2024 Lexus GX 550 feels like a modern Land Cruiser

When Lexus unveiled the long-awaited next-generation GX, the internet lost its mind. It was rugged, modern, cool, looked like nothing else on the market and promised to offer all your favorite luxury amenities wrapped in a competent off-road package. We couldn’t wait to drive one to see how it matched our high expectations. 

Lexus dropped one off for us to test for a week. We put several hundred miles on it, driving it in various circumstances and found it to have strong and likable dual personalities. Even if you never go off-road, you’ll love this rig. It’s very well executed, with only a few drawbacks.

The last GX was around for 15 years and we liked it a lot (read our review here). Here are a few reasons why the new Lexus GX 550 is one of the coolest new SUVs you can buy today. 

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Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

A unique offering

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, affordable, stylish, off-road capable and — fingers crossed — reliable body-on-frame luxury SUV, then the GX 550 is one of the only names in town. Want something more family-friendly? Check out the Lexus TX. The GX is more for those wanting a luxury off-road rig, with an optional third row depending on the trim. In addition, you get full-time four-wheel drive, a Torsen locking center differential, 8.9 inches of ground clearance and more than 9,000 pounds in towing capacity. 

On-road driving

In its first impression, the new GX seemed like a dream to drive on-road. The ride was decent, the handling was responsive and it just felt good. However, our Luxury+ trim’s 22-inch wheels quickly gave themselves away in the form of a jittery, flinty ride that wore on us as the week went on. For our money, we’d rather go with one of the lesser trims with 18- or 20-inch wheels. 

That said, the GX is enjoyable as a daily driver, largely thanks to its easy handling and superb powertrain. Every 2024 Lexus GX 550 is fitted with a 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 349 horsepower and an impressive 479 pound-feet of torque. It’s very punchy and offers buckets of torque whenever you need it. 

Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

We’ve enjoyed this motor in other applications and continue to sing its praises here — although our tested 16 mpg is actually less efficient than the last V8-equipped GX we tested. Here’s hoping the motor proves as reliable as the Toyota V8 in the previous GX generation. Motor Trend clocked it from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds.

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Off-road prowess

Though we seriously doubt anyone will actually take their Luxury+ trimmed GX off the beaten path, the amount of off-road tech in the new GX is legitimately impressive. Our suggestion? Swap over the wheels for a smaller size and fit them with larger, all-terrain tires. 

Regardless, the GX 550 Luxury+ comes with an electronic locking rear differential, adaptive variable suspension and Toyota’s Multi-Terrain Select which includes several driving modes including off-road modes such as Deep Snow, Dirt, Rock and Sand. 

Though we didn’t dare take our 22-inch wheeled tester out in the desert, we’ve heard nothing but glowing reviews from various outlets on how well it performs. 

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Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

Loads of luxury

You’ll pay up for it, but spending $84,395 means you get just about all the luxury features you could want. Our favorite? The Dynamic Sky panorama glass roof. This unobstructed electrochromatic piece of glass extends from front to rear and goes from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. We love this feature and hope it becomes more common in other models. 

Other luxury features in the Luxury+ trim include:

• Semi-aniline leather seating

• Front massaging seats

• Heated second-row captain’s chairs

• Center console cool box

• Wireless phone charging

• Thematic ambient illumination

• Multizone climate control

• Six USB-C ports

• Triple beam LED headlights

• LED fog lamps

• Automatic power extending running boards

• Digital rearview mirror

• Intuitive parking assist

• Rear pedestrian detection

In other words, it's everything you’d expect from a modern Lexus, especially at this price point. 

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Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

Interior comfort and convenience

When we took the GX 550 out for its maiden voyage, its driving position and blocky windows immediately reminded us of another luxury off-road SUV: the Mercedes-Benz G Class. We love the G-Wagen and were immediately charmed by Lexus’s take on the legendary SUV — especially for $50,000 less.

Inside, the GX is understated, yet high-quality. Its interior doesn’t look or feel up to the level of the G-Wagen or the Land Rover Defender, but again, neither is the price tag. The materials feel good and the seats are very comfortable.

Unfortunately, it’s not all roses inside. While our Luxury+ trim employed a third row — which is really just two half-sized jump seats that fold into the floor — it’s not all that usable. The two third-row seats are small and uncomfortable and are really only suitable for small children. 

Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

Utilizing the third row also significantly reduces your cargo area. The result is a large SUV that is, realistically, only a four-seater, which feels difficult to justify. A spacious family hauler this is not. 

With the third row folded flat, there is plenty of cargo space. But, it’s not as much as you’d expect due to the high loading floor, which can make loading your Costco haul a little challenging. For our money, we’d recommend one of the Overtrail trims. You lose the third row and some fancy schmancy luxury features, such as the stylish but ride-killing 22-inch wheels. But, you gain much more cargo space due to the lower load floor and an overall more useful and comfortable riding truck.

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Final thoughts

Overall, we really enjoyed our time with the new GX 550. We liked it so much that we considered replacing our beloved Kia Telluride with one. It has power, style and off-road prowess to spare — all things we love. However, the Luxury+ would not be our pick. The 22-inch wheels make the ride a little too jittery, the third row is mostly useless and the high load floor is awkward. Instead, we think opting for one of the Premium or Overtrail trims would better satisfy most buyers. 

The 2024 Lexus GX 550 is well executed and is at its best when it embraces its rugged, Land Cruiser heritage. It’s on our wishlist to own someday and it should be on yours, too. 

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Photo courtesy of Lexus Newsroom

Highs

• Robust power, endless torque

• Style for days

• Impressive off-road capability

• Comfortable, well-built interior

• Drives smaller than it is

Lows

• Worse than V8 real-world fuel economy

• Useless third row

• High load floor when equipped with the third row

• Interior doesn’t feel as special as its rivals

• Rough ride on 22-inch wheels

FAQs

Is it fun to drive? 

While we wouldn’t call it thrilling, but the Lexus GX 550 is enjoyable to daily drive, in large part thanks to its comfortable front seats, excellent seating position, responsive steering and powerful motor. We imagine it’s even more fun in its preferred environment off-road. 

Is it good for families? 

For smaller families, it could be. However, if you need a third row and want to stay in the Lexus family, the TX is the better choice. 

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.