2017 Lexus GX460 Review: When You Need Rough and Tumble Off-road Luxury [Video]

The 2017 Lexus GX460 carries on with minimal changes for 2017. Its tried and tested 301 horsepower 4.6-liter V8 makes 329 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. While it is connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine/transmission combination provides a silky-smooth driving experience. It can also tow up to 6,500 lbs.

It’s remarkably smooth and comfortable to drive with a whisper quiet interior and soft suspension. It is a tad top heavy, so radical maneuvers should be kept to a minimum. It drives effortlessly, day-to-day, and, while it is a snap to park, it can feel cumbersome to certain drivers. The parking/camera system helps quite a bit.

The array of off-road wizardry available in the 2017 Lexus GX460 is mind-boggling, especially considering that most of these vehicles will spend their lives on concrete.

  • Crawl Control – Which carefully manages the throttle and brakes to help you maintain a slow, consistent speed up, down and over rugged terrain—all without your feet ever touching the pedals.
  • Downhill Assist Control – Which works with the Anti-lock Braking System and Active Traction Control to help keep the GX at a slow, constant descent speed.
  • Hill-start Assist Control – A system that helps increase control during hill climbing, or when stopping and starting on slippery surfaces.
  • Full-time 4WD: This system allows all four wheels to have power all of the time. The transfer case can run in locked or unlocked mode, as well as in high or low range.

With its base price of $51,680, the 2017 Lexus GX460 has few competitors it can go directly against. The current model Land Rover LR4 comes to mind as it’s fairly luxurious, pricy and capable off-road. For the most part, despite its age, the 2017 Lexus GX460 is in its own category.

Naturally, there’s a lot more to the 2017 Lexus GX460. We’ve driven it in the snow, click (here) for that review. We’ve had a fan bring his lifted GX460 to Cliffhanger 2.0 and you can click (here) for that review. The bottom line is, we’ve driven the hell out of the Lexus GX460 and we come away smiling each time.

Check out this review video!

Nathan Adlen
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. Brought up in the California car culture and educated in theater, childhood education, film, journalism and history, Nathan now lives with his family in Denver, CO. His words, good humor and video are enjoyed worldwide.