Great vehicles just keep arriving and my favorites are the hybrids and all-gasoline engine models. EVs have diminished in popularity and are limited to short daily commutes. Great challenge is shortage of charging stations, especially in rural areas.
Arriving this week is a Lexus classic GX 550 fully equipped with a $84,395 price tag. This is a larger SUV with a 3.4L /V6 twin-turbo engine with a towing capacity of 6,955 lbs. that will tow a ship.
The powerful engine is linked to a ten-speed direct shift ten-speed automatic transmission with a wide list of driving modes starting with ECO, comfort, normal, sport S, and sport S+. Used all modes using the sport models for mountain drives and the eco mode for downhill drives back into Denver. Even the ECO mode had sufficient power and acceleration.
With that much torque and power the model has a double wishbone front suspension and four link coil spring rear suspension. The GX 550 rides on 22” six-twin spoke alloy wheels with 265/55 all-season tires. Controlling the suspension is adaptive variable suspension (AVS).
Driving comfort is insuring with semi-aniline leather trimmed captain seats and 10-way drivers and 8-way passenger heated and ventilated power front seats with messaging seats. With a total of six-passenger seating, the second-row seats have heated captain chairs. There are power-folding third row seating. A special feature in the front seating center console is a “Cool Box,” a front console charging station and five-total charging stations in the vehicle.
The second row seating has four-way adjustable door sunshades.
The center console has a 14-inch display Lexus interface with a full range of apps that include a Mark Levinson 21 premium speaker surround sound system. Wireless Apple Car Play and Android compatibility add to the six USB ports.
Safety is always a major factor in this Lexus line with a Lexus 3.0 system that includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection and intersection support, road sign and lane tracing assist, lane departure alert and steering assist. Always appreciated are the blind spot mirror monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.
The power and performance make this a very impressive drive and the strong frame and comfortable seating, add to the overall top-drawer quality of this all-around award-winning model. Nighttime driving is assisted with triple beam headlights, LED fog lamps, windshield wiper deicer, and headlamp washer.
The GX 550 has a powerful design, automatic power-extending running boards for easy entry into the sleek “Eminent White Pearl” painted SUV.
This is a classy, sassy model loaded to the hilt with comfort and performance. It rates high in the luxury brands and is worth the price.