Lexus LX 600 Sport

This spring Lexus sent me the new Lexus LX600 to tour and drive my family around for a week, and I’m excited to share it with you. This used to be the LX570 and it had not been redesigned since 2007. I have been getting a lot of feedback on how outdated it was so I’m really excited to tell you Lexus has finally redesigned her. This is the blacked out F Sport edition. 

Exterior

Over the last 15 years since Lexus redesigned the LX600, which is the largest car Lexus makes, they did update a few elements of the exterior, including the signature grill. The grill has carried over to 2022 and I think it’s sporty and rugged, and looks good. I was a little disappointed to see the running boards are not automatic. For a $110K car I think we should get some automatic running boards. The back end looks great with the double spaced Lexus spelled out but I hate the wraparound tail lights. It looks like a stinkin’ Lincoln. 

Interior

Front Row

I’m loving the interior of this F-Sport edition. The red and black contrast look really good. However, the door panel cubbies are just average. My water bottle doesn’t fit. They’re good for a wallet but not much else. The dash is digital, but not fully—why, Lexus? It definitely could have been updated a bit more. I think the Hyundai Palisade has a nicer digital display than this. However, I like the heads up display and it’s super clear for the driver. 

Moving over to the center display—it is clunk city. There are two screens stacked on top of each other, which I’m not a big fan of, and some knobs are pulled out but they are in strange places. The start/stop button is where the volume should be and the driving mode is where the volume should be. Again, why??? We do have USB, USBC, and 12 volt outlets, heated and ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, and wireless charging. The center console is a great size and it opens on the side so the driver has easier access to it. There are two cup holders that thankfully Lexus moved to a much better spot between the seats. You can see in my tour of the 2021 Lexus LX 570—they were bad.

Second Row

Heading into the second row I’m wishing this car just had more room on the inside. The bench is wide, but I don’t have the clearance I’d like for my rear facing car seat. Since the second row is not on tracks I can’t move the second row back to give me as the driver more room. I was able to install a Graco booster, which is the most narrow booster on the market and it does fit so you could potentially have three across. As for second row comfort, there are built-in sunshades in this trim level, which we love to see, heated and ventilated seats, and climate control with vents everywhere so we have great ventilation back here. 

Third Row

Access to the third row is kind of a bummer. If you have more than one car seat installed in the second row there is no way to access the third row. As for knee and head clearance, it’s not great. My knees are up to my chest and my head hits the ceiling. For how big this car is it’s shocking how small the second and third row are. Mid-size SUVs like the Hyundai Palisade, Chevy Traverse, and VW Atlas have much more cargo room than this Lexus LX600. But, even though the third row doesn’t really fit humans there are vents all the way back here, which I love for dogs. 

Car Seat Set Up

In the second row we have two sets of lower anchors on the outboard seats and 3 tether anchors all the way across. There aren’t any lower or tether anchors in the third row so that means at most you can put three car seats in this car. And remember, once there is more than one car seat installed in the second row there is no way to access the third row. 

Trunk

With the third row down there is tons of room in the trunk. The third row lies completely flat, making for great cargo room. To get the third row up, you have to hold a button. You know I hate this. And then if you let go (say a toddler urgently needs a snack) it beeps at you. Not a great feature for moms. And then once the third row is up, there is literally no trunk space. It’s about 6 inches. I’m not trying to hate on Lexus, but I just can’t say you can safely put your kids in the third row if there is only a few inches of protection in a rear end collision. 

Trim

The Lexus LX600 comes in 5 trim levels and gets more and more luxurious as you go up. The Ultra Luxury is the highest trim and comes with massaging chairs, reclining seats with sliding ottomans, and rear-seat entertainment. Dang. 

Overview

While I love the look of the redesigned Lexus LX600, I’m not sure this is the best car for families who need to use the third row or have rear-facing car seats. The space just doesn’t measure up. But if you don’t need the third row and your kids are older, this might just be the Luxury car for you.