Review
It has been 3 years and 60,000 miles since I purchased my 2010 Lexus LX 570 brand new from Lexus dealership in Santa Monica, California. The more I drive my LX, the more I am convinced that I made the right choice!
When I did my search for a new car, my only requirements were to drive a large luxury SUV. As an owner of 2 companies that drives approximately 20,000 miles a year, my needs were "Luxury" and "Utility". I test drove BMW's X5, Mercedes GL-450, Land Rover, The Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, and the Lincoln Navigator.
In my opinion, the LX-570 had many advantages over the others. It's ride was the smoothest and quietest. It was COMFORTABLE! (Extremely comfortable in fact) Ergonomically, none of the others came even close. It's navigation with Destination Assist was by far the most advanced and easiest to use. (I use it all the time and love it). Fit and finish and especially reliability are second to none.
It's size was also very appealing to me. It's not too big such as the Escalade and Navigator, and yet it's still big enough for a 3rd row seat. It's also very wide and roomy inside which I really like. The European SUVs on the other hand, felt very narrow and tight and many lacked the 3rd row seat.
I have had the opportunity to drive my LX in various driving conditions. From day to day L.A. traffic, to a 300+ mile drive in stormy rain and snow thru windy mountain roads and even driving all the way to Montana and back with 5 adults and fully loaded with gear. (5500 miles in 19 days to visit all the major national parks in the western states, including, Yellow Stone, Teton, Glacier, Olympic, Mount Rainier, Mount Saint Helen, Redwood Forest, etc) I have also done several day long trips to various other cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson and San Francisco to name just a few. (I do several trade shows each year)
In all my travels, whether I'm driving thru the desert at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or in inclement weather, I find the LX comfortable, luxurious, quiet, smooth and reassuring.
Best Features
Reliability and Maintenance: To date, I have had no issues or problems with my car. Other than normal scheduled maintenance, I have replaced my brakes and tires only once. (Tires at approx 40,000 miles and brakes at 45,000 miles) I always service my car at my local Lexus dealership and I have always been very satisfied with their work and customer service.
Worst Features
When "Low Fuel" light comes on the computer shows "Distance to Empty" = 8 miles. Even when distance to empty = 0 miles, the tank appears to still have 20% of its fuel left. Better calibration of the "Low Fuel" warning system would have been nice.
When I fold the middle row seats forward to carry large cargo items they are folded forward against the back seats of the driver and front passenger. But they have no mechanism to lock them in the upright folded position. So every time I press the gas or the brakes, the seats swing forward and backward bumping into the two front seats. I solved this by securing them to the front seat's headrests using a bungee cord. Maybe solved on future models?