2026 Lexus GX review

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The Lexus GX was once forbidden fruit in Australia, but its introduction seems to have gone down well with local buyers.

Arriving in Australian showrooms in mid-2024, it has since become the favourite in the lucrative high-end upper-large SUV segment – though there is a catch. While it outsold the likes of the BMW X7, it fell short of more direct off-road rivals like the Land Rover Defender – even if they’re classed in different price segments – by a considerable margin.

That’s not to be the case, though, as the GX is a fairly expensive and much more niche than other ladder-frame SUVs that provide diesel power. Nevertheless, the most important factor is that it’s the platform of the GX’s which is unsurprisingly flexible across the Toyota stable.

Built on the brand’s TNGA-F body-on-frame platform, the GX is related to Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 Series, 250 Series Prado and Tundra pickup, as well as its premium brand’s larger Lexus LX. The GX is only available with a V6 petrol engine, which keeps it from cannibalising sales of the closely related, four-cylinder diesel-powered Prado.

With all that in mind, is the GX still worth considering in 2026?

How much does the Lexus GX cost?

Sitting at the top of the three-grade GX range, the Sports Luxury is priced at $124,840 before on-road costs.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Lexus GX550 Luxury | $118,320 |
| 2026 Lexus GX550 Overtrail | $124,840 |
| 2026 Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury | $130,770 |

A GX’s most direct rival is Defender, which in five-door guise starts at $99,500 before on-roads when fitted with a 3-hole. turbo-diesel 0-litre six-cylinder, 0 litre and a. supercharge 5 . 0-litre V8 petrol option increases prices above the GX, to $124,300 before on-roads.

Otherwise, the Nissan Patrol V8 tops out at $110,660 before on-roads, while the Prado range tops out at $100,690 before on-roads in flagship Kakadu trim.

This is a good example of the LandCruiser 300 Series, which starts at $99,340 before on-roads in base GX trim and ends out at hefty $147.910 ahead of on road trips to launch its flagship Sahara ZX.

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
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What is the Lexus GX like on the inside?

Your view of the GX’s interior will differ depending on whether you’re looking at it or sitting in it.

The awkward design of its , if you’re just looking, is hard to ignore. The dashboard is huge and imposing, and it seems to end abruptly with the sharp air vent housings at either end floating aimlessly near the side windows.

Not particularly slick in its lines or screen integration, it’s an unattractive interior look that is often misplaced and inconsistent with the style of most modern Lexus cabins. The dash, too, is quite high; it has a narrow platform (which combined with the slim windscreen) makes strange aesthetic proportions.

It’s all very right when you are in the driver’. A dash – and the lovely dark green metallic paint on the bonnet of this upright Dash- makes it feel like you’re in the cockpit of a military car, giving you an actual feeling behind the wheel.

The cabin’s ergonomics are spot-on, and everything is nice to hand. The leather-appointed seats – with a luxe massage function are comfortable and supportive by default, so it’s easy to get settled.

Material choice Then is a form of . Other highlights are rich gunmetal accents, grain-textured plastics and leather-finished surfaces. But the most notable is, by far, the leather-wrapped steering wheel that has been rolled over.

It’s super-satisfying to hold its perfect thickness, well proportioned overall diameter and silky-smooth finish. But we’re willing to forgive some of the cabin’s ungainly design nuances when Lexus has delivered the one thing you interact with most.

However, noticeably less satisfying is the buttons on wheel of but are clearly more’stuffy’. The real buttons are thankfully not finished in piano black, but their click is very cheap and lacking the strong meaty action of the buttons found in some other Toyota cars.

There’s still a standard for steering wheel heating here, and electric adjustment is still used. Despite the fact that they are only plastics and metal would be nice, the stalks or paddle shifters are intuitive and also feel strong even if it is just an example of how to use them.

What will you not see new with the screens of the GX’s if you’re used to modern Toyota? It’s a good 14-inch infotainment display, which has crisp graphics and snappy loading times. This isn’t quite as punchy as we would have liked the Mark Levinson sound system here, as it has been for a side note.

Typical toyota style, physical climate controls are stripped back and digitally locked in an always-on ribbon at the bottom of the display. They’re at least large and legible controls, but we do wish the two classy-looking physical dials were notchier in their rotation.

meanwhile, the instrument display is quite neatly done. We like its simple graphics, and the ability to display readouts such as battery voltage and oil pressure is cool and unusual in many new cars – even if they’re a little wasted in GX models without auxiliary electric fittings and so on.

It’s still a bit of an awkward task to navigate with the buttons on the steering wheel, so some time spent learning each layout and how to access the different settings menus won’t go amiss.

But storage up front isn’t as generous a boxy body would suggest for the car. The centre console has the usual pair of cupholders under a sliding cover, one wireless phone charger, ‘large traditional gear selector and array of other buttons’ but what is with that sloped panel up front?

buttons and the drive mode selector make sense, but there’s so much space here that we have. The a cutesy sliding cover is not the case just for the 12V outlet. Could this be ‘dug out’ to install an additional storage cubby below the central air vents? At least the two USB-C ports are easily accessible.

A small-ish passenger-side glovebox, small bottle holders in the door cards and a small cubby under the central armrest doubles as’rerigerated cool box’. It’s a shame, and it is awkward when you’re going on road trip with more than one person.

It is a big second row, but headroom is suddenly unexpectedly taken over by the unattractive . In the back, you feel like you sit very high (as opposed to the front) and ceiling space is unfortunately hampered by the otherwise luxurious, dimmable, fixed-glass roof that has been so much on it.

Nevertheless, creature comforts aren’t limited; there is a dedicated climate panel and two USB-C ports on the back of centre console (and heating for outboard seats) as well as heated. Air vents are in the ceiling, and legroom is good if you’re not caught in middle of the air.

That’s the same thing about two third-row seats – not all that comfortable but serviceable for short trips. Two cupholders are placed on each side and a USB-C port, which allows you to electrically raise and lower each seat with switches in the boot. In the process, storage space is significantly reduced by .

In a statement about the GX’s boot, it is far more practical and larger than its awkwardly packaged Prado (182L-906 L-1829LT) platform-mate (often called “GX”). Standard A powered tailgate allows full access to the square, large cargo hold – lower third and second rows of seats creates a truly cavernous space.

It is a 230V outlet on the driver’s side of the boot topping it off, as well as ‘full-size spare mounted under the vehicle’.

| Dimensions | Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury |
| — | — |
| Length | 5015mm |
| Width | 1980mm |
| Height | 1935mm |
| Wheelbase | 2850mm |
| Cargo capacity | 291L (all rows up) 1138L (third row folded) 2177L (third and second rows folded) |

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The GX550 is a 3-year beating heart of s. 4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, 260kW of power and 6Nm of torque. All four wheels are paired with drive via a 10-speed automatic transmission that sends drive to all four wheel.

| Specifications | Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury |
| — | — |
| Engine | 3.4L twin-turbo V6 petrol |
| Power | 260kW |
| Torque | 650Nm |
| Transmission | 10-speed auto |
| Drive type | Full-time four-wheel drive |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 12.3L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 13.9L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 80L |
| Fuel requirement | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| CO2 emissions (claimed) | 279g/km |
| Kerb weight | 2575kg |
| Payload | 600kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 3130kg |
| Gross vehicle mass (GVM) | 3175kg |

Interestingly, it should be noted that the only GX grade is the Sports Luxury with 3130kg braked towing as standard; the other two variants have 3500kg.

Our time with the GX550 was a little longer than usual. This entails one week’s normal highway commuter in generally poor Melbourne traffic, but free R-flowing nation driving was not the only exception.

After this, a 400km-long road trip (with both rear rows folded) of camping gear and equipment followed by about 40km low-speed driving on rough dirt roads was taken.

Our test tested for the most common fuel economy over that varied driving, compared to Lexus’s average-based model. But it’s not entirely surprising that the GX is thirsty, but something worth considering nonetheless.

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
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How does the Lexus GX drive?

Perhaps ironically for a large luxury SUV sold alongside the car-based Lexus RX, the enemy of the GX is its ladder-frame platform, which seems to undermine a lot of the Lexus-flavoured enhancements over the related Prado.

GX550 Luxury shown

But if you’ve driven the current Prado, especially a lower-spec variant with no adaptive damping, you know that it’s suddenly hard and awkward on bumpy sealed roads. I think that’s a part of this platform, unfortunately, because the GX Sports Luxury left us unwhelmed by what we call “the most disappointing thing about “?

Despite the adaptive damping, its ride isn’t as supple as we’d expected. It’ll crash and buck over bumps, throw its guests around inside and make a wave of alarming noises from the back-end in the process – probably from interior plastics but still be.

We presume the colossal alloys of the Sports Luxury are a key factor in this, as we’ve found the Luxury and Overtrail to be much more cushy. Mind you, this setup is still preferable to the base Prado’s passive suspension, but arguably less palatable than the cheaper Ford Everest.

Similarly, it makes this particular GX seem relatively fragile off-road; hard-pack dirt roads with all sorts of holes, bumps and ruts feel like they could send a shock absorber through the bonnet if taken too fast.

Overtrail, of course, has a larger emphasis on off-road use and variant is usually more consistent with its chunky allterrain alloys, smaller alloyed suspension setup, tweakeD suspension configuration. The Sports Luxury is just a small bit of posh, when it comes to .

There are few settings to choose from for that adaptive damping as a whole, and there are also varying types of settings. While its Standard mode is as we’ve described, it has a slightly more soft but still very harsh over sharp imperfections in its Comfort setting.

It’s actually its hardened Sport setting, which is the best-calibrated version of what it says on the tin and makes the GX feel more agile – as fast as a tall, three-row SUV can be, anyway. You can’t drive in this environment because it’s too hard, but you do have good body control.

But thankfully, we found the GX’s steering nice. By default, it’s very communicative and weighted well by default but still manages to mask big bumps without dying. Generally, you know how the car will react to your inputs as a result.

It is also a good way for the GX to fly through suburban areas because it doesn’t complain about taking sharp turns with slaps of aggression. No sporty means, but it gives you confidence when going roundabouts or making tight turns.

But the biggest drawback of the GX550 over the Prado is its beastly twin-turbo petrol V6, which has a monster dual- Turbometer engine. A good sound (albeit synthetic when in Sport S+ mode) and an impressive performance, the Lexus’s powertrain is far better than its Toyota equivalent of a car.

A super-smooth and absolutely haul when you plant the accelerator pedal, it’ll be a great overtake on either caravan or truck for if you quickly overtook. A clever transmission is also the transmission it never seems to trip over its many gears and rarely appears in normal driving.

The speed and accuracy of kickdowns are quick, but you can still control the gears by putting in manual mode or hitting the steering wheel paddles. This powertrain is a perfect fit for the GX and it’s just near-perfect fit, as well as being an ideal choice for .

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This is the only drawback to it’s a thirsty one, so long-haul road trips are not ideal. But if you are worried about economy and saving fuel, then again (and in case you would buy the diesel Prado or the LandCruiser 300 Series) instead of the other.

In typical Toyota fashion, the GX’s safety systems are all fairly well-sorted. But we didn’t have to believe its adaptive cruise control and lane-centring functions, even though it’s not going for much of the steering lock that is inherently expensive (and there’d be a good set of parking sensors and cameras designed to make parking easy.

Its driver monitoring system is more sensitive than we should have been, and our only complaint here is that it’s a better thing to do with its drivers. This is not an issue, but we’re seeing it more in newer Toyotas and we hope that doesn’t mean the norm.

While in general, the GX Sports Luxury is a mixed bag on the road. A strong drive away from the lovely steering and meaty engine, its refinement is otherwise quite pronounced (except for a bit of wind noise at high speed) but it’s power-rich ride takes on its firm ride.

For a full breakdown of the GX’s off-road capabilities, check out our video review below:

| Off-road dimensions | Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury |
| — | — |
| Track front and rear | 1665mm (front) 1670mm (rear) |
| Ground clearance | 225mm |
| Approach angle | 26º |
| Departure angle | 23º |
| Ramp breakover angle | 23º |
| Wading depth | – |

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

What do you get?

Lexus sells three distinct GX550 variants in Australia.

GX550 Sports Luxury

2026 Lexus GX550 Luxury equipment highlights:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size spare wheel
• 7-seat capacity
• 200A alternator
• Auto LED headlights
• LED tail-lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Heated side mirrors with puddle lamps
• Roof rails
• Privacy glass
• Illuminated fixed side steps
• Power tilt and telescopic steering wheel column
• Paddle shifters
• Leather-accented gear shift knob and steering wheel
• NuLux upholstery
• 8-way front seat power adjustment with 2-way lumbar
• Driver seat memory
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated outboard second-row seats
• Power-folding third-row seats
• Power tailgate
• Rear opening glass hatch
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wired Android Auto
• “Hey Lexus” natural voice recognition
• Satellite navigation
• DAB+ digital radio
• 10-speaker sound system
• Colour head-up display
• Wireless charger
• 6 x USB-C ports

• 2 x front
• 2 x second row
• 2 x third row

• 2 x 12V sockets
• 220V outlet
• Three-zone climate control
• Single-colour interior ambient lighting
• Three drive modes

GX550 Sports Luxury adds:

• 22-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive damping
• ‘High Grade’ LED headlights with adaptive high-beam
• Auto extending/folding side steps (in lieu of illumination)
• Radiator grille shutter
• Panoramic glass roof
• Illuminated scuff plates
• Refrigerated cool box
• Digital rear-view mirror
• Unique door trim, pillar fabric, and dashboard finish
• Heated steering wheel
• Semi Aniline leather-accented upholstery
• Front massaging seats
• 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat (thigh support)
• 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
• Rear sun shades
• Tailgate kick sensor
• Multi-colour interior ambient lighting
• Credit card key (in addition to regular fobs)
• Five drive modes

• Normal
• Eco
• Comfort
• Sport S
• Sport S+

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

Is the Lexus GX safe?

The Lexus GX has not been crash-tested by ANCAP and is therefore unrated.

But technically a different model, though, it’s worth noting the Toyota Prado on which the Lexus is based has been given ANCAP five-star safety rating in 2024. But this does not automatically translate to a five-star score for the Lexus.

Standard safety equipment highlights:

• 9 airbags, incl:

• Front
• Knee
• Side
• Front-centre

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking

• Day and night pedestrian, cyclist detection
• Daytime motorcyclist detection
• Junction assist

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitoring system
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane departure alert
• Lane-trace assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Safe exit assist
• Surround-view monitor
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring

GX550 Overtrail adds crawl control, downhill assist control, and a multi-terrain monitor.

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

How much does the Lexus GX cost to run?

The Lexus Australia supports its range with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. whichever comes first, Servicing is done every six months or 10,000km (or one-fifth of the time it takes to service.

| Servicing and Warranty | Lexus GX |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 3 years (Lexus Encore) |
| Service intervals | 6 months or 10,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years ($695 each) |
| Average annual service cost | $1390 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $6950 |

The price of individual service for the GX has risen $100 per cent since 2026. It has been servicing twice a year, and its total service cost is now an eye-watering $6950 with services exceeding five years.

But buyers do, however, receive three years of free Lexus Encore program (including roadside assistance, a service loan car, Ampol fuel offers and access to exclusive events and offers).

For rivals, Land Rover provides five-year service packs of the Defender as well. The pack for the supercharged V8 bumps that go up to $3900 are $6500, while six-cylinder turbo-diesel models carry a $3500 package.

yearly services by The Nissan Patrol, cost $499 each and $2495 over five years. While the diesel Prado, meanwhile, has service intervals similar to GX, five years of servicing will cost $3950.

To see how the Lexus GX stacks up against the competition, use our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury

The Lexus GX is a lovely vehicle, but the flagship Sports Luxury compromises the formula.

Unlike most other Lexus models, its interior is visually brash and lacks the class of many others (even though it’s materials and tech are all quality) GXs. The Prado’s interior is much better for its body than the rest of us, we can’t help but feel like a .

Despite being the opposite in other trim levels, we also found the Sports Luxury’s ride firm. A lot of the ‘big alloy wheels’ that make the Sports Luxury seem far more suitable to (affluent) urban environments is it disappointing that the adaptive damping can’t mask the impact on the wheel.

That service pricing, which is not as expensive business as it is for a , can’t be forgotten. But if you still want a luxury large off-road SUV with mighty engine, all that combines to make the Defender seem much more rationale. But even the Prado makes sense if you’re the type who likes to travel more than 400km on a tank of fuel.

However, we cannot sabotage the performance of this lusty petrol V6 (the good behaviour of transmission), lovely steering and its quality in-quality transmission. Similarly, the GX offers good value as does Prado and 300; standard equipment here is hard to argue against.

We like the GX, and if none of that worries you it’s still worth buying. It’s just a matter of what you’ll use it for; the mid-spec Overtrail will probably be your best all-rounder as far as an all rounder.

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