SUV fans are lucky to live in the current moment. We have a huge variety of modern off-road capable trucks and SUVs. Broncos, JL Jeeps, Defenders, 4Runners, G-Wagons, and the list can go on and on for rad SUVs that are or will soon be in command of the road and rough track. Not to mention the SUVs of the old guard that are steadily gaining in popularity. So, what are we supposed to do with the weird middle ground of the “New” Lexus LX 570? 

What’s up with Lexus LX 570

The cool, old-school aspects of the LX 570 are plentiful, but they don’t make the overall product cool. The 2021 Lexus LX 570 is still essentially a fancier Land Cruiser. It’s built on a body-on-frame platform, which is kind of cool. It only comes with one engine option, a 5.7-liter V8, which is pretty cool but is only offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is decidedly uncool. 

While the motor is strong, it is outdated. The 5.7-liter V8 is making 383 hp and 403 lb-ft of torque, according to the folks at Roadshow. No, the LX 570 isn’t fast per se, but the 6,100-pound boat can run 0-60 in around 7 seconds. That’s nothing compared to the silly Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, but that’s not what we should as from a Land Crusier (whoops, I meant Lexus LX 570.) While most automakers are trying to utilize new tech to use smaller turbo motors that still make great power and are far more fuel-friendly, Lexus’s choice to throw a needlessly big, kinda slow V8 feels odd. 

The “new” features

The testers at Roadshow put the LX 570 through its paces and didn’t have too many great things to say about it. The LX, for some reason, comes with Sport and Sport Plus buttons. Again, this is a large SUV and a semi-slow one at that. This choice feels like one of many outdated attempts to be cool like the other new SUVs but feels out of touch or lacking self-awareness. Even in these sporty settings, Roadshow reports vague steering and plenty of body roll. 

The adaptive cruise control does a good job of slowing down but is jerky and irritating in slow-speed settings, according to Roadshow. The tester goes as far as to say, “All things considered, the LX 570 is far worse to drive on-road than pretty much any other full-size luxury SUV.” Luckily there is another side to the LX 570. 

The Lexus LX has the beans off-road

Although the Roadshow tester never got off-road with the 2021 LX, she does note that the 2016 LX and the 2021 LX are essentially the same as far as off-road hardware is concerned. When testing the 2016 LX off-road, it handled the rough stuff with grace and ease. It has all the buzz words you would expect for a good off-roader, locking differential, two-speed transfer case, and five different terrain-specific driving modes. The 2021 LX also has air suspension giving it 11 inches of ground clearance. 

2021 Lexus LX 570 interior 

Roadshow reports a quiet and roomy interior for the beefy, luxury off-roader. The most commonly complained about feature of the LX 570 is the woefully outdated infotainment system. Pick an aspect of the infotainment package, graphics, controls, software, whatever; it’s all outdated and irritating. 

Who cares about a car’s sat nav in 2020? We have powerful phones that can handle navigation, music, podcasts, and more, right? Well, the 2021 LX 570 doesn’t offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for some inexplicable reason. 

The little bit of juice aint worth the squeeze

So, the Lexus LX 570 is good off-road and has a comfy interior, but is so unsophisticated that the price tag of just over $100,000 as tested by Roadshow feels absurd. There are many great SUV options available these days for far less than 100k and far better equipped.

Pass on this dinosaur and buy one of the many new, better-equipped, and cheaper SUVs on the market today. If you want a dinosaur , that’s cool, too; just buy a cooler cheaper dinosaur.