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Lexus, by definition, is synonymous with luxury; so by including the word in the name of the vehicle’s trim level, you can expect that it is most certainly loaded with all kinds of creature comforts to keep any driver content and happy! After a week with the seven-passenger SUV, we were indeed impressed and in love with the ride, handling and abilities of the 2020 version of the GX460.

Along with all of the luxury items we would have expected to come in any Lexus, the engineers have taken the GX to the extreme in its 4×4 abilities. In fact; we would expect that it would go anywhere a Toyota 4Runner would go. The GX is based on the 4Runner; however, it is the only way to get a V8 engine that can no longer be had on the 4Runner.

We ended up with a unique opportunity to take a small road trip on our Sunday in the GX as our son JaCoby called us early that morning from Fillmore where he had become stranded at 2 a.m. along with his wife Hailey and their young son Madden.

Soon after getting the call we were off in the Lexus to pick them up and bring them back home to Springville. It was raining very hard as we left town and by switching to full time four-wheel drive, the GX handled the very wet roads with ease.

After arriving, we knew it would be a challenge to fit the three extra passengers along with their suitcase, stroller, baby seat and other necessities that come with a small child. With one of the rear-most seats up there was almost no room behind it. However, Craig and JaCoby were able to get everything stacked in place on the other side of the seat that was laid flat.

It was a tight fit, but we made it work for the hour-and-a-half trip back to Springville. While the rain continued for the entire trip, we felt completely at ease in the full-sized SUV and it 4X4 capabilities.

The Luxury version that Lexus sent to us was top of the line to say the least, and it had pretty much every creature comfort anyone could dream up to keep all of us happy while on the trip. On top of that list were the extremely comfortable leather seats that made it seem as if we were all sitting on our favorite pillows for the trip.

The GX460 is not what most would consider a crossover vehicle; it instead would fall into the SUV category, although on the smaller end of most truck-like larger SUV’s. It sports a V8 engine that puts out just over 300 horsepower at 301, with 329 pound-feet of torque — not the strongest V8 on the market but more than adequate for the smaller size of the GX. It will also tow up to 6,500 pounds when needed, so the weekend boat or trailer with a couple of snowmobiles or four wheelers attached would be the perfect compliment with the GX.

We found the acceleration of the GX to be strong, accelerating from 0 to 60 in just 7.8 seconds, which is very good for a vehicle the size of the Lexus.

The GX460 claims to be a seven-passenger SUV; but there has been much debate on just how comfortable the third row seating would be since space back there is very limited. We found this to be true, especially after Hailey had to climb into the back and stay there for the trip home; she said it would have been hard to go a very long distance in the smaller space.

It took us a couple of days to get used to the rear access door swinging out instead of lifting upward as most SUV rear access doors do now. It did make loading and unloading easier and with the electric up and down controlled rear seating, rearranging the furniture as it were, was a simple process.

For the week of our test drive the GX460 averaged right where the EPA said it would at 17.8 miles per gallon. This is quite comparable with the likes of a Tahoe and other SUV’s of a comparable size and weight equipped with a V8 engine that we have driven.

Unlike many of the Lexus sedans that we have driven over the years, the GX SUV came with a touch screen, not the usual mouse-like device that we have become accustomed to. It functioned flawlessly and was somewhat easier to use than the standard Lexus mouse.

Included with the GX was the new Lexus Enform system that makes finding a restaurant, ordering movie tickets or using advanced navigation options on the fly an easy operation. Combine that with the new predictive traffic function: an industry first that Lexus has begun including with all their navigation systems that gives up-to-date traffic updates and made getting to and from our destination even quicker, especially when we could avoid the spots with slower traffic.

Of course, as the name indicated, Luxury edition came with all the great features we would have expected, including things like heated and cooled front seats that would adjust in any way we could have imagined to make us as comfortable as possible. There was leather all around the interior with soft touches everywhere you might consider putting your hand or arm, along with Mahogany accents and of course Craig’s coveted heated steering wheel. He would have slept there if it were possible!

It seemed that if Lexus could dream it up and it fit in the definition of ‘luxury item,’ it was included standard in the new GX460 Luxury. If getting around town in style and comfort is in your future the GX460 is worth a look, especially if taking a ride up the slick rock is something you like while also staying comfortable.

Base Price: $64,255

Price as Driven: $72,010