Doug DeMuro Calls LX570 a ‘$95,000 Disappointment.’ Wait…What?!?
Do you agree with the respected auto influencer’s assessment?
Lexus has five different SUVs available currently, from the little tiny UX up to the new 2019 LX570. If you want to get your hands on Lexus’ flagship, the LX570 is the SUV for you, and it has been since it came out in 2006. In spite of its storied legacy, influencer and Autotrader columnist Doug DeMuro is calling the 2019 LX570 a $95,000 disappointment. What about the 2019 model rubbed DeMuro the wrong way, and do you agree with his assessment?
DeMuro’s Review
If the title of DeMuro’s review is anything to go by, we shouldn’t be expecting much from the $95,000 Lexus LX570. It shares a platform and an engine — a 5.7L V8 — with its cousin, the Toyota Land Rover, but it doesn’t have a lot going for it. First of all, it’s got one of the worst fuel economies of any full-sized modern SUV, netting 13 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway.
The exterior looks like the designers intended it for a smaller car and blew it up to fit the LX. The grille is the worst — it looks OK on the sedans and smaller SUVs, but on the LX, it seems almost cartoonish. The interior is comfortable and has plenty of bells and whistles. A climate concierge setting will ensure your heated or cooled seat perfectly matches your requested interior temperature, but it’s also got some seriously outdated technology. Instead of relying on touchscreens like most luxury SUVs in 2019, the LX is still using remote touch tech — and it doesn’t work very well.
For $95K, you might expect lots of digital extras, but you won’t get that on the LX. All its dash gauges are analog, and instead of user navigation, it’s got a tiny screen with a digital compass.
If you opt for third-row seating, don’t expect to put adults back there. There is little to no legroom, making it more suitable for children. The third row folds up to create more cargo space, but instead of folding flat, the seats fold toward the rear windows.
In DeMuro’s opinion, the Lexus LX570 only has three things going for it. It is reliable, it has a high resale value — especially to the off-roading community — and Lexus’ outstanding customer service backs it up.
Our Thoughts
It’s hard to judge the Lexus LX570 without getting behind the wheel, but going by what we’ve seen thus far, both from Doug DeMuro and from other sources, the LX wouldn’t be our first choice of SUV. It’s a fantastic off-roader with plenty of tools to help you explore the wilderness and make it home safely, but it’s not one we would pick as a daily driver. The biggest deal-breakers for us are the outdated interior technology and the atrocious fuel economy.
If Lexus wants the LX570 to succeed, they need to either market it strictly to the off-roading community, or they need to take it back to the drawing board and give it the full upgrade it richly deserves. Or, they could knock $40,000 off the price tag, which might be the most straightforward way to do things.
