Lexus brings equal parts ruggedness and refinement to the luxury family SUV segment with its Toyota LandCruiser-based LX 500d
- How much does the Lexus LX 500d cost?
- What equipment comes with the Lexus LX 500d?
- How safe is the Lexus LX 500d?
- What technology does the Lexus LX 500d feature?
- What powers the Lexus LX 500d?
- How far will the Lexus LX 500d go on a single tank of fuel?
- What is the Lexus LX 500d like to drive?
- Can the Lexus LX 500d go off-road?
- What is the Lexus LX 500d like inside?
- Should I buy a Lexus LX 500d?
The go-anywhere capability of a Toyota LandCruiser together with the street presence and appeal of a Range Rover – that’s the purported elevator pitch for the Lexus LX off-roader. As the technological flag-bearer for the prestige Japanese marque, the LX is certainly bold with its intentions and makes no apologies for its ladled-on luxury. Here, we spend three weeks behind the wheel of the most popular diesel-powered Lexus LX 500d to see whether it’s really worth the additional spend over its LandCruiser 300 Series donor.
How much does the Lexus LX 500d cost?
Entry into the Lexus LX stable now starts above $150K. The starting figure for the 2023 Lexus LX 500d tested here is $153,091 plus on-road costs (having recently copped a $5100 increase), with the range climbing through five other variants before reaching the flagship petrol-powered LX 600 Ultra Luxury, priced at a cool $215,091 plus ORCs.
In comparison, the LX 500d is $11,610 clear of the flagship Toyota LandCruiser Sahara ZX that now starts at $141,481 plus ORCs after having also received a recent price hike, although the prices being asked at the dealership (or by a private seller) might be considerably higher on all counts, as seen on carsales listings.
Against established European and British rivals, the new LX still compares quite favourably. The BMW X7 starts at $166,900, while the Mercedes-Benz GLS 400d comes in from $179,500 (both plus on-roads). The all-new fifth-generation Range Rover goes higher again, opening at $226,806 plus ORCs.
What equipment comes with the Lexus LX 500d?
The standard equipment list on even the most affordable 2023 Lexus LX 500d is a lengthy one, as it would want to be.
Automatic LED headlights and LED tail-lights, 20-inch alloy wheels (and an underslung full-size spare wheel), four-zone climate control with an air purifying system, digital interior mirror, heated and powered front seats (no ventilation standard), electric steering wheel adjustment, wireless phone charging and 25-speaker audio system are all part of the deal.
We’ll get to the infotainment and mechanical details further down.
Our test vehicle is fitted with a $5500 enhancement pack bringing 22-inch alloy wheels, a large glass sunroof and kick-to-open hands-free powered tailgate.
Other than that, there are no additional options. Even metallic paint is standard, including the Khaki Metal green hue adorning our test car.
Now, the aftersales provisions. One sore point here is the servicing intervals, which are spaced a meagre six months or 10,000km apart and mirror those of the 300 Series LandCruiser donor. As a vehicle pitched at caravaners and Aussies in the bush, it’s not good enough.
Additionally, the capped-price servicing program is relatively expensive at $3570 over three years ($595 per service). The twin-under-the-skin Toyota LandCruiser will set you back $2400 for the same period ($400 per service) despite being mechanically similar.
More generous is the Lexus factory warranty, which matches most other mainstream players at five years/unlimited kilometres.
Also included in the purchase price is Lexus Encore Platinum, a 24-hour roadside assist program over three years. The Platinum version allows owners to borrow a vehicle from the Lexus fleet four times during membership for up to eight days at a time.
Valet passes are also provided for select shopping centres around the country.
How safe is the Lexus LX 500d?
In a word, very. The 2023 Lexus LX 500d gets 10 airbags, all the usual underlying electronic safety control systems and advanced driver aids including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and (daytime-only) cyclist detection, radar/camera cruise control, lane departure control/lane trace assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.
There’s also an intersection turn assist, which detects approaching objects when a right-hand turn is being executed, road sign detection, a self-cleaning function for the rear camera and an emergency steering assist feature that lends a hand in an “emergency manoeuvre”.
Front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and an overhead 360-degree camera are all included standard.
The Lexus LX has not been formally crash-tested in Australia, however the related Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2022.
What technology does the Lexus LX 500d feature?
Infotainment on the 2023 Lexus LX 500d comprises a 12.3-inch centre touch-screen display flanked by a separate 7.0-inch screen underneath.
The top screen incorporates the native infotainment menus, the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and vehicle settings, while the bottom screen takes care of the climate control settings.
Additionally, there an 8.0-inch multi-information driver’s display and a colour head-up display.
The point worth making is the screen-heavy centre fascia is completed by an array of physical buttons and switchgear (and a volume knob), as well as traditional analogue gauges in the instrument cluster.
For that reason, the entire front seat interface is legible and useable. Bravo, Lexus!
Icing the cabin is the 25-speaker Mark Levinson system – the most speakers fitted to any Lexus production car to date – which is capable of cranking out orchestral-like sound.
There are three USB ports up front (one USB-A, two USB-C), additional USB-C ports in the back and a host of 12-volt outlets dotted around the cabin.
The boot area also gets a household-style 230-volt outlet for a portable fridge or other devices.
What powers the Lexus LX 500d?
At the heart of the 2023 Lexus LX 500d is in fact the new Toyota LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre turbo-diesel V6 mill.
As with the Toyota application, outputs here are listed at 227kW and 700Nm, with drive shuffled to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case.
A Torsen lockable centre diff is standard fare.
Similarly to the Toyota, there’s a familiar Multi Terrain Select function (Dirt, Mud, Deep Snow and Rock modes), Multi Terrain Monitor and crawl control which helps maintain speed via manipulation of the power output and braking in tricky conditions.
Underneath, the Lexus LX is underpinned by Toyota’s global TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture, which bodes well for its off-road and towing pretensions (officially rated at 3.5 tonnes braked).
There’s also adaptive and height-adjustable suspension.
But where the Lexus begins to differ – and this is an important consideration for those on longer journeys – is with its range.
How far will the Lexus LX 500d go on a single tank of fuel?
So here’s the thing: entry versions of the 2023 Lexus LX only get an 80-litre fuel capacity, as opposed to the 110-litre supply provided to the LandCruiser or higher-specification LX diesel and petrol models (via an additional 30-litre spare tank).
That ultimately limits the real-world driving range.
Even though we dipped to 10.5L/100km fuel average by the end of our loan, the reality is we were only achieving about 630km to a full tank of diesel.
That meant regular refills at the local servo, and minimised the long-distance touring capabilities of the LX.
What is the Lexus LX 500d like to drive?
The 2023 Lexus LX 500d is a breeze to drive, belying its hulking 5.1-metre length and 2.7-tonne kerb mass with light steering, easy placement on the road and a surprisingly nimble (relatively speaking) 12.8-metre turning circle.
Add in the arsenal of driver assistance functions (like the overhead camera) and the open glasshouse design, and the driving characteristics are almost at odds with the unapologetic, in-your-face design. It’s very user-friendly.
Ultimately, it cannot match the refinement and on-road poise of a monocoque-chassis SUV (ala BMW X7), though the trade-off with towing and off-roading is a worthwhile one.
Unsurprisingly, the diesel powertrain is a winner – though this will come as nothing new to anyone who has driven the equivalent LandCruiser.
Peak torque materialises from a lowly 1600rpm to deliver a rich and accessible transition to around-town speeds, while the 10-speed automatic is alert and well-timed with its shifts.
Occasionally, it is possible to elicit some delay from the powertrain from a standstill, like when calling on more urgent acceleration from an intersection – a consequence of turbo lag. But work to the strengths of the diesel and you’ll happily enjoy the wave of torque available, all 700Nm of it.
A separate review of the Lexus LX 600, with its lusty twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, reveals a more harmonious match with the Lexus LX experience. The petrol is ultimately smoother, more refined and offers a comprehensively nicer driving experience compared with the diesel, in our opinion. Though it will use a tad more fuel – stay tuned for the full review.
Either way, open-road passage is the Lexus LX 500d’s true forte. It wafts along almost effortlessly, with less invasive intervention of safety functions compared with the LandCruiser donor, and excellent sound insulation from the outside elements.
Our loan over the summer holidays included a highway trip from Bowral to Canberra and numerous trips to the beach and coast. The LX takes all of it in its stride.
Now, bumps. The fitment of 22-inch wheels to our test vehicle no doubt induces a more direct relationship between small-amplitude imperfections in the road and cabin refinement than it otherwise should.
The cabin feels decidedly busier than we remember other Lexus LX models and, indeed, 300 Series models – particularly the impressive LandCruiser GR Sport with its enhanced suspension system.
The LX 500d feels as though there’s a lot happening underneath it, which ultimately affects the cabin environment – not to a deal-breaking extent, but certainly not in a way that enamours driver and passengers.
That said, once you’re up to speed the LX 500d dispatches larger obstacles with aplomb and recovers quickly from larger washouts in the road.
Otherwise, grip levels are reassuring and the LX controls its hulking mass quite admirably through corners with well-weighted controls and underlying refinement.
We didn’t have a chance to tow with the LX 500d this time round (our vehicle didn’t come with the necessary tow hitch), but past experience has shown excellent stability and superlative torque from the turbo-diesel.
Can the Lexus LX 500d go off-road?
That’s like asking Daniel Riccardo whether he can hit the apex in a corner. Yep, the 2023 Lexus LX 500d is well versed in the rough stuff.
All that aforementioned off-road hardware aside, the Lexus has well-honed electronics and offers a wading depth of 700mm and a minimum ground clearance of 200mm, raising to 303mm via the ride height adjustment.
The LX also gets what Lexus claims is the world’s first rear underfloor view.
Irrespectively, the caveat here is whether you’d really take the $150K-plus LX 500d deep into the bush.
We kept off-roading relatively light during the duration of our test loan, sticking to forest fire trails and calling on four-wheel drive low on a solitary occasion to help amble through a deep water crossing.
Something about 22-inch wheels and four-wheel driving just doesn’t wash.
The Lexus passes everything with flying colours. But perhaps more impressive is the way it shakes off dirt corrugations and high-speed changes in direction, offering a strong connection with the underlying terrain and a directness that imbues confidence.
What is the Lexus LX 500d like inside?
The 2023 Lexus LX 500d really hits the mark inside the cabin, offering acres of space, excellent incidental storage and clever integration of technology and safety.
That said, it’s the less tangible features that really justify its price and positioning, like the quality leather adorning the seats, the thick-pile carpets, open-pore woodgrain trim and integrated second-row sun blinds. Small, one per cent touches.
First- and second-row space is excellent, with sprawling legroom and headroom, and an open glasshouse facilitating an excellent outward view.
Both rows feature ample charging points and the seats are comfortable, too, though it is worth noting you have to pony up additional cash to get seat ventilation – a bit of a sore point on a hot summer’s day.
The trio of LED screens in the dashboard don’t quite match the svelte and sophisticated layout of European competitors; the climate control interface screen is seldom used, since most functions are changeable via hard-wired buttons below.
However, the off-road menus on that same screen are handy nonetheless.
Moreover, you can only access Apple CarPlay or Android Auto via the solitary USB-A port up front, not the dual USB-C ports. A small gripe, but an odd execution all the same.
Above all else, though, the Lexus LX feels functional and user-friendly with the integration of technology. It’s a vehicle that’s quite easy to ‘learn’, meaning less fiddling while you’re on the move.
Further back, the 982-litre boot is wide, long and deep – perfect for trips away and days at the beach.
The absence of a split tailgate design is a bit of an own-goal in this latest generation but the space is easy enough to access and the third-row seats can be stowed electronically.
Less convincing is the clunky manual operation of the second-row seating, which aggressively fold and tumble into place and take some manhandling to get right.
Cargo capacity is cramped when the seven-seat models have all seats in place, with just 174 litres of boot space. Suffice to say, we used the rear bleachers once across a three-week loan.
Should I buy a Lexus LX 500d?
If money is no object, then the 2023 Lexus LX 500d is a worthy choice.
The Lexus offers a convincing luxury experience with genuine workhorse pretensions – be it in towing or off-road. It’s unlikely to have Range Rover aficionados taking back their deposits, but it makes a compelling proposition nonetheless.
Ultimately, its shorter driving range, fiddlier ride, dearer servicing costs and pricing premium over the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series donor brings into question whether it’s worth the extra spend.
We also take issue with the fact its servicing intervals are spaced every six months and 10,000km apart, just like the Toyota’s.
In our opinion, the petrol-powered LX 600 is where the Lexus option really comes into its own.
2023 Lexus LX 500d at a glance:
Price: $153,091 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.3-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 227kW/700Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.9L/100km (ADR Combined), 10.2L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 235g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Lexus LX 500d 2023 Review