The three-row SUV segment has been known to absolutely print money for automakers, which makes it a bit of a surprise that Toyota hasn’t built more under the Lexus badge. Sure, the big truck-like options like the GX and...
The three-row SUV segment has been known to absolutely print money for automakers, which makes it a bit of a surprise that Toyota hasn’t built more under the Lexus badge. Sure, the big truck-like options like the GX and LX have had that option for some time, and they did cram a 3rd row into a previous iteration of the RX, but so far that’s it. Until now. The Lexus TX has arrived for the 2024 model year and I’ve spent a week with it, and had thoughts. I’ll try my best not to make any jokes about “TX”, which sounds like it was named after the second largest state. No promises.
2024 Lexus TX 350 Overview
The new TX is based on the same GA-K platform that hosts the RX, Highlander, and new Grand Highlander (as well as the Bentley-looking Century overseas). My loaner was a TX 350 with AWD, which is one of quite a few trim levels available. Prices start at just over $55,000 with AWD adding around $1,500 to the bottom line. The 350s all get a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that makes a reasonable 275 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque.
Jump up to the 500h F Sport Performance and you’ll get the same 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder but it also has two electric motors, one at the front wheels and one at the back wheels. Combined output is a stout 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. At the top of the range is the 550h+ plug-in hybrid which has a total output of 404 horsepower which it gets from a V6 and, you guessed it, a pair of electric motors. As you can see, pricing starts to get up there with the top spec version priced at $78,050.
I don’t think our tester actually didn’t have much added to the sticker, just the “Cold Area Package” which has windshield wiper de-icer and a heated steering wheel. I say “don’t think” because the summary above claims that the TX is Matador Red, while it was actually Nightfall Mica. Whatever, let’s see how it was to drive.
2024 Lexus TX 350 Inside & Out
The TX is a pretty good looking thing, with reasonable visual proportions for a three-row SUV. The design is muted, but in a good way, with a fairly subtle grille up front flanked by mildly annoyed-looking headlights. My only critique is the bulbous looking nose that juts out past the lights. The rear looks clean and not overly designed, which is a nice change compared to some other designs out there at the moment. I love the wheels, the multi-spoke design looks great.
The interior designers knew when to put the pen down as well, with a nicely integrated widescreen infotainment system dominating the center of the dash. It still looks a bit tacked on, but way better than some others vehicles that feel like they’ve got an iPad glued to the dash. From a tech perspective, the TX is all USB-C connections from what I could see. That’s fine, but I’m looking forward to just transitioning fully to that in all new cars, but for not I bring two cables just in case. Overall though, everything worked well and the ergonomics were solid.
Criticisms were minor, the center console is a little weird. It is a bifurcated lid and you have to push each button individually to open the whole thing. The wireless charging area is fairly large, which would be nice for bigger devices. However, my phone slid off of the charging area quite easily and I ended up just using the cord to charge my phone. When you start your TX you’ll naturally have your foot on the brake pedal, right? The seat moves back-and-forth automatically for easy entry, but I felt like I was getting squished a little bit as the seat moved forward. All little things that you would get used to (or change via the settings) if you owned one I suppose.
Overall interior space was solid, the TX would do family duty for a family or three to five pretty easily. My youngest said he wished there was some sort of a running board or something that could help him get into it, but hey kids love to climb. He liked the rear window shades, and noted that they were easy to put up and down. He wondered aloud if there should be locking and unlocking via the backseat but that was probably because the child lock was on and he couldn’t open the door. The third row goes down via a switch located in the rear, it’s a bit slow but it’s still nice to have it automated. Third row room is a bit cramped, but at 6 feet tall I could sit back there for a short time without much issue.
Out on the road the TX is smooth and quiet. I sensed a bit of turbo lag off the line when you really get on the gas pedal but it can easily get out of its own way on a highway merge. The estimated 23 mpg combined rating isn’t bad, total fuel costs for a year are cheaper than average for a full-size SUV. My only issue behind the wheel was the driver monitor system, which at one point ordered me to “sit up and face forward”. Don’t tell me what to do!
2024 Lexus TX 350 Summary
Compared to other options like the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7 the new TX is larger and cheaper, so it should sell pretty well in the three-row luxury segment. The biggest issue I see is the Toyota Grand Highlander. If you don’t care about the badge, you can get the same standard 2.4L turbo powertrain (minus 10 hp and seven torques) or if you go for the Hybrid MAX you can have a 340 hp version, both come in cheaper than the TX. I’m reviewing that soon, so stay tuned!
The bottom line on the Lexus Texas (almost made it) is that it is represents a solid value in the full-size luxury market. You get a lot of stuff for the money, so if it fits into your budget I’d recommend taking a test drive.
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