Driven: The 2023 Lexus LX 600 F Sport Is A Confusing Proposition

The V8 was replaced by a 3.4-liter V6 twin-turbo for 2022, delivering 409 hp and 479 lb-ft to the all-wheel-drive system via a smooth-yet-direct ten-speed transmission. The transmission also has a low setting for when things get challenging off-road. Lexus's electronically controlled braking system helps on and off-road performance, as do the active height control and adaptive variable suspension systems for the suspension, but these aren't included on all the trims and only the active height control can be added to the F Sport. The F Sport trim gains a Torsen limited-slip differential at the rear, and gets F Sport-tuned suspension, a rear stabilizer bar, and performance dampers.

The torque from the twin-turbo V6 comes early and for longer in the power band over the previous V8, which adds an extra degree of refinement and control over the engine. For a heavy SUV, the LX is reasonably quick, but the beauty here is in the smoothness of the big, heavy drivetrain and the range of availability of the power.

This is where the Lexus LX loses points over the competition. Not in terms of comfort - the LX has wonderfully comfortable, ten-way-adjustable seats up front, and build quality seems perfectly Lexus, but the materials seem a little thin, and there's a drop in quality in the third row. That's not a dealbreaker, but what is to us is how big of a mess the design is inside. While two screens bring a lot of practicality, one for infotainment and one for drive functions, it looks like the infotainment screen is an afterthought slapped on top of a previous-generation infotainment system. Thankfully, the awful touchpad control for the infotainment is gone from the center console, but there's still a mess of buttons spread around in the center.

The infotainment system is Lexus's Google-based software and works well enough on the generous 14-inch screen. You can call up the voice assistant with "Hey, Lexus," but it occasionally responds to random speech from inside the cabin. The gauge cluster display is also just too small for a vehicle in the LX's class.

While the interior of the new generation brings more space inside, the third row is almost comically cramped. With the third row up, cargo space is equally tight. The only reason we can think of where the third row would actually be useful is the occasional school run when adding kids to the ride. The second row has plenty of room for large adults, including legroom.

The F Sport gets its own interior touches and colors, which we feel are jarring and don't suit the vehicle's style. This includes Hadori aluminum trim over the wood accents in other models. The interior on the regular trims looks far better, and more muted colors pull things together nicely.

When it comes to ride quality, the suspension setup on the LX is close to perfect ride quality. It's all about consistency. While it doesn't magically make any road surface glass smooth, it does magical things with high-frequency damping - as in a badly textured surface that you're running over at 50-70 mph. The wheels and tires might be chattering away underneath the chassis, but you don't feel the vast majority of it. Then, when things get bumpy, the suspension takes all the edge off of it. And that's despite 22-inch wheels and lower profile tires, and a more aggressive setup on the F Sport version.

The drivetrain adds to the refinement and gives the whole vehicle an executive feel. The new platform is more rigid as well as lighter, which helps bring about better body control (working with the suspension), meaning less lean in the corners. There's a satisfying lack of road noise, and the steering is better now for low-speed maneuvering in parking lots. There was a fuss made about the 2022 model's suspension being too soft or too jittery. This reviewer didn't drive the 2022 model, so we assume Lexus made some adjustments on the down-low.

We're sure Lexus has done its homework and knows people will buy the F Sport trim, but it baffles us. Sure, the throttle becomes snappier, the suspension and chassis stiffens up, and the LSD adds stability pushing out of corners, but it's a truck-based SUV that weighs nearly 6,000 pounds. No amount of engineering magic will make it a joy to hustle down a back road while retaining its off-road ability. It's not even particularly fast in a straight line. It could be fun to push it around a bit on a dirt track, but again, it's hefty and rides tall.

What we would understand is a more hardcore off-road version with a steeper approach and departure angles, and Toyota's hybrid V6 powertrain found as an option on the new Tundra. That would make a whole lot more sense.

Bust the LX off the concrete and tarmac and onto a dirt track, and the suspension doesn't bat an eyelid. We were so enamored we picked a fire road and hit it at ten mph increments to try and find the point where it stopped feeling like we were on the road still. We had to stop at 60 mph as there were bends, and we were on dirt and didn't want to tell Lexus we had crashed a car. What we did work out is that faster is better to take advantage of that excellent high-frequency damping.

However, 40 mph isn't a good idea in the snow, at least on the stock tires and no chains, but the all-wheel-drive system kept everything consistent on the roads around Big Bear Mountain in California. We found a bigger challenge, though.

We took a trail up a mountain near Idylwild after the snow, but forgot how high it went up. The stock tires on the LX 600 are Dunlop Grandtreks, which are hard-wearing all-season tires with a lean toward reduced rolling resistance. That's to say, they are not dedicated off-road tires but do generate decent grip on dry dirt. They are not ideal when you're going up a mountain and start finding snow, slush, and mud. However, the LX's sheer off-road ability managed to overrun the tires and push up through deep muddy ruts and plough through long, deep puddles without losing momentum. Most importantly, saving us the embarrassment of having to get pulled out by a more appropriately shoed off-roader on the mountain.

Even on inappropriate tires, the LX feels unstoppable in adverse conditions. We're not sure we would take it rock-crawling with that grille and the suspiciously low-looking approach angle, though.

The Lexus LX currently starts at $90,660, with the F Sport climbing to $104,870, including destination and handling. That's nearing Range Rover territory, which starts at $106,500. If you're looking for a pure luxury ride, the Range Rover is king. It drips with style inside and out, rides beautifully, and its tech is excellent. If you want to spend a little less, there's the BMW X7 for $77,850. If you want the full body-on-frame truck-like SUV experience and a hefty status symbol, the Cadillac Escalade starts at just under $80k.

However, if you want your luxury barge to be rugged and know it will be used off-road in less-than-perfect weather, the LX fits that description perfectly. Just avoid the F Sport model, as it is wholly pointless.