2024 Lexus GX550 SUVOTY Review: Half-Off Mercedes G-Wagen?

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Some of us questioned the wisdom of building a cheaper North American Land Cruiser using the same bodywork as the Lexus GX. But this range-topping GX550 Luxury+ strikes us all as a giant leap forward for the GX brand in terms of panache and refinement, and darned if it didn’t give us Geländewagen feelz. To ensure we weren’t just hallucinating, we brought both the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Lexus GX550 forward as SUV of the Year finalists, along with the Mercedes-Benz G550. Here’s how the Lexus fared.  

Design-wise, Land Cruiser variants with the round headlamps look a little more like the Mercedes-Benz G550, but inside it’s the Lexus that better targets the opulence level of the modern, screen-bedecked G-Wagen. Still, senior features editor Jonny Lieberman—an avowed G-Class enthusiast—thinks the GX’s luxed-up Land Cruiser interior “feels a little insincere.” But we all agreed with his assessment that the door-slam sound seems “three times as solid as the Land Cruiser’s,” though the Benz’s rifle-bolt door-lock sound remains inimitable. 

Out on the twisty mountain roads, most judges felt the Lexus’ 349-hp, 479-lb-ft twin-turbo V-6 made them miss the previous V-8s less than Toyota's 326-hp, 465-lb-ft i-Force Max hybrid four-banger did. Lieberman again: “There’s a nice sporty vibe to this rig that’s absent from the Land Cruiser. I’m sure these better street tires help. But for the first time, it really does feel like a more substantially engineered vehicle than the Land Cruiser.” Around town, however, the Land Cruiser’s hybrid turbo-four charges off the line more eagerly. And while the Lexus accelerates about a second quicker to 60 mph than the Land Cruiser and both weigh within 40 pounds of the Mercedes, neither is any match for the G550’s 443 hp. But then, the Merc costs more than both of them combined. 

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Off-road, our Land Cruiser First Edition’s multiterrain modes and locking rear diff were a closer match for the G-Wagen (three diff locks), but Lexus’ new Overtrail variant matches the Toyota gear and adds the suspension articulation of an E-KDSS suspension to allow near G-Wagen levels of billy-goating.  

As our looping continued, logbooks filled with notes praising body control relative to the Land Cruiser but lamenting the vintage vibes its traditional body-on-frame was transmitting over bumps, which too often resulted in untoward rattling and creaking. Engineering excellence cred took a hit with the peculiar habit of CarPlay not muting the audio when taking calls or making voice notes and the fact that the adaptive cruise control continually pesters the driver to wiggle the steering wheel. Meanwhile, a tight, uncomfortable third-row seat in such a large vehicle cost it points in performance of intended function. The EPA combined fuel economy only rose 1 mpg over the old V-8 model, which didn’t earn much efficiency credit. And the minimal differentiation in sheetmetal between the Toyota and Lexus cost the pair some design advancement points. All of this conspired to stymie the Lexus GX550’s chances at the Golden Calipers. But as a bargain Geländewagen, it’s a big winner. 

This review was conducted as part of our 2025 SUV of the Year (SUVOTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.

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