Last week, I was in the desert outside of Tucson, Ariz. I spent a day and a half crawling all over these new midsize luxury SUVs as well as talking to Lexus engineers, marketing and PR executives, and other journalists. You can read a bit about my build here. Instead, the GX has a 3. This incredibly quiet and smooth engine puts out horsepower and pound-feet of torque. Combine that engine with the new speed automatic transmission, and you have a very impressive and refined package.
Befitting the Lexus badge, the cabin of the new GX is extremely quiet. Surprisingly so, with such a steep windshield, tall profile, big boxy side mirrors, and blunt front end. Where most modern vehicles have driver-focused cockpits β with infotainment screens angled toward the driver β the new GX goes a different direction.
I found it pleasant in all ways, and I feel it helps keep the new GX feeling incredibly spacious. Speaking of spatial awareness and spaciousness, the big greenhouse gives tons of visibility while the tall hood and upright grille make it super easy to know exactly where the corners of the vehicle are.
The side mirrors β a nod to the FJ Cruiser β also provide lots of forward visibility, as they are mounted on the doors versus up at the base of the A-pillar.
You also get tons of headroom and legroom. And, while the vehicle feels a bit narrow, you still get plenty of elbow room. These are the first massaging front seats ever offered on a Lexus SUV. The Overtrail models have taller and softer side bolsters and a firmer bottom cushion on the front seats than the other GX models. This seat design is supposed to create less head toss when tackling rough terrain, and in turn, provide less driver fatigue.
