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As the largest Lexus SUV, the luxury brand's latest update to the LX may not appear substantial from a distance, but there are numerous changes beneath the skin. The LX is also Lexus' most expensive SUV and should, therefore, lead in opulence, capability, comfort, and ruggedness. Yet it should remain faithful to the long-held and—in the luxury sector—enviable cocoon of durability the brand has built over 36 years in the market.
Photo: Jim Resnick
For 2025, the new hybrid LX 700h joins the existing LX 600. The new LX Hybrid uses an electric motor and battery pack to assist the turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 engine, resulting in a combined 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful Lexus SUV ever.
The LX 600 uses the same core combustion engine but without hybrid-electric assist. It develops 409 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque, coursing through the same 10-speed automatic transmission. The 2025 LX line also receives other updates, including several new advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and the new Overtrail trim aimed at off-roading prowess.
The non-hybrid LX 600 comes in Premium, Luxury, and F Sport trim levels. Lexus offers additional trims for the LX 700h hybrid: Luxury, Ultra Luxury, F Sport, and the new Overtrail, aimed at off-roading fans.
The base prices for the LX line range from nearly $107,000 for the LX 600 Premium to about $141,000 for the most expensive LX 700h Ultra Luxury. Those prices include the $1,350 destination charge.
JD Power previously published a review of the 2022 Lexus LX. This review focuses on the LX’s updates for 2025 and how they potentially impact its overall consumer appeal.
For this 2025 LX review, Lexus provided a test vehicle equipped with the new Overtrail trim and the following options:
The test vehicle’s price was $118,510, including the $1,350 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Lexus assembly plant in Aichi, Japan, to your local dealership.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Three significant changes differentiate the LX since our last LX 600 review in 2022.
First and foremost, a new LX 700h model incorporates an electric motor and battery with the existing 3.4-liter turbo V6 engine. However, this system does not allow the powertrain to run in EV-only mode under normal circumstances, like many other Lexus and Toyota hybrids. Unless you go off-roading, you won't encounter EV mode at all. It only occurs in rock-crawl mode and only when in the low range of the two-speed transfer case.
In the LX, hybrid power does not improve fuel economy much, but that isn't the reason for adopting the hybridization. In the LX 700h's case, hybrid power adds an extra boost of smoothly applied power for better off-road control when negotiating tricky terrain.
Where the LX 600 non-hybrid nets 19 mpg combined, the LX 700h hybrid posts 20 combined mpg. Due to the roads, traffic, and terrain during my evaluation, I did not have the opportunity to log comparable mileage numbers. In a mix of two-lane highways, stop-and-go traffic, and off-road driving, the 13.9 mpg I saw is not a normal driving cycle.
The LX 700h Overtrail conquers mud, rocks, sand, and untamed woods with aplomb thanks to center, front, and rear locking differentials, all-terrain tires, additional (and adjustable) ground clearance via multi-mode pneumatic shocks, and chassis-mounted skid plates. Black trim also comes standard on the Overtrail.
Since no one wants to get stranded, especially out in the middle of nowhere, Lexus encases the hybrid battery and some of its associated parts, protecting against both water intrusion (possible when off-roading through streams and rivers) and punctures, which could render the hybrid battery unusable.
Those lockable differentials help the Overtrail negotiate the most challenging terrain you'll likely find among the country's numerous mapped off-road trails, shy of climbing huge boulders. Bouldering requires specialized equipment only available from the aftermarket, including gigantic tires and likely bodywork modifications.
Several driving programs help the Overtrail and the regular LX models' off-road ability. The Multi-Terrain Select dial operates the two-speed transfer case and the Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Rock, and Deep Snow traction programs.
Multi-Terrain Select activates video for the central dashboard display from four cameras mounted on the vehicle's front, sides, rear, and even underneath the chassis to assist visibility. Crawl and Downhill Assist Controls help the LX traverse poor surfaces at your prescribed speed and descend low-traction hills under automatic control. In addition, when you set the two-speed transfer case to low range, the LX lifts to give additional ground clearance.
My off-roading in the Overtrail saw large rocks, steep inclines, downed trees, a foot-deep stream, mud, and even evading sheep and a vicious dog. Nothing stopped the Overtrail. Not even bared fangs.
There's a high-capacity 2,400-watt electrical outlet in the cargo area of all LX 700h SUVs, including the Overtrail. This outlet is powerful enough to run a variety of gear popular among adventurers, such as a microwave, an air fryer, or even entertainment like a giant TV.
Up front, open-pore wood trim and semi-aniline leather present well. They're standard in the Overtrail.
Photo: Jim Resnick
Electronically, the updated Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 (LSS+ 3.0) ADAS suite features a driver monitoring system, front cross-traffic warning, and traffic-jam assist in addition to the more common driver assists like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and lane-centering assistance, which it already had from our last encounter in 2022.
All the ADAS worked very well during my initial drive, though the lane-keeping and lane-centering systems sometimes allowed creep into the sides of lanes. The driver monitoring system defaults to an overly cautious performance. Even momentarily looking at the infotainment screen triggered a warning, which I found irritating.
One always keeps both hands on the wheel when engaging this system, but the new LX Overtrail (and the F Sport and Ultra Luxury trims I also briefly drove) exhibited some lane creep. Interstate driving would likely yield better results, but I did not have the chance to drive them on big highways.
The LX 700h's hybrid powertrain produces smooth, even power and excellent throttle modulation and control, which is critical in off-road situations. On pavement, acceleration can be very brisk, though the 3.4-liter V6 engine emits a touch of coarseness when laboring under full throttle or higher rpms.
When driving on pavement, the LX 700h hits all the Lexus hallmarks of comfort, quietness, and relaxation. I sampled both LX 700h F Sport and Ultra Luxury trims for brief on-road encounters. They negotiated some aggressive, twisty roads surprisingly well for tall, 6,000-pound SUVs, but only when placed in Sport or Sport + handling modes. Body roll, dive, and pitch in the other Comfort and Normal modes felt overwhelming.
You can order the Overtrail with or without a third-row seat. Getting back there is a chore for anyone but the small, the young, or the self-deprecating. But this is a trait common among even the largest SUVs. Space in the third row is slightly better than adequate; I could perch my 6-foot-1 frame back there for maybe a half hour before getting fidgety.
With that third row erect, a theoretical 7.2 cubic feet of cargo space exists behind it. But that number doesn't reflect the shape of that space, akin to a flat-screen monitor. So, there's minimal cargo space behind an upright third row. Anything but shallow soft luggage likely won't fit. With the third row folded, there are 30.9 cubic feet and 62.4 cubic feet with the second and third rows down.
Photo: Jim Resnick
The significantly updated 2025 Lexus LX slides into the large premium SUV segment with all the interior panache, fit and finish, and solidity you would expect of the most expensive Lexus SUV in the lineup. With the added active safety features and the new adventurous Overtrail off-roader, Lexus hits several additional sweet notes.
However, it's not perfect. It misses an opportunity to leverage some of the design beauty Lexus is capable of, like the gorgeous LC 500, and borrow some of that talent for the LX. Its curb appeal drops when parked next to the genuinely pretty Range Rover. The Mercedes-Benz GLS design is more cohesive front to rear and in the details than the LX, and the GLS interior is quite posh. And BMW’s X7 raises the interior design bar above the LX. The V6 engine in the LX can feel a little unrefined when accelerating hard under a heavy throttle.
But the fundamental Lexus DNA of comfort, serenity, and ease always comes through, even in the ready-for-anything Overtrail edition. Couple that with Lexus' well-earned reputation for reliability, and the new 2025 LX 700h—especially in the new Overtrail form—makes for a compelling, large, and adventurous off-roading partner.
Jim Resnick is an author specializing in autos, mobility, technology, legislation, and the traffic jam of topics within. He's lectured at universities on the auto industry's relationship with legislation from his various posts as Technical Editor to Editor-in-Chief. In addition to JDPower.com, his byline has appeared in over 30 media outlets, from Wired to The New York Times to Car and Driver to Kelley Blue Book and across the globe to the BBC.
