2024 Lexus GX Reviews, Pricing & Specs

There’s no mistaking a 2024 Lexus GX 550 for a 2023 Lexus GX 460. Whereas the outgoing model had softer, more rounded corners, the newly redesigned midsize SUV embraces geometric styling from headlight to taillight. Although the brand’s trademark “spindle” grille is still on display, it’s noticeably less pronounced with this generation. Standard triple-beam LED headlights flank the grille, sitting at the squared-off upper edge of the GX’s front fascia. The new front end stands much more vertically than it does on the second-generation GX; the designers have stiffened up a formerly soft chin to give this new car a more aggressive look. The otherwise flat hood rises on the left and right side, each hump conveniently positioned above each front wheel to help drivers maintain their positional awareness when driving off-road.

Down the side, the GX looks almost as if it were carved from a solid metal block. Character lines are minimal and maintain a relatively horizontal path across the SUV’s profile. The window beltline sits low on the GX, again an effort to help with visibility and awareness when off-roading. Like a mesa rising out of the desert, the lower edge of the window frame kicks up just ahead of the C-pillar before continuing its steady, horizontal journey to the rear of the vehicle. Standard running boards round out the bottom edge of the GX; powered units are available with the Executive package.

In total, Lexus offers the new Lexus GX in Canada in a single trim level with five available packages: Premium, Overtrail, Luxury, Overtrail+, and Executive. The GX Luxury and Overtrail+ highlight the SUV’s best features.

Luxury models are aimed at, well, luxury. 22-inch wheels, illuminated doorsills, and interior ambient lighting are just a few examples. The Overtrail duo are focused heavily on off-roading. They opt for 18-inch wheels to allow for the larger sidewalls on 33-inch all-terrain tires. Eco-friendly Nuluxe leatherette upholstery is harder-wearing, so it covers the Overtrail’s seats instead of the semi-aniline leather found in the Luxury and Executive packages. And under the sheet metal, the Overtrails employ legitimate off-roading hardware.

All GX models boast an interior that blends luxury appointments (think standard heated and ventilated front seats) with utilitarian materials. There are more robust polyurethane-derived touchpoints than you’d expect to find in other Lexus vehicles, and the dashboard sits flat and upright; it doesn’t tilt toward the driver. A large 14-inch touchscreen display takes centre stage, but below the display, you’ll find plenty of physical controls for the GX’s off-road-oriented controls, plus rotary knobs for climate control and stereo volume.

It’s less luxurious than a Land Rover Defender–and certainly less lavish than a Mercedes-Benz G-Class–but the third-generation Lexus GX looks and feels like a premium SUV prepared for a long life of hard use.

To many, the previous Lexus GX was essentially a fancy Toyota 4Runner with one major difference: it came equipped with a naturally aspirated V8 engine. That’s not the case anymore, as Lexus has dropped the trusty V8 for a newer and more advanced V6.

Although the GX’s powertrain is down two cylinders from last year, it makes significantly more power. 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque come from the twin-turbocharged 3.4-litre V6 engine. Better yet, the impressive torque becomes available low in the rev range, meaning drivers need only tap the accelerator to clear obstacles when driving through the dirt.

The 2024 Lexus GX is built atop the GA-F truck platform, which serves as the underpinnings of a number of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, from the J300 Toyota Land Cruiser and current Lexus LX to the Toyota Tundra and the new-for-2023 Toyota Tacoma. It’s a significantly stiffer chassis, which helps the GX feel more stable while cornering on-road and bouncing over rugged terrain off-road.

Like the Tundra, the GX employs a 10-speed automatic transmission but, unlike in the Tundra, it operates confidently and assertively; there’s no hunting for the right gear or frenetic shifting under acceleration. Standard full-time four-wheel drive (4WD) and a locking Torsen limited-slip centre differential come standard, meaning every GX will have low- and high-range 4WD. Additionally, the Overtrail packages add a locking rear differential, allowing drivers to split engine power between the rear wheels in a 50:50 balance.

The Overtrail packages also get Lexus’s Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS). It’s an advanced bit of suspension tech meant to balance off-road and on-road stability by locking and unlocking the front and rear stabilizer bars as needed. The result is increased wheel articulation (up to 63.5 centimetres) and a better chance of ensuring that all four wheels stay in contact with the ground while clearing obstacles.

During our test drive, the GX accelerated well both from a stop and at highway speeds, and we found the brakes to be extremely effective, although conditions were very favourable. With temperatures in the 15-degrees Celsius range and very little elevation change on our route, there wasn’t much chance for the brakes to fade in the first place. Every GX weighs 2,570 kilograms (5,665 pounds), which you’ll want to be aware of before stepping on the brakes during a long descent on a hot day.

Being a big, body-on-frame vehicle, we expected the GX to demonstrate plenty of body roll when driving through twists and turns on our route. The older model did, for sure, but the new GX stays composed. Given the GX’s off-road chops, its controlled and relaxed behaviour on-road came as a pleasant surprise.

Our off-road testing loop was completely washed out after heavy rainfall and, in an effort to preserve the terrain more than any concern for the off-road capability of the GX Overtrail+, we opted for a less aggressive proving ground. As a result, we weren’t able to fully evaluate the GX’s various traction management modes or its crawl-control and descent-control systems.

The 2024 GX’s interior styling demonstrates a dramatic departure from the second-generation model. More minimalist and sophisticated, the 2024 GX has a fraction of the number of physical buttons as the outgoing GX, but it retains the important ones. Rotary knobs for climate control flank the touchscreen, with a small volume knob centred between them. Lower down the centre console stack, physical buttons for off-roading features like crawl control and the two-speed transfer case remain.

In terms of passenger space, the 2024 GX feels comfortable and spacious for six-foot-tall adults in the first and second rows, with 1,047 millimetres of legroom in the front seats and 933 mm in the second row. The available third row, offered in Premium, Luxury, and Executive packages, is far too tight for anyone but children. Its 810 mm of legroom is deceiving; adults won’t be happy back there.

The GX’s most obvious competitor is the Land Rover Defender 110, which can also be equipped with a third row. The Defender 110 is marginally tighter in the front row, a bit more spacious in the second, but even tighter in the way back, with only 520 mm of legroom for those relegated to the third row. The Defender 110 is also roughly 25 centimetres shorter in length than the GX, however. If you’re really considering stashing seven people in your off-roading luxury SUV, we recommend upgrading to the longer-wheelbase Defender 130.

The GX, happily, is a cargo-space king. 292 litres behind the third row is a bit scant, but that figure expands to an impressive 1,138 litres with the third row folded. Total cargo space measures 2,178 litres. Overtrail models are even more capacious, with 45.6 cubic feet behind the second row (the third row is not available on GX Overtrail and Overtrail+) and a whopping 1,291 litres of total cargo space.

A 14-inch touchscreen sits, stylishly integrated, in the centre of the GX’s dash. Below it, a pair of USB-C ports and an available wireless charging pad promise plenty of power for front-seat passengers. With GX Overtrail packages, two additional USB-C ports are standard fare for the back seat, and non-Overtrail versions receive two more beyond that. Finally, there’s a 120-volt wall-style AC electrical outlet in the trunk of every GX.

The Lexus Interface infotainment system offers Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto, and the Drive Connect subscription service also gets an intelligent voice assistant–just say “Hey Lexus,” and it can help with commands related to navigation, climate control, and stereo controls. In Canada, Drive Connect requires a paid subscription from day one. Remote Connect, which provides remote locking and unlocking, ignition, and vehicle diagnostics, is offered with initial three-year trial subscriptions. After the trial, subscription costs range from 10 to 20 dollars per month, per service.

Speaking of stereos, the GX comes equipped with a 10-speaker audio system, but the Luxury, Overtrail+, and Executive packages include an impressive 21-speaker Mark Levinson stereo.

The Lexus Interface is easy enough to use, and it certainly looks impressive, but after the initial three-year trial, we’re a bit dismayed to see features locked up behind subscription plans. If you're the type to buy a car and hold it for a long time, you may want to factor these costs into your long-term budget.

Safety has been a bit of a concern for the GX. CarGurus experts rated the 2023 model with a six out of 10, and a year prior, it had scored a measly four out of 10.

Luckily, things look better in 2024. The all-new GX gets a massive upgrade in terms of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is now standard, offering pre-collision detection, avoidance and braking systems on every GX. The third-generation GX also comes standard with adaptive cruise control (with full stop-and-go capability), lane-departure warning with steering assist, and road-sign recognition. A new proactive driving assist feature will also brake the car as necessary when adaptive cruise control is in use, for instance, ahead of and through tighter highway turns.

Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has crash-tested the 2024 GX, yet. That’s to be expected with all-new models, and more so for ones as pricey as the GX. Even still, the fact that the new vehicle is built on the modern GA-F architecture and includes a rich set of ADAS has us feeling more confident in its safety offerings than ever before.

The 2024 GX will be expensive to operate, given that its estimated fuel economy measures 15.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 11.2 on the highway, and 13.5 combined. Those are very thirsty figures, and they represent the inevitable downside of the GX’s incredibly powerful twin-turbo V6 engine and full-time 4WD system.

Lexus has priced the GX in Canada with a starting MSRP of $86,786 (including a $2,205 destination charge and other dealer fees). Choosing the Premium package or the Overtrail package adds $9,000 to that base price. The Luxury and Overtrail+ packages cost $18,350 over the base price, while the Executive package adds $22,350 to the MSRP.

Those prices–particularly for the higher end–can give you the feeling that someone in the room has started cutting onions. But Lexus plays in the luxury car space, and it looks competitive with its most direct rival, the Defender. Yes, a Defender 90 undercuts the price, starting at $77,500. However, the Defender 90 is also a two-door, short-wheelbase model. Move up to a four-door Defender 110, and the starting price jumps closer to 80 grand. Plus, a Defender’s option sheet will make you feel like you’re in the centre of the entire onion processing plant.

As such, the 2024 Lexus GX is a good deal, if not a great one. It’s more expensive than the outgoing 2023 model, but it’s also a significant step forward. Ultimately, Lexus has upgraded its luxurious but rugged, off-road capable SUV to fit modern standards. If that’s the type of vehicle you’re hoping to buy, then the GX deserves a look.

Note: Images show a US model.