Text by Tom Appel
2026 Lexus LX 600 Luxury
Class: Premium Large SUV
Country of manufacture: Japan
Seating capacity: 7
Color: Atomic Silver
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | A- |
| Fuel Economy | B- |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | B |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 409=horsepower 3.5-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged V6 |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Miles Driven: 133
Observed fuel economy: 17.7 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 17/22/19 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Premium gas
Base price: $116,000 (not including $1450 (destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Rear Seat Entertainment System ($2705), cargo mat ($150), roof-rack cross bars ($450), wheel locks ($99)
Price as tested (2025): $120,854
Audio-System Brand
Mark Levinson
Audio-System Quality
Poor Fair Good Very-Good Excellent
Pros and Cons
The great: Refined drive experience, comfortable cabin
The good: Plenty of power, excellent audio system
The not so good: Limited-use 3rd-row seating
Review
Just as we once described the now discontinued Lexus LC as the “thinking man’s Ferrari,” we consider the Lexus LX the logical luxury SUV shopper’s practical option. Well, as practical as a $120,000 utility vehicle with a small 3rd-row seat can be.
Consider the Lexus LC, which was one of the best-looking luxury sports cars available during its run. The sexy two-seater boasted thrilling performance, an upscale cabin, plus Toyota-level build quality and a price hundreds of thousands of dollars below the likes of an entry-level Ferrari or Lamborghini. Plus, service visits cost Lexus money, not Italian exotic-car cash.
Right Size
And, despite being about as luxurious as any offering in the premium large SUV category, the Lexus LX also boasts certain sensible—even responsible qualities. Consider the LX’s size. Though larger and roomier than premium midsize SUVs, the LX is the tidiest offering in the large segment save for the Audi Q7 and the Range Rover. Have a look: (wheel base followed by overall length, in inches)
- Cadillac Escalade (121, 212)
- Infiniti QX80 (121, 211)
- Lincoln Navigator (123, 210)
- Mercedes-Benz GLS (123, 205)
- BMW X7 (122, 204)
- Lexus LX (112, 201)
- Audi Q7 (118, 200)
- Range Rover (118, 199)
The Lexus’ relatively trim packaging means easier garaging, as well as lower-stress visits to parking garages and crowed shopping centers. Also, if you ever do venture off road, you know that smaller is better when negotiating a narrow, rutted trail.
Resale Value
And while the big-truck offerings from BMW and Mercedes-Benz may carry a little more cachet than does the Lexus, the latter’s reputation for long-term reliability pays off in spades when it comes time to trade your vehicle in. Below we share the estimated 5-year value of each of the vehicles listed above, expressed as a percent of the purchase price. For luxury-vehicle shoppers with a fondness for financial prudence, the Lexus is the only way to go. Check this out:
- Lexus LX: 65%
- Cadillac Escalade: 51%
- Mercedes-Benz: GLS: 47%
- Audi Q7, BMW X7, Lincoln Navigator: 40%-50%
- Infiniti QX80, Range Rover: 35%-40%
Resales values seen here come by way of automotive listing site iSeeCars.com.
Luckily, the LX experience is about more than just sensible choices, and we’ll get to that in a moment.
Changes for 2026
The Lexus LX was redesigned for 2022, at which time the big SUV’s V8 was swapped for a twin-turbocharged V6. For 2025, a hybrid version of that engine was added to the lineup, bringing more power, and nominally improved fuel economy.
The non-hybrid, found in 600-series models produces 409 horsepower. Hybrid models are dubbed 700h, and boast 457 horsepower. Both engines mate exclusively to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and come with standard AWD.
Prices and Trim Levels
The 2026 trim-level lineup looks like this:
- LX 600 Premium ($108,550)
- LX 600 F Sport Handling ($115,550)
- LX 600 Luxury ($117,550)
- LX 700h F Sport Handling ($117,285)
- LX 700h Overtrail ($119,550)
- LX 700h Luxury ($121,550)
- LX 700h Ultra Luxury ($143,000)
Unique to the hybrid 700-series is the off-road oriented Overtrail, and the line-capping Ultra Luxury.
Test Car
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2026 Lexus LX 600 Luxury in Atomic Silver. Including the rear-seat entertainment system and destination charge, our test car came to $120,854.
Room and Comfort
Though tidier in stature than most of the other vehicles listed above, the LX is easy to get in and out of, thanks it part to large door openings, and to a reasonable ride height. The small, integrated running boards are a helpful step for shorter drivers and passengers, but they don’t protrude far enough to dirty the pant legs of folks stepping past them.
The cabin itself is a Lexus-typical amalgam of classy materials and Japanese design restraint. Though not as posh as, say, the Cadillac Escalade cabin, the LX interior impresses with its modern look and apparent attention to assembly quality.
There’s plenty of space for four adults inside the LX, but 3rd-row seating is best left to the short, diminutive, and/or nimble. For true 7-passenger comfort, consider another vehicle in this segment.
Connectivity
The two-screen dashboard interface works well enough, with the upper screen handling most infotainment functions, and the lower screen climate controls and the off-road/AWD system. We found the upper screen a little far away from the driver for easiest use while driving, but otherwise easy enough to use and quick to respond to touch inputs. As expected at this price, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality come standard.
Audio
Under way the LX cabin is very quiet, with little noise coming from either the highway-speed wind rush, or from the road. The general in-car tranquility makes it easy to enjoy the excellent—and standard—Mark Levinson audio system.
Ride and Handling
Ride quality—a Lexus hallmark—is excellent, with most road-surfaces imperfections barely registering inside the truck. We did take note, however of several clumsy crashes over extremely deep road ruts. The clunky impacts were out of character for this or any Lexus; fortunately, they were rare.
The LX handles pretty well, too, and there’s enough steering feel to help make hustling this big Lexus through corners fun.
Power and Performance
The turbocharged V6 delivers plenty of power with immediate throttle response and only a muted silky soundtrack to remind you that you’ve pressed firmly on the gas pedal. Indeed, the LX engine sounds classy when pushed hard, and is otherwise nearly silent.
Fuel economy
During a week of mostly routine driving, we saw just under 18 mpg, which is about 1 mpg less than we observed recently driving the LX 700h Overland. While hardly miserly, the LX is at least as efficient as the other vehicles in this category, and down right stingy with the gas considering the power available and the mass of the LX.
Value
We’re big fans of the Lexus LX. We appreciate the Japanese luxury brand’s approach to luxury, which is both effective and restrained. Given the its promise of high resale value, and superior parkability, the LX in any trim level deserves a place on your premium large SUV test-drive short list. It is, after all, the thinking man’s luxury SUV.
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2025 Lexus LX 600 Luxury Pictures
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Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast Episode 344: New Kia Seltos, Most American Cars, Dead for 2027
