LOOKS

In its exterior design, the 2022 Lexus GX 460 accomplishes something that’s difficult to do — it’s bold and rugged looking, but while still maintaining a classy air to it, highlighted by Lexus’ signature grille styling. There are also unique and helpful features, such as a side-opening rear door, power moonroof, illuminated running boards, roof rails and a cargo area tonneau cover.

It’s a large vehicle, coming in at a length of 192.1 inches, with its width and height both at 74.2 inches. That all adds up to a curb weight of more than 5,000 pounds. And it means there’s a good amount of passenger volume, at 128 cubic feet, with three rows of seating available (for up to 7 people). Using the power controls to put down the third row opens up your cargo space tremendously.

The GX is shorter than Lexus’ large LX SUV offering, but shares a platform with the LX and its Toyota cousin the Land Cruiser.

You can also get some attractive design upgrades, such as the Black Line special edition, and the Sport Design package — whose elements include 19-inch dark gray metallic alloy wheels, second-row tilt/slide Captain’s Chairs, a unique lower grille surround, front and rear bumper spoilers, dark gray exhaust tip, chrome detail side mirrors and scarlet tail lights.

Moving inside the GX 460, the vehicle is extremely roomy in the first two rows, but the third row is a bit tighter and best for the littlest members of the family. High quality materials and amenities throughout the GX 460 live up to luxury expectations, from seating to the trim.

Among these features are semi-aniline leather seats, both heated and ventilated; wood interior trim; heated outboard second-row seats, heated steering wheel, and three-zone automatic climate control.

Accessing the rear seating or rear cargo area is easy simply by sliding forward the second row seats. Cargo space available includes 11.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.7 cubic feet behind the second row, and 64.7 cubic feet behind the first row. 

HOW’S THE RIDE?

The Lexus GX 460 must have a powerful motor to do everything it does, so the only powerplant option is a bold 4.6-liter V8 engine that delivers 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque — making this one of a dwindling number of vehicles still offering a V8. These are not top-of-the-segment numbers, but are still strong.

The motor is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, and full-time Four-Wheel Drive is standard. You're hauling a lot of weight in the GX 460, so it's not exactly nimble. Your 0 to 60 time is around 7 seconds — a good but not great time.

Road noise is kept out of the vehicle quite well too despite its rugged nature. And sitting so high in the GX lets drivers enjoy a solid view of the road ahead and around them.

The suspension offerings — including the standard Kinetic Dynamic Suspension — are directly focused on enhancing the ability to take the GX 460 off-road without concern.
You also get 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and the ability to tow 6,500 pounds behind the GX. All this adds up to a vehicle that will catch the eye of outdoors-minded people who want a vehicle that drives well in the city and out of the traditional highways and byways. 

Other features which enhance off-road capability include Downhill Assist Control and Hill-start Assist Control. Adding the Off Road Package will get you a 360-degree Panoramic View Monitor, Multi-Terrain Monitor with four cameras, transmission cooler, fuel-tank protector, Crawl Control and Multi-Terrain Select.

The top-grade Luxury trim also adds a self-leveling adaptive air suspension.

The more you like going off-road, and doing so in style, the more you’re going to like what the GX has to offer.


TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

The tech setup in the 2022 Lexus GX 460 retains the outdated mousepad setup that Lexus has long offered. This is disappointing, as the control pad remains problematic. Thankfully there is now a working touchscreen, simple and effective climate and radio touch controls, as well as strong voice command comprehension, so the touchpad is largely redundant and you can largely avoid using it. Next step should be to get rid of the touchpad on future models.

All GX 460 models come with a 9-speaker audio system, and the 10.3-inch touchscreen, and an infotainment setup featuring Bluetooth, multiple USB ports, and compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Amazon Alexa integration, and Navigation.

A dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system is available as an option if you want to keep those in the back entertained. Also offered is a booming 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.

Safety is a hallmark of Lexus vehicles, and the GX 460 is no exception, delivering a bevy of standard smart features including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning (which alerts you if the GX is drifting out of its lane) and adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed if vehicles go in front of you).

The vehicle includes ten airbags, and LED lighting throughout, plus strong government safety ratings. Anti-lock brakes, stability control, seat belt pretensioners and anti-whiplash head restraints are other safety features included. There are also parking sensors in front and rear of the vehicle, which warn of any objects in your way.


MPG

We’re talking about a large SUV with an 8-cylinder power plant here, so fuel mileage isn’t going to be a top selling point.

The GX 460’s official numbers for fuel economy are 15 city/19 highway/16 combined. And I averaged just 13 miles per gallon in my real-world testing. When compared to rival SUVs in the luxury space, these are not great numbers.

PRICE

Luxury SUVs are not known for their affordability, so it’s no surprise that the Lexus GX 460 starts out at roughly $57K, and my test vehicle reached just over $70K with options. Trim levels start as follows: Base ($56,700), Premium ($58,035), Black Line Special Edition ($60,385), and Luxury ($66,210).

Compared to its competition in the luxury SUV space, this price range is slightly higher than some options, but also less expensive than a few brands.

Warranty coverage is strong for the segment, including a limited warranty for 4 years or 50,000 miles, and a powertrain warranty for 6 years or 70,000 miles. You also get a year of complimentary maintenance.


BOTTOM LINE

While it's not without faults and needs a facelift soon, there's no denying that the 2022 Lexus GX 460 is a perfect fit for city dwellers who want a vehicle that has the ability to take them off the beaten path on a weekend, while transporting their family in luxury and comfort all week. It is one of very few truly good options in this category in this regard.

Add in the reputation Lexus has for long-term reliability, and it starts to look even more attractive as an SUV option for active families.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.