2023 Lexus LX

Every 2023 LX 600 grade uses the same V35A-FTS 3.4L twin-turbo V6 at 409 hp — the second year of the J310 generation and a carry-over powertrain. Solidly above mid-band for SUVs without reaching the V8 and EV outliers.

479 lb-ft held across a broad low-rpm plateau puts the LX near the top of the SUV torque band; the Land Cruiser 300-derived driveline is built around low-end torque.

Instrumented tests of the J310 LX 600 average about 6.2 s, well ahead of the conservative factory figure — brisk for a ~5,900 lb body-on-frame SUV but only mid-band against the wider SUV field.

The twin-turbo V6 is quiet at cruise and pulls effortlessly off its low-rpm torque plateau, with strong isolation. Reviewers note a brief turbo delay off the line and a muted, characterless sound compared with the outgoing 5.7L V8, keeping it just short of the top band.

The 10-speed Direct-Shift automatic shifts smoothly and suits the torque curve, holding gears sensibly under load; occasional part-throttle hunting among the close upper ratios and unhurried kickdowns keep it below the top band.

8,000 lbs is at the top of the SUV normalization band, so the item clamps at 100.

Full-time 4WD is standard on every 2023 grade with a two-speed transfer case (low range), Torsen center differential with lock, six-mode Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control; the F Sport Handling adds a Torsen rear limited-slip. No grade in 2023 offers a rear locker (that arrived with the later Overtrail), so it sits a notch below the maximum.

Genuine hardware — low range, adjustable air suspension (Active Height Control), Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Monitor, 27.5-in wading and 45° climbing ability — on a Land Cruiser 300 frame. But 2023 had no dedicated off-road grade or locking rear differential in the US, and its size, weight and luxury tires limit it versus trims like the later Overtrail.

The 2023 LX is take-it-or-leave-it: a single 409 hp twin-turbo V6 across every grade, no hybrid (the LX 700h arrived for 2025), diesel, PHEV or EV in the US.

19 MPG combined is near the bottom of the gas-SUV band — the price of a ~5,900 lb body-on-frame 4WD SUV with a twin-turbo V6.

17 MPG city sits in the low end of the gas-SUV band.

22 MPG highway is weak even for a full-size SUV; the boxy, heavy body hurts at speed.

The 21.1-gallon tank yields about 401 miles combined — adequate but below mid-band, notably small for the class compared with the previous LX's larger tank.

EPA's estimate of $4,200 per year exceeds the top of the SUV band, reflecting both 19 MPG and a premium-fuel requirement.

Premium gasoline is required, not merely recommended, on every 2023 LX 600 grade — a meaningful running-cost penalty on top of low mileage.

NHTSA has not crash-tested the 2023 LX 600: every frontal, side and rollover field is 'Not Rated'. Its six-figure price and low US volume keep it out of the test queue. The value is an estimate from the platform pattern, not a measurement. Tall, heavy TNGA-F body-on-frame siblings such as the Sequoia score 4 stars overall, held back by their rollover result, and nothing about the LX's proportions suggests it would do better.

The 2023 LX has no IIHS Top Safety Pick or TSP+ award and no published crashworthiness results; IIHS rarely tests $90,000+ full-size luxury SUVs, and the Escalade, Navigator and QX80 have no award for the same reason. It is scored mid-band rather than low: the TNGA-F structure is modern, but Toyota's recent body-on-frame vehicles have not reliably earned Good in the updated tests, so an award can't be assumed.

Every 2023 LX 600 grade (Premium, F Sport Handling, Luxury, Ultra Luxury) comes with Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 as standard. It includes AEB with pedestrian and bicyclist detection and left-turn intersection support, Emergency Steering Assist, all-speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert with steering assist, Lane Tracing Assist, Intelligent High Beams and Road Sign Assist. Blind Spot Monitor, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with braking and the Panoramic View Monitor are also standard. That is a comprehensive suite on every trim.

The LSS+ 2.5 pre-collision system detects pedestrians in low light and cyclists in daylight, and it covers left turns at intersections. Toyota and Lexus systems have usually rated well in IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tests. The score stays in the upper-middle band because IIHS has never tested the LX's AEB. It also lacks the motorcyclist detection that LSS+ 3.0 added later, and it has about 6,000 lb to stop.

Blind Spot Monitor is standard on every grade, and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert brakes automatically through Intuitive Parking Assist, so the system actively intervenes instead of only warning. The Panoramic and Multi-Terrain monitors add low-speed coverage around a very long vehicle. It sits at the bottom of the top band because there is no trailer-aware blind-spot extension, despite an 8,000 lb tow rating.

Lane Departure Alert with steering assist (above about 32 mph) and Lane Tracing Assist centering are standard, and Emergency Steering Assist adds support in evasive maneuvers. The centering is competent but is generally described as working only with radar cruise on, and it can wander on faded lines. That leaves little margin in a vehicle this wide.

All-speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control with stop-and-go and overtaking assist is standard on every grade. Paired with Lane Tracing Assist, it makes a competent hands-on highway assist for a long-distance cruiser. It stays below the top band because Lexus's systems follow conservatively and resume slowly compared with BMW Driving Assistant Professional or Mercedes Distronic at this price.

No 2023 LX grade offers hands-free highway driving. LSS+ 2.5 requires hands on the wheel, and Lexus Teammate Advanced Drive was limited to the LS and Mirai. The score sits just above the floor to credit the integrated hands-on highway assist. This is the LX's clearest shortfall against the Super Cruise Escalade and the BlueCruise Navigator.

LED headlights with Intelligent High Beams are standard on every grade, and the flagship positioning means even the entry grade gets full lighting hardware. The score stays mid-band because IIHS has never rated the LX's headlights, and Toyota's truck-based vehicles have not consistently earned Good.

The upright greenhouse, high seating position and large side glass give a commanding forward view. The standard Panoramic View Monitor and Multi-Terrain Monitor, which uses four cameras shown on the 12.3-inch screen, cover close-in blind zones, and Ultra Luxury adds a digital rearview mirror. The long hood, thick D-pillars and sheer length leave blind zones that only the cameras cover.

Tall, wide rear doors and a roomy second row make car seats easy to fit, and the outboard second-row seats have LATCH anchors and top tethers. The score stays below the top band because the lower anchors are recessed and need some digging. Three seats across is difficult, the high body-on-frame step-in makes lifting a child in harder, and the four-seat Ultra Luxury is poorly suited to family use.

The volume Premium grade carries the power-folding third row for seven seats; the base LX 600 is a two-row five-seater and the Ultra Luxury a four-seat VIP layout.

Front headroom is modest for a tall full-size SUV — the high floor, thick seat structure and standard moonroof leave less space overhead than the body height suggests.

41.1 inches is near the bottom of the full-size band; The Drive noted a 5-ft-5 front passenger's knees nearly touching the dash with two car seats fitted behind.

Second-row headroom is good and ahead of the front row thanks to the upright roofline.

Second-row legroom is mid-size-SUV territory and gives away several inches to the Escalade, Navigator and QX80 at similar money.

The third row is a token bench — 31.1 in of legroom and 35.2 in of headroom on a low floor-mounted cushion, which folds to the sides rather than into the floor; The Drive called it 'essentially useless'.

Poor cargo volume for the class — the third row stows against the sides of the bay, narrowing it and leaving a high load floor.

Maximum cargo is the weakest among full-size luxury SUVs — 20+ cu ft short of the Escalade, QX80 or GLS.

Competent rather than clever: a deep center console with cool box on upper grades, wireless charging tray and a height-adjustable air suspension for loading, offset by side-stowing third row and little underfloor space.

Front seats are praised as 'great', heated and cooled from Premium with massage on upper grades; the second row is comfortable but short on stretch-out room and the third row drags the average down.

Adaptive Variable Suspension (from Premium) and optional air-type AHC keep it settled on the highway, but body-on-frame construction and 22-inch wheels make it choppy over broken pavement — The Drive called the ride 'rough, truck-like'.

Acoustic glass, heavy insulation and active noise control keep wind and road noise low; the twin-turbo V6 is quieter than the old V8 at cruise but gruffer when pushed.

Heated steering wheel became standard for 2023; Premium adds ventilated fronts and heated second row, Luxury adds four-zone climate and ventilated rear seats, Ultra Luxury adds reclining ottoman seats and overhead vents. Base is only dual-zone.

The 2023 LX 600 opens at $89,160 delivered for the base (two-row) grade — far above the 65,000 SUV band ceiling, so the item floors at 0.

The Premium grade is the typical LX purchase and the one reviewers recommend; at $97,110 it is well beyond the 68,000 band ceiling, as is every other 2023 grade.

Land Cruiser 300-series mechanicals and Toyota's twin-turbo V6 keep unscheduled repairs low for a full-size luxury SUV, but air suspension, 22-inch tires on upper grades and Lexus dealer labor rates push routine costs above mainstream SUVs.

Resale is the LX's strongest ownership argument: constrained allocation, Land Cruiser durability reputation and Lexus residuals mean the 2023 model depreciates far less than German or American full-size luxury rivals.

Standard Lexus basic coverage — a year longer than Toyota-branded siblings, mid-pack against luxury rivals.

Lexus powertrain coverage of 6 yr / 70,000 mi sits near the bottom of the 5–10 year band; the 2023 LX is gas-only, so no hybrid-component extension applies.

Short included-maintenance window but solid ancillary coverage: one year of complimentary maintenance, four years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance and long connected-service trials. Mid-band — ahead of the German full-sizers' bare packages, short of a multi-year included-maintenance program.

$97,110 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (65% retained, or about $63,122) leaves about $33,989 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $38,989 in total.

2023 is only the second model year of the J310 generation, so it still carries the new-design risk that Consumer Reports explicitly attaches to a redesign. It is also the core production year of the V35A engine machining-debris defect. Brand pedigree and the mostly positive owner feedback keep it in the average band, well below the top-tier mark the LX 570 predecessor carried.

In the 2023 model-year window Lexus was the most dependable brand in J.D. Power's VDS and a perennial top-three finisher in Consumer Reports' brand reliability survey. That is squarely the top band.

The 2023 LX is at the center of Toyota's V35A machining-debris defect. It was named in both the original engine campaign and its 2025 expansion, and the remedy is engine replacement because main-bearing failure can cause a stall at speed. A transmission neutral-rollaway recall and an airbag occupant-classification recall add to the list. Repeated powertrain and safety-system campaigns put it in the failing band by the rubric.

The V35A-FTS twin-turbo V6 replaced the famously durable 3UR-FE 5.7L V8. It debuted only with the 2022 Tundra and LX, it runs its highest tune here, and 2022–2023 production is the defective batch. The Aisin 10-speed automatic has no durability red flags, which keeps the score at the bottom of the average band rather than below it.

The cabin is genuinely rich: semi-aniline leather, open-pore wood and metal trim on the upper grades, and a four-seat Ultra Luxury rear cabin. The Land Cruiser-derived switchgear, some hard lower plastics and the dated stacked dual screens keep it behind the German flagships at this price.

Japanese Lexus flagship assembly delivers tight, consistent panel gaps and trim alignment. Owner reviews for the 2023 model are largely positive on build quality, with no recurring squeak or rattle theme. Scored a few points below the mature 2026 car because this is an early-generation build.

Lexus sets the industry benchmark for service satisfaction, with complimentary loaners and a strong dealer experience. The network is far smaller than Toyota's and thin in rural areas, but that matters little to a mostly metropolitan LX ownership base.

Toyota's supply chain keeps parts available, and the engine and transmission are shared with the Tundra and Sequoia. The chassis, though, comes from the Land Cruiser 300, which is not sold in the US, so chassis and body parts are low-volume flagship items. The adaptive suspension, twin turbos and Lexus-specific electronics are expensive out-of-warranty repairs.

A 12.3-inch main touchscreen paired with a 7-inch lower screen for climate and vehicle settings is standard on every grade.

The Lexus Interface system is quick and a vast improvement over the old touchpad, but splitting functions across two screens with few physical buttons draws criticism — the lower screen is hard to read and use on the move.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on all grades.

Cloud-based navigation with Google POI data and a natural-language 'Hey Lexus' assistant with speaker-location detection are strong, though cloud nav depends on a Drive Connect subscription after the trial.

Base 10-speaker system is decent; the 25-speaker Mark Levinson surround system available on upper grades is one of the best in the segment.

Clear and legible, but the standard setup keeps analog-style dials around a central display rather than a fully configurable wide-screen cluster like rivals' 12-inch-plus units.

OTA updates cover mapping and the multimedia system; there is no whole-vehicle feature-adding OTA program.

The Lexus app provides remote start/climate, lock/unlock, vehicle status and locate, plus an available Digital Key, but Remote Connect is subscription-gated after the trial.

Wireless charging and USB ports are standard, with rear USB and DC power supply; USB count is modest for a three-row flagship.

Smart Access keyless entry and push-button start are standard, hands-free power tailgate from Premium, remote start via app, fingerprint-authenticated start on upper grades and an available Digital Key.

Panoramic View Monitor, Multi-Terrain Monitor with underbody view, front/rear sensors with Intuitive Parking Assist and auto braking are standard; a digital rearview mirror is on Ultra Luxury.

A color head-up display is standard from the volume Premium grade upward.

Big doors and AHC's low entry setting help, but modest second-row legroom forces front occupants forward around car seats, the third row is child-only, and cargo with all seats up is just 11 cu ft — tight for a stroller.

Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic braking and surround cameras are standard on every grade, but the 2023 LX has neither NHTSA nor IIHS crash ratings to back it up.

Plush, quiet and well-equipped for four adults with heated/cooled seats, rear climate and available rear entertainment, but luggage space with six or seven aboard is minimal and the ride is choppy on rough roads.

Commanding view, strong low-end torque and quick, well-weighted steering make it more manageable than its size suggests, but the body-on-frame ride and sheer bulk make it tiring on broken city streets.

19 MPG combined on premium fuel makes it one of the most expensive vehicles to commute in, around $4,200 a year in fuel alone.

About 200 inches long and 78 inches wide, but a 39-ft turning circle, standard 360° cameras and parking sensors with auto braking make it manageable with care.

An 8,000-lb tow rating and torque-rich twin-turbo V6 on a ladder frame give real towing ability, but cargo space is small and nobody buys a six-figure LX for jobsite work.

Shares the Land Cruiser 300's legendary chassis lineage, but the new twin-turbo V6 was unproven in 2023 (the related Tundra/LX engine later faced bearing-debris recalls) and the semi-aniline, wood-trimmed cabin is not built for abuse.

Beyond a receiver hitch, trailer wiring, roof rails and a DC outlet there are few work provisions — no AC onboard power, no washable floors, and a limited upfit ecosystem in the US.

Great seats, a quiet cabin, full-speed adaptive cruise with Lane Tracing Assist and a ~400-mile range make it a capable tourer, held back by a choppy ride on poor roads and no hands-free assist.

Genuine off-road hardware: full-time 4WD with low range and locking center diff, adjustable-height suspension, Multi-Terrain Select, Multi-Terrain Monitor, 27.5-in wading depth and 8,000-lb towing.

Roof rails, a tow hitch and a split-folding second row help, but the side-stowing third row narrows the bay, the load floor is high, and 64 cu ft max is class-trailing.

The GA-F platform's stiffer frame and AVS dampers make it more composed than the old LX 570, and reviewers call it more agile than expected, but body roll and a 6,000-lb body-on-frame mass keep it well short of unibody rivals like the X7 or GLS.

Electric power steering is a highlight for a body-on-frame SUV — nicely weighted, quick and accurate, if short on genuine feedback.

Brakes are adequate and progressive for daily driving, but its mass produces long stopping distances and noticeable nosedive in hard stops.

The 409-hp twin-turbo V6 delivers strong, lag-free low-end torque and the 10-speed 'blends into the background', though engine stop/start and occasional low-speed shift busyness are noticeable.

Quiet and isolated at cruise, but the V6 sounds gruff under hard acceleration and lacks the silky character of the V8 it replaced.

A 39-ft circle is reasonable for a 200-inch full-size SUV.

A high, commanding seat with a 10-way power driver seat, memory and power tilt/telescope wheel, but short front legroom and the small lower touchscreen for climate controls are ergonomic weak points.

Not sporty, but its torquey punch and go-anywhere ability give it a 'charmingly brutish' character that reviewers enjoy.

Even the $89K base LX 600 comes with full-time 4WD with Torsen center differential, adaptive variable suspension, Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control, 12.3-inch + 7-inch dual touchscreens, Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, heated/ventilated front seats and — new for 2023 — a standard heated steering wheel. But the base grade is two-row only, and the third row, Mark Levinson audio, massaging seats and rear entertainment sit on trims $8K–$40K higher, so content is competitive rather than generous for the price.

The LX charges a premium for Land Cruiser 300-series body-on-frame capability, ~8,000-lb towing and Lexus build integrity, while conceding third-row space, cargo volume and fuel economy to the Escalade, GLS, X7 and Navigator. Strong resale softens the premium, but on content per dollar it is fair value at best.

Five well-differentiated grades — base, Premium, F Sport Handling, Luxury and the four-seat Ultra Luxury — with two-, three-row and executive seating layouts, but a single powertrain (the hybrid and Overtrail arrived only for 2025) and no affordable entry point.

A low-volume niche seller in its segment — mid-single-digit thousands per year versus roughly 40,000 Escalades — but volume in 2023 was capped by allocation and supply, not demand, as the persistent dealer markups showed. Trajectory for the new generation was up from the pandemic-hit 2022.

Lexus sits at or near the top of dependability and owner-loyalty studies and the LX carries the Land Cruiser's global durability halo — a combination that directly protects owners from the segment's heavy depreciation.

Scored on buyer benefit, and there was almost none: in 2023 the new-generation LX was supply-constrained, commonly sold with dealer markups and waitlists, and carried essentially no factory cash or subvented financing.

2023 is the second model year of the all-new J310 generation on the current TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, with Lexus Interface infotainment and LSS+ 2.5 — essentially a fresh vehicle with years of runway before any redesign.

Reviewers respect the LX's refinement, build quality, strong twin-turbo V6 and genuine off-road ability, but mark it down for fuel economy, a tight third row, modest cargo room and price, so it typically finishes mid-pack in luxury large-SUV rankings without comparison-test wins or major awards.