Lexus LX Vs. GX: What's The Difference Between These SUVs?
If you're looking to buy from the very high end of the Lexus spectrum, the GX and LX are the two Lexus SUVs to consider. Both offer robust capability, potent twin-turbo V6 engines, and premium features that make them likable. Beneath the skin, the two SUVs are both built off the same body-on-frame GA-F platform, shared with trucks like the Toyota Tundra and Tacoma. Despite practically twinning underneath, however, the Lexus LX and GX do differ in their appeal, and depending on what you're looking for, you may well find greater satisfaction with one than the other.
The LX is Lexus' flagship SUV and should appeal if you want a large model lavished with the latest and greatest features that the Toyota-owned luxury brand has got to offer. Hence, it plays in the same league as the BMW X7, Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-Benz GLS-class, Land Rover Range Rover, Infiniti QX80, and Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The Lexus GX, by comparison, is a smaller SUV that vies for market share against midsize luxury SUVs like the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Genesis GV80, Volvo XC90, and Porsche Cayenne. Here's a further look at how the Lexus GX differs from the LX.
The Lexus LX is longer but shorter and narrower than the GX
At 200.5 inches, the 2025 Lexus LX is longer than the 2025 Lexus GX, which measures 197.05 inches in length. However, it is somewhat short of the GX's 83.22-inch width and 75.59-inch height (the off-road-focused GX 550 Overtrail and Overtrail+ are taller at 77.17 inches), with its width and height coming in at 78.3 and 74.6 in inches respectively for most trims. The LX is even shorter in entry-level LX 600 Premium guise, given its 74.2 inches of width.
The wheelbase length for both Lexus SUVs is the same at 112.2 inches. As for towing capacity, the least capable GX model is the GX 550 Luxury+, with a 7,601-pound tow rating. Following it closely is the GX 550 Luxury, with a tow rating of 7,844 pounds. The GX 550 Premium+ can tow a healthy 9,041 pounds, while the GX 550 Premium, Overtrail+, and GX 550 Overtrail are rated up to 9,063, 9,063, and 9,096 pounds, respectively. That maximum GX towing capacity is 1,096 pounds better than the LX, which is rated to tow 8,000 pounds across the board.
The Lexus GX has more cargo space overall than the LX
Those looking to haul a lot of stuff will find the GX's cargo-carrying capacity to be more useful. Seven-seater models like the GX 550 Premium, 550 Premium+, 550 Luxury, and 550 Luxury+ offer 10.3 cubic feet with all three rows of seats in place. When you put down the rearmost seats, that amount increases to 40.2 cubes. With the third and second-row seats down, those seven-seater 2025 Lexus GX models provide a maximum cargo space of 76.9 cubic feet. The off-road-tuned GX 550 Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims only seat five passengers across two rows, and as such, they provide a more generous maximum cargo capacity of 90.5 cubic feet, with the second row folded down. Owners also get an enormous 45.6 cubic feet of space when the second row is up.
As for the LX, it gives you 11 cubic feet of space to play with behind the third-row seats in the base LX 600 Premium, Luxury, and LX 600 F Sport Handling. Those models also offer 44 cubes behind the second row, and a maximum of 64 cubic feet behind the first row. Opting for any of the hybrid LX trims, including the LX 700h Luxury, LX 700h Ultra Luxury, or LX 700h F Sport Handling, will give you a comparably smaller space wide enough to only accommodate 7.2 cubes of cargo behind the third row, 30.9 cubic feet behind the second row, and 62.4 behind the first. The LX 700h Overtrail, meanwhile, offers the most space of any LX trim, with 46 cubic feet behind the second row, and 71 cubes behind the first. The Lexus LX offers four, five, and seven-person seating.
The standard twin-turbo V6 in the LX has more power than the GX and you get a hybrid option
The Lexus GX and LX both come standard with the V35A-FTS version of Toyota's Dynamic Force engine. It's a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with a compression ratio of 10.3:1 on both models. When under the hood of the Lexus GX, it generates 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Opt for the LX, and you'll get a more powerful engine rated at 409 hp, while keeping torque the same (479 lb-ft). In both cases, you get a 10-speed automatic transmission and a full-time four-wheel drive system.
But while the twin-turbo V6 is currently the only engine option on the 2025 Lexus GX, the LX offers a choice of a hybrid V6 with a very healthy 457 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid mill doesn't apply to the entire LX lineup but rather to certain trims, such as the LX 700h Luxury, 700h Ultra Luxury, 700h F Sport Handling, and 700h Overtrail. The LX 600 Premium, 600 Luxury, and 600 F Sport Handling all have the non-hybrid V6.
With regard to their straight-line performance, the Lexus GX is slightly faster to 60 mph than non-hybrid LX models, with a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 sprint time of 6.5 seconds versus 6.9 seconds for the Lexus LX. Hybrid LX models, however, knock a tenth of a second off the GX's 6.5 seconds 0-60 mph time, with the dash to 60 mph taking them around 6.4 seconds, according to Lexus. The LX is also the faster SUV by top speed, as both hybrid and nonhybrid models have a 130-mph top speed, compared to 109 mph for the GX. As well, it's a smidge more efficient than its smaller sibling, with 19 mpg of combined city-highway fuel economy (20 mpg in hybrid models), versus 17 mpg for the GX.
The Lexus LX has a plusher interior in the base trim
As you'd expect, given the price difference, the Lexus LX has higher-grade materials than the GX. The base LX 600 Premium comes standard with leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated power front seats, memory settings for the driver's seat, heated second-row seats, a heated leather-trimmed steering wheel, Open-Pore Wood interior trim, power-folding third-row seats, and ambient interior lighting. On top of everything you get with the LX 600 Premium, the 600 Luxury adds semi-aniline leather upholstery, ventilated second-row seats, massage function for the driver and front passenger seats, illuminated door sills, and a heated steering wheel trimmed in leather and wood.
The 600 F and 700h F Sport Handling, meanwhile, gain F SPORT aluminum pedals but lose the Open-Pore Wood trim (in favor of Hadori Aluminum trim) and ventilation function for the second row. It also reverts to the heated leather-trimmed steering wheel in the Premium model. The LX 700h Luxury's features are almost identical to the 600 Luxury, so you'll have to opt for the four-seater 700h Ultra Luxury to see the biggest changes, such as diamond-stitch semi-aniline leather seats, Takanoha Wood trim, an 8-way heated and ventilated front passenger seat, heated and ventilated second-row captain's chairs, massaging function for the rear seats, and many more.
By comparison, the Lexus GX comes standard with synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power front seats, a leather-covered steering wheel, manual-folding third-row seats, and ambient lighting. Now, the most lavished GX models are the GX 550 Luxury and 550 Luxury+, which get standard semi-aniline leather seats, front massaging seats, a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, power-folding third-row seats, color-adjustable ambient interior lighting, and illuminated door sills. The range-topping GX 550 Luxury+ also adds a cool box and digital rearview mirror to that list.
The Lexus GX has a bigger primary display than standard
No matter what trim you choose, the Lexus GX comes standard with a 14-inch touchscreen infotainment system that should be easy to read at a glance when driving. It is paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, six USB-C ports (four in the Overtrail and Overtrail+), as well as a 10-speaker premium sound system (the Luxury+ gets a 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system). A 10.7-inch head-up display is optional, as is a wireless smartphone charger.
With the 2025 Lexus LX, you get a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, along with a matching 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster; climate and vehicle controls are managed separately via a 7-inch screen. Other standard features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, six USB ports (four on the 700h Ultra Luxury), a wireless smartphone charger, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker sound system (the LX 600 Luxury, 700h Luxury, and 700h Ultra Luxury have a 25-speaker Mark Levinson sound system as standard). The 700h Ultra Luxury also adds a wireless charger for the rear seats and a rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.4-inch screens.
The Lexus LX is at least $41,565 costlier than an entry-level GX
According to Lexus, pricing for the 2025 LX starts from $106,850 (MSRP) in LX 600 Premium trim, whereas the LX 600 F Sport Handling and LX 600 Luxury cost at least $113,850 and $115,850, respectively. If you're considering the hybrid LX models, your cheapest option would be the $115,350, off-road-oriented LX 700h Overtrail, but if that doesn't satisfy, then there's the sportier LX 700h F Sport Handling, which will set you back another $2,500 given its $117,850 price tag. If, on the other hand, you've got an enormous appetite for luxury, Lexus has the $119,850 LX 700h Luxury or range-topping, eye-wateringly expensive LX 700h Ultra Luxury, which carries a $141,350 sticker price.
The 2025 Lexus GX, for its part, starts at $65,285 for the GX 550 Premium, meaning it undercuts the LX by a whopping $44,565. If you decide to step up in trims to Premium+, that would add another $4,465 to the price tag. The GX 550 Overtrail, Luxury, Overtrail+, and Luxury+ have a base starting MSRP of $72,930, $77,750, $80,395, and $81,750, respectively, which means that even a range-topping GX model is at least $25,100 cheaper than a base Lexus LX.
Is the Lexus LX's extra equipment worth the additional cost?
A $106,850 starting MSRP might seem like a lot (and it is), but as ever, whether or not the Lexus LX justifies its premium price over the GX depends on what you're looking for and your intended use for your luxury SUV. The LX is as grand as a Lexus can get and boasts more premium features and a comfortable interior, a mature exterior with aesthetic grace, a lengthier list of safety features, a more powerful and efficient engine, as well as reputedly polished road manners.
That being said, if you just want a capable and dependable Lexus SUV for yourself or your family, it might make sense to save some money and opt for the GX, which is the better value option. It has a more youthful appearance, a larger infotainment screen, offers more dedicated off-road models, and is enormously practical. So, unless you're particular about the hybrid engine, want more power, or are set on the plushness the LX guarantees, you'll find the GX to be arguably the more well-rounded vehicle between of the two.