2008 Lexus LX570 Baltimore MD

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All-new for 2008, Lexus LX570 offers high-class luxury and off-road capability in equal measure.

As a slightly more luxurious version of the already luxurious Land Cruiser, Lexus' LX series full-size SUV has always had a way of sneaking up on you. It never looked all that different from the Land Cruiser, and made its mark primarily by offering a more luxurious on-road ride without compromising the off-road ability that made the Land Cruiser an icon. The next-generation version sticks closely to the same formula. The LX570 is intended to be a vehicle that can really do just about anything, and do it well.

On paper, it's off to a good start. The new LX570 is larger and stronger, and still manages to boast better fuel economy than the outgoing model. With 8500 pounds of towing capacity, it'll out-pull the competition from Cadillac and Mercedes. The new 5.7 liter V8 uses VVT-i variable valve timing, and there's also an extra oil cooler to improve towing performance. The 383 horsepower is delivered with a typically Lexus lack of drama. The six-speed automatic transmission is new, and features a low first gear and sequential shift capability. Full-time four-wheel drive motivates the LX570, and a lockable Torsen limited-slip center differential ensures fantastic low-range performance off-road. It may be right at home in front of the country club, but the LX570 is just as unstoppable as any military-spec Toyota Land Cruiser.

That's right, "unstoppable." It's not obvious at a glance, but the LX570's got serious off-roading ability. This truck has a 27-inch fording depth and a full set of skid plates to protect the underbody. There are nine inches of wheel travel at all four corners, with coil springs locating the solid rear axle. The LX570 is set apart from the Land Cruiser by its Active Height Control and Adaptive Variable Suspension. The automatically lowering suspension is available for the first time. It drops at freeway speeds to improve stability. This also allows for an Easy Access Control function, which lets the LX570 drop the suspension and "kneel" for easy entry.

One of the LX570's coolest innovations is Crawl Control. Shared with the Land Cruiser, Crawl Control combines the traction control, hill descent control and cruise to let the LX570 take over completely when climbing or descending steep terrain. In low gear, the driver can select a speed of one, two or three and a half miles per hour, and the LX570 will creep along at precisely that speed, adding braking and throttle where necessary to keep the vehicle at a set speed. All the driver has to do is steer. Anyone who ever spent years learning how to finesse a Jeep up an uneven slope will hate you for being able to push a button and climb the same grade without drama.

Vehicle Skid Control and Active Traction Control are also along for the ride. Multi-terrain anti-lock brakes are able to modulate the brakes to adjust for sand, gravel or other uncertain surfaces.

The flip side of all that technology is the serious comfort and luxury within. The LX570 seats up to eight passengers in quiet, leather-wrapped comfort. The redesigned interior greets passengers with a swath of wood and is only distinguishable from that of a luxury sedan by its height. There's a nicely-mounted driver information center that also includes the standard navigation system. XM satellite radio is also standard, and includes real-time traffic updates via XM NavTraffic. Four-zone climate control ensures that all three rows of passenger seating are comfortable. The rear seats still flip up to the side rather than folding down into the floor. Lexus doesn't do this for the sake of being quirky; it's because the solid rear axle leaves nowhere for a seat to fold to. The fussy third-row seats have improved their finger-friendliness by incorporating a power-fold function. The second row also adds a power-slide feature and seat heaters.

As for optional equipment, a cool wide-view monitor uses cameras in the grille and under the passenger mirror to project images of what's directly in front of and next to the LX570 at speeds under five miles per hour. The panoramic display in the dashboard information center is very handy for parallel parking and driving in congested areas. A remote start is also available.

At a glance, you might not notice that the all-new LX570 has an all-new look, as well. That's because it carries a lot of the same design cues as the new LS460 sedan, and thus looks familiar even if you've never seen it before. Up front there's a proud, trapezoidal horizontal-bar grille flanked by a set of tall headlamps. The LX570 has a relatively long nose and muscular bulges in its flanks and roof. Chrome is minimal, and used to good effect. It's about three and a half inches longer than the outgoing LX470. 20" wheels and a roof rack are standard equipment. Handsome LED taillights grace a cleaned-up rear aspect. What really sets it apart is the attention to detail. As with all Lexus products, panel gaps and build quality are so perfect that it's hard to imagine this vehicle was constructed from separate components. Like the LS460 sedan, the LX570 is hand-sanded twice at the factory, and undergoes three times as many post-production inspections as other vehicles.

Is anybody actually going to take the LX570 off-road? Probably not, considering the $73,800 starting price. As such, the over-the-top off-road prowess would appear to be the answer to a question that nobody's asking. That's okay, though; the LX570's on-road comfort and luxury will appeal to well-heeled owners who simply want to have the ability to drive through any wasteland that might arise, even if they wouldn't actually do it. In the end it doesn't matter, though. You won't see many LX570s, as Lexus only plans to sell about 9500 of them.

Specifications:
Base price: $73,800
Engine: 5.7 liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Drivetrain: six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 383 @ 5600
Torque: 403 @ 3600
Est. mileage: 12/18