Fresh off its first redesign since 2009, the 2024 Lexus GX is big, tall, and ready to brawl. It has lost its old V8 engine but gained a twin-turbocharged V6, and it is more refined than ever. Lexus’ answer to luxury off-roaders like the Land Rover Defender and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the redesigned, aggressively angular GX offers a vastly improved blend of brawn and country club poshness. However, it still lags behind its rivals in efficiency, and the configuration choices are limited.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
New from the ground up, Lexus upgraded the 2024 GX in every area. There is more power and towing capacity, improved fuel efficiency, a new infotainment system, and a new off-road trim, the Overtrail. On the other hand, it is also undercut by the related 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, which offers a similar experience—with less power but better gas mileage—for a lower price. Other competitors also provide more body and powertrain choices.
Lexus now offers six GX 550 trim levels: the entry-level Premium and Premium+, the off-road Overtrail and Overtrail+, and the posh Luxury and Luxury+. All are well-equipped, and there are few major options. Starting prices range from $64,250 to $81,250, including the $1,350 destination charge.
For this review of the 2024 GX, Lexus provided a test vehicle equipped with Overtrail trim and the following options:
The test vehicle’s price was $71,270, including the $1,350 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Lexus assembly plant in Tahara, Japan, to your local dealership.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
Thanks to its standard 8.7 inches of ground clearance, you must step up to the GX, but getting comfortable is easy. The front seats are firm but comfy thrones with room enough for NBA centers and plenty of lateral support for rough trails or hard cornering. Even after six hours of off-roading, I didn’t feel worn out.
The back seat is less plush than the front and more firmly padded. It also has less legroom (just under 37 inches) than you might think based on the GX’s size. It is not uncomfortable, but that is less room than the Defender 110 or Grand Cherokee. The Premium and Luxury trims still offer a teensy third row (and available second-row captain chairs). Still, Lexus’ new TX crossover has a far larger third row if daily six-passenger use is your top priority.
Everything in the GX cabin feels very well made, and the SUV is very quiet, considering how its upright shape plows through the wind. However, it is visually plain and has lots of gray plastic. The Overtrail synthetic leather and ultrasuede upholstery look and feel rich, and the optional dark green ultrasuede accents liven up the dark interior.
The lack of ornamentation only makes the big 14-inch infotainment screen more of a focal point. It looks nice, though Lexus now routes many controls through it. Fortunately, the driving essentials, like the stalks, steering wheel controls, shifter, and four-wheel-drive (4WD) system controls, are all still analog.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
One of the first things you notice about the GX’s infotainment system is that there is no conventional home screen. The screen defaults to the navigation map, with on-screen HVAC controls just below. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and when in use, they both display conventional home screens with the Lexus settings function appearing as an app.
The GX’s standard infotainment system includes:
Pairing phones, playing audio, and making calls are all simple. Adjusting most settings isn’t hard, though navigating them all can require several taps and swipes. Many users will probably set up CarPlay or Android Auto, which are more intuitive than the GX’s native system, and both stay reliably connected.
The “Hey, Lexus” digital assistant helps you navigate all this. It is generally pretty good at answering your questions but sometimes struggles to adjust settings. The system also recognized most of my navigation requests quickly and accurately, even a notoriously hard-to-pronounce Thai restaurant.
The Overtrail trim has surround-view cameras and a “see-through” terrain mode to help you accurately place the SUV on tight trails. This information is displayed on the screen, and it’s helpful, but the camera turns off at speeds above 7 mph, which is frustratingly low; 15 mph would be more helpful.
The Overtrail has four USB-C ports, but the other trims get six. The standard 10-speaker audio system sounds good, but for buyers who want to bomb the bass, a 21-speaker, 1,800-watt Mark Levinson system is optional.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
Under the hood, Lexus replaces the GX’s old 4.6-liter V8 with a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6, making 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Similarly, Lexus has replaced the old six-speed automatic transmission with a 10-speed unit. Officially, fuel economy rises only slightly: from 16 mpg combined in the old GX to 17 in the new one, but the new GX is more likely to hit its estimates.
Four-wheel drive with a low range is standard, and all GX 550s are dirt-capable, but the best off-roader is the Overtrail. It gets 18-inch wheels shod in 33-inch all-terrain tires, skid plates, Crawl Control, terrain modes, an adaptive suspension, and the automaker’s new Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS), which locks and unlocks the stabilizer bars for increased wheel travel off-road while preserving a smooth ride on pavement. Drivers can also select the Low range without locking the center differential, reducing the turning radius.
On the road, the GX is brisk, reaching 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and stopping at about the same distance as the much lighter Hyundai Santa Fe (I tested both on a track, back to back). This tall SUV has a high center of gravity and little steering feedback, but it feels controlled and smooth on curvy roads. It is no sports car but quiet and composed on pavement for a big body-on-frame SUV.
On the trail, the GX 550 Overtrail made short work of muddy hills and deep ruts, and even wet rocks proved little challenge thanks to its systems and grippy tires. It doesn’t have the best approach, departure, or breakover angles (especially compared with the Defender and Grand Cherokee), but the GX can cope with many trail conditions and doesn’t beat you up. Hours in the dirt are no different than hours on the highway; they are just slower.
Off-roading is usually a gas-hungry affair because you are generally not going more than 25 mph, but the GX turned in just over 16 mpg on my day spent off-roading in (and on highways to and from) the Cascade mountains. In previous experiences in the old GX, real-world combined fuel economy was closer to 13-14 mpg.
This new GX is also a towing champ, with ratings up to 9,063 pounds. That is roughly 800 pounds more than the Defender and tops the midsize SUV pack.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
Every 2024 GX includes Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, a healthy slate of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Features include adaptive cruise control with lane centering, traffic sign recognition, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lanedeparture warning with lane-keeping assistance, and automatic high-beam headlights. Lexus also includes blindspot warning and rear cross-traffic warning, which are helpful for this big machine.
Optional extras include a head-up display and traffic jam assist. The latter is a hands-free adaptive cruise control system under limited conditions (only in traffic, only when the vehicle feels it is safe to do so, and only under 25 mph).
The Lexus ADAS works very well. There are few false alarms and the SUV does a good job of detecting hazards and issuing warnings on city streets. The adaptive cruise control was smooth and easy, and the GX stayed right in the center of its lane. It periodically needs you to intervene and constantly monitors the driver’s attention, but it is not invasive. Traffic am assist also works fine, though it didn’t always want to engage, and it seems superfluous given its limitations.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
The two-row GX 550 Overtrail boasts 45.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seats and 90.5 with them folded. The three-row models do not fare as well, with only 10.3 cubes behind the third row and 40.2 with it folded. Fold down all the seats in the three-row GX, and you get 76.9 cubic feet. Lexus redesigned the liftgate to make the space more accessible. It still has a separate opening glass area, but the liftgate now hinges from the top instead of the passenger’s side.
The GX’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage estimates are more realistic than those of its V8 predecessor, but overall, it is still inefficient by the standards of its midsize SUV peers. I saw 16.8 mpg combined in my time with the GX 550, which is just shy of its EPA estimate, but that is 1to 3 mpg less than many alternatives and 6 mpg shy of the hybrid 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. Expect regular $100 fill-ups for the GX’s 21.1-gallon fuel tank.
The GX comes with a solid suite of sophisticated driver-assist gear that can help prevent collisions and limit injuries if one occurs. Still, at the time of writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has evaluated it. Without official data from the IIHS or NHTSA, I cannot categorically state whether the SUV is safe.
The GX 550 Premium is the most affordable version, starting at $64,250, but the mid-range Overtrail ($69,250) comes with more features and off-road capability, which is what this SUV is really about. The Luxury ($77,250) offers finer materials and big 22-inch rims. On top of those prices, you will also need to add the $1,350 destination fee.
In the JD Power 2024 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Cadillac XT6 ranks highest in the Upper Midsize Premium SUV segment. The Porsche Cayenne and the Genesis GV80 are the next highest-ranked models.
In the JD Power 2024 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the BMW iX ranks highest in the Upper Midsize Premium SUV segment. The BMW X6 and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport rank second (in a tie).
While these are all worthy competitors, only the Cayenne offers true off-road capability. Other competitors with dirt-trail bona fides include the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Defender, and Mercedes-Benz GLE. There is also the new hybrid-only Land Cruiser. It is plainer, slower, and less brawny but rides the same platform and shares some of the GX’s styling.
Photo: Alex Kwanten
The redesigned 2024 GX 550 is light years better than the old ark it replaces without sacrificing what buyers liked about it. Its boxy look is cooler; if anything, it is even more capable off-road while being easier to use and more efficient. For a big off-road bruiser, it is also an amazingly refined machine in daily driving, reflecting Lexus’ traditional strengths of quality and quiet, luxurious competence. It also feels built to last.
On the other hand, it is still behind the pack on gas mileage, and its infotainment system, while much better than it was a couple of years ago, still needs some work. It is also a one-size-fits-all design with no hybrids, only one body style, and a limited number of trims. It is very good at what it does, but its recipe is very specific.
Alex Kwanten has worked in automotive media for 15 years and reported on buying, selling, and servicing cars for many outlets, including Automotive News, Forbes, and Hagerty Media. His calling is helping to make car buying less intimidating for ordinary folks, but he also loves telling the stories of the people and cultural forces behind new and classic vehicles. A lifelong automotive enthusiast, he’s owned scores of cars from more than a dozen countries.
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