2024 Lexus GX Overtrail Review: Don’t Buy Anything Else

The 2024 Lexus GX Overtrail isn’t like the old ones. While the GX used to be a luxury SUV that was almost serendipitously good off-road, it’s now a 4×4-forward rig built by the same brand people associate with floaty sedans. That, along with the fact that rugged adventure machines are pricier than ever, means its competitors are different from before too. And I’m here to tell you that if you’re cross-shopping this thing with a spruced-up Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, there’s simply no contest. Lexus every time.

If your immediate response is to question those comparisons, press pause. I know that other car mags have pitted the GX against upscale trucks like the Land Rover Defender 110. Heck, the GX didn’t even win that match-up in Car and Driver. But that was a fancier Overtrail+ model with an as-tested price of $80,915. You can—and I’d argue, should—get into a regular GX Overtrail for $10,000 less. That’s when the value is best and the competition crumbles.

I still have a lot of ground to cover if I’m going to convince anyone a modest Lexus with smaller tires and no front locker is a better adventure SUV than a fully-kitted Jeep, but give me a minute. I think you’ll see why I was more tempted to go into debt for this particular new four-wheeler than any other I’ve tested.

The Basics

Now, Lexus isn’t known for its 4x4s. You could take that a step further by saying Lexus isn’t even known for its SUVs. Sure, there have historically been fancier Lexus alternatives to the Toyota Land Cruiser, but they still weren’t marketed as go-anywhere vehicles. That’s where the new GX Overtrail ventures off the path as a big W for the big L. (Get it? A win for Lexus? Whatever, sorry.)

It looks unlike anything else the automaker has ever made, and that’s partly because it’s all angles. That near-vertical windshield is a distinguishing trait that caught my eye straight away. “Boxy Lexus” wasn’t on my bingo card when it launched but the GX has challenged my perception of the brand. It even does a good job incorporating the Lexus Spindle grille that looks flat-out bad on some cars, though it’s handsome here. And that heckblende taillight? Come on.

My tester had a dark-themed interior with NuLuxe synthetic leather upholstery and forest green accents. Stepping up to the Overtrail+ gets you real semi-aniline leather but if you’re shopping for an off-roader, who really cares? You still get the 12.3-inch infotainment screen on the regular Overtrail that’s well-integrated with the digital gauge cluster. There’s no third-row seating unless you ditch the Overtrail trim, but then you have to give up the most off-road-focused features. Kind of a sucky tradeoff for anyone with more than two kids. (That’s me!)

If you think climbing into every Lexus should be an event in and of itself, the GX might feel anti-climactic. That’s not because it’s bad inside; it’s not. But everyone I showed it to during my week with the truck was surprised by how simple it is in there. I, for one, like that. It means I never had to feel bad getting everything dusty—a plus when you buy a rig like this to go places.

You aren’t met with pantomime and panache upon startup, but the much-improved interior tech means you always start from a solid place. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are baked in, and the infotainment screen runs Toyota’s new operating system that works quickly and it’s easy to read. If you’re me, you turn on a podcast or any Twenty One Pilots record and head off.

Driving the Lexus GX

No matter which new GX you pick, you get a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 making 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. There’s no hybrid yet, but an electrified four-cylinder like you’ll find in the new Land Cruiser is coming later. Trust me; you want the V6. It eats up the highway miles with no stress on you or the engine. The 10-speed automatic is good too. 

Even if you get a new GX to wheel, you’re going to spend most of your time on the road. It’s good there, too, and I was shocked at its sportiness on our twisty Ozark roads. I won’t get all gushy and say it’s a Miata in SUV form because it’s not, but its adaptive variable suspension increases damping to suppress body roll while flying through corners. It stays effectively flat going around a big sweeper and thanks to the twin-turbo V6, it powers out like it’s nothing. Lexus: 1, Ford and Jeep: 0.

Since it’s my job to test cars and trucks where they’re meant to work best, I spent time crawling around my family’s property that’s right along the creek. It’s all loose gravel with pits and mounds to stress the car’s ground clearance and breakover angle but also its traction limits. I wouldn’t label it as extreme, but we have a few obstacles that are more challenging than what automakers usually set us up with on first-drive events. The simplest but oftentimes most trying task is climbing the steep bank you see the GX parked atop here:

Right off the bat, the SUV’s approach angle is tested. It made it, as you can tell, but not without eating a mouthful of rocks. This is where the Lexus falls to a Bronco or Jeep on 35-inch tires; the GX’s Toyo Open Country A/T IIIs are only 33s. Ground clearance measures 8.9 inches, which is way less than a Bronco Wildtrak’s 11.5 inches. If you want to take it way out, it needs the typical mods that four-wheelers make to their rides. Score tied (for a moment).

But remember, this is Toyota’s Lexus that we’re talking about—it was always going to be more about modesty, capability, and control than sheer stats. It nails the fundamentals. Traction isn’t a problem for the GX, and the drama is low. The magnificent E-KDSS suspension (not shared with the Toyota Land Cruiser) automatically disconnects and reconnects the sway bars as needed for max articulation. You get a ton of flex that way, and I straight-up stuffed those Toyos in the fenders more than once. 

And what I maybe liked most is that you have total control over what the truck is doing. I noticed this during my very first test with the GX, which actually took place in Japan when the SUV was still in its prototype phase. I mentioned my impressions during an interview with Lexus President Takashi Watanabe, and he explained that’s very much on purpose:

“On the extremely rough roads, according to the throttle input, you shouldn’t have to match your driver input according to what the car is doing,” he told me. “It shouldn’t be reactionary. If you push the accelerator, the car should move forward.

“The end result we’re looking for is that reassurance, that stability,” Watanabe continued. “Of course, there are going to be customers who want that extra input. They want to be in control. They want to manhandle the car. But for us at Lexus, in those situations, you have to feel a sense of security. We want to lessen the load on the driver as much as possible, but you can still drive in those extreme conditions.”

In fewer words, what he’s saying is: The GX isn’t a Wrangler or a Bronco or even a Land Cruiser. It’s a Lexus that slays off-road and for about $70,000, I’d rather have that any day. Lexus: 2, the others: 1.

Importantly, you don’t have to wheel hard to appreciate the GX. You can drive it to the movie theater and never worry about wind noise or steering wobble. The stereo is good, the seats are comfy, and it’s a simply solid cruiser. It catches people’s attention but not in the way a Cybertruck or whatever might. All around, it’s just a higher quality experience than anything Ford or Jeep offers because those are cheaper models made expensive. You get big capability for the money there, but the actual products are lower quality in everyday situations than the GX. Lexus wins.

The Highs and Lows

Off the top, here’s what I like most about the new GX Overtail (in descending order): Controllability, styling, and comfort. It looks good as you walk up to it and, as a driving machine, it cashes every check that design writes. It’s so livable, which, sure, can also be said of the competition—but you’ll actually want to live with the Lexus. Or, if you’re like me, have the Lexus live with you in your driveway.

What do I not like? Hmm. It needs better underbody protection as standard. I never dropped down hard on a pointy rock but I did pop the plastic off the poor running boards, which really ought to be steel rocker guards. (Those are optional.) It’s not so tall that you need a step and the truck would be much better served by some real armor that keeps the body panels from getting gouged or scuffed.

Lexus GX Overtrail Features, Options, and Competition

Scoring a GX Overtrail will cost you at least $69,250. I suggest sticking as close to that as possible because you get the most important features for that price. The E-KDSS suspension is standard, as are the other off-road tech bits like Crawl Control (basically 4LO cruise control), Multi-Terrain Select (which regulates wheelspin depending on the driving surface), and the Panoramic View Monitor with 360-degree cameras. 

The options list isn’t all that long in terms of additional items, but you can get a 10.7-inch heads-up display ($900), a refrigerated center console ($170), a cargo cover ($110), or a wireless phone charger ($75). On the other hand, the off-road and lifestyle accessories list is near-exhaustive with the Lexus site offering 155 items. I’d get the Overtrail-specific rock rails ($990) and maybe the roof rack ($1,580) but probably pass on the ARB Premium Recovery Kit ($526) with the tree trunk protector, snatch strap, snatch block, and bow shackles.

A top-trim Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon X kicks off at $63,190, while a four-door Ford Bronco Wildtrak starts at $63,355. These are both cheaper than the Lexus at the entry-level but can quickly match it once you start adding similar features like the Wrangler’s powered Sky One-Touch Top, a $3,995 option on its own. The domestic 4x4s fall short on power, too, as the Bronco’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 tops out at 330 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque while the Wrangler’s 2.0-liter turbo-four only manages 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Stepping up to a Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid will get you there at 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, though a Rubicon X 4xe starts at $72,290. 

I’d spec the GX Overtrail in its most basic configuration. My tester had the cooled center console and heads-up display but honestly, I could live without ‘em. Just give me the fundamentals that are baked in and leave it at that.

Fuel Economy

With all that said, I can’t defend the GX’s fuel economy. The twin-turbo V6 is a thirsty sucker that spends a lot of time in boost. It’s worth the trade-off compared to the four-cylinder-only Land Cruiser, in my opinion, as the power is that much better but I don’t blame anyone who scoffs at 17 mpg combined. It really should be better. But Toyota’s—and, by extension, Lexus’—body-on-frame trucks have always gulped big gas.

Value and Verdict

There’s no world where $70,000 is “cheap,” and I ask myself all the time with this job, “Is anything worth that much money?” If we’re talking about dedicated 4x4s, though, the GX Overtrail comes closest. Not because of its raw wheeling ability and not even its luxury, but because it combines both of those in a way that’s better balanced than anything else I’ve driven. I’d be this truck’s target audience if I made twice the money and it’s what I’d buy, no question.

So if you’re willing and able to spend $70,000 on an off-road vehicle, save yourself the trouble and stop looking. Your rig is right here, just waiting to hit the backcountry with you, your fam, and yeah, even your pup. Don’t forget the artisanal roast and French press.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com