First Drive: Lexus LX 570

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In my haste to bring you the exciting news about the upcoming IS-F luxury sports car from Lexus, I nearly overlooked the fact that we were in the Mobile Bay area recently to get our first impressions of another new vehicle from Toyota’s luxury division, the LX 570.

LX 570 rounds out this model year’s enhancements to the Toyota/Lexus large SUV/truck platform along with that stout powertrain application. To this point we have seen Tundra, Sequoia and Land Cruiser and now the LX, which is based on the Land Cruiser package.
Thanks to a trip to a mountain resort in Montana last year, we already knew how capable this combination was offroad – now it was up to Lexus to prove just how fancy it could dress up this debutante.

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Let’s get the powertrain refresher out of the way first – hefty 5.7-liter V-8 cranking out 383hp and 403 lb. ft. of torque backed by slick six-speed automatic transmission sending power to fulltime four-wheel-drive running gear featuring the new CRAWL selectable offroad system (that “offroad cruise control” stuff from Toyota).

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From there the new LX is treated to new “posture control” combining four-wheel active height control with adaptive variable suspension allowing the vehicle to react more quickly to any road condition changes thus providing better ride control for its eight occupants.
As with all new SUVs in the Lexus stable, advanced traction and stability control technology is employed along with tire pressure monitoring of the new 20-inch rubber standard at each corner, and stopping this pretty beast is a snap thanks to the large ventilated disc brakes with new multi-terrain ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

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Safety equipment? Loaded to the gills, including 10 standard airbags and new active front headrests and available pre-collision technology.
The new LX is also completely laden with new technology designed to fully enhance the driving experience. Cameras up front and under the passenger rearview mirror give a wide view of the blind spots of the truck while adaptive radar cruise control keeps an eye on other traffic on the road around you, and the new four-zone automatic climate control offers a total of 28 air vents to keep occupants comfy and cozy. Mark Levinson premium audio is, of course, available, as is rear seat DVD entertainment with a nine-inch wide-screen monitor.

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And yes, you can get that wicked cool intuitive park assist technology on this SUV – perfect for those too lazy or pampered to handle all of the parking duties themselves.
Pricing for the new jewel in Lexus’ crown begins at $73,800 and, of course, goes up from there depending on just what your definition of “fully loaded” is. While most consumers in the market for an LX 570 won’t be terribly concerned about fuel economy, 2008 ratings have actually improved over the previous model despite the larger, more powerful powertrain.

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About the Author

David Goodspeed
David was editor of AutoworldToday at Today Newspapers in the Dallas suburbs until its closing in 2009. He was also webmaster and photographer/videographer. He got started doing photography for the newspaper while working as a firefighter/paramedic in one of his towns, and began working for the newspaper group full-time in 1992. David entered automotive journalism in 1998 and became AutoworldToday editor in 2002. On the average, he drives some 100 new vehicles each year. He enjoys the great outdoors and as an avid fly fisherman, as is his spouse Tish. He especially enjoys nature photography and is inspired by the works of Ansel Adams.

3 Comments on "First Drive: Lexus LX 570"

  1. Wayne Schulz | March 4, 2008 at 3:14 pm |

    Nice. But not $73,000+ nice — damn..

  2. David Goodspeed | March 4, 2008 at 3:17 pm |

    It’s about the same coin as the Range Rover Sport supercharged and a loaded Escalade is not too far behind.

  3. For that much I would have to seriously consider the Viper instead. Impractical? Absolutely. Hot? You betcha.

    Although, for $73K, in some markets you could get something with standard front and back yards, and an optional deck. 😆

Comments are closed.