The newest large luxury SUV from Lexus has a lot of pressure on it. Without a Toyota equivalent, the 2023 Lexus LX 600 luxury SUV must be lavish, off-road capable, and spacious. Unfortunately, it doesn’t check all the boxes some consumers are looking for. The Lexus LX sport utility vehicle is supposed to be a new chapter of flagship luxury, but does it live up to those high standards?

How much is the 2023 Lexus LX 600 in the U.S.?

Pricing for the 2023 Lexus LX 600 ranges from $87,815 to $127,905, which blows many budgets out of the water. Upon reviewing the 2023 LX, Edmunds said it was still an improvement over the LX 570 from previous years. However, the formula that the LX relies on is no longer working. It remains a well-built vehicle that you might expect from Lexus, but it falls short in a few areas, such as luxury.

With such a high cost, most drivers expect many luxury features and materials. Lexus has its usual high-end cabin and leather throughout, but the competition offers more. More luxury, better materials, and thoughtful additions make sense for such a high cost.

The Ultra Luxury trim adds to the experience but doesn’t come cheap. SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator outperform the LX in many areas, especially when it comes to luxury.

Comfort falls short in the 2023 Lexus LX 600

A large luxury SUV like the 2023 Lexus LX 600 should be comfortable. During testing, the LX felt top-heavy during turning and offered a fairly rough ride. Edmunds even said it had an “excessively floaty ride like a 1970s Cadillac.” Some drivers might find it leans too dramatically and feels unstable around corners or turns.

Lexus uses a height-adjustable suspension that works all right on bumpy roads, but it felt far too bouncy on the highway. Most people looking for a $90,000 luxury SUV could want more overall comfort. Something like the Mercedes GLS has an adaptive air suspension system standard that offers a very comfortable ride in the same MSRP range.

Lexus did equip the LX 600 with plenty of off-road capability, which most of the competition cannot match. It also gets a 6,000-pound maximum tow rating and a turbo V6. These add to the capability of the LX but make it a little less comfortable as a daily driver.

For a large luxury SUV, the LX lacks seating

Somehow, the base 2023 LX 600 only has room for five passengers. It is the only large luxury SUV in the segment with five seats; all other options have room for seven or more. Even though the seats are comfortable and come with support, it doesn’t make sense not to have a third row. This brings the utility and versatility down simply because most customers would anticipate more seating.

The Premium, F-Sport, and Luxury trims bump the seating up to seven, but the Ultra Luxury only has room for four passengers. Even with the third row, the seating is impossibly tight and suitable for small children or cargo only.

There is still plenty to like about the LX 600 for those who might not have as high of expectations. Much of the competition has more to offer, but the Lexus luxury SUV is still a good SUV. Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 adds adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and forward collision mitigation, which makes it a safe option, too.