2022 Lexus LX600 SUVOTY Review: What's New Is Old School

The 2022 Lexus LX600 is the all-new version of the luxury brand's body-on-frame off-roader, even moving to an all-new chassis mostly in an attempt to make it more comfortable and handle better on-road. Yet the LX600 still feels strikingly old-school, for better or worse.

The big change is the switch to the Toyota GA-F platform, which is shared with the Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, and global Toyota Land Cruiser. With the new chassis comes the new downsized 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 good for 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque linked to a new 10-speed automatic transmission. (The engine is confusingly marketed as a 3.5-liter, but the fine print reveals it actually displaces 3.445 liters.) Thanks to the GA-F platform, Lexus could offer a hybrid powertrain option in the future, as it has in the new Tundra, but the company has already confirmed it will not offer a diesel for this model.

This new powertrain and chassis setup, along with a first-for-Lexus aluminum roof panel, contributes to a weight reduction of between 90 and 300 pounds on our scales, and fuel economy improves from 12/16/14 city/highway/combined mpg with the old V-8 to 17/22/19.

Still, the LX600 can't shake its truck-based roots, with digital director Erik Johnson feeling "a ton of secondary vibrations, especially over rougher surfaces, that filter up through the frame into the body and on to the driver." However, it was still plenty capable in our off-road testing, with Johnson calling it a "tank that will get you wherever you need to go" in any of its three drive modes.

But the LX600 is really meant to shine inside, where it's received the most significant improvements. It offers a commanding seating position, an updated infotainment system that no longer looks outdated, better-quality materials (in most places), and a comfortably equipped second-row bench. However, the third row is difficult to access and features noticeably downgraded materials quality compared to the rest of the cabin.

Overall, the LX600's package just doesn't measure up to the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, or any of the German luxury SUVs, all of which offer more premium audio systems, bigger screens with better graphics, and more premium materials throughout the cabin.

"This may be the flagship Lexus SUV, but it's nowhere close to being a three-row version of the LS sedan," associate editor Alex Leanse said. "Details like the jiggly shift knob, flimsy leather upholstery, and small gauge display are substandard and behind the times for a new luxury SUV. I'm not convinced Lexus buyers would be so satisfied by the LX's rugged capability that they'd overlook all the niceties and trim they don't get in it."

Still, there's an argument to be made that the LX600 will move plenty of units based on its reputation and its go-anywhere attitude, especially its truckish qualities, even if they compromise its ride quality on the road. Guest judge Gordon Dickie said it felt like the LX600 could have gone on sale 15 years ago, but as the used car market has shown, there are plenty of people looking for the old-school style of rugged luxury the LX600 still delivers.