2018 Lexus LX 570 Review

Mechanically, there's not much separating the 2018 Lexus LX 570 from Toyota's Land Cruiser. They share the same chassis design, powertrain and general interior layout. They both specialize in going places most other vehicles wouldn't dare, with the safety net of a reliability reputation that stretches back decades.

Where do they diverge then? Well, think of the Land Cruiser as an outdoor adventurer going about his trek in a high-dollar shell jacket from REI. The LX 570 is wearing a high-dollar suit — it's still capable, but the fancy clothes do hold it back a bit.

You can tell just by looking at the LX 570's expressive Lexus styling that results in less ground clearance. The LX's big 20- or 21-inch wheels are also less conducive for venturing off the beaten path. Inside, the LX features higher-quality materials and ritzier design than its Toyota sibling.

Of course, the LX 570 also shares the Land Cruiser's inherent drawbacks. Its fuel economy is abysmal even by full-size SUV standards, and the third-row seat is cramped, difficult to reach and doesn't fold into the floor. Instead, it flips against the cargo area sides, which reduces utility.

For these reasons, another large luxury SUV would likely be a better choice if utility and family-hauling duty are priorities. But if you do like to venture off to places where pavement and traction are scarce, the LX 570 delivers capabilities that few other SUVs can match.

The 2018 Toyota LX 570 is a luxury SUV offered in two  configurations: a standard three-row version that seats eight or a new two-row LX 570 that seats five..

Both come with a 5.7-liter V8 (383 horsepower, 403 pound-feet of torque) paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system. An adaptive suspension that is height adjustable and automatically levels the load is also standard.

Other standard mechanical components include 20-inch wheels, Crawl Control (a low-speed off-road cruise control), Multi-Terrain Select (off-road vehicle settings) and hill start assist.

Standard exterior features include automatic LED exterior lighting, power-folding and auto-dimming mirrors, automatic wipers, windshield wiper de-icers, running boards, a tow hitch and a power-operated liftgate.

Electronic driver aids include standard forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems, lane departure warning, full-speed adaptive cruise control, driver inattention warning, an automatic parking system, multiview parking cameras, and Lexus Enform Safety Connect emergency communications.

Interior comfort and convenience features include a sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, four-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, power-adjustable front seats, driver-seat memory settings and a 40/20/40-split second-row seat (folding, reclining, power-sliding and heated). The three-row LX 570 also has a 50/50-split third-row seat that folds up against the cargo area sides (power-operated).

Infotainment features includes the Lexus Remote Touch interface (a 12.3-inch center display with center console mouselike controller), a navigation system, Bluetooth, a USB port, Lexus Enform infotainment smartphone app suite, and a nine-speaker sound system.

Optional features on the three-row LX 570 include 21-inch wheels, a head-up display, Lexus Enform Remote (smartphone vehicle controls), a wireless smartphone charger, a refrigerated coolbox under the front center armrest and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. There's also an optional rear-seat entertainment system (includes a pair of displays mounted to the front seatbacks) and a Luxury package that adds heated and ventilated second-row seats and upgraded leather upholstery with contrasting stitching.