by Cheryl Eldridge and wire reports
Lexus’s quote the “Pursuit of Perfection” proved its standard with last week’s tester, the 2014 LX570 five door luxury SUV.
The treat of test-driving a smooth ride with strong brakes and luxury features galore coated in starfire pearl was perfect. My $89,805 fully loaded tester’s name speaks for itself.
The Lexus really attracts all audiences and stands out in a crowd and makes its grand entrance with its chrome exterior finishing and 20″ rims.
The 2014 Lexus LX 570 looks like a Toyota Land Cruiser but offers all the comfort, convenience and classy presence you’d expect from a Lexus. As a result, the LX 570 can handle just about anything you throw at it, whether it’s pulling a heavy trailer, climbing a remote mountainside trail or just looking pretty at the country club’s valet stand. But in achieving these disparate attributes, the LX also ends up with a fair number of drawbacks.
There are a ton of comfort and convenience features, ranging from heated and ventilated front seats to an available 19-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system that would put most home audio systems to shame. And that’s to say nothing of the liberal use of high-quality materials that create an opulent cabin on par with many of the world’s top luxury sedans. In addition, the LX’s strong 5.7-liter V8 engine, sophisticated full-time four-wheel-drive system and adaptive air suspension give it plenty of capability on snow-choked streets and rutted, rocky trails alike. The LX 570 also embodies the Lexus brand’s well-deserved reputation for outstanding build quality. There is also the DVD players which are located behind the driver and passenger’s seat. My son really enjoyed watching his favorite DVDs, while his sisters listened to their favorite radio stations from iTunes.
My 2014 Lexus LX 570 is a full-size SUV with seating for eight passengers which I enjoyed; everyone in my family had enough legroom and armroom. The third-row seat is a 50/50-split design with sections that fold up against the sides of the cargo compartment when not in use.
The LX 570 is offered in a single trim level with a long list of standard features. On the outside you’ll find 20-inch alloy wheels, an adaptive suspension, automatic load leveling, adaptive and automatic xenon headlights, foglights, power-folding heated auto-dimming outside mirrors, a sunroof, running boards, a power liftgate and keyless entry and ignition.
Inside, the LX comes with four-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated power front seats (10-way driver, eight-way passenger), driver seat memory functions, a 60/40-split reclining and power-sliding second-row seat, a power-folding third-row seat and a 120-volt household-style power outlet. Electronics are organized around a touchscreen interface and include a rearview camera, a navigation system, voice controls, the Lexus Enform suite of app-based services (including Pandora, Yelp and iHeartRadio), Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a nine-speaker audio system with a CD changer, satellite radio, HD radio and an iPod/USB audio interface.
The Luxury option package adds ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, a cooled storage bin and upgraded leather upholstery. Also available are front and rear parking sensors, front- and side-view parking cameras, adaptive cruise control (includes a pre-collision warning system), a dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound audio system. The ventilated front seats and heated second-row seats are also offered as stand-alone options.
The 2014 Lexus LX 570 boasts a 5.7-liter V8 engine that produces 383 horsepower and 403 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission and a full-time four-wheel-drive system are standard. The latter includes hill-start assist, crawl control and a driver-selectable multi-terrain system. Properly equipped, the LX will tow up to 7,000 pounds.
The LX’s EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings are low even for this class at 14 mpg combined (12 mpg city/17 mpg highway), so yes it’s a pretty gas guzzler.
On the safety side, every 2014 Lexus LX 570 comes standard with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control with trailer sway control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and front knee airbags. Also standard is Lexus Safety Connect emergency communications with automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle locator and an emergency assist button.
The optional frontal collision warning system (included with adaptive cruise control) determines if a crash is imminent and automatically takes up the slack in the front seatbelts and primes the braking system for faster response in panic stops.
As we’ve come to expect from models with the big silver “L” on the grille, the 2014 Lexus LX 570 offers a downright posh interior thanks in part to its supple leather upholstery and genuine mahogany trim. Both the front and second-row seats are comfortable and roomy, and the high seating position offers excellent visibility. The design of the 50/50-split third-row seat has a negative impact on cargo capacity, because the two halves fold up against the side walls instead of down into the floor. As a result, the LX 570 offers 41 cubic feet of cargo room behind the 60/40-split second row of seats and 83 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. Most rival large luxury SUVs are more accommodating in terms of cargo space.
Despite the few drawbacks, in a nutshell, you won’t go wrong if you choose the Lexus 570.
Until next week, drive safe, buckle up, and don’t text and drive, it’s the law.
