Lexus GX 550

The verdict: The all-new — and we mean that — 2024 Lexus GX 550 is a remarkable improvement over the longstanding prior generation

Versus the competition: The new GX is significantly more expensive than before, but we wouldn’t want to be Land Rover right about now. There isn’t much beyond the Defender that offers the same heady blend of luxury, refinement and off-road capability.

Goodness, Lexus. The bar for what we expected from a next-generation GX was so low, you didn’t have to go that hard with the 2024 Lexus GX 550. The first- and second-generation GX lumbered around our roads for a combined 21 model years, and based on their success, longevity and generational contiguity, we admit there was a small part of us that expected a heavy revision of a lovable dinosaur that nearly 32,000 U.S. customers purchased new in 2023.

Related: 2024 Lexus GX: Over the Trail, No Longer Over the Hill

Instead, we got what amounts to an entirely new GX packing a new platform, new engine, new interior — heck, new everything. It’s easier to say what hasn’t changed than what has, and as far as we can tell, that amounts to the “G” and “X” letters on the rear gate (which, we must add, is not the side-swinging barn door that’s become a bit of a signature of the breed, but a conventional upward-swinging liftgate). There’s a lot of ground to cover with Lexus’ newest three-row (but sometimes two-row!) SUV.

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Off-Road Chic

Speaking of ground, our test GX exclusively crunched and cracked the sun-scorched grit of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, with the gorgeous, saguaro-dotted Tortolita Mountains north of Tucson serving as our backdrop and playground. Like previous GXs, the new third-gen variant arrives with full-time four-wheel drive and a pervasive sense of adventure as standard, so we were excited to find its near-flat windshield constantly beaded with rain that turned our surroundings into a slurry. This red mud was particularly enticing behind the wheel of the new-for-2024 GX 550 Overtrail, an expedition-ready off-road trim that in addition to a truckload of tough 4×4 hardware, adds more than a dash of tacticool aesthetics that’s proven catnip to Toyota Tacoma, 4Runner and Land Cruiser fans, as well as the Land Rover crowd.

Yes, Land Rover. There’s quite a bit of (modern) Defender style in this GX soup. It’s not hard to imagine the toughest GX decked out with an array of RotopaX containers and Maxtrax boards, and that’s far more than we can say of the last gen. The capability was always there, but even with a lift and some knobby rubber, the older GXs never quite shed that shiny suburbia skin.

Now, with tough touches like blacked-out off-road wheels, darkened exterior trim, and an earthy palette of colors including Nori Green Pearl, Earth (flat tan) and Incognito (flat gray), buyers can soften or aggro up their new GX right from the factory.

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Platform Perfection

Gone is the ancient F2 platform underpinning ye olde GXs, replaced with the thoroughly modern Toyota New Global Architecture GA-F (Toyota is the parent automaker of Lexus), the same bones found in the current Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia and Lexus LX. This is also what you’ll find in the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, which returns to the U.S. following a brief absence from that lineup. The benefits of this platform migration are multifarious: Aside from light-year leaps in handling, ride composure and production efficiency, packaging is far less cumbersome than the odd, upright interiors found on the truckish last generation.

Spoiler alert: The 2024 GX 550 drives, handles, rides, hauls, scoots and scales better than the GX 460 it replaces, but that’s not the result of drastic downsizing. Aligned side by side, the new GX 550 is up to 5 inches longer, 4.5 inches wider and 2.4 inches taller.  The new wheelbase is stretched an additional 2.4 inches, and occupant legroom and headroom are increased across the board aside from a slight decrease in front-seat legroom.

Creature Comfort

You’ll hear no complaints from front occupants, though. Those familiar with the latest Lexus design language — particularly what’s in the new TX — will sense familiarity with the GX’s interior appointments. Given the model’s elevated $64,250 starting price (including destination), all GX 550s arrive well equipped regardless of trim, a baseline that includes tech niceties like a 14-inch center touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, 10-speaker sound system and six USB-C ports.

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If you seek comforts more physical than digital, even the most unadorned GX 550 Premium rumbles around with heated and ventilated front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, multizone automatic climate control, and moisture-resistant synthetic upholstery. We wanted for nothing during our time with this base Premium trim but were nonetheless impressed by the luxe upgrades that are available for the GX, including the 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, massaging front seats, head-up display, semi-aniline leather, heated steering wheel and air-conditioned “cool box” in place of the standard center console storage bin.

Most of our seat time was spent in an Overtrail+, the penultimate trim that incorporates some of the more comfort-oriented hardware into the (more) rugged Overtrail. The synthetic leather upholstery is standard on all Overtrails, as are neat (and subtle) green accents in the perforated door cards. Stylistically, it’s all very tidy and borderline austere; while the plastics are all soft-touch, the controls damped and the fine details rather elegant, some returning customers might find the conspicuous absence of Lexus’ signature wood trim and puffy seats to be a bit too rough-and-ready.

Still a GX

But we can’t overstate just how improved the interior packaging, organization and general stylistic cohesion is over the outgoing SUV. The old GX 460 was comfortable and well equipped, but no amount of revised trim or updated infotainment tech could fully muffle the sense of antiquity that seeped through the new GX’s micron-tight seams. From a comfort and ergonomics standpoint alone, this is a quantum leap that seems a bit like it skipped over an entire (hypothetical) generation. It’s that impressive.

Regarding seats, there’s a number of available configurations. Seven seats and three rows are standard, with upgraded captain’s chairs available for the second row that increases comfort but reduces overall capacity to six. Those hoping to drag a full house to Moab might be disappointed in the Overtrail’s mandatory two-row, five-seat configuration, but we reckon these folks are outnumbered by happy overlanders ready to pack the cavernous rear storage to the gills.

Mo’ Muscle

And if they can’t fit everything, why not hitch a trailer? The GX 550’s truck-derived platform and torquey turbo engine afford a trim-dependent towing-capacity range between 7,601 pounds and a genuinely impressive 9,096 pounds on the Overtrail, up a thick 2,596 pounds on the previous model. We couldn’t put this towing capability to the test during our time with the GX, but we did make great use of its new twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine. This fresh heart allows the GX to pull stumps and shred silt with 349 horsepower and 479 pounds-feet of torque, all routed through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

We’d say we’re going to dearly miss the 4.6-liter V-8 from the GX 460, but it was time to put that old warhorse out to pasture. While its robustness and longevity are legendary, the old V-8 was down on power and efficiency, with the new V-6 packing an extra 48 hp and a whopping 150 pounds-feet of additional torque. The V-6 curiously matches the V-8’s 15 mpg city rating, according to Lexus (EPA figures for 2024 are not yet available at the time of writing), but the brand says highway fuel economy jumps 2 mpg to 21 mpg, and the 2024 GX 550’s 17 mpg combined estimate is 1 mpg higher than the 2023 GX 460’s.

Mo’ … Everything

This nominal gain in efficiency likely boils down to the new GX’s surprising weight gain. Compared with the heaviest iteration of the old GX, the huskiest 2024 GX 550 cracks pavement at 5,666 pounds, or around 500 pounds more than the previous GX — more lard to hustle, but the new 10-speed automatic and extra under-hood motivation drops the manufacturer-tested 0-60 mph scramble from 7.8 seconds to a sprightly(ish) 6.5 seconds in the 2024 GX.

In practice, this extra thrust never feels more than simply adequate. It’s a large SUV, and as both size and mass shrink speed, passengers will scarcely look up from their phones during full-throttle merging. Partially loaded with three folks, the GX advanced as if only the driver was present; with four bodies and accompanying luggage, drivers will be grateful for the V-6’s torque-rich character.

Smooth Sailing

Shifting is smooth and requisitely imperceptible on-road, with all the unobtrusiveness required of the Lexus name. It’s similarly quiet, with average wind noise and good road isolation, so make good use of that optional 21-speaker Mark Levinson system.

Steering is Lexus-light and artificial, which isn’t out of the ordinary for a luxury SUV. The brakes, meanwhile, impressed; while stopping power appears more than adequate, the brake-pedal tuning is among the best we’ve experienced on a Lexus or Toyota product. Hard stops are just as easy to modulate comfortably as regular ones, with intuitive thresholds and excellent confidence.

Buyers must decide between three distinct suspension setups, starting with a standard fixed layout on lower trim levels. An adaptive suspension is available, with Overtrails incorporating active anti-roll bars under a system Lexus dubs Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension. We’ll get to the GX’s off-road chops shortly, but over the mostly smooth Arizona tarmac, all GX 550s were smooth, comfortable and possessed impressive body control and bump isolation. The Overtrail’s composure was of particular note: Either due to the trim’s standard 33-inch all-terrain tires or in spite of them, the ostensibly rock-ready trim level offered the silkiest ride.

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4×4 Folly

Our unbroken pavement abruptly gave way to rust-hued desert trails as we entered the off-road portion of the drive. A preconditioned loop with a handful of off-center ruts offered only a minor test of articulation and essentially no threat to either the ground clearance or off-road systems. Due to rainy conditions, Lexus closed the more intense off-road challenge course, so we never really pushed the GX 550 beyond what an AWD non-TRD RAV4 would be able to handle.

We’ll save our assessment of its overlanding capabilities for when we’re able to get a little froggier with the locking differentials and skid plates. Still, some numbers: The GX 460 was renowned for its trail fitness, and the new GX 550 improves upon it in every metric save angle of departure, with up to 8.9 inches of ground clearance, a 26-degree approach angle, a departure angle of up to 23 degrees and a breakover angle of up to 24 degrees.

A modern off-road rig is only as good as its trail toys, and the GX 550 is requisitely kitted out. All GX 550s have high- and low-range 4WD with a locking center differential, but only the Overtrail offers a locking rear diff, complemented by a suite of other Overtrail-specific tech. Aside from those active anti-roll bars, Overtrails are overprepared for adventure with crawl control, hill descent control, underbody trail cams and a series of distinct terrain modes that include Auto, Sand and Mud (4-High adds Dirt and Deep Snow; 4-Low adds a Rock mode).

Had enough adventure? You and your passengers can rest easy on-road with the GX 550’s extensive suite of active-safety tech. Lexus’ familiar Safety System+ 3.0 forms the core, with standard features like precollision automatic emergency braking, road sign assist, adaptive cruise control and lane-centering steering. Blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert is also standard, and the Traffic Jam Assist low-speed hands-free driving system is optional.

How Much?

The 2024 GX is a fan favorite that’s been improved beyond recognition. You’ll pay for the privilege, however, with that $64,250 starting price for the GX 550 Premium, up $4,025 from the 2023 GX 460. From there, the Premium+ starts at $69,250, the Luxury leaps to $77,250, and the Luxury+ stickers at $81,250. For the off-road-oriented Overtrail, prices start at $69,250 for the standard trim and $77,250 for the Overtrail+, which adds front massaging seats, heated second-row seats and parking assist with rear pedestrian detection, among other features.

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