Tucson, AZ — Amidst the crowds of mall-crawling, crossover SUV blobs, few true utility vehicles remain; ones that can take you on a real adventure and get you safely home again. For more than 20 years, Lexus has offered just such a machine in their GX mid-size SUV offering. It’s an honest-to-goodness, body-on-frame truck, previously powered by a V8 with the same durability as an anvil. And for 2024, there’s an all-new GX 550 that’s bigger, roomier, more powerful, and more luxurious, but in the Overtrail trim, it’s also more capable than ever. Â
We also have a quick GX 550 video on YouTube.
Performance and Driving Impressions
While plenty of GX buyers don’t plan to take their truck on anything rougher than a cottage road, there are many (your humble GX-driving writer included) who enjoy using the Lexus for what it was intended. It’s no coincidence that as sales numbers have increased for the GX over the past few years, so too has the popularity of overlanding – the fun of travelling off the beaten path to explore and camp for days or weeks on end. Buyers have recognized that not only is the Lexus comfortable for covering distances on the road, but it’s incredibly capable off-road thanks to underpinnings shared with the legendary Land Cruiser Prado.
A large part of the appeal has been the dead-reliable V8 engines that have always been found underhood… until now. Replaced by a detuned version of the Lexus LX 600’s twin-turbo 3.45-litre V6, I have to admit to grumping at the thought of the GX giving up its traditional 8-cylinder heart.
…the old V8 was never a lively engine, instead relishing low-rev, low-excitement trundling.
My grumbles were unfounded since the new drivetrain is better in every objective measure. While it had adequate power and torque, the old V8 was never a lively engine, instead relishing low-rev, low-excitement trundling. The boosted V6 in the new truck not only delivers an extra 48 horsepower (now at 349 hp), but also ton of newfound torque at 479 ft-lbs (up 150!). While there’s no mellow V8 soundtrack, the new V6 doesn’t sound half-bad.
| Spec | 2023 GX 460 | 2024 GX 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 4.6L V8 | 3.4L V6 |
| Horsepower | 301 hp | 349 hp |
| Torque | 329 lb-ft | 479 lb-ft |
It’s not just numbers on a page, either. When coupled with the new 10-speed transmission and a more responsive throttle calibration than the old truck, the GX 550 zips happily around town, has ample passing power at highway speeds, yet is completely tractable off-road when careful throttle management can be the difference between gently crawling over an obstacle, and bouncing the skid plates off it (which, by the way, this new GX also has well-sorted). It’ll also tow up to 9,000 lbs thanks to its standard tow package that includes a trailer brake controller and trailer sway control.
All of that is commonplace across the GX 550 line-up, though, with even the posh Executive trim riding on 22-inch wheels being decently equipped to go adventuring.
But the Overtrail (and its slightly fancier Overtrail+ variant) is what’s getting the off-road crowd really jazzed. The 33-inch Toyo Open Country A/T tires are wrapped around a more practically-sized 18-inch wheel. Those tires were specifically engineered for the GX 550, ensuring suitably smooth on-road driving with legitimate off-road durability and grip. Lexus’ famed Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) found on last year’s GX 460 allowed for dramatic wheel articulation thanks to a damper that shifts fluid fore-and-aft, replicating the uncoupling of the sway bar found on other off-roaders.
While our test drive didn’t come close to challenging the GX 550 off-road, the man-made moguls did illustrate the incredible articulation of the suspension.
For the GX 550, this is now an electrically-operated process (dubbed e-KDSS) and provides more than 3 inches of extra travel over last year’s model. The extreme articulation means that tires remain in contact with the ground, even over wild terrain, which helps keep traction and motion when most needed.
The GX carries on with a two-speed transfer case, enabling 4-wheel-Lo gearing, plus there’s an electronically-locking centre and rear differential, again aiding with traction in situations that would have lesser SUVs looking for a tow. While our test drive didn’t come close to challenging the GX 550 off-road, the man-made moguls did illustrate the incredible articulation of the suspension. The ride quality, both on-road and off, is improved compared to last year’s model.
Interior
Photos of the Overtrail and Luxury+/Executive trims:
The Overtrail’s interior gets some minor tweaks compared to the more road-friendly GX 550 trims like the Luxury+ model we reviewed. Of note, the Overtrail’s seats are finished in a durable faux leather material rather than genuine hides. Also, all Overtrail variants are limited to five passengers, with the third row removed to provide greater flexibility in the cargo hold to fill with survival gear, power-packs, portable fridges, and all the other fun stuff overlanders jam in there.
The control panel up front is a bit different, too, with the drive mode selector doing double duty for the Multi-Terrain Select system that offers up Auto, Dirt, Sand, Mud, Deep Snow, and Rock settings that let the Lexus’ genius brain figure out the optimal throttle and traction settings for each of those scenarios.
The infotainment display can also call up a Multi-Terrain Monitor with a 360-degree view around the truck but can utilize image memory to generate a view of what’s under the truck, allowing a driver to see where he or she might be placing a wheel, serving as a digital spotter for the gnarliest of terrains.
Related – New 2024 GX 550 Interior Design: Lexus Wasted No Time
Styling
Arguably almost as important as all the serious capability of the GX 550 Overtrail is its cooler styling. The boxy look of the GX is on-trend these days for the rugged off-roader class, but the tall, broad hood and flat dashboard are helpful to a driver when trying to precisely position the truck in tight off-road settings, or just in snug parking spots.
The Overtrail’s look benefits from the chunkier tires and smaller wheels, but also larger fender flares and the optional contrasting black roof paint. There’s even a separate trim piece on the lower front fascia that can be easily removed for easy mounting of a winch or auxiliary lighting.
Takeaway
It’s a smart move for Lexus to embrace the serious off-road customers, recognizing that those folks might not even be the first buyers of the GX 550, but they all help the brand’s image associated with indestructible, long-lasting machines. Lexus promises to offer a host of serious off-road ready accessories for the new GX, too, further legitimizing it as a serious machine capable of going places most other SUVs can’t.
Only time will tell if the new GX 550 can live up to the legendary durability of the earlier GX 460 and 470 models, but with greater comfort on road, more tech and features inside, and the promise of even more capability off-road, Lexus has seemingly delivered on making the best GX yet. Make mine an Overtrail, please, and point me toward the mountains.
