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    First Drive: 2024 Lexus GX Shifts Focus to Off-Road Adventure

    This stouter, more powerful SUV tilts away from luxury, conceding that mission to the TX SUV

    2024 Lexus GX, front driving Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports

    The all-new Lexus GX SUV ushers in a new era for the brand’s most off-road focused model, elevating the technology and increasing performance.

    The outgoing GX is ancient; its current form dates back to 2010 but its roots are even older. Yet it held up well, distinguished by its blend of a premium feel, off-road capability, old-school body-on-frame design, and a solid reliability record. This new GX modernizes the concept, while tilting its focus away from luxury.

    It shares underpinnings with the Lexus LX—the upscale version of the Toyota Land Cruiser sold elsewhere in the world—and the upcoming U.S.-market Land Cruiser. Given the Land Cruiser’s reputation for durability, drawing from that parts bin is encouraging. Both the GX and Land Cruiser are built in Japan.

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    The GX grew in every dimension. It measures about 5 inches longer and 4 inches wider. Plus it gains a couple inches in height and wheelbase. The result is a larger vehicle with more interior space than before. The added size and capability come with a downside—incremental fuel economy gains—at least until a hybrid powertrain is added in the future.

    There are three trims, each offered with a “+” version with added features: Premium ($62,900), Overtrail ($67,990), and Luxury ($75,900). The Overtrail is a fresh addition to the GX range, bringing heightened adventure-inspired styling and off-road equipment. This comes at a time when many SUVs are adding various degrees of off-road-focused editions from the Subaru Outback Wilderness to the Ford Bronco Raptor.

    The GX is offered in a number of exterior colors, with the Overtrail and Overtrail+ available with a two-tone paint scheme. Wheels span up to a massive 22 inches. The Overtrail wears 18-inch wheels wrapped in tall 33-inch all-terrain tires.

    We rented a well-equipped Luxury+ from Lexus to gain early experience with the GX.

    If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our initial expert assessment of the Lexus GX is available to you below. Once we purchase our own model and complete 2,000 break-in miles, we’ll put the Lexus GX through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including empirical measurements of acceleration, braking, handling, car-seat fit, and usability. CR members will have access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.

    Sign up for CR’s Cars email newsletter to be notified when we post our latest road-test results.

    What we rented: 2024 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+ 4WD
    Powertrain: 349-hp, 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 engine; 10-speed automatic transmission; four-wheel drive 
    MSRP: $79,900
    Options: Head-up display ($900), Traffic Jam Assist ($620), second-row captain’s chairs ($440), digital key ($375), Cold Area package ($200), cargo cover ($110). 
    Destination fee: $1,350
    Total cost: $83,895

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