Large SUVs are not the trend these days, but they definitely haven’t disappeared. For people who have to haul around a crew that won’t fit in smaller rides, they are still necessary. And some of those people live in certain ZIP codes and require a higher-end offering to drive.

There is a wide variety of options still offered in this segment, some more pedestrian and some more upscale. I recently tested out a vehicle that definitely qualifies on the upscale end -- the 2014 Lexus GX 460 -- and I’m back with a full report of how it measures up to its competition.

LOOKS
WIth the Lexus GX 460, Toyota has taken the base of a Toyota 4Runner and given it a luxury upgrade inside and out. It’s a full-size SUV (not a crossover), with seating for seven (or alternatively, lot of cargo room if store away the rear seats -- which are versatile depending on your needs).

Outside, you get the distinctive Lexus look; the grille alone lets you know what kind of vehicle this is. Overall it’s a sharp design that clearly lets you know this is a luxury vehicle.

The vehicle comes with 18-inch wheels and is equipped with mud and snow tires so you’ll be set in various weather conditions.

A power tilt/slide moonroof lets you get a little bit of air and sunshine into your ride.

And as you can expect with all vehicles with the Lexus name, the interior clearly separates itself from its more utilitarian cousin (the 4Runner) by using higher quality materials throughout (leather, wood grain, etc.) to fulfill its claim of being a luxurious ride.
For example, my test vehicle had a heated mahogany wood steering wheel -- so driving in the winter just got a lttle more comfortable (and stylish).

The leather seats on the Luxury model are quite comfortable, and you save you seat settings for multiple drivers. Standard model features leatherette seats.

ENGINE, HANDLING, OVERALL RIDE QUALITY
Both the standard and luxury models of the GX 460 come with a 4.6 liter V8 engine; which produces 301 horsepower. The vehicle comes with a six-speed automatic transmission and features four-wheel drive.

It’s a powerful ride, without a doubt, and responds well to your commands, but it’s also a very large vehicle -- so don’t expect the handling that comes with much smaller vehicles.

This is based on the 4Runner, so the suspension is impressive and will handle various levels of road quality -- The Adaptive Variable Suspension on my test vehicle (a Luxury trim level model) featured Rear Air Suspension with Automatic Load Leveling, and a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. Other safety features that enhance the overall ride quality are Vehicle Stability Control and Trailer Sway Control.

The net result is that while this is a luxury SUV, it will still be comfortable doing some light off-roading. I wouldn’t go off any extreme adventures with it though.

Towing is also an option here, up to 6,500 pounds.

MPG
Official numbers on this vehicle are 15 mpg in the city/20 on the highway and 17 combined.
Not spectacular numbers in the grand scheme of the Toyota family of vehicles, but not terrible in the world of large SUVs.

TECH, SAFETY FEATURES
The 8-inch touchscreen in the Lexus GX 460 was easy to use, with intuitive menus that are easy to navigate. The mousepad-like setup to control the screen that I have seen in other Lexus vehicles is gone, thankfully, as I’m not a big fan of that feature. This large touchscreen is much more helpful, and voice commands can also be used for safety while driving.
A rear camera comes wih all models -- and is a big help when backing out.

New features for this year on the GX460 include LED headlights, daytime running lights and available LED fog lights.

On the standard model, tech features include a 8-inch touchscreen display HD Radio with traffiic/weather updates and Bluetooth connectivity. Safety options on the standard model include a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert system.

When you upgrade to the Luxury model you get navigation, the upgraded suspension; and the blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert come standard on this model, along with intuitive parking assist.

The SafetyConnect feature includes Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emegency Assist Button and Enhanced Roadside Assistance (This program comes with a one-year trial subscription, then you have to pay for it -- similar to OnStar).

An optional safety feature on the Luxury model is advanced pre-collision warning. The vehicle comes with 10 airbags

Other optional features include heated outboard rear seats, three-zone climate control.

My biggest question on this vehicle is why the blind-spot monitor system and other safety features like Lane Deparure Warning are not standard -- as they really should be at this price point. Besides that, this vehicle does a good job on features.

PRICE
There are two trim levels on the Lexus GX 460 -- Standard and Luxury.
My Luxury test vehicle was just north of $60K to start, plus another $1,145 for an impressive premium Mark Levinson audio system (17 speakers, 330 watts), bringing the total to about $62K including delivery charge.
The standard version of the Lexus GX 460 starts at $49.995.

This is not inexpensive, of course, but you’re paying in part for the name (like you do with alll luxury brands) so it’s not a surprise.

And believe it or not, the price on the Standard model actually dropped several thousand dollars for this model year.

BOTTOM LINE
If you’re planning to haul of lot of people and/or cargo, and want a stylish luxury vehicle to do so, you should include the Lexus GX 460 on your test-drive list.

This is kind of a unique vehicle due to its off-road capability. Most of the other vehicles in the upscale realm do not have that feature, mostly because it’s not something most people need -- and there are plenty of other crossover options from Lexus and other upscale automakers to satisfy those people.

This vehicle has a lot to offer, but it’s also got some strong competition from Infiniti, Cadillac and others in the luxury vehicle market.

I will say this: the GX 460 definitely knows its target market -- a large family with some money to spare. That’s not a huge percentage of the population, but it’s one of the segments where you have to be truly competitive to get and keep customers, and Lexus takes a strong stab at that here by producing a vehicle that performs well on and off the road but maintains an upscale look outside and keeps it classy inside.