2025 Lexus LX 600 – RUGGED LUXURY

2025 Lexus LX 600

RUGGED LUXURY

FOURCHE MOUNTAIN, Ark.—Once friendly and inviting, the road had turned rocky, rutted, and steep, yet the 2025 Lexus LX 600 steadily and smoothly climbed that mountain as if it were still gliding across freshly laid tarmac.

The fuel economy is lackluster, and the electronics are a step or two behind class leaders (Cadillac Escalade and BMW X7), but the LX 600 holds its own in a competitive luxury SUV landscape by emphasizing an uncommon blend of off-road prowess and upscale amenities. All three will get you to the country club in style, but the Caddy and BMW prefer to go around the mountain, while the LX begs to climb over it.

Starting at $106,850 and stretching past $140,000 for a high-lux hybrid, the LX distinguishes itself by merging robust, body-on-frame SUV architecture with modern luxury and safety technology. All trims feature a turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 (349 horsepower, 479 lb-ft of torque) paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and standard full-time four-wheel drive; the combo will do 0–60 mph in as little as 6.5–6.7 seconds. 

Although our tester came with a wide array of off-road doo-dads and gizmos, such as a suspension lift, 33-inch all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential, we just left it in AWD high and never spun a tire.

The model lineup spans six primary trims: Premium, Premium+, Luxury, Luxury+, Overtrail, and Overtrail+. Overtrail variants focus on hardcore off-road ability. Luxury trims provide comfort with semi-aniline leather, massaging front seats, and a 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

The EPA estimates the LX will return 15 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined, which is close to what we experienced. In a little more than 500 combined miles, we drained the tank’s 21 gallons of premium fuel twice. We used over $100 in gas, and the tank was nearly empty when the nice man came to take it back to Dallas. Nevertheless, the landscape throughout the journey was stunning.

The BMW xDrive, at 22 mpg combined, heads this class. A regular Escalade will get 16 mpg, and the Caddy V version flies from gas station to gas station at 13 mpg.

I am not in the market for something this massive because, when you think about it, you can have plenty of interior room and twice the fuel economy at half the price with a two-row Lexus RX hybrid. The plug-in version drives better than a BMW and delivers 83 mpg.

A looker

The rule of thumb in the auto industry is that 60% of buying decisions lie in the lizard brain, the limbic system, located in the core of the brain and host to our emotions. The thinking portions reside in the cerebral cortices, those prominent outside lobes on the left and right.

The spinal cord is attached to the limbic system, so everything goes through it first. It performs functions like telling our hearts to beat, lungs to breathe, and loins to procreate.

Brain anatomicists like Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor have shown that once the emotional and thinking portions create a thought or impression, it tends to be persistent, even compulsive. Not much mind-changing happens after that. Hence, we are feeling people who think, not thinking people who feel. Short version: We tend to buy vehicles based more on how they make us feel than how much sense they make.

The emotional attraction of the Lexus LX was driven home to me several times. People felt motivated to come up to me in parking lots to learn more about and eyeball a vehicle whose exterior ranks high in cool factor.

The 2025 LX asserts a rugged, square-shouldered aesthetic that signals serious off-road intentions, a design language that sets it apart from the more urbane rivals, such as the X7 and Escalade. Lexus incorporates tall, upright body panels, pronounced fender flares, and a bold, high-mounted grille, all maintaining a functional beauty suitable for city and trail. 

Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims add visibly utilitarian touches—chunky tires, integrated skid plates, and blackout trim—while the Luxury and Luxury+ trims substitute more chrome and finer detailing for a smoother look.

The dimensions (200.2 inches long, 78.4 inches tall, 75 inches wide) render it slightly smaller than the Cadillac Escalade but still commanding in presence. Practical exterior elements include available running boards, a swing-up rear hatch (a welcome update from the previous model’s side-hinged door), and, in Overtrail models, 9.9 inches of generous ground clearance for boulder-strewn trails. More than once we used at least 9.875438 inches of that.

In contrast, the Cadillac Escalade favors flowing surfaces and chrome-accented grandeur, with a gigantic 55-inch OLED display visible through the windshield adding to the “wow” factor. The BMW X7 rides lower and exudes a sportier, sleeker energy, emphasizing on-road athleticism over trail prowess.

Lap of luxury

Lexus’s reputation for interior craftsmanship carries forward in the 2025 LX 600. The cabin features a tasteful combination of semi-aniline leather (Luxury trims) or “NuLuxe” synthetic alternatives for lower trims, real wood inserts, and soft-touch plastics. The front seats are wide and supportive, offering standard heating and ventilation even on base models, while Luxury+ and Overtrail+ trims boast massaging functions.

The dashboard layout is clean, with physical controls for the climate system and volume complementing the central 14-inch touchscreen. Features such as large cupholders, a cooled center console box and conveniently positioned grab handles improve usability for varying-size passengers. Visibility is excellent thanks to the high seating position and large windows.

With all three rows in use, cargo space dwindles to 10.3 cubic feet—much less than class leaders like the Escalade, which offers 25.5 cubic feet behind its third row. The BMW X7, though similar in overall size, provides slightly more spacious accommodations for third-row passengers and, in general, a more luxurious ambiance with materials and finishes.

The cabin is quiet and serene even on rough roads, thanks to Lexus’ attention to sound insulation and suspension tuning. 

Every LX features Lexus’ new 14-inch high-definition touchscreen, complemented by a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, enabling quick smartphone integration. Physical rotary knobs for climate and audio volume remain, a welcome departure from overly digitized, touch-only systems found in some luxury rivals.

Our tester came with the 21-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system that delivers concert-level quality. Multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, a 120V household outlet in the cargo area (handy for camping, tailgating, or worksite needs), and optional wireless device charging complete the tech suite.

Every LX sports the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 package, including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and more. Higher trims add a surround-view camera, traffic-jam assist, rear occupant alert, and a digital key feature.

Driver-attention monitoring and hands-free low-speed driving deliver mixed results. I found the attention system overly sensitive – indeed, irritating. It beeped, whooped, and nagged while I battled the infotainment screen or kept my eye on heavy traffic. 

Lane centering and proactive driving assist features edge toward semi-autonomy but are not as intuitive or capable as Cadillac’s Super Cruise or BMW’s suite of active drive assistants.

BMW’s iDrive remains the class benchmark for natural voice interaction and navigation responsiveness. 

Cadillac’s OLED-curved dash stretches 55 inches, integrating navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings in an immersive experience, offering a definitive lead in screen size and digital cohesion. The Lexus system rewards with ease of use but holds on to an almost “analogue” sobriety that some traditionalists will prefer.

Road manners

On pavement, the LX is a tale of two characters. In normal city and highway driving it delivers a composed, quiet ride, aided by adaptive suspension (optional) that smothers major bumps and keeps things even-keeled. 

The transmission finds the proper ratio swiftly (a hallmark of Lexus’ calibration expertise), and throttle response is smooth and never abrupt.

In the curves, the 5,700-lb LX feels like an elephant on roller skates. It is well-planted but feels top-heavy. While robust, body-on-frame construction reveals the trucky origins in sharp corners or emergency maneuvers. On the other hand, full-time AWD combined with Lexus’ superb stability control gives the big lug some nice stick in mountain curves.

Stopping power is excellent, but the vehicle’s weight reveals itself in nosedive during panic stops and overall cornering agility. It trails the BMW X7 and even the Escalade, which rides on an independent rear suspension.

Off-road beast

Trail capability is the LX’s strong suit: Overtrail trims employ a 1-inch suspension lift, 33-inch tires, front and rear locking differentials, crawl control, multi-terrain select, and prewired auxiliary switches for aftermarket gear. 

With superior approach and departure angles and an available skid plate, the LX can best Escalade or X7 when conditions deteriorate or pavement ends. Even the Land Rover Defender—the closest spiritual and hardware competitor—comes up short in towing, trailing the LX’s 9,000-plus pound capacity.

The Cadillac Escalade offers a plush, controlled on-road ride and strong acceleration, but is a much larger, heavier vehicle—making it less nimble and less adept off-road. The BMW X7, with its unibody chassis, air suspension, and standard AWD, delivers superior handling balance and acceleration, but never approaches the Lexus LX’s trail-conquering repertoire.

Lexus LX 600 drivers value the commanding ride height, low-end torque, and peace of mind afforded by full-time 4WD and rugged hardware, which earns particular praise in owner forums and from reviewers at Motor Trend and Edmunds. 

Bottom line

The 2025 Lexus GX 600 occupies a unique niche at the crossroads of off-road capability and luxury comfort. Building on decades of trusted reliability and durability, this latest generation evolves meaningfully, especially in technology, driver assist features, and interior amenities, while maintaining a core focus on real-world utility and trail performance.

Still, shoppers must weigh the appeal of off-road capability against significant trade-offs in fuel economy, third-row functionality, and urban agility. The Cadillac Escalade and BMW X7 remain formidable for those seeking ultimate luxury, space, or tech sophistication, especially in city-centric use.

For those seeking an off-roader with panache, the LX 600 is a premium SUV that rewards those who look beyond conventional luxury and desire the versatility to go anywhere, anytime, in an unmistakably Lexus style.