Toyota is one of the most successful car manufacturers in the world, so it's no surprise that its luxury subsidiary Lexus is one of the most successful brands in the industry. Lexus was a chance for Toyota to prove that it could compete effectively in the luxury car market, a segment originally dominated by German brands like BMW and Mercedes. How close are their sales? In 2024 BMW sold 371K cars in the USA, Mercedes-Benz sold 324K cars, and Lexus sold 345K cars. Impressive, until you consider that in the same year Toyota sold just shy of two million cars in the USA alone. But we're focused on Lexus for this writeup so let's just acknowledge that the company has an extraordinary track record.
It's 2025 as I write this, but when the Lexus team offered me a 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtail+ to drive, I couldn't say no. To my surprise, it's not really an SUV (GX stands for Grand Crossover) but more of a Land Cruiser. In fact, it's built on the Land Cruiser platform and the Overtrail+ offroad trim is new for '24. The unit they dropped off was in a rather uninspiring "Earth" color:
Looks like a Toyota Land Cruiser, doesn't it? It's actually built on the TNGA-F (Toyota New Global Architecture - Frame) platform, which also underpins the Land Cruiser, Land Cruiser Prado, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Tundra, and Lexus LX 600. Two words: Economies of scale. Oh, wait, that's three words, but you know what I mean. 😉
The front grill is all Lexus, but the fact that it looks like a Land Cruiser is a plus. The Overtrail trim adds lots of off-road capabilities, and the Overtrail+ adds the luxury features that Lexus buyers expect. Off-road? Sure, but you have 10-way power-adjusting front seats with massage function, thematic ambient illumination, and a swanky Mark Levinson 21-speaker premium sound system. That's what we call offroading with style!
This particular model also had a substantial off-road roof rack that I'm sure would support a car camper tent if you were so inclined. If you haven't checked out the latest generation of these rooftop camper tents recently, they've evolved quite a bit and are lovely. Stepping into the vehicle, it's time to settle into the super comfy seats and flip on that massage feature...
Once you've stopped admiring all the controls and buttons, that is. This is one complex vehicle to figure out, even with the bright 14-inch infotainment display. Of course, just like the paddle shifters, there are plenty of drive features like hill crawl that most drivers will never utilize. Knowing your GX550 has these features can still be comforting if the going does get extra rugged.
You can see what I mean with all the buttons and controls on the center console. A straight-ahead shifter is always appreciated (no one wants to figure out a zig-zag pattern while negotiating a tough hill or bad weather) but notice all the other controls here too, from 4WD options to action control, MTS to Crawl, even various drive modes. The very front of this space is a Qi wireless charging pad and the tiny closed panel square on the top right hides a 12V adapter for... radar detectors, one presumes, or maybe a dashcam.
The drive experience itself was solid, as one would expect, even if it took a few minutes to figure out all the controls on the steering wheel. Interestingly, there's no display mode on the main gauge display that includes fuel efficiency (though you can get that through the vehicle monitoring features within the infotainment system).
Before I talk about fuel efficiency, which is a definite weak spot for this vehicle, it's worth noting that it's powered by a hefty 3.4L V6 Turbo engine with 349 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Plenty of towing power - 9,000 pounds! - but that's no surprise with such a big engine. The cost is that it drinks petrol like a freshman at their first dorm party. EPA rating is 15/21 but I saw 16.1mpg total for my typical mix of highway, mountain, and suburban driving without a trailer and mostly by myself. Towing a couple of snowmobiles might add up to 2500 pounds, but how much fuel will it cost to get to the slopes so you can have your adventure?
To be fair, many off-road enthusiasts are far more focused on the drive experience, towing capacity, and passenger comfort, which is not unreasonable. If that's your intention with the GX550. As a soccer parent sort of vehicle in the 'burbs, well, there might be more environmentally friendly options to consider.
Back to the 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail+, however. It includes the Lexus Safety System 3.0, which one presumes is essentially identical to the Toyota Safety System 3.0 that was so annoying on the otherwise terrific Camry that I drove last week. Similarly, the Lexus wanted to monitor my eyes (the camera's hidden in the bump just above the steering wheel crossbar) and endlessly complained when I had my hands in a different position that blocked the camera or even wore particularly dark sunglasses. Lots of safety features are great, but being able to tweak them for individual driver preferences seems to be missing.
Looking above you can see I'm driving in ECO mode and the blue bar seems to suggest that I'm doing pretty well with maximizing fuel efficiency. I liked the mix of classic gauges and modern computer display aspects, though that pile of icons on the lower right might just be overly complicated. As with every modern vehicle, this display can be changed, including reducing it to a far more minimalist display.
In terms of individual interface elements, I really love the climate control knobs with the built-in temperature setting and colored background. They're very cool in person, particularly at night. However, I was rather disappointed with the climate controls overall, feeling that I couldn't adjust the minimalist airflow controls so that I got air onto my face. It also seemed to often be blowing warm air onto me even when I had the temperature set to the low 60s, something that should have triggered cooler air as the cabin warmed up. I found myself turning it to max cold ("Lo") and then going up to 64º or 65º when I was ready to minimize air circulation. A settings problem? A user error? Maybe, but this is the first vehicle I can remember wrestling with the climate controls in quite this manner after over 100 car reviews,
On the infotainment side, it's a big, bright display with plenty of real estate for helpful map views. The left edge includes Lexus features which made it easy to get to the many vehicle monitor screens too. That was also the only place I could find any information about fuel efficiency, as mentioned earlier.
Speaking of user interface complexity, I just want to take a moment to marvel at this extraordinary lights control stick. I surmise that the vast majority of people set it to "AUTO" and never touch it again other than as a turn signal. You can also look up in the GX550 and find overhead controls:
It's not easy to get a clear photo of this, but it's just about impossible to look up and see all of these controls. This makes me wonder how new users are expected to master all of these buttons and settings, but the sunroof and shade are pretty forgiving if you press the wrong button (UP when you want OPEN, for example).
The Lexus had less legroom than I expected, as you can see in the above photo. If you've got a crew of taller adults, you might want to try having them all sit in the vehicle simultaneously before you decide it would be a savvy purchase. Once in the back seat, it is comfortable and there is room for three across, with the center passenger having a bit more knee room.
The rear cargo space was good, and the middle row seats can fold down (as shown above) or be tilted forward while folded to offer a bit more space at the same level as the very back portion. Decent space for camping gear or sports equipment, but nothing exceptional.
And so, finally, there's a lot I loved about my time with the 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail+. It's quite comfortable and well appointed, an off-road vehicle for people who prefer comfort - and a great sound system - rather than spartan interiors. That's why so many people in the 4x4 world love Lexus because that gives you all the benefits of the Toyota Land Cruiser plus plenty of comfort and convenience. The few complaints I had were with the climate controls and the overall fuel efficiency, the former of which might be mitigated by learning a bit more about how the Lexus engineers want temperature managed in the vehicle. The latter issue of poor mpg, well, that's just what it is. A big engine with lots of towing capacity and no hybrid or EV is going to rather inevitably have poor efficiency. A show-stopper? You tell me.
2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail+ powered by a 3.4L turbo engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. BASE PRICE: $75,900.00. Included Options: Digital Key, Heads-Up Display, Premium Audio System, Premium Paint, Tonneau Cover, Traffic Jam Assist, Bi-Tone Paint, Cool Box, Off-Road Roof Rack, Carpet Floor Mat, Ball Mount, Key Glove, Rock Rails, Wheel Locks (yes, a lotta options!). AS DRIVEN: $84,575.00.
Disclaimer: Lexus loaned me the GX550 for a week in return for this candid writeup and review. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title Lots to Love with the 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail+.
