Yahoo Autos 2018 Lexus LX in Depth: Ancient Opulence
Overall Rating:
It’s no secret that the Lexus LX is a fancified Toyota Land Cruiser, but there’s plenty to demarcate this luxury-brand model from the mainstream version. Lexus takes advantage of the Land Cruiser’s off-road-ready capability and buttresses it with enough premium gear to transform it into a luxurious, family-friendly SUV. The slight $1065 uptick in price versus a Land Cruiser brings an exterior overhaul, a refined and premium cabin, a suite of active-safety features, and additional convenience technology. The LX’s blend of off-road capability, size XL luxury, and V-8 power sounds remarkably similar to what Range Rover offers. But despite appearances, this package is not just aging, it’s legitimately old-as its driving characteristics make clear. The LX serves its specific purpose adequately, but there are numerous, more attractive SUV alternatives if your mission requires plushness, a top-shelf image, and three rows of seats.
What’s New for 2018?
The LX-technically, its full name is LX570-underwent a significant refresh for 2016. The update brought new designs inside and out, fresh technology such as a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, an eight-speed automatic transmission that replaced an old six-speed, and additional safety features. Since then, not much has changed, so this is still technically the same generation of LX that first showed itself back in 2007 for the 2008 model year. In automotive terms, that’s ancient. The only notable revision for 2018 is that the base model comes minus the third-row seat that’s standard on the Land Cruiser. Adding it back in bumps the LX’s MSRP up by $5000. (The eye-popping price increase does at least include a complex power-folding mechanism.)
Trims and Options We’d Choose
As Lexus’s flagship SUV, the LX does not have multiple trim levels; it simply comes well equipped with gobs of standard features. The only choices that customers have are the seating arrangement, the color, and a few extra-luxurious add-ons. We would pick the three-row version, which comes standard with:
• 12.3-inch infotainment screen with navigation
• Permanent all-wheel drive with adaptive suspension
• Adaptive cruise control
In the mindset of somebody spending nearly $100,000 on an SUV, we have to assume it wouldn’t be an issue to spend a few thousand extra to maximize comfort and luxury. We’d add the $1190 Luxury package for its heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, the $150 heated steering wheel, and the $2350 Mark Levinson sound system. The $2005 rear-seat entertainment seems excessive considering that iPads cost significantly less and do essentially the same job. That lands our pricing at $95,615.
Base Price Comparison
You Might Also Like
