Lexus GX: These Three Things Would Make It Unstoppable

The Lexus GX is one of those SUVs you could picture yourself tooling around in long after the apocalypse. These rigs have a reputation for being both bulletproof and comfortable, two major reasons why the GX has become a favorite of the off-road set since its introduction back in the early aughts.

It’s not perfect—no vehicle is. But it got us thinking: How could it be even better? After some contemplation, we came up with three areas where we think Lexus could improve its rugged midsize SUV to make it unstoppable.

Changing out the powertrain isn’t one of them. The GX550 comes with one engine under the hood, a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 pushing 349 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Despite the forced induction, it’s not exactly what we’d call efficient. The 15/21/17 mpg city/highway/combined is borderline abysmal by today’s standards, but they’re a hair better than the 15/19/16 mpg the outgoing V-8 mustered.

But as for how it behaves in this application, the powertrain is fitting. A GX buyer goes into things knowing it’s a thirsty setup but considers its smooth acceleration, low-end power, and towing capacity to be fair trade-offs. Just be sure to have a lot of gas handy after the apocalypse.

Without further ado, here are the three things we’d do to make the GX even better.

1. Ride Quality

Riding on Toyota’s TNGA-F platform, which it shares with the Lexus LX, Toyota Land Cruiser, and others, the GX clearly benefits from a Lexus suspension tuning—meaning it’s more comfort-oriented. Indeed, the GX has a cushy enough ride while cruising along on a highway. But introduce any bumps or take any low-speed turns, and things quickly become unsettled, the GX rollicking tipsily on its tall suspension and big wheels.

Interestingly, we drove TRD Pro and Trailhunter versions of the 2027 Toyota Sequoia earlier this year and thought those rode great. If the GX was able to potentially use some of the hardware and suspension tuning from those setups, we think it would smooth things out and give the rig a broader spectrum of ride comfort.

2. Optimize Storage Space

The GX is one of those vehicles that’s massive on the outside but somehow cramped on the inside. It only has average-sized cupholders, so the larger of the emotional-support water bottles won’t fit despite the areas where the cupholders are located being large. If you look at our photos of the front center console, for example, you’ll see it’s wide but not optimally laid out. There’s a lot of unused space doing nothing but being covered in plastic.

These bottles won’t fit in the door pockets either, which are also very small.

We also don’t love how the second-row cupholders have been placed on the floor of the aisle instead of on the rear of the front center console. This effectively blocks anyone from trying to walk between the two captain’s chairs to access the third row, leaving tipping the chairs forward the only option of getting back there.

Like too-big furniture crammed into a tiny apartment, everything in the GX feels just a little too big for the cabin. All of this would be better if we could move things like armrests and rearrange the center console a bit.

Finally, the cargo area with all the seats up is laughably tiny. You can probably line up a row of three grocery bags side by side back there with the third row upright, but that’s about it. Obviously, the way to get the most use out of a three-row SUV’s space is to put the third row down, but that’s not always possible. Even among competitors such as the Land Rover Defender 110 and Lexus TX, the GX’s 10.3 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats upright is the smallest.

3. Third-Row Permanent Delete

To address that last point, we propose something radical: delete the optional third-row seating altogether. These seats are available on all grades except for the Overtrail and Overtrail+ models, but what if they weren’t available at all?

We know, people like the GX because it can offer a third row. But as soon as you get back there, you’ll see it’s barely a third row. The seats are hard, flat, and benchlike. They also sit on top of an elevated shelf of floor that houses the GX’s off-road components, so your knees are always in the air, and you cannot comfortably rest your thighs on the seats. There’s little to no knee room, and it’s hard to fit feet beneath the second-row seats. It’s not a pleasant experience, even for short people over short distances.

To that point, is a third row and the GX’s rugged off-road hardware really the necessary combination? If you’re off-roading in your $87,354 Luxury+ graded SUV, more power to you, but are you also doing it with at least four other passengers? Wouldn’t it be better to lose the rearmost seats and just have the added space for all your trail supplies? Rather than drag around two uncomfortable seats you may or may not use? That’s certainly the philosophy that seems to guide the most rugged GX grades.

Our advice would be to remove the option of the seats altogether. Like the Toyota Land Cruiser, don’t even make it a decision for people. Return the trunk space the GX so desperately needs and keep offering the second-row seating as either the two captain’s chairs or a three-seat bench for more flexibility.

A three-row off-roady Lexus already exists in the LX, but the story seems to be the same there: a tight, cramped third row with compromised trunk space. Perhaps this combination of seats and hardware eludes the current Lexus lineup. But if you’re determined to keep within the Toyota family, the 2027 Sequoia appears to do the job well.

Given these edits, we think the GX could give buyers an even richer experience. It’s already a solid and charming SUV with great seat comfort, good power, and quality interior materials. Not to mention, it looks really cool from the outside. This current gen is already good, but it could become unstoppably so.