CARGAZING In LX, Less is More Removing Third Row Seat Creates a More Ridiculous Big

By Derek Price WHAT WAS TESTED? CARGAZING.COM or an over-the-top vehi- 2019 Lexus LX 570 cle whose sole purpose ($85,830). Options: 21- seems to be offering inch wheels ($745), luxury F“more,” the most notewor- package ($1,190), hated thy recent change for the walnut steering wheel Lexus LX is intriguing. ($150). Price as tested (in- It’s offering less, specifi- cluding $1,025 destination cally in the number of seats inside. charge): $88,940 Lexus is now selling its gigantic, thirsty and pricey : 112.2 in. LX 570 SUV with only two Length: 200 in. rows of seating. Buyers can Width: 78 in. delete the third row if they Height: 75.2 in. want extra space for cargo Engine: 5.7-liter V8 (383 instead of extra passengers. hp, 403 lbs. ft.) The change makes sense Transmission: Eight- for people who use their LX speed automatic as a land yacht for long road Fuel economy: 13 city, trips, a task for which it’s 18 highway perfectly suited despite its guise as an off-road Why buy it? machine. It’s an iron fist in a velvet Yes, it has crawl control, glove, offering serious low-range gearing, custom- The Lexus LX combines incredible off-road capability with a comfortable, silent, amenity-filled cabin. Its ability to tackle bru- off-road capability un- izable traction settings for tal trails in supreme comfort is rare. der a veneer of creature different terrain, a strato- comforts and luxurious spheric ride height and back seat hogging space, the rated V8 engine stands out projected onto the ground, there is no replacement for materials. With the third- stout, truck-like frame, but I rear cargo area feels big as a relic in a world of tur- makes it feel cool and displacement. row seat deleted, the still can’t imagine too many enough to park my Miata bochargers, and its cabin sophisticated at night. Buyers who don’t flinch cargo space is downright people spending close to inside. lacks the pizazz of over- Its 5.7-liter, 383-horse- at its $85,830 base price cavernous. $90,000 for an SUV they plan With all the seats in posi- whelming digital screens power V8 engine is paired should be fine with its to beat up on remote trails. tion, the two-row LX offers and museum-quality trim in with an eight-speed auto- 13-mpg rating for city fuel The appeal of Lexus’ big- more than triple the cargo the brand’s newest cars — it matic transmission to deliv- economy. I find it hard to ($65,500) and — perhaps its gest SUV — and close cous- volume of the three-row ver- retains a sense of rugged er effortless speed in the wrap my head around both most direct challenger — in to the legendary sion: 53.7 cubic feet com- beauty that seems fitting for huge, heavy vehicle. It’s also those numbers, but I’m also the ($90,900). Land Cruiser — isn’t that pared to 16.3. It’s enough to Lexus’ flagship SUV. rated to tow up to 7,000 clearly not in the demo- The Lexus product stands you will climb the Rocky hold massive amounts of It’s also fitted with pounds. graphic shopping for one, out not just for its off-road Mountains in it. It’s that you luggage for lengthy road enough leather, wood and The drivetrain is a perfect either. capability, which is real and could if you wanted. trips or, if you believe its off- creature comforts to justify fit for the LX. It has a Other competitors in this formidable, but also its rep- I spent a week driving the road aspirations, several its steep price. An optional smooth, buttery feel and rarified segment include the utation for reliability. two-row LX, and the miss- weeks worth of provisions in cool box in the center con- never seems strained, even Mercedes-Benz GLS For people who want the ing third-row seat had an the wilderness. sole keeps beverages under heavy uphill acceler- ($75,200), Lincoln Navigator three-row LX with seating odd way of making it feel While the LX is clearly chilled, while ambient light- ation. It’s proof of the old ($75,825), for eight, pricing starts at more luxurious. Without the aging — its naturally aspi- ing, including an “LX” logo saying about big engines: ($75,195), Infiniti QX80 $91,230.