Lexus finally delivers the family friendly three-row SUV its owners deserve
What’s New For 2024
Everything. The TX is an all-new crossover that fills a hole in their lineup as big as the Lone Star State. Depending on configuration, it seats six or seven passengers and is available in either front or all-wheel drive with 3 engine options: gas, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid. The TX and its fraternal twin, the Toyota Grand Highlander, are built on the TNGA-K unibody platform giving it car-like manners. It competes with the BMW X-7, Mercedes-Benz GLS, and Cadillac XT6.
While Lexus has been selling the LX, a full-size, three-row, body on frame SUV, since 1996, it was never a great family vehicle. Even in its newest iteration, the third row in the LX 600 is not fit for anyone larger than a toddler, and with the third row occupied, cargo room is – let’s be charitable and say limited. There’s no way you can fill every seat for a weekend getaway and carry the luggage you’ll need inside the vehicle. The TX fixes all of those issues.
Exterior Design
The TX styling doesn’t break new ground, but it does manage to incorporate the Lexus design language into a large SUV in a way that is both handsome and confident. The Lexus signature grille is massive and dominates the front, but it is well integrated with minimal brightwork to call attention to itself. The one piece of chrome runs between the narrow headlights and is designed to emphasize the cars width. There’s a short front overhang, long raked roof, strong character lines, and deeply sculpted door panels that add style without feeling overwrought. The 116-inch wheelbase allows for a longer rear door which provides easy access to the second and third rows. The rear brake and running lights wrap around the wide opening tail gate, which is adorned with subtle branding. All in all, it’s a handsome crossover that blends in more than it stands out especially in the Cloudburst Grey color of my test vehicle which only enhanced the understated nature of the design.
Interior Design, Room, and Comfort
Inside is where the TX really shines. First and foremost, unlike the company’s other three-row SUV, the LX, there’s actually ample room for adult sized humans in both the second and third rows as well as sufficient cargo space even with all the seats filled. Those relegated to the way back will find more than 2 additional inches of legroom, while second row passengers get more than 3 additional inches.
Starting at $55,050, the TX Standard is modestly equipped with heated front seats, 14-inch touch screen for the Lexus Interface. Only the front heated seats, there’s a second row bench, and the third row seats are manually folding. All seats are trimmed in Nu-Luxe synthetic leather. All in all in this trim the interior doesn’t live up to the standard Lexus has set with the RX and it’s other SUVs. Given the price and the lack of premium features, you may want to look at a high trim level Grand Highlander Limited, which will provide you with a lot more for about the same price.
Move up a couple of steps to the Luxury trim level and the offering becomes a lot more compelling. For an additional $5,000 you get heated and cooled 10-way adjustable front seats with memory, heated rear seats, power folding third row seats and semi-analine leather trim all around. You also get the panoramic sunroof, and a heated leather-trimmed steering wheel. If you don’t have a big brood, you’ll want to opt for the second row heated and cooled captains chairs. I’d also recommend the technology package which adds 12.3-in digital information display, surround view monitor, advanced park assist, the digital rearview mirror which comes in handy when you load up the vehicle with people and luggage, and the head-up display.
Technology
The Lexus infotainment interface is still fairly new an a big upgrade from the previous system. While it features a large touchscreen, it’s a voice-first system that uses Google POI for the search function and natural voice recognition so you can speak to it as you would a person sitting next to you, and for the most part it gets things right. Just begin with the wake up phrase, “Hey Lexus,” and then give it commands like, “Tune to SiriusXM Real Jazz,” “set the cabin temp to 69 degrees,” or “Take me to the nearest coffee shop,” and the computer does the rest. With a little practice, operating it becomes second nature. And you’ll want to get good at it, because poking around on a touch screen while you’re driving is both difficult and dangerous. According to a recent study conducted by the University of Iowa, today’s larger touchscreens result in longer glances away from the road and that’s a problem whether you’re cruising down the highway at 70 miles per hour or coming up to a stoplight in rush hour traffic.
I am surprised that with a screen so large, there’s no split screen functionality. Most systems on both premium and mainstream brands allow you to display two things at once. It’s nice not to have to navigate away from the maps to change the radio or look at vehicle data. That having been said, the climate control system does have a permanent place on the screen with large dials that make it easy to adjust the temperature.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as is wireless charging. You’ll also find plenty of USB ports in every row. Lexus Safety System 3.0 delivers a full suite of driver assist functions like dynamic cruise control, lane trace assist, pre-collision braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert, and intuitive parking assist with automatic braking.
Power and Efficiency
The TX has three engine options. The standard TX 350 has a turbocharged 2.4-liter inline 4 cylinder engine that makes 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. It’s available in either front or all-wheel drive and goes 0-60 in a respectable 8 seconds. In this setup, the EPA suggests you’ll get around 23 miles per gallon combined. The TX 500h is a mild-hybrid system adds two asynchronous electric motors (one up front and one at the rear axle) boosting total output to 366 horsepower and shortening 0-60 time to 6.1 seconds with the power going to all four wheels. EPA combined MPG for the hybrid is 27 MPG. The TX 500h+ is a plug-in hybrid model making 404 horsepower and a 0.60 acceleration time of 5.9 seconds. All electric range is limited to just 33 miles which feels a little light, but mileage hits 29 MPG combined for this configuration.
Performance, Ride, and Handling
The standard gas engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. This provides adequate power to help you comfortably merge onto busy freeways and execute passing maneuvers on two-lane roads. Handling is as you would expect for a large unibody SUV. It’s solid and predictable, but anyone hoping this would perform like a nimble sedan is not only delusional, but will also be sorely disappointed. That having been said, the ride is excellent and the cabin is quiet thanks to oodles of insulation and acoustic glass all the way around.
The Bottom Line
For families looking to step up from a mainstream 3-row SUV, but don’t want to deal with the bulk and inefficiencies of an Escalade or Navigator, the Lexus finally has a viable option in the TX. The base trim makes this premium brand attainable for many, while if you step up into the Premium or Luxury packages, you’ll get a lot more of the premium features people buy a Lexus for. What separates the TX most from competitors like the X7, GLS, XT6 and others is you get a third row seat adults can actually use and room for luggage when all the seats are filled. And that’s no small feat.
