If you’re of a particular type of customer who needs the ultimate in Japanese luxury and off-road capability, you’re essentially stuck with just one option: the Lexus LX. Not only is it the only option for a buyer in the U.S. of the kind of vehicle I just described, it’s also the only way to get a Land Cruiser in the U.S. though that is going to change soon.
This generation of LX was all new for 2021. While the huge “Predator” grille had been a part of the LX since its 2015 refresh, it was carried over and updated for ‘21. The biggest change though was the loss of the V8 engine, something the LX has had since its introduction in the 1990s. Power for the LX — now called LX600 — comes from the same twin-turbo V6 found in the Toyota Tundra/Sequoia and Lexus LS500 however in the LX it doesn’t receive hybrid tech. It makes 405 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. That gets paired to a full-time four-wheel drive system and a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Of course with this essentially being a luxury-laden Land Cruiser all the capability is there, with features like an adaptive variable suspension and six-mode Multi Terrain Select System. But this specific LX is more luxo cruiser than jungle-traversing, trail-attacking SUV.