The interior of the 2018 Lexus LX570 is as luxurious as you would expect in a $96,000 vehicle. Online: In the market for a new vehicle? To access more than 200 of Mark Kennedy's Chattanooga Test Drive columns visit www.timesfreepress.com/test-drive.
True story: I was driving the Lexus LX570 on Broad Street one day when I pulled to up to a stoplight. I had to glance twice to ID the vehicle to my right, a Chevy Tahoe. It took me a minute because - looking down - most of what I could see of the Tahoe was its roof and the hood.
To say the Lexus LX570 looks down on the competition is not an indictment, but a mere statement of fact. My 12-year-old son noted that sitting in the front seat of this ultra-tall SUV opened up a whole new visual world to him. Driving down Walden's Ridge one day he said, "Daddy, I can see things over the rail I've never seen before: a dead tree, a traffic cone."
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2018 Lexus LX570 SUV * Exterior color: Satin Cashmere Metal * Interior color: Parchment leather * Engine: 5.7-liter, V-8 * Horsepower: 383 * Transmission: eight-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 18 mpg highway, 13 mpg city * Local Dealer: Lexus of Chattanooga, Lee Highway * Price (as tested): $96,685
Although the LX570 is bathed in luxurious Satin Cashmere paint and furnished with plush, semi-aniline leather-covered seats, at heart it's a really big body-on-frame truck. Built on the same bones at the Toyota Land Cruiser (but several thousands dollars more expensive), the basic design is almost a decade old.
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Solid is the word that first comes to mind to describe the LX570. It your are a baby boomer or beyond, this feels like a vehicle that will get you to your final destination - wink, wink - and still have enough life left for your kids to fight over it's hulking carcass in the year 2030.
Be aware though, this is a big vehicle that takes some arm and leg muscles just to get from Point A to Point B. The breaks require intent and the steering demands your attention. To purchase an LX570 is to hope that gas prices don't spike, as the big Lexus has a government fuel economy rating of 13 mpg city.
WHAT IS IT? The Lexus LX570 is the Japanese luxury brand's flagship SUV. Tipping the scales at over three tons, the LX570 has room for seven passengers and boasts at 5.7-liter V-8 engine that makes 383 horsepower. The engine is mated to a smooth, 8-speed transmission. The LX570 is truly off-road capable, with different settings for rock, dirt and sand environment. (Confession: At first glance my mind registered the settings as rock, paper, scissors.)
WHAT DOES IT COST? Hold onto your wallet. Our tester, provided for a one-week test drive by Lexus, has an MSRP of $96,685. (Think cardiologist with a pack of grand-kids.) Our test vehicle included the $1,190 Luxury Package (upgraded leather and heated/ventilated front seats) and a well-worth-it $2,350 Mark Levinson Audio System.
WHAT WE LIKED: The 12.3-inch multi-media screen, analog clock, mocha wood trim, punchy drive-train (0-60 mph in 7.2-seconds) and huge spindle grill that looks bigger than the gates to Graceland.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: The lane-assist nanny, which beeps when you touch a line without signaling, drove us nuts. It might be time to redesign the drivetrain although we don't have any specific complaints.
BOTTOM LINE: It depends completely on your own, private bottom line. If you have the means and need a tank-solid SUV that will virtually last forever, the Lexus LX570 may be just the ticket and the last vehicle you'll ever need.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.