A traditional midsize luxury SUV with three rows of seating, the Lexus GX 460 is one of just a few off-road-capable vehicles in its segment. You’ll like the way it can navigate tough off-road routes and yet coddle its occupants on pavement. Still, most luxury crossover SUVs offer better on-road performance and more passenger comfort.

Lexus added the Sport Design package to the 2017 GX 460, which includes some different wheels, a different front grille and additional exterior chrome trim pieces. Second-row captain’s chairs are a new feature for the GX 460.

The Lexus GX 460 SUV gives you three rows of seating, rugged body-on-frame construction, a capable four-wheel-drive system and standard V8 power. If you’re driving one, chances are you’ll be able to tackle just about any terrain you encounter with ease.

It’s also pretty luxurious in the Luxury trim level, which comes standard with features such as an adaptive suspension, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a navigation system.

Certainly one of the best choice with quality, design and luxury!

One engine is available in the 2017 GX 460, a 4.6-liter V-8 rated at 301 hp and 329 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. EPA fuel economy ratings haven’t been released for the 2017 model yet but the 2016 GX 460 was rated at 15/20 mpg city/highway, which is one of the lowest in its class. The GX 460 can tow up to 6,600 pounds when properly equipped. Cargo space behind the power-folding third row is 11.6 cubic feet and with both the second and third rows folded, the GX 460 has a maximum cargo capacity of 64.7 cubic feet.

Available standard and optional features include LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats, navigation with an eight-inch touchscreen, Siri Eyes Free, a rearview camera, the Lexus Enform app suite, LED foglights, a Mark Levinson premium audio system, Mahogany wood trim, and leather upholstery. For maximum off-road capability, the Driver Support package, which is a special-order option, adds a wide view front and side monitor system and CRAWL control, which modulates the throttle and brakes to help you get through rough terrain easily.

Safety

NHTSA and the IIHS have not crash tested the actual Lexus GX 460. Available safety features include blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, intelligent high beam headlights, adaptive cruise control, and the Pre-Collision system, which combines forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.

The actual Lexus GX 460 comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, a rearview camera, front knee airbags, front- and rear-seat side airbags, and side curtain airbags that cover all three rows. Also standard is Lexus Enform Safety Connect emergency communications (with automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle locator and emergency assistance).

Additional safety features are either optional or come bundled in higher trim levels, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a lane departure warning system, and a forward collision warning and preparation system (which determines if a crash is imminent and automatically tightens the seat belts and primes the braking system for a quicker response).

During Edmunds performance testing, in a simulated panic stop, the GX 460 came to a stop from 60 mph in 127 feet, which is a bit longer than average distance for this segment.

Interior

Although it isn’t a bad place to be, the interior of a Lexus GX 460 is certainly less impressive than some of its competitors. There’s a traditional and somewhat dated vibe that comes through when you spot the array of large, square buttons that flank the center screen. This old-school feeling doesn’t detract entirely from the GX’s comfortable and luxurious cabin, though. On the upper trim levels, many interior surfaces are covered in authentic wood trim or soft leather, making for an upscale environment. On the base trim, items such as imitation-leather upholstery (a nice way of saying vinyl) detract a bit from the experience, especially for a vehicle in this price range. Front seats are plenty comfortable, but the hard and flat second-row bench is noticeably less so. Opting for this year’s available second-row captain’s chairs should help a little. The dinky third-row seats are suitable for small children only.

Folding the second- and third-row seats down creates a cargo hold with 64.7 cubic feet of space, which is a bit underwhelming given the GX’s bulk. For comparison, the Land Rover LR4 has 90 cubic feet of space with the seats folded. And in the GX, accessing the rear cargo space is complicated by the fact that the tailgate is hinged on the passenger side, so you open it sideways instead of up and down, which makes it difficult to load the GX from the curb. However, the tailgate does have a convenient lift-up rear glass window that makes it easier to carry long items such as surfboards or lumber.

Driving

Whether you enjoy driving the NEW Lexus GX 460 depends entirely on what you’re expecting from it. The GX is built on a trucklike body-on-frame architecture to allow for better off-road performance. But, as with trucks, this negatively affects handling and ride quality. Overall, the GX’s handling is secure, and the optional adaptive suspension helps smooth out the ride, but crossover-based SUVs such as the Acura MDX will feel much better on the road. In particular, its steering and brakes on the GX are a bit slow to respond, likely a result of Lexus’ attempt to tune them for both on- and off-road use.

Don’t expect much in the way of straight-line speed. The GX 460’s 301 hp is respectable, but in a vehicle that weighs nearly 5,200 pounds, it’s outmatched when hitting a freeway on-ramp or going to pass on the highway (especially while towing). The six-speed automatic transmission is smooth, though occasionally it can be hesitant to downshift.

All seems right with the world when you leave the pavement behind, though. The Lexus GX 460’s four-wheel drive and available Crawl Control feature could very well make you feel invincible. Select one of Crawl Control’s three speed presets, and the computer takes over both the accelerator and brake pedal, leaving you to concentrate on steering with a minimum of fuss.