Lexus has one of the best reputations when it comes to luxury brands, but that’s not necessarily the case with the Lexus LX. The current iteration of the LX, called the LX 570, debuted in 2007, and it hasn’t changed much since then. That is until now since Lexus decided to give the 2020 LX an even bigger grille.

What’s still wrong with the 2020 Lexus LX

Like MotorTrend wrote, not much has changed in the LX with its latest model year. The grille, which Lexus already changed in 2015, grew even larger than before. Other than that and a few minor changes, the LX has remained practically the same. This is good in some ways, but in terms of its infotainment system, it’s a practical death sentence for the car. 

The LX starts at $90,000, and this puts it squarely in the full-size luxury SUV category against the likes of the Lincoln Navigator, the BMW X7, and the Land Rover Range Rover. While many of its competitors are getting tech upgrades with every new model year, the LX still lags behind in some basic stuff that it should have by now.

For example, MotorTrend said that the 2020 LX’s screens and instrument panels felt small and outdated for a flagship luxury SUV. What’s worse is that the LX’s infotainment system is not only outdated, but it’s not very functional, either. MotorTrend had a tough time using the controls in the LX, and worst yet, the LX’s navigation system doesn’t have voice controls. This means that you’ll have to type out the addresses yourself.

Some of the optional infotainment features just aren’t that great either. For example, Lexus offers passengers in the second-row with two screens, but those screens can only be controlled by a single remote control. Those optional screens will also cost you $2,000, which is far more expensive than just buying two brand-new iPads instead. In fact, with $2,000, you can buy far more than two iPads if you really wanted to.

How Lexus can fix this

While the LX’s infotainment system is its biggest flaw, it’s not its only flaw. That said, it’s a flaw that’s very visible and thus very harmful to Lexus’ reputation. Other cars in Lexus’ garage have superior infotainment systems, so it’s not like the automaker can’t fix this issue. 

Obviously, the decision is ultimately up to Lexus, but the LX has been almost unchanged for over 13 years. The last generation of the LX lasted from 1998 to 2007, so this generation of the LX has been going on for longer than that. A big overhaul of everything would breathe new life into the LX, and this may improve its reputation in the long run.

That said, Toyota’s unwillingness to change things is somewhat helpful for a few aspects of the LX.

The 2020 Lexus LX is still very capable

As MotorTrend wrote, many aspects of the 2020 Lexus LX, including components under the hood, are relatively unchanged. While that’s been a bad thing in terms of its infotainment system, it’s a good thing for something that not many SUVs can do these days, off-roading. 

Many SUVs now have a unibody construction, and that’s the same type of construction that a sedan has. The LX, on the other hand, still has a truck-like construction, which makes it ultimately better off-road than other SUVs are. 

MotorTrend wrote, “Off the pavement, the LX is in its natural habitat.” With that said, since the LX is still a luxury SUV, it’s still a comfortable SUV when it’s on the road. However, if you have $90,000 and you want to go off-road in a luxury SUV, then the LX isn’t that bad of an idea.