Twinned with the all-new Toyota Century SUV, the Lexus TX slots between the aforementioned ‘Yota and the Grand Highlander. Manufactured stateside, this family-sized crossover stickers at $55,050 for the most basic of specifications currently available.
No fewer than eight are offered in the US market, beginning with the 350 FWD. It boggles the mind Lexus decided on front-wheel drive for its largest unibody sport utility vehicle, more so when the 350 AWD costs merely $1,600 on top of the suggested retail price of the 350 FWD.
For more goodies, both the front- and all-wheel-drive 350 can be specified in Premium and Luxury flavors. At the very top of the spectrum, the TX 500h F Sport Performance AWD comes in either Premium or Luxury specifications. Pricing kicks off at $69,350 and $72,650 (including destination fee).
What are you getting for this kind of money? For starters, the same wheelbase (116.1 inches or 2,950 millimeters) and width (78.3 inches or 1,990 millimeters) as the Japan-exclusive Century SUV and better-priced Grand Highlander. To whom it may concern, the Century SUV and Grand Highlander are priced at 25 million yen ($167,750) in Japan and $44,465 in the United States market.
Although 350 used to stand for 3.5L naturally-aspirated V6, times have changed at Lexus. In this application, we’re dealing with a 2.4L turbocharged inline-four mill with 275 horsepower and 317 pound-feet (430 Nm) on deck. Connected to an eight-speed automatic, said engine can be furthered by electronically controlled full-time AWD that distributes torque from the usual 75:25 to 50:50.
Photo: Lexus
The h in 500h obviously stands for hybrid, a powertrain built around the aforementioned 2.4-liter turbo. Rather than an eight-speed auto, Lexus decided on a six-speed transmission for this fellow. Two electric motors rated at 64 and 76 kW also need to be noted, with the 76-kW motor driving the rear wheels directly whenever the situation calls for it.
Toyota may have made a name for itself with hybrids, but the Japanese automaker is also big on plug-in hybrids. Going on sale in early 2024, the TX 550h+ ditches the 2.4-liter turbo in favor of a 3.5-liter V6 of the naturally-aspirated variety. The internal combustion engine and two-motor transaxle deliver 404 combined horsepower at full chatter.
The manufacturer’s projected range in all-electric mode is 33 miles (53 kilometers), although you’ll be lucky to achieve that in real-world conditions. When it comes to charging, the TX 550h+ requires approximately three hours on a Level 2 charger.
Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is completely standard across the board, a suite of active safety features like Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection. Exclusive to F Sport Performance trim levels, Dynamic Rear Steering is designed to improve maneuverability at low speeds by turning in the opposite direction as the front wheels. Pick up the pace, and the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts for slightly better turning response.
20-inch wheels come standard, but Lexus can sweeten the deal with up to 22-inch wheels. Coming to a dealership near you this winter, the TX is available in six paint colors for the 2024 model year. The list starts with Cloudburst Gray, which is a $500 extra. The remainder comprises Wind Chill Pearl, Celestial Silver Metallic, Caviar, Nightfall Mica, and the F Sport Performance-only Incognito. Later on, Matador Red Mica will join the color palette.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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