Disclaimer: My review could be very biased because I have been an SUV enthusiast for close to 20 years and I have had my eyes on the Toyota Land Cruiser for many of those 20 years. Toyota Canada stopped importing Land Cruiser from Japan quite a few years ago so the Lexus LX470 remains the only way to get a new or relatively new Land Cruiser in the Great North.

Between my wife and I, we owned four 4xRunners (not at the same time, of course), and we are currently driving a 2002 RX300. We have been very satisfied with the RX (see review http://www.epinions.com/content_177736552068) since it is reliable, easy to maintain, and drives beautifully. Our plan was to keep the RX and acquire a used LX this year. Last month, an LX with the right model year, price, and mileage came along at our favourite Lexus dealership, so we snapped it up.

Where the RX gave us a taste of what Lexus could do with a SUV, LX allows us to experience the Lexus treatment full bore. Lexus took a world-class, fully-capable SUV, dipped it in gold (not literally) wrapped it in leather and wood trims, added a full suite of amenities, and yet managed to retain its legendary off-road prowess.

Exterior
Due to the patented smooth-curved Lexus exterior design, the LX does not look particularly large when viewed by itself. Unlike the Escalade or the Navigator, everything on the LX looks well proportioned. However, when an LX is parked next to a regular SUV (e.g. Explorer or a 4xRunner), its immense size becomes amply apparent. The vehicle comes standard with integrated illuminated running boards (have no fear, the illumination only comes on when the doors are open, not when the vehicle is moving!), built-in but hidden trailer hitch, moon roof, roof rack and rear spoiler. The paint finish is of typical Lexus quality, rich and deep.

Interior
Lexus is well known for its interior richness and the LX is no exception. It has a tasteful tone of understated luxury without being ostentatious or vulgar. Rich, supple leather and birds eye maple trims could be found everywhere. The workmanship is top notched and it lends an air of refinement to the vehicle interior. Letˇ¦s just say that the interior was not designed to appease cost accountants.

One can find the usual Lexus amenities in the cabin:
„X Heated front seats
„X Cup holders aplenty
„X 8-way power adjustable front seats
„X 4-way power adjustable mid row seats
„X Independent rear seat stereo control
„X Independent rear seat heating/cooling control
„X Excellent climate control with air filter/deodorizer
„X And many more

The console and dashboard are both well designed and provide all the information the driver needs at a glance on the large colour LCD display as well as the LED display immediately below. The backlit dashboard and gauges are easy to read in all lighting conditions. It has an indicator for every subsystem (e.g. tire pressure, centre differential, roll-sensing curtains, etc.) on the dashboard but these indicators are dormant until the corresponding subsystem is activated.

Despite the overall generous dimensions of the vehicle, Lexus designers were not wasteful in the way they designed the interior. The feel inside is spacious and efficient without any awkward corners or protrusions. The third row seat splits 50/50 and could be folded up or removed entirely. The mid row seat splits 60/40, both sides could be folded down and tumbled over for access to the 3rd row.

The cargo area is large and can be accessed through a 70/30 top/bottom split clamshell hatch. Access to the cargo area is excellent, and a factory cargo net is highly recommended.

It is the finishing touches that really demonstrate the care and thoughts put into the cabin design. For example, there is a slot in the driver sun visor for parking stubs or parking passes, recessed coat hooks for the middle row passengers, and the adjustable armrests, etc.

Electronic Gadgets and Instrumentations
Being the flagship of the Lexus SUV family, the LX is definitely not short on electronic gadgets. Though the newer GX470 has more advanced contraptions, the LX is no slouch, especially if one considers the age of this particular model line (last refreshed in 2002/2003). Once again, instrumentations and electronic gadgetries were not designed with cost or frugality in mind.

The most noticeable is the integrated DVD navigation system and Mark Levinson audio system. The Mark Levinson audio system is completely in line with the rest of the vehicle, in perfect harmony both in terms of level of sophistication and actual aural refinement. The sound quality is out of this world. Coupled with the ASL (Active Sound Level) system, the quiet ride and adaptive suspension dampening, the Mark Levinson makes the cabin almost feel like a concert hall.

The system also plays DVD disks. However, the video output is only active on the front console when the car is in "Park" and the hand brake is set. I took advantage of this feature and loaded the 6-disc changer with DVD Audio disks that I created. Now I have a sizeable music library in the car without having to fashion an iPOD hookup.

The DVD navigation is a must-have. Compared to the Garmin Nuvi 350 that I travel with on business trips, the Lexus system offers a lot more routing options and flexibility. It also has a relatively detailed database on points of interest (POI) such as restaurants, shopping areas, etc. These POIs are displayed on the screen, you can filter out the ones you are not interested in, and each icon on the screen offers you address, name and phone number - a handy tool to have when traveling to unfamiliar places. The only drawback is the cost of upgrade. While I can upgrade the Garmin for less than 80.00 a year, each Lexus navigation DVD upgrade could be anywhere between 300 to 500 dollars, depending on the dealership. The dealer may even charge for installation (which simply means exposing the ECU drive under the front passenger seat, removing the old disk and popping in the new one!)

Other electronic wonders include rain sensing wiper, voice command, active height control, adaptive suspension, Homelink garage remote control (common to all Lexus vehicles), automatic lighting system, tire pressure sensors, etc. Voice command works beautifully, except it is hard to memorize all the verbal commands (they fill quite a few pages in the back end of the manual).

Driving the LX
One can easily argue that all the features and amenities mentioned above are inconsequential if the vehicle does not perform well on the road. The LX certainly does not disappoint in this area. Since it is based on the Land Cruiser chassis and it retains its alter ego's off-road prowess, the LX is a wolf in sheepˇ¦s disguise. Despite its polished refinements and luxury appointment, deep down inside the LX is an AWD beast.

The full-time AWD is coupled with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Active Traction Control System (ATRAC). It is surprisingly nimble and maneuverable for a vehicle this size. The active height control system allows the driver to lower the vehicle by almost 1.5 inches for easy loading of heavy cargoes. In normal mode the LX has a ground clearance of 9.8 inches. In this mode, the approach and departure angles are 30 and 23 degrees respectively. With a touch of one button, the vehicle could be raised to the high mode, adding another 1.5 inch to the ground clearance and increasing approach and departure angles to 32 and 27 degrees respectively. When in high mode, the vehicle will automatically raise itself by another inch if the driver shifts from high- to low-range 4WD mode. The total traverse afforded by the active height control system is close to five inches.

LX is equipped with a true AWD system that splits the power 50/50 between front and back tires. With driver activated centre locked differential, rear limited slip and low-range 4WD mode, one has to try very hard (or be very inept) to get the vehicle stuck in mud and snow.

All the techno babble aside, driving the LX is an experience unparalleled in the SUV genre. First of all, it is unbelievably QUIET! Not just quiet for an SUV, it is quiet even by luxury sedan standard. Second, it does not feel like a big, heavy SUV on the road at all, both in downtown traffic and at highway speed. Parking and maneuvering is surprisingly nimble, with an astonishingly small turning radius for such a large vehicle. It is enjoyable and comfortable to drive this vehicle to the corner store, across town or cross country.

The adaptive variable suspension system has four settings from very firm to very soft. In the firm mode the LX responses like a sporty truck with handling and cornering capacities that defy its bulk, whereas the soft mode makes the vehicle feel like a touring sedan. The progressive rate power steering gives the LX incredible stability at high speed and high agility in tight spaces.

LX reveals its lineage in the availability of true off-road features such as snow mode (starts the vehicle in 2nd gear), ability to disable Roll Sensing Curtains (prevents the accidental deployment of roll-sensing airbags during extreme off-road maneuvers), and the ability to lock centre differential.

Safety
The first two rows of the vehicle are cocooned by numerous airbags mounted in the front, sides, and window frames. Lexus is still one of the safest vehicles around as far as I am concerned.

Visibility and Comfort
The height of the LX combined with good cabin design gives the driver excellent and commanding visibility all around. The front and middle row seats are comfortable and provide great support for the back and lower body. Long drives in this vehicle are enjoyable and very relaxing.

Gas Consumption
A lot of owner-reviewers bemoan the thirstiness of the LX and I find that quite disingenuous and out of context. Nobody purchases a full-size, off-road capable SUV with lots of torque for towing because of its miserly gas mileage. At highway speed, the LX can go toe-to-toe with any mid to large SUV for gas mileage. Around the town, the LX drinks gas just like any other large SUV. I doubt Toyota is planning to launch a hybrid Land Cruiser or downsize its engine any time soon so there is no point griping about how often one has to refill the 96 litre (21 gallon) tank if a large SUV is what you want.

Customer Service
Once again, "superb" is the only word I can think of to describe the Lexus customer service treatment. Their sales and service reps certainly do not have the same attitude problem like those of Mercedes and BMW.


Amount Paid (US$): 52000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: DVD Navigation, Mark Levinson Audio, Roof Rack, Spoiler


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 52000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2004