2026 Lexus GX550 Sports Luxury review

The Lexus GX550 is a first for Lexus in Australia, but has a long history overseas.

Based on the underpinnings of the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, the GX is to the Prado as the LX is to the LandCruiser. All the essential off-road hardware carries over, but the styling and interior get a Lexus-style prestige overhaul.

At a price point where the monocoque-platform Land Rover Defender and BMW X5 dominate, the GX defies the segment norm with its body-on-frame construction.

Better suited to off-road exploits than ultimate refinement, the GX’s construction hasn't stood in the way of Lexus casting a wide net, with getaway-ready Overtrail variants for adventurers and more refined high-end versions like the Sports Luxury catering to a more refined clientele.

Call it an each-way bet for Lexus, with the car-based RX SUV as the true X5 rival, and Australia’s categorisation of the GX in the Upper Large SUV class pitting it against everything from a Mercedes-Benz G-Class to an Aston Martin DBX.

With a horse float or caravan in tow, the GX makes sense, but what about owners who want the presence and practicality of a three-row luxury SUV but don't aspire to the GX’s heavy-duty side?

Lexus offers three variants of the GX550 in Australia stacked together quite closely in terms of price.

The entry-level GX550 Luxury starts from $118,320, the top-spec Overtrail tops out at $130,770, and the Sports Luxury tested here fits in between at $124,840 before options, accessories, and on-road costs.

Regardless of the trim level, all GX550s are powered by the same 3.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 engine. Lexus markets it as a 3.5-litre for some reason, but either way, power is a respectable 260kW with a decent 650Nm of torque.

A 10-speed torque converter automatic, full-time four-wheel drive (not on-demand all-wheel drive) with a low-range transfer case, and locking centre differential are also standard. While it sounds like the GX550 Sports Luxury has off-road potential covered, the 22-inch alloy wheels and highway-terrain tyres may be a limiting factor.

Braked towing capacity of 3130kg is decent, but not best in class. It’s worth calling out here that on 22-inch wheels, the Sports Luxury has the lowest tow capacity of the range, the other variants' capacity is a full 3500kg, but optioning smaller 20-inch wheels brings the Sports Luxury back up to 3500kg.

All GX550s come with powered front seats with heating and ventilation, heated second-row seats, wireless smartphone charging, a head-up display, a digital instrument cluster, 14-inch infotainment, a powered tailgate, 360-degree cameras and more.

The Luxury and Sports Luxury offer seven seats, and the Sports Luxury includes extras like adaptive suspension, auto-foldaway side steps, a fixed panoramic glass roof, genuine leather interior, massaging front seats, an interior cool box, multi-colour interior ambient lighting, a 21-speaker premium audio system, and other trim and appointment upgrades.

The inclusions over the Luxury grade seem like good value for the $6270 step-up in price, and optional equipment is limited to metallic paint for $1750 (as shown) and an an Enhancement Pack that swaps the 22-inch wheels for 20s and raises towing capacity to 3500kg at no extra cost (not fitted).

The only real alternative is to opt for the Overtrail grade, which adds a swaybar disconnect, a locking rear differential, crawl control, all-terrain tyres, and other features aimed at off-roading more than pampering.

The Land Rover Defender 110 is the closest rival in terms of its crossover between refinement and off-road potential.

The $127,100 plus ORCs Defender 110 P425 X-Dynamic SE lines up with the GX on price, with a 313kW petrol V8 engine, but only seating for five – unless you start adding options.

General Motors offers the GMC Yukon Denali – more of a Lexus LX rival, but still within consideration, albeit bigger and much more expensive at $174,990 plus ORCs. The Yukon has the ace up its sleeve of offering seating for eight, if that’s important, and up to 3.6 tonnes of towing capability.

Closer to home, the price paid for a GX550 Sports Luxury could also get you into a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series VX.

The slightly larger LandCruiser offers a more frugal 3.3-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine, and the support of Toyota’s much larger dealer network – crucial if you plan on going remote often.

While it may not be as outright plush on the inside, the VX grade still offers a host of luxury appointments, but with additional cargo space and towing capacity.

Despite Lexus putting a lot of effort into hybrids, the V6 in the Lexus GX is a little unusual in lacking any form of hybrid assistance to save fuel, or even an idle-stop system to switch the engine off at the traffic lights.

The result is a claimed 12.3 litres per 100 kilometres consumption, and in a week of mostly highway driving, the GX550 clocked in at 12.8L/100km. Not too bad for something so big, even if that sounds a little thirsty in isolation.

If your driving was more city-centric, the fuel bill for the big Lexus would very quickly look a lot worse. The claimed urban consumption figure is 17L/100km, but in heavy traffic, expect to land somewhere closer to the 20L/100km mark.

With an 80-litre fuel tank, the as-tested cruising range would be 625km from a full tank. Based on the claimed city consumption, range drops to 470km.

The warranty on the Lexus GX550 covers the vehicle for five years, with no kilometre limit for private buyers, or a 160,000km cap on vehicles used commercially. Lexus also provides five years' provision for towing and loan vehicles in some circumstances.

A big lure of Lexus ownership is the brand’s Encore program, which covers the first three years of ownership and provides features like a free service loan car, Ampol fuel discounts, promotional partner offers and event invites, and roadside assist for the duration of Encore coverage.

Servicing costs are covered by the Lexus capped-price program, but whereas most rivals offer 12-month service intervals, the GX550 asks for scheduled servicing every six months or 10,000km at $695 per service for the first five years or 100,000km.

While potentially an inconvenience for some owners, especially those unlikely to venture too far off-road, the closer intervals and shorter cycles between fresh fluids and filters could be seen as a positive for owners who regularly tow or head off the beaten track.

At $6950 over five years, the Lexus isn’t bargain-priced. A Toyota LandCruiser would cost $4500 over the same period, while a Defender would cost $3300 for a six-cylinder petrol, $3900 for a P425 V8, or up to $3500 for a six-cylinder diesel.

Running the numbers on comprehensive insurance, the GX550 would cost $4072 to insure, the LandCruiser VX comes in much cheaper at $2867 per year, and a Defender 110 P425 X-Dynamic SE comes to a similar $3969.

The Lexus GX is officially untested by Australasian safety authority ANCAP and its European equivalent Euro NCAP.

The Toyota Prado, with which the GX550 shares its chassis and key body structure, was given a five-star rating in 2024. While the two models are not identical, their close relationship means the Prado’s results can be used as a guideline, at least.

The GX550 is fitted with nine airbags, including first and second-row side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, and a centre airbag between front seat occupants. ISOFIX child seat mounts are mounted in the second row, but the third-row seats lack ISOFIX and top-tether mounts.

While the electronic driver assist functions are helpful if the driver’s attention lags, they're not able to fully take control and fill in as semi-autonomous systems. The car will nudge you back into your lane, but won’t track you between markings for an extended time.

With the driver in control, the GX550 lets you move around within a lane, and that’s handy for dodging potholes or keeping to the smoothest line on a rural road.

During testing, there were no false alerts, which is a positive sign, and the driver-facing attention monitoring camera only chimes in after a reasonable interval of looking away from the road.

The blocky profile of the GX range stands out against the otherwise more swoopy range of smaller Lexus SUVs. Much of the body is shared with the Toyota Prado, resulting in similar styling, but with unique details at the front and rear.

Motorised side steps make getting in and out easier, but the motors are surprisingly noisy and clunky and don’t feel as premium as they should. When folded up, the steps don’t align flush with the body, with big panel gaps visible.

The design channels the Defender from some angles, but with a much more aggressive Lexus twist. The look really shows that this is a big SUV with rugged construction, and not a poser or pretender.

The 22-inch wheels of the Sports Luxury might be just a little oversized for the car’s intended purpose, but ultimately don't negatively impact ride comfort.

Buyers intending to lean more heavily on the GX550’s towing or off-roading capabilities would be better served by the optional Enhancement Pack, which swaps the 22-inch wheels for 20-inch wheels (from the Luxury grade) and boosts towing capacity to 3.5 tonnes.

The interior of the GX550 is conservative in its design and materials, and at first glance doesn’t look like it carries the level of luxury you might expect for the price. A focus on longevity and service life seems to have taken priority over outright sophistication and plush materials.

In a segment where the Defender has managed to get away with exposed screws and structural elements on display, Lexus isn't out of touch, but some of the design feels less cutting-edge than car-based rivals at the same price.

There’s a lot of soft plastics used on parts of the dash you’ll never touch, but then no padding on the upper door trims, and hard surfaces where your knees rest.

Front seat passengers get a commanding view out, with a lofty driving position, broad seats, and big windows.

Seat padding is rather firm, with Lexus using a fine-grain, soft and smooth leather. The support isn’t sink-in soft or lounge-like, but for long stints behind the wheel, the front seats are quite comfy with support in the right places.

There’s a front seat massage to help here too, although accessing it via the touchscreen is a multi-press journey, with no quick and easy shortcut to switch the function on.

The Sports Luxury gets features other grades miss out on, like front seat base-length adjustment, a heated steering wheel, front seat ventilation (heating is standard on all models), a kick-to-open power tailgate, and a panoramic glass roof that features both electrochromatic tinting and an electric blind.

Rear seat passengers get a separate set of climate controls and manually reclining rear seats. There are air vents in the ceiling and manual window shades on the doors to maintain comfort.

The rear seats are, however, a little short on overall knee room, especially given how big the GX550 is overall, and the seats can’t be adjusted fore or aft. A one-touch button flips the second-row forward for access to the back, but there’s no powered return, requiring a manual shove to return the seat upright.

Space in the third row is actually quite decent, with enough room in most directions for most adults up to just below average height. The seats themselves aren’t as plush or padded as the other rows, though, so the third row feels a bit less grand compared to something like a BMW X7.

Boot space is absolutely huge. If you’re planning on running a car fridge, it’ll barely make a dent in the available space. Third-row seats fold away electrically too, making them easy to deploy when required and leaving a flat floor when stowed.

With a big open floor, you’ll want to invest in a boot caddy to keep your groceries or smaller items in check. With the third row up, the boot is naturally a lot smaller, but there’s still space to stash backpacks or a beach bag or two.

The 14-inch infotainment display in the GX550 is a good example of how a system like this can work. It blends physical controls with touchscreen functions, and offers a bright, clear, easy-to-understand interface.

The system is quick to respond to inputs, and comes with inbuilt satellite navigation, AM/FM/DAB radio, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus USB-C charge ports in each row, and a wireless charge pad between the front seats.

Climate controls are via the screen too, and are permanently displayed for quick access. The temp dials are physical knobs overlaid on the screen, with hard buttons for front and rear demist only.

The driver faces a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, which offers three different layout options, but sadly takes a step backwards in ease of cycling through available info on the go. Better to set it up the way you’d like before you hit the road.

Finally, a colour head-up display offers a simple overview of speed and features like speed sign recognition.

The 21-speaker sound system is a cracker. Not quite studio-crisp, but punchy, clear, and free from distortion, although at high volumes you may hear the digital processing pulling the bass out of your favourite tracks to prevent distortion and leaving music feeling flat.

Lexus connected services come bundled with the car for three years, and via paid subscription after that. Basic functions like checking if the car is locked and vehicle location info are available even without a subscription, while remote start and lock, connected navigation and other functions require one of two available paid packages after the first three years, starting from $9.95 per month.

On the road, the Lexus GX550 is an interesting and old-fashioned mix of soft suspension and torquey but slow-revving power.

The result is a car that revels in its plushness, but can’t entirely escape its heavy-duty origins. It’s not eerily silent or entirely wobble-free as it goes about its day.

The engine itself is a cracker. While it would be great to see Lexus offer a diesel alternative, as it does in the larger LX, it’s hard to poke holes in the turbocharged V6’s power delivery.

It builds torque in a measured way that prevents it from swinging out of line mid corner, or feeling brutish or out of balance. Once it's into the middle of its rev band, though, it feels like a freight train.

The 10-speed automatic does a very good job of being in the right gear at the right time. While some 10-speed autos can shuffle and hunt in the search for the right gear, Lexus has more carefully programmed its automatic to be more settled and clever in its shifting.

In busy city traffic, it’s smooth enough to change gears almost imperceptibly. Put it on the open road, and it’ll fire off gear shifts quickly under hard acceleration, or make smart choices to maintain momentum in hilly conditions.

Along with Normal mode, which is a good fit for most driving, there are also dedicated Eco and Comfort modes, along with Sport S and Sport S+, which only subtly sharpen up the way the drivetrain reacts and still err towards refinement over raucousness.

Manual shifts are possible via paddles on the steering wheel or from the gear lever itself. Rather than being sharp enough for use on a winding road, it creates a better way to manage the gearbox in off-road situations or while towing.

The Sports Luxury grade is equipped with adaptive suspension linked to the drive modes, which can shift from unbelievably soft in Comfort mode, to much more settled in Sport S and Sport S+ modes.

The GX550 utilises an independent double-wishbone front suspension, with a rigid rear axle and four-link rear design. Ride height isn't adjustable, with the adaptive adjustment coming though the firmness of the damping.

Between the solid rear axle design and the body-on-frame construction, the GX550 can jiggle with a cross-axle movement that feels wobbly and a bit imprecise. It’s something more car-like rivals do a better job of avoiding.

The blocky and bluff body shape can also result in some wind noise and buffeting on the open road. While the engine and tyre noise refinement are really well managed, the wind noise from the front of the car can stand out.

At the time of writing, GX550 stock is quite thin on the ground, meaning there’s not a surplus of dealer stock to pick from.

To find out more about the Lexus GX, and stay up to date with the latest changes, offers or information about the Lexus GX550, click here.

The Lexus GX550 is a little different from the large luxury SUVs that you’ll find at Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz dealerships. While it’s not lacking in sophistication, it approaches the idea of a luxury SUV a little differently.

For Aussie buyers, Lexus appears to have made the right choice – the GX topped the Upper Large SUV over $120K category in 2025 sales.

Buyers looking for a more sophisticated, frugal, and urban-friendly package can always opt for the RX series. Anyone looking for something rural-ready, something that can tow, or something with overlanding and touring comfort built in will find what they need in the GX.

Although it may not be ideal for all buyers, it’s good to see a luxury SUV with rugged construction for owners who need that niche covered.

Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.

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