To cover Monterey Car Week, Lexus allowed us the use of their 2024 LX 600 SUV. A very tall, very wide vehicle with a grille that easily commands attention, the LX cast an imposing presence wherever it rolled, striking humility into the hearts of other large-scale vehicles. Our tester was finished in Nori Green Pearl Metallic, a rich shade of dark green that was both subtle and bold at once, equally matching the overall persona of the LX itself.
The interior was a stunning environment of semi-aniline leather upholstery tanned in what Lexus called “Sunflare”, which equates to a striking caramel color. Balancing out the color was a unique, blackened trim that reminded of carbon fiber and wood all at once. Four captain’s chairs with a massive, full-length center console provided exceptional comfort for all four staffers whenever we were mobile, which was quite often going from event to event or cruising the long journey back to the rental house in Gilroy, about an hour northeast of Monterey.
And none of this addresses the abundance of technology the LX brought to the program, which was in most cases, overwhelming. Thanks to the technology though, the LX often seemed capable of doing anything – from raising or lowering its body for better ground clearance and ingress-egress to massaging, heated, and ventilated seating to various entertainment sources to chassis ride and comfort settings to – on and on it went.
We’ll go out on a limb and say this – anyone uncomfortable with technology will likely at first find the LX a little frustrating. Or so we thought. Once the LX was dialed in to how we liked it, we let it be and it turned into an enviable vehicle. The massive seats were astonishingly supportive, the silent cabin was seemingly rivaled only by a tomb, the stereo delivered phenomenal sounds, and once accustomed to the overall size of the LX, it drove and maneuvered with ease.
During Car Week, we were surrounded by all kinds of enviable vehicles from various manufacturers from all over the world, including one particular light silver blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, which we saw multiple times. It was interesting the admiring stares and attention the LX received from onlookers, including the passengers of the Cullinan, who, at first of course, only gave the LX a cursory glance – but rolling down the window in traffic and asking if they had any special mustard garnered a new friendship in SUV’ing. Sadly, no mustard was to be shared, but encountering the Cullinan throughout the week proved fun with waves and smiles.
Comparing the LX to the Cullinan is an interesting adventure and can easily be done online. The two SUVs offer oceans of luxury amenities, acres of technology, and a cabin fit for royalty – the Cullinan has an umbrella, which can be tailored to your specific Cullinan, and coach doors and a myriad of other unique details setting it apart in a charming manner that only the British could think of, but we really wonder if anyone owning an LX is missing out on anything. Toyota must think more can be had, as they will be debuting the new Century SUV soon, a true rival to the Cullinan in Toyota’s “chauffer series” of vehicles.
The driving position of the LX was commanding and the surround-view camera (more tech, but hugely useful) allowed us to park what became known as The Armored Car, or The Beast virtually anywhere we wanted. Cruising around town was effortless and merging onto freeways was a breeze, thanks to the 409 horsepower, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine that churned up 479 lb-ft. of torque.
The 10-speed automatic transmission shifted very nicely, although when it was cold, there were sometimes less-than-Lexus-style shift patterns that were unexplainable. But again – after driving for a block or so, things smoothed over. While the vehicle would frequently find itself in “ECO” mode, the LX has a drinking problem like most large-scale SUVs and requires high octane fuel for the turbos. The aircon seemed taxed on many occasions, something we were attributing to the ECO mode setting, which we never figured out how to override.
Interestingly, checking the LX’s off-road capabilities online, people have left glowing reviews, despite the truck’s overall heft and size – again, technology steps in and helps make the LX a true off-road boulevardier. We figure using a proper off-road tire makes a big difference, but the Toyota Sequoia DNA of the LX is likely a huge benefit too.
If there was any complaint about the LX, it might be the locations of switches and buttons, either real or virtually within the touchscreen. On more than one occasion, in trying to press the button to use the righthand mirror to look down toward the rear tire to ascertain its position in relation to the curb, the finger would find the mirror fold-in button instead – trying to find the door lock/unlock buttons could also cause a little confusion. Digging through the touchscreen to find the chassis settings could be a challenge, and using the up-down switch to raise or lower the body took some studying of the buttons every time.
Maybe it’s something that drivers will get better used to over time, but we never seemed to get the hang of it in 10 days of use. But – outside of that – we were hard pressed to find true complaints against the LX. It’s a remarkably lovely vehicle, something for someone looking for all the luxury and technology expected in a top-level luxury sedan but with the visibility of an SUV.
**special thanks to Veloce Media, Baja Catina, Pebble Beach Lexus and the city of Carmel for the use of their locations for our photo shoot.
