2025 Lexus LX700h First Drive: Overtrail Is the Way for This Luxurious Land Cruiser

Heritage is vital to the Lexus LX. This large luxurious three-row SUV leans heavily on its longstanding relation to the Toyota Land Cruiser, netting a reputation for durability and all-terrain capability. Yet for the current generation of LX, introduced for 2022, a shift toward roadgoing comfort diminished that status despite the hard-wearing hardware underneath. For 2025, the LX takes a turn back toward its rugged roots with an off-road-focused Overtrail trim level that comes exclusively with the lineup’s also-new hybrid powertrain option.

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Introducing the 2025 Lexus LX700h

The LX is essentially a Land Cruiser, but not that Land Cruiser. Although in the United States a new Land Cruiser arrived for 2024, it's the so-called 250 Series, not the larger 300 Series sold in global markets. These vehicles (along with the Lexus GX, Toyota 4Runner, Sequoia, Tacoma, and Tundra) are built on the TNGA-F architecture, with the LX and Land Cruiser 300 sharing key mechanicals—body-on-frame construction, a solid rear axle, up to three rows of seats, and a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine producing 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque among them.

At least, in the LX600. For 2025, the LX700h arrives, packing a hybridized version of that V-6. It’s almost identical to the i-Force Max setup in the Tundra and Sequoia, where an electric motor is integrated between the engine and transmission. Although engine internals are shared with the Toyotas, in the LX700h it’s tuned to run on premium fuel, which elevates output to a Toyota-besting 457 hp and 583 lb-ft. All that is sent through a 10-speed automatic transmission to full-time 4WD.

To further differentiate the LX700h powertrain, Lexus equips it with a discrete alternator and starter, functions that are served by the transmission-integrated motor in Toyota applications. They are meant as redundant backups in the LX700h; should the hybrid system fail for some reason, the vehicle can still start and drive, operating essentially as an LX600.

Lexus is clear that this hybrid is tuned for performance, not efficiency. That’s evinced by its fuel economy estimates: 19 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, just 2 mpg better in the city and the same on the highway as the LX600. Acceleration to 60 mph is said to take 6.4 seconds, a blink quicker from the 6.7-second time posted by the LX600.

Other changes for the 2025 LX range include a larger all-digital gauge display, redesigned electronic shifter, and improved active safety features. The biggest news, though, is the introduction of the off-road-oriented Overtrail trim level, which is paired only with the hybrid powertrain and seems like the clear choice in the 2025 LX range—none of the other versions drive as nicely or advance the LX legend like Overtrail does.

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More of the Same

Skip the LX700h F Sport Handling model, which is isn't sporty and doesn't handle well. Rather, it goes down the road with little poise or precision, leaning over in reaction to the relaxed-ratio steering and diving down as the short-travel brake pedal is pressed. Any surface other than glass-smooth pavement makes the body heave and wobble, showing why frame-based construction isn’t ideal for supposedly sporty vehicles. In every LX, the full-time four-wheel drive smartly distributes power output, providing a distinct sensation that the SUV pivots neatly around its inside rear wheel. Yet determining whether the F Sport Handling model can live up to its name doesn’t take long, and the answer is no.

These concerns also apply to another LX700h, the range-topping LX700h Ultra Luxury. In this four-seat version, the LX’s unsettled, roll-prone ride reduces what comfort the spacious heated, ventilated, and massaging captain’s chairs provide. The LX700h Ultra Luxury feels lovely at a standstill, but once the vehicle gets rolling, its wavering body motions become near-constant. Although occupants are insulated against sharp impacts, they are still subject to variations of the surface beneath, like riding aboard a yacht bobbing on choppy waves.

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Overtrail Seems Ideal

Given its off-road inclination, it’s unexpected that the LX700h Overtrail feels better than its 700h- or 600-badged counterparts on pavement. Although the Overtrail’s height-adjustable adaptive suspension is the same as in any other LX, its 18-inch wheels shod in 33-inch all-terrain tires have heft that settles the ride slightly and imparts an even more supple feeling. Outright grip on pavement is reduced due to the tires’ open tread, but the Overtrail is just as unsuited to speedy cornering as any other LX, so just keep the pace mellow.

More than any other LX700h, the Overtrail delivers on its title by taking on challenging topography with aplomb. Its tires bite into loose surfaces and conform over rocks and roots, while the suspension’s impressive articulation keeps the LX feeling stable even with a wheel in the air. Although this SUV’s size could be a liability, using its low-range gearing, various off-road driving modes, surround-view cameras, or trail speed control tech prove useful in picking through tight, technical terrain. These features, along with a locking center differential, are standard on all 2025 LX models, but the Overtrail’s additional front and rear locking diffs add to its capability.

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Hybridization Helps

Overtrail specification is exclusive to the LX700h, and this powertrain’s electrification benefits off-road driving. The motor’s placement upstream of the transmission allows it to deliver smooth electric torque through four-wheel drive; the vehicle can briefly move using electricity alone in certain conditions. Lexus tuned the motor to assist the V-6 engine at low rpm or outside of turbocharger boost. Whether on the road or trail, the powertrain responds readily to accelerator inputs, using the electric torque to make smooth departures away from stops or punch ahead once underway. The engine and motor integrate nicely, although as before the transmission can feel slightly delayed as it chooses between its ten forward ratios.

Old-School—In a Good Way?

Despite being the most desirable version of the 2025 LX700h, the Overtrail model is the least expensive at $115,350 to start—the $8,500 premium it commands over the basic 2025 LX600 Premium seems worthwhile for its hybrid refinement, trail performance, and tough looks.

Yet despite the changes made this year, the LX remains compromised and behind the curve among luxury three-row SUVs. Itsmaterial quality isn’t as good as in some rivals; the leather trim feels rubbery, and the lower parts of the doors are basic hard black plastic. In an era where dual-panel or panoramic roof glass is the norm, the LX’s moonroof is unremarkable. Packaging efficiency suffers due to the LX’s truck-based underpinnings, leaving less space inside than what should be expected from such a large SUV. Legroom in the third row is tiny, and the cargo area is reduced due to the presence of the hybrid battery beneath the floor. The rear door openings are oddly small, hindering ingress and egress. Technology features are merely competitive, not cutting-edge. However, there’s an abundance of user-friendly physical buttons and switches that relatively screen-centric vehicles lack. Furthermore, the optional 25-speaker Mark Levinson audio system sounds fantastic.

Even as the Lexus LX is improved by hybrid power, in ways it feels stuck in the past—but that could be appreciated by enthusiast drivers. The LX avoids much of the pomp and posturing its rivals exhibit, and in Overtrail specification it finally delivers what it’s been engineered for all along: providing a luxurious environment in which to get far off the beaten path. In becoming more like its Land Cruiser counterpart, the LX700h Overtrail marks a return to form for Lexus’ flagship SUV.