The Lexus GX might look long in the tooth, but few luxury crossovers deliver this kind of off-road capability.

Shop for the 2020 Lexus GX on CarGurus: https://cargur.us/ysFzM

The Lexus GX was introduced in 2002 and redesigned for the 2010 model year. The second generation continued to the current 2020 model year, albeit with some new design tweaks from Lexus. This updated GX takes on the garish hourglass grille design that has exploded onto the front end of every vehicle in the Lexus lineup. In fact, the GX is one of the last vehicles to take on this latest version of the design. On some Lexus vehicles, it is pretty hard to look at, but on the GX, it’s not so bad. The GX certainly wears it better than the larger LX.

Lexus offers the GX in three trims: the 460, the 460 Premium, and the 460 Luxury. The 460 is effectively the base trim, though it’s hard to call it that. It has a long list of standard features, including 10-way power front seats, leather upholstery, push-button start, automatic climate control, and a power sunroof. It also comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

As its alphanumerics suggest, the GX 460 is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 engine. It makes 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque, sent through a 6-speed automatic transmission to standard 4-wheel drive (4WD). Reading those horsepower and torque specs now might not impress you, because many modern V6 (and even some highly turbocharged 4-cylinder) engines are capable of exceeding them. But V8 engines offer an unmistakable swell of power that you experience in real-world driving. Whether you're lurching off the line or rumbling up to highway speeds, sometimes there really is no replacement for displacement.

With all rear seats folded, the GX offers 64.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which is not a lot. The less expensive, 2-row Jeep Grand Cherokee has 68.3 cubic feet of cargo space. The Land Rover Discovery is in a similar capability range and is equally priced, but it has nearly 80 cubic feet of cargo space.

Perhaps the area in which the GX most clearly shows its age is in its touchscreen infotainment setup. This is clearly the last generation of Lexus Enform, but that has its perks. For one, it is a true touchscreen, as opposed to using the frustrating Lexus Remote Touch cursor system. The touchscreen is flanked by large buttons for audio, navigation, and climate controls, and it's proof that we’re headed in the wrong direction when it comes to in-car user interfaces. This decade-old layout is plainly simpler than what you might find in the Lexus RX or NX.

The 2020 Lexus GX 460 has a base MSRP of $53,000. A mid-range GX 460 Premium starts at $55,790, and a range-topping Luxury trim starts at $64,265. Our test model included the Sport Design Package ($2,020), the dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system ($1,985), and the Mark Levinson premium audio system package ($1,145). All told, factoring in a few more options and destination, our test model clocked in at more than $70,000.

For more information on the 2020 Lexus GX, read George's full review on CarGurus: https://cargur.us/ysFz8

Presenter: George Kennedy
Cinematography: Venn Creative Media

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