2024 Lexus GX550 Premium First Test: Still an Off-Roader, Even Better On-Road

The 2024 Lexus GX SUV is finally getting an update after the second-generation model hung around nearly twice as long as the first. The new model is proving to be worth the wait. With six "grades" available (Lexus speak for trim levels), prospective customers have more options than before with Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+ each offering something different. Six options seem like too many, but the breakdown is simple. The Overtrails prioritize off-road performance, a skill set the GX has long been known for; Luxury models are middle of the road and have standard equipment that includes 22-inch wheels and a massive panoramic glass roof. So, is the GX Premium just the cheapo one? Not really. With plenty to offer, it shouldn't be thought of as a stripped-back base model, but a difference-splitter between the compromises—and cost—that come with maximizing luxury or off-road capability.

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Premium Basics

The GX's core appeal is wrapped up in the balance between its off-pavement capability and on-pavement civility. Premium GXs cover the first part with standard full-time four-wheel drive and a Torsen limited-slip locking center differential splitting power evenly to the front and rear wheels. The adjustable dampers in the standard Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) on Luxury and Overtrail grades aren't available, and neither are the Overtrail's Electronic Kinematic Dynamic Suspension (E-KDS) disconnecting anti-roll bars.

However, traction and stability controls can both be turned off so buzzkilling computers won't hinder your ability to command the throttle as needed. The front overhang is shortened by 0.78 inch over the outgoing GX460 for better clearance—ground clearance is 8.7 inches—and the entire SUV is 3.7 inches wider for better stability off- and on-road. The new GX Premium has a 26-degree approach, 23-degree breakover (1 degree fewer than Overtrail), a 23-degree departure angle (1 degree better than Overtrail) and can wade through 27.55 inches of water.

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All GX grades get the same 14.0-inch center touchscreen, lowered and integrated more cohesively in the dashboard than before. It's a horizontal tablet style that looks like it is wearing a tablet case, but the way the bezel blends with the right side of the dashboard keeps it from looking like an afterthought. Instead of a tiny wooden strip like Lexus inserted on the passenger's side of the old GX's dashboard, there's a storage slot perfect for a phone or small objects that makes better use of the space. We noticed that the viewing angle from the passenger seat made it nearly impossible to see the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a hellacious glare from direct sunlight could also render it invisible to drivers. Our GX was a preproduction car, so hopefully this issue will be fixed by the time these reach dealers; consider the $900 head-up display a worthy option.

Standard heated and ventilated front seats are a must-have for anything in the luxury segment, and our loaner had the available cold weather pack with a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, windshield wiper deicer, headlamp washer, and fast-response interior heater. For $320, that's a hell of a value and the only option the GX Premium needs if it lives in a cold climate. Heating and ventilation are available on the second-row perches (outboard) but come standard on Premium+ models.

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Driving the GX Premium

As far as the ride goes, the GX Premium doesn't disappoint. The cabin is quiet, keeping noise from the road and the potent 349-horsepower 3.4-liter twin-turbo V-6 at bay. The engine note is present but is easily shuffled to the background with the standard 10-speaker premium audio system. The automatic transmission shifts as smoothly as a bottle of Pinot Grigio disappears on a crisp summer day, gently delivering 479 lb-ft of twist through first gear without jostling the GX's occupants. Don't confuse refined for slow, because snappy, precise shifts from the 10-speed gearbox and that V-6 help get the GX Premium to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and clear the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds with a trap speed of 95 mph. It will go when you step on it, but comfort is the focus of the drive.

Built on the GA-F platform from the current-generation LX600, the GX Premium ends up with a floaty "land yacht" feel from the soft suspension and stiff body-on-frame construction, but that isn't always a bad thing. A ride like this complements the boxy retro-mod exterior styling with a familiar and durable feel that seems to announce how ready the GX is to hit the dirt. A new double-wishbone geometry is used in the front with a four-link coil-sprung suspension in the rear that improves ride quality over the old swing arm setup, but the struts and coils don't tame the pitches and rolls of a 5,524-pound SUV the way a four-corner air suspension might.

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Still, the GX remains surprisingly neutral during turns. We wonder how the Premium grade handles its massive 9,063-pound tow rating, though, as we didn't get the opportunity to try it out during our test. Braking performance suggests the GX can stop with such a load behind them, as it's capable of bringing itself to a stop from 60 mph in 115 feet, though that performance isn't very consistent. Sometimes the GX stops with poise and composure, and other times it suffers severe weight transfer and intermittent tire squeals for a seesawing effect, which shone through on our longest stops, reaching as high as 121 feet. That spread is acceptable, but a lot of tongue weight likely won't help matters. The rated capacity is serious weight to manage, even for better-equipped trucks with longer wheelbases. Towing anything a sane person would stick behind an SUV like the GX, including pop-up campers, smaller Airstreams, and utility/overlanding trailers, will fall well within the load limits.

Around our figure-eight circuit, the GX has the same unpredictable braking dynamics as straight-line testing, though it doesn't interfere with consistent lap times, with 28.4 seconds at a 0.61 g average as our best. Unlike some earlier versions of the previous-generation GX, the new one is never hard to manage, though it gets more predictable the more seat time you put in.

Electronic power steering assist is new for 2024 and offers plenty of feedback to accurately and confidently navigate the GX. We measured a decent 0.72 g average around our skidpad, and the GX's Yokohama Geolander X-CV 265/55R20 tires showed shockingly little wear after that exercise and the figure eight. Dynamic maneuvers like these are where the AVS would have some benefit. A 2024 GX550 Overtrail+ we also tested outperforms this Premium only in the figure-eight and skidpad measurements; the Premium otherwise runs ahead in the acceleration and braking tests.

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Swing No More

Responding to customer feedback, Lexus ditched the barn door in the rear and went with a top-hinged liftgate for the new GX. Some die-hards might lament that choice, but not needing the extra space to swing out the massive door is a win. The rear glass still pops out, though—just look for the small black triangle in the left corner below the glass. Opening the rear reveals 76.9 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats folded up, 40.2 cubic feet behind the second row, and a mere 10.3 cubic feet behind the third row—but third-row storage is just a figure on a spec sheet. We attempted to show off how small the space was with a medium-sized backpack, but the usable floor space is so narrow we couldn't angle the backpack in a way that it wouldn't just fall out. This would bug us more if the 2024 Lexus TX—a true three-row SUV—weren't also available, but the third-row seat itself in the GX Premium is good enough to load up to seven people in a pinch.

The Complete Package

With a starting price of $64,250, the GX Premium is a capable and luxurious SUV at a reasonable-for-its-segment price, where any compromise of off-road performance, on-road comfort, and daily functionality is imperceptible in the complete package it offers. It's compelling as is, with an as-tested cost of $66,450 after adding the cold weather pack, head-up display, a rear cargo cover, and traffic jam assist, all options that are nice to have but not necessary to give the Premium grade value. The style is modern but not so abstract or delicate that it will go out of style quickly or make you cringe to rough it up a bit. And without an initial sky-high price, the Premium might be the perfect base for a future overlanding titan if you don't want a big car payment and scuffed-up fresh paint hanging over your head while you trek a new Overland+.