2015 Lexus LX 570 review notes

LEXUS’ OLD SCHOOL BIG LUXURY SUV

   ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: The last time the Lexus LX 570 had a major overhaul was for the 2008 model year. Since then it’s only had a facelift for 2013 when it received the company’s spindle grille, new bumpers, front and rear lights and wheel designs. Now we’re into the 2015 model year and this big luxury barge is definitely feeling long in tooth.

  That’s not to say it’s not nice inside of the LX. There are a lot of soft leathers covering the seats, armrests and door inserts. With the cold temperatures we’ve been having, I thoroughly enjoyed the heated seats and heated steering wheel. My second row passengers were also digging their heated seats. For families, there’s a rear DVD entertainment system with dual screens and the third-row is rather spacious.

    However, 8 years is a long run for a vehicle and some little details do feel dated. The blocky design of the interior, the old-school digital clock and the older center touchscreen graphics are some small clues that this LX originated a little bit ago. From a practicality standpoint, I would prefer to have a fold-flat third-row of seats instead the ones in there now that just fold down and then up to the side which hampers cargo space in the rear some.

   The ride quality definitely still feels truckier, which isn’t a surprise because of the LX’s full-frame underpinnings. It’s not harsh by any means especially with the suspension set to comfort setting, but it’s a little bouncier compared to fresher competition like the Cadillac Escalade. The strange thing is that in past drives of the LX 570, I thought it felt way too floaty but this time the big body felt much better controlled.



   Steering requires light effort and response to inputs is fine for a vehicle of this size. Brakes are stout and get things down in a quick, confident manner.

   I have no complaints about the 5.7-liter V8. It’s powerful and easily gets the LX going down the road swiftly and it’s a smooth operator. Shifts from the six-speed transmission are also slick.

   I still like the LX 570, though. I’ve always had a thing for Toyota trucks, but after driving the new Escalade I would be going with that as my pick in the huge luxury SUV class. An Escalade ESV Premium with four-wheel drive starts at $88,065, which is below this Lexus’ as-tested price.



   SENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR NATALIE NEFF: If this is long in the tooth, I guess I prefer my Lexus family of products older. Fact is, if Lexus had updated the LX 570 in the last couple of years, we’d likely be stuck with that abomination of a mouse-joystick-whatever it calls a the Remote Touch interface. God, I hate that thing. Seriously, there’s nothing in the rest of the automotive landscape that causes me to cringe more than having to use one of them, and if the LX had that, this would be a far different review.



   As it is, I’m quite fond of this big truck. The interior is comfortable and luxurious in a not-too-blingy sort of way. The Cadillac Escalade, the LX’s natural competitor, is a much better vehicle in many ways, as the Wonger points out, but has always leaned more look-at-me than the Lexus. The LX feels almost old money, not quite Range Rover in overall effect, but at least in the ballpark. The controls are nicely organized, and I like the old-school toggles controlling drive wheels, suspension settings, etc., lined up across the center console.

   Steering is definitely on the light side, and for a vehicle weighing in at three tons, I’m appreciative of that fact. Combined with the engine’s silky V8 power, the combo goes a long way to making the LX feel, dare I say, light on its feet. You will, however, feel all that heft should you try and hustle the truck with anything more than lightly spirited maneuvers; thankfully, the LX doesn’t encourage that sort of behavior. Rather, its stately demeanor has a calming effect, and more than once I was impressed to glance down and find I was clipping along at the speed limit and not chomping at the bit to go any faster.

   Still, that sticker does give me pause. Given that a similarly equipped four-wheel-drive Escalade ESV Premium doesn’t break $89,000, as the Wonger points out, the argument to opt for something like this is almost moot. Then again, Lexus doesn’t sell 5,000 of them a year and almost any automaker can find that many people to buy whatever is concocted, so I’m sure the mother ship isn’t fretting too much over the issue.

   It’ll definitely be interesting to see what Lexus does when it comes time to rethink the LX.



   Options: Mark Levinson audio system including 19-inch speaker surround sound audio system, DVD audio, DVD playback ($2,350); dual-screen DVD rear-seat entertainment system with wireless headphones, audio/video inputs ($2,005); luxury package including semi-aniline leather trimmed interior with contrast stitching, heated/ventilated front seats with second row heated seats, heated steering wheel, center consol mounted cool box, smart access card key, wood trimmed door switch plates/ rear center armrest cover ($1,510); intuitive park assist with wide-view front and side monitor camera system ($1,000)