I'm not just driving the new Lexus LX 600.
I'm driving the Ultra Luxury model… because you guys are worth it.
Luxury vehicles have always been about quiet sumptuous cabins, making life easier after a tough
day on Wall Street, technology that delights, and badges for telgraphing your success. Or…
that you’ve married into money. Nowadays, big comfortable cars aren’t enough. So Lexus offers
up the all-new LX 600 since the new status symbol is seating high enough to see into the next county
and a 4WD system to get there without roads. This is a body on frame SUV, not a crossover. If five
lugs are good, six are better. The last time the architecture was changed, George W Bush was still
in the White House executing “strategery”. In the past the LX was a very very nicely trimmed
out Toyota Land Cruiser, but those are no longer sold in the United States. So if you want one of
these, you will be going to the Lexus store prices start at around $90,000 the sweet spot around 100
K this one is the Ultra Luxury model, which is a little bit over 130 grand. Ultra Luxury indeed.
It’s not just the price tag that will give buyers pause, it’s not practical. Most LXs
come with seating for 5 or 7, Ultra Luxury stops the indulgence at 4. Children shouldn’t
sit in the front seat, so it can transport two kiddos, max. So really, Ultra Luxury
is best as a limo for the CEO of North Face. (SOUND UP) This is where the Ultra Luxury model
becomes ultra-luxurious. I am the master of my domain here both left and right seats are quite
adjustable for comfort. Both of them are heated and vented. Let me go to the menu here, and now
I am enjoying a light full body refresh massage it's not as good as those dedicated massage
chairs, but hey who is complaining now on this side? I can move the front passenger seat forward
so I can stretch out and put my foot on the foot rest what a great way to go to the ski slopes,
if you have a chauffeur. There’s dimmable lighting and venting
that simulates a breezy condition. Want captain’s chairs? The 4-seat Ultra Luxury
is the only way to get them. For now, anyway. The outgoing model roamed national parks and
mall parking lots with a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter, 383 horse V8. That’s been swapped
for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that pumps out 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque,
the 6 is more efficient and more powerful. Always a win.
4WD is standard. Multi-Terrain Select makes the right setting simple. If owners point
this expensive rig into harms way, it has all the hardware and electronics to make short work
of long rugged trails including lockable center differential and a much-improved low speed Crawl
Control to make off road cruising more relaxing. There are helpful graphics that offer up all sorts
of information for those who can’t get enough of that. And there’s Wonder Woman mode. No,
it doesn’t make the LX invisible like her jet, but this mode could
be useful on tough terrain when placing the wheels. Sorry. Golden Lasso not included.
The transmission is a 10-speed, no doubt boosting efficiency. It can be shifted here and
here. Standard ground clearance is 7.9-inches. Standard on Ultra Luxury (optional on Luxury
and F-Sport models) is an Active Height Control hydraulic suspension. It can increase clearance
or drop it down for improved aerodynamics. Roads are a little bit damp, in dry conditions
this'll do 0 to 60 in about 6 1/2 seconds, and even with modern traction and electronic
stability control, not a wise idea to do something like that in a residential area
The LX moves with authority. As you’d expect. Keep in mind the V6 is actually quicker than the
outgoing V-8 and it still sounds good. It's way in the distance but of course it is this is a Lexus.
The architecture uses the same frame construction as the new generation Tundra. That and an aluminum
roof and doors means LX is some 440 pounds lighter than the old one. That has to help
drop the center of gravity. The front suspension is a double wishbone setup. The rear is muti
link with improved damper location that gives it more precise wheel travel.
With the suspension in normal mode, man does this thing soak up the bumps. It's extremely
comfortable, but when you chuck it hard into a corner, there is going to be some body roll.
I've got this in sport mode and it takes care of all of that. It's actually kind of crisp,
impressive for a body-on-frame SUV. This is a large vehicle but it drives
smaller than it is. On narrow streets, yeah, the size is a bit much, but navigating parking lots
and garages shouldn’t make your palms sweat, LX is about a foot shorter than a standard
Cadillac Escalade. Visibility is pretty good and there’s blind spot warning to help out.
It's been a while since I've driven the last generation, but I can tell you that the steering
is much improved, a lot less truck like now, more Lexus like. There’s no micro corrections
or anything like that and the seating position is better. It's not so bolt-upright like the old one.
I mean, this is a body-on-frame. It is a truck, but it is much more Lexus-like now.
The solid crop of competitors includes Escalade, BMW X7, Lincoln Navigator,
Mercedes GLS and Land Rover Range Rover. And like the Brit, the Lexus will handle severe off roading
without breathing hard. At the 2022 Mudfest SUV of the Year competition, the Lexus sauntered around
the course like it was on the way to Whole Foods for organic hummus. Even on the extreme off-road
section. It hasn’t been significantly neutered for glamping duty. And the tires are all-season
rubber, it says something about it’s 4WD system that it gets up this loose sloppy grade.
Considering how expensive this vehicle is I don't really see people off-roading it,
so they'll probably be considering something like Escalade, which has the excellent Super Cruise
system. This one has a pretty typical ADAS suite. It's got automatic emergency braking,
and very good adaptive cruise control. The lane keeping? It’s kind of average.
Like most modern vehicles there’s an automatic engine stop start system. It’s Lexus grade,
so smooth I forgot to shoot it when I was driving around.
The good news is that the turbo V6 is 5 miles per gallon more efficient than the outgoing
model. The bad news? The EPA still rates this at 19 miles per gallon average on premium fuel,
but I'm assuming the people that can afford this kind afford the gas.
Visually, LX600 has the luxury look going on inside. It’s a masculine space that telegraphs
a I-can-go-anywhere-any-time vibe with top quality materials. Piano black is Yamaha grade,
not Mattel. Too bad you can’t see the quilting when sitting in the heated and vented seats.
Considering this is the Ultra Luxury, you’d expect them to offer a massage but that’s not
a thing. The door handle gets in the way of the driver’s window controls. A leather wrap on these
would elevate them from Toyota to Lexus grade. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wireless,
but there’s no Qi charger in front, only in the back. And if your definition of Ultra Luxury means
a big sky view then, there’s disappointment. But it is fun to watch the 3D camera system scope out
your surrounds for tree stumps or paparazzi. The new Lexus interface is a huge improvement over
the outgoing system that had that wonky trackpad. This one doesn't really have a home screen per se.
It relies heavily on natural voice commands using the wake phrase “Hey Lexus, I'm cold”.
(Setting the driver seat temperature to 72). “Hey Lexus, turn on the heated steering wheel”
(This feature is not available) Funny, there’s a button for it.
Usually this works well. Now one thing that I've always done with SUVs with these,
it works pretty well. It works pretty well. One curveball I always thrown SUVs
with these kinds of systems is this “hey Lexus I need to buy some camping gear”.
(I'm sorry I don't know how to do that yet. Say help me to learn more about what I can
do). None of them have been able to do that, so OK, you're fine Lexi I didn't expect much. None
of them have been able to get me to like REI using that. One thing to keep in mind, once the trial
period is over you do have to subscribe to a data plan for this to work. Welcome to the future.
The navigation works with Google map data, it could be an issue in places without cellular
service. Getting hands-on with the screen, you’ll find it’s snappy and responsive. Same with the one
below that easily toggles between different pages, it’s all very intuitive. Toyota developed
this system in-house and continues to improve it. As for storage, there’s the usual amount,
would like to see lining here and here to keep rattles down. This being the Ultra Luxury model,
I’ll hold this to a higher standard. I do like this though, nice that it’s easy for both driver
and passenger to get into, in this case it’s small fridge that keeps things very cold. Nice.
Touching on design, LX 600 looks pretty much the same whether it's the base model or the
Ultra Luxury. It’s a handsome rig, I understand why people will buy it for styling alone. I like
the dip in the hood. The cowcatcher Spindle Grille integrates well with the overall design language,
it certainly doesn’t look tacked on. You may have noticed that there’s no Lexus badge in
the back. The font makes a strong modern statement. Installing the wiper under the
spoiler would clean up the back, always a better look. No powered running boards. That said,
these will never have to be serviced. So, that super fancy seating set up means
that this version of the LX is much less practical than the other models.
For starters this one doesn’t have a third row of seating and these seats don’t fold
flat. I’ve pushed the security cover forward. The back row that folds into the floor is in all
but this and the base model. Apparently, it’s roomier now. No bag hooks or straps
to keep things from sliding around. There’s a lot of space to haul provisions for the
billionaire’s get-together in Sun Valley. I’m not fooled that often but I only brought out a
dozen packs figuring that would be enough. I could easily get another bundle in, probably
two. If you haven’t noticed it’s a tailgate that shelters from the rain. A much better set up than
side swinging doors. And yes, it’s kick to open. Let’s finish this up with Red Light Green Light
Green Light- The new architecture improves the driving dynamics significantly. The LX
has lofty off-road chops that’ll carry owners anywhere in style and comfort. Fuel economy
is improved over the V8. The styling is strong and handsome without trying too
hard. I think the spindle grille works here. Yellow Light- The Ultra Luxury model is great
for those in the second row, too bad those up front miss out. The new Lexus interface is a
huge improvement that will benefit from Toyota’s continuous updates. The trimer size is great for
maneuvering around urban areas but ultimately LX is not as roomy as some competitors.
Red Light- Fuel economy is improved but I averaged 17 miles per gallon. At 130 grand storage cubbies
should be lined, and grab handles wrapped. There are odd omissions like messaging seat
for those in front, Qi charger for the driver, and no Bluetooth for the rear headphones.
Ultimately the Ultra Luxury model doesn’t quite seem finished. There are better values out there,
this is 10 to $15,000 more than similar offerings from Cadillac, Land Rover, Lincoln and Mercedes.
But really, most buyers will probably go with less opulent versions of the LX.
Frankly, I don't see very many people buying the Ultra Luxury model for starters it's not
as practical it only seats four doesn't have the cargo capacity and it's really
expensive but I can see the appeal of the LX sitting position is as high as the price tag
I think I can see Montana from here and it's got serious, off-road shops. It's
the reason why people like Land Rover. No people aren't going to off-road this,
but they can if they want to always good to know. Few LX 600s will have their mettle tested, much
like garage queen Porsche 911s that never hit the track. Buyers want these because… they just want
them. The LX 600 is an improved SUV that makes a statement, even if it isn’t quite Ultra Luxury.
My time with the LX was during a weird weather pattern in the Pacific Northwest. Pretty much
four seasons in one day that happened for five days. At least I missed the ice storm
that hit Seattle. That paralyzed every vehicle that wasn’t wearing studded winter tires.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Martin Cambell for driving duties
and so you know this shot is almost kind of an audio check. This is the first thing I do
when I'm shooting GoPro stuff and here's why…. here's the first version of this. (NO AUDIO)
Yeah, not so good, sometimes the mics don't work. Thanks again. Yup.
I will remind you that I have a quotes service that will give you instant invoice pricing for
the vehicle you’re looking for. It helps to support this channel, gas was not cheap in
the LX. Like all of them it’s not perfect but it should give you a good advantage when shopping for
your next car or SUV. I am always trying to help. A reminder to test drive at least three different
vehicles so you know the one that ends up in your driveway is the one that’s right for you.
Hope you got something out of my look at the Lexus LX 600 Ultra Luxury kind of think the
echo works there before I go. There has been some chatter that people are disappointed that this is
no longer sold as the Toyota Land Cruiser but I knew this has been coming for years. I mean I
remember talking to a Toyota executive, probably four or five years ago, and he said that it had
become increasingly difficult to move this as a Toyota, since it was available as a Lexus
for not that much more money. The Land Cruiser was expensive and people wanted the luxury badge
so it's kind of a no-brainer. Also, you can still get an ultra-capable off-roader in the
4Runner and Sequoia so there's that. Thanks for watching remember subscribe to this channel click
notifications follow me on social media. I'm gonna be on Twitter for as long as it's around and I'm
also on Post now. And if you have a question leave it in the comments that's driven I'm Tom Voelk.