a locking center differential. Overtrail models also include a Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) system with settings for Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow, and Auto. Overtrail models ride on 18-inch wheels with 33-inch all-terrain tires, Premium and Luxury trims on 20- or 22-inch wheels, respectively.
Off-road excursions can be fun, but Lexus would have a tough time selling a modern SUV that couldn’t live up to extremely high comfort and luxury expectations. To meet those demands, the GX 550 is powered by a new 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This engine is rated at 349 horsepower (between 4,800 and 5,200 rpm) and 479 pound-feet of torque (between 2,000 and 3,600 rpm).
Read more on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottyreiss/2024/08/26/2024-lexus-gx-review-a-modern-classic-suv-with-an-off-road-passion/
For more from Scotty Reiss:
https://agirlsguidetocars.com/
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Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select
The all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550 represents the most aggressive off-road vehicle you can buy from Toyota’s luxury division. The body-on-frame SUV benefits from a comprehensive revamp of Toyota’s chassis deployment, which has the new Lexus GX sharing underpinnings with new Lexus LX 600 and the recently-revived Land Cruiser. As the first full redesign of the Lexus GX in 14 years, the 2024 model represents a truly transformative vehicle in terms of design and capability.
Sitting on a lighter and stronger ladder frame chassis, the GX uses a double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. Every GX comes with four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case offering a low range, while an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) offered on Luxury and Overtrail models adds additional sophistication. Overtrail models also feature an Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) with roll bars that electronically disengage when off-roading. This allows up to 24.45 inches of wheel travel, further widening the GX’s spectrum of on-pavement refinement and off-pavement capability.
The all-new Overtrail trim is the most capable version of the new GX, with 8.9 inches of ground clearance and a locking center and rear differential. The other GX trims, Luxury and Premium, offer 8.66 inches of ground clearance and only a locking center differential. Overtrail models also include a Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) system with settings for Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow, and Auto. Overtrail models ride on 18-inch wheels with 33-inch all-terrain tires, Premium and Luxury trims on 20- or 22-inch wheels, respectively.
Off-road excursions can be fun, but Lexus would have a tough time selling a modern SUV that couldn’t live up to extremely high comfort and luxury expectations. To meet those demands, the GX 550 is powered by a new 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This engine is rated at 349 horsepower (between 4,800 and 5,200 rpm) and 479 pound-feet of torque (between 2,000 and 3,600 rpm).
Read more on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottyreiss/2024/08/26/2024-lexus-gx-review-a-modern-classic-suv-with-an-off-road-passion/
For more from Scotty Reiss:
https://agirlsguidetocars.com/
Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select
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MotorTranscript
00:00This is the 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail Edition.
00:07The Lexus GX was due for a makeover.
00:09It's been over a decade since it's had a full redesign.
00:12The Lexus GX customer has been really, really loyal.
00:16They love this car for its reliability,
00:19for its capability, for its ability to go anywhere
00:22and to carry lots of people.
00:24It seats up to seven passengers.
00:26The Lexus GX 550 starts at about $64,000,
00:30which for a luxury car really is pretty reasonable.
00:34It tops out at about $77,000.
00:37The Overtrail Edition that we're driving
00:39actually is one of the more affordable.
00:41It starts in the high 60s, as seen here.
00:43It's about $71,000.
00:47Lexus completely redesigned the interior
00:50and the front cabin of the GX.
00:53It's very modern and certainly feels redesigned,
00:56but it also will feel familiar,
00:57which is one of the brilliant things that Lexus did.
01:00So all of the features here,
01:02our drive modes are here for off-roading,
01:04and then we have our gear selector here.
01:06It is a traditional, standard, lever-style gear selector,
01:11which a lot of people really love.
01:12So all very standard and very elegant
01:15and nicely edited, nicely designed, not overwhelming.
01:19The big news here is in this screen, and it does this.
01:23Hey, Lexus.
01:26Navigate to the nearest Starbucks.
01:33Lexus customers can subscribe to a cloud-based navigation
01:37and information system, or they can use the built-in.
01:40It's not super expensive,
01:41but it does give you some nice capability,
01:44especially if you're off-road, off the grid.
01:46It will update constantly,
01:48so you'll always have the most up-to-date maps
01:51and information loaded into the system.
01:54Toyota, which is the parent company of Lexus,
01:56hired a team of about 75 people from gaming,
02:00from Hollywood, from user experience,
02:02from computer companies to design this system.
02:06It's really one of the best in the business.
02:08Pretty much anything that you'll wanna do,
02:11you can do right here on this screen.
02:13So there's a climate panel here,
02:15and then we have this dial on either side
02:18that allows you to dial the temperature.
02:21There's a volume dial here.
02:23All of this can be controlled also with the voice assistant,
02:26even things like turning on or off head-up display.
02:29You don't have to go into the screen
02:32to be able to manage a lot of the functions in the Lexus GX.
02:39This is where you're gonna find your drive modes
02:41and multi-terrain select, as well as crawl control.
02:45When I have it in drive mode and I dial this,
02:48I can go between custom, sport, normal, comfort, and eco.
02:55But if I tap this multi-terrain button here,
02:58then I can dial through my off-roading modes.
03:02So dirt, sand, mud, or if it snows,
03:06this is probably where you wanna be.
03:08This is going to give you true four-wheel drive.
03:11And then you can actually lock the differentials
03:15so that you have complete control
03:18over traction on each wheel.
03:21The cargo area is designed for two things.
03:24In the Overtrail Edition,
03:26for all the gear that you're gonna need
03:28if you're camping or off-roading, wherever you might go.
03:31The Luxury and Premium trims, though,
03:34have a third row available.
03:36So you'll notice in here, it's quite a large cargo space,
03:40but we do have cup holders here for third-row passengers.
03:43And then there's a household outlet here,
03:45which serves double duty.
03:47That's a great thing for campers,
03:49but it's also a great thing for kids with computers.
03:51Lexus is having a record sales year,
03:54and the GX is certainly a part of that.
03:56There is a wait list for the Lexus GX,
03:58and we're gonna see more of them on the road soon.
04:01People can't stop talking about this modern, classic SUV.