The TX is an all-new
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00:00Some of the best-selling cars out there right now are the three-row midsize SUVs.
00:12Everyone is making one, and Lexus, not wanting to be left out of the mix, has brought forth
00:16the all-new Lexus TX.
00:18Lexus Texas?
00:19Colloquially?
00:20Maybe.
00:21We'll see if it sticks.
00:29It actually also isn't the first time Lexus has made a three-row crossover.
00:34That title goes to the three-row Lexus RX, which is kind of a dud, so Lexus quietly got
00:38rid of it, gave us this TX.
00:41The TX is based on the Toyota Grand Highlander, which we have driven, which we have loved.
00:44It is a wonderful car.
00:46So it's that, but with all the Lexus fit and finish.
00:48You also get a variety of powertrains, which means more choice.
00:52So on my right here is the 350 luxury all-wheel drive.
00:56Here in the middle is the 500h F-Sport Performance luxury all-wheel drive.
01:00And all the way on my left here is the 550h Plus luxury all-wheel drive.
01:04So we're going to take all three out, give them a spin, and then by the end of this video,
01:08hopefully you can pick a favorite.
01:12This is the face and body of the new TX, which is to say the eventuality of the spindle grille.
01:18And considering the, we'll say, more outrageous design of Lexus cars as of late, this one
01:24leans a little more conservative, a little more middle of the road.
01:27There's nothing quite super outrageous on it.
01:30It is boxy shaped, which means it will likely age pretty well.
01:33And you get two wheel choices, 20 inch or 22 inch, depending on trim.
01:39The front seat of the Lexus TX is pretty standard Lexus fare.
01:42You get your big digital screen, big digital information cluster with Lexus latest UI system.
01:49Unfortunately, that does mean that for climate controls, you have to interact with the touchscreen.
01:54Yeah, you get dials to change the temperature and there is a volume knob.
01:58And below that, there are hard buttons for the fan directional.
02:01But if you want to do anything more complicated, like turn on the ventilated seats on a hot
02:05day like today, it will be a touchscreen thing.
02:07However, there are other creature comforts up here, such as big cup holders, nice storage
02:12in here and this conveniently located wireless charging pad, charge all the devices in your
02:17life.
02:18Because this is the F Sport, you get the F Sport steering wheel and the F Sport seats,
02:22which are a little more buckety, a little sportier than the rest of Lexus lineup.
02:26You can see either six or seven people total in the TX and all of the ones we have here,
02:31they are set up for six people, which means you get the two captains chairs in the middle
02:35as opposed to the three person bench.
02:37These captains chairs are on rails, which means you can tilt, you can slide.
02:42There's a good range of motion and good leg room.
02:45In addition to that, you have a lot of storage space to get your own cup holders as well
02:48as in this trim, at least your own rear seat climate control that includes heated and
02:54cooled seats.
02:55We're living in the lap of luxury here.
02:57Now, if you need to get to that third row, all you have to do is pop the second row forward
03:03because again, it is on rails and just hop right in the back.
03:11Easy peasy.
03:13With regard to this third row, I am five three.
03:16I fit back here with no problem.
03:17I've got plenty of leg room, but if you're taller than me, if you have longer legs might
03:22be a problem because this floor is kind of high and the seat height is a little low.
03:25That being said, there's pretty good headroom in here and there is also two cup holders
03:30per.
03:31Unfortunately, there are only two seats back here.
03:35Other midsize SUVs have three.
03:36There's only two back here, so that's something to keep in mind.
03:40In addition to the comfortable and spacious second row captains chairs that you get in
03:44the Lexus TX, you also get this lovely center console with cup holders and cubbies for all
03:49your stuff.
03:50Most importantly, snack space and little known fact, it's totally removable.
03:55Why you would need to do this, I mean, that's totally up to you.
03:58Choose your own adventure.
03:59But sometimes you need the snacks to go with you, right?
04:01Got to be ready.
04:04You know, Lexus and by extension, Toyota is a real one for including this removable tray
04:10because you can fill it with snacks and therefore it says to the public, yes, we understand
04:15the importance of snacking.
04:18All the other automakers, you guys should be getting on this, you know, because there's
04:21nothing better than walking and eating and this just gives you an easy tray to keep all
04:25of it in one place.
04:26That is a Moto Trend Top consumer tip.
04:29Finally, the trunk.
04:31The TX, despite having three rows, also has a decently sized trunk, which is not something
04:36you always find in this segment.
04:37However, I would like to draw your attention to this third row lowering mechanism.
04:42All you have to do is hit a button and they go down automatically.
04:46There's a motor in there, so there's no more pulling on straps and straining and trying
04:50to figure out how everything works here.
04:51It's just a simple touch of one button and it's got a flat floor.
04:55You can load things in and out easily.
04:56And as soon as you want them to come back up, you just have to hit this button.
05:01Everything returns to normal.
05:02Very convenient.
05:03No extra effort.
05:04So now that we've had our walk around, it's time to get driving and check out all those
05:08engines.
05:09Right.
05:10So the Lexus Texas 350, this is the base engine, 275 horsepower turbo, no hybrid components
05:20whatsoever.
05:21Let's check it out.
05:24Well, certainly sounds like a four cylinder.
05:29It's kind of that droney quality that gets into the cabin under load.
05:34Not terribly noticeable, but something to make a note of as we're going over these hills
05:41and humps.
05:42There is a little bit of floatiness in the suspension.
05:46This is definitely tuned to be more comfortable and relaxed.
05:51But again, it's a three row SUV.
05:53Of course, it's supposed to be comfortable and relaxed.
05:54We have problems if it was tuned like a Lamborghini or something.
05:57The steering is actually quite tight.
06:01You know, so often with these SUVs, it's so vague and really hard to point the nose of
06:08the car.
06:09There's no problem with that here.
06:10It's pretty good.
06:14I will say the power is a little bit lacking.
06:18We are leaning into the pedal heavily to get ourselves up these hills at speed.
06:25We just went over a little bit of a bumpy area there.
06:28The suspension could ride a little softer for how big this vehicle is, for how luxury
06:35positioned it is.
06:38That's something to be aware of.
06:39One thing I would like to note, this particular car is outfitted with the white leather trim.
06:46I can't really recommend white leather anywhere.
06:51I mean, from from sofas to cars.
06:56It looks good in the staging photos.
06:57It really does.
06:58On Instagram.
06:59Like, oh, wow.
07:00White furniture, white upholstery.
07:01In practice, impossible to keep clean, impossible.
07:05Everything shows up on it.
07:06You have to be precious about it.
07:08Just do yourself a favor.
07:10Don't get the white leather.
07:11Here on these twisties, there is some evidence of body roll.
07:16We are in a big vehicle.
07:18We are moving a lot of mass.
07:19We are pretty high up and we're going to lean like we are.
07:26So maybe on those highway on and off ramps, take it a little easy.
07:30Brake pedal is pretty progressive.
07:33Brakes a little squishy.
07:35I think for something this big and wallowy, I'd like a little more braking feedback.
07:41But it's definitely not something that will ruin the experience for you.
07:46Riding over here like this, going around 50, 60 miles an hour, it is pretty quiet in
07:51the cabin, except for that engine drone.
07:53However, out of everybody who buys this car, I'm sort of thinking they're going to go for
07:59the hybrid engine.
08:01You get a little better gas mileage there, a little extra power.
08:04This one is straining.
08:05This this unit is straining just a bit.
08:08Just a bit.
08:09Moving this big, heavy body along.
08:11All told, this package will set you back just about sixty nine thousand dollars.
08:15So, yeah, OK, TX 350, got it.
08:22Top out and get in that 500h, see what it's about.
08:30All right, we are out in the 500h version of the TX now, this is the F Sport, which
08:37means it has a little more performance stuff.
08:39So in addition to these F Sport seats, we have F Sport suspension tuning, dynamic rear
08:44steering and performance dampers.
08:47So theoretically, that should mean it rides a little different from the 350 we just got
08:53out of.
08:54It does ride a little tidier going around these curves.
08:59It feels better screwed down, not as loose.
09:02We're still in a big car.
09:03It's still tall, but it's not as loose.
09:05There is more power, too.
09:07This is the 2.4 liter hybrid engine is not the plug in.
09:10We'll get to that.
09:11But this is the hybrid engine and there's more power.
09:13So total system output comes to three hundred and sixty six horsepower.
09:16So it's quite a bit more than the 350 that we got out of.
09:20But yeah, around these turns, things feel certifiably more buttoned down.
09:25There's a little more confidence here.
09:26It doesn't feel like you are way out of line.
09:30It's more controllable.
09:31The brakes actually feel a little stronger to less mushy.
09:35This is definitely more active, more engaging than the 350.
09:42The steering is about the same.
09:44The engine isn't as loud.
09:46It doesn't drone as much.
09:48And certainly that extra grunt gets you places more urgently than in the lower power car.
09:58Still hear it.
10:01It's not as prevalent, we'll say.
10:04Not as droning into the cabin as before.
10:08This one feels more Lexus-y than the other one.
10:14The 350 is nice.
10:15The fit and finish is good.
10:16But once you get into it, it feels a little loose, a little flowy in the corners.
10:22The engine is loud.
10:23It's kind of crude.
10:24That one feels more like a Toyota.
10:26This one feels like a Lexus.
10:28It's quieter.
10:29It is better put together.
10:31Everything feels just a little tighter, a little more finely assembled.
10:38This is the volume seller.
10:40People want the hybrid engine.
10:42It's a little better on gas, a little more on power, a little more expensive.
10:46But it feels more appropriately Lexus.
10:49So this, as specced, is around $77,200.
10:54So about almost a $10,000 jump in price.
10:59Is it worth the $10,000 jump in price?
11:02That is up for you to determine.
11:04You will make some of it back at the pump with your better gas mileage.
11:09I think in terms of dynamic response, though, there's a big difference.
11:14It just doesn't feel like you're driving a big, lumbering SUV.
11:18It still doesn't ride as softly as it should.
11:21However, I sort of expect that out of the F Sport version of the TX.
11:26More performance-oriented, which means it'll be tuned a little sportier.
11:30But as we've determined, this car takes a more active role
11:34in the act of driving than the 350.
11:37$77,200 just about gets you this package.
11:43I think that's fair.
11:45Feels like a Lexus.
11:46Feels upscale.
11:47Feels well put together.
11:49Certainly more engaging to drive than the 350.
11:53This is good.
11:54Nice car.
12:01And last, but most certainly not least, the Lexus TX 550h Plus.
12:08Sitting pretty at the top of the hierarchy,
12:10this is the most powerful TX you can buy.
12:13There's a 3.5 liter V6 plug-in hybrid that
12:16makes a total system output of 404 horsepower
12:20and produces up to 33 miles of all electric driving.
12:24This, I think, is the most interesting version of the TX,
12:27as I find plug-in hybrids very interesting.
12:29They're a nice medium step between purely internal combustion
12:33and electric vehicles.
12:35If you're not ready for a full BEV, plug-in hybrid
12:38is a very good solution for it.
12:40I mean, yes, they're heavier.
12:42They're a little more complex.
12:43But you do get that all electric range.
12:46In this case, not bad.
12:47I mean, it's 33 miles.
12:48If you really take into account how long your daily commute is,
12:52you can fit it into your life.
12:53Why not?
12:54Keep the tank of gas in there for whatever long distance
12:57trips you need to take.
12:58But for the shorter commutes, just rely on the battery.
13:01It's a great solution.
13:03Driving in here now, I'm hearing the engine
13:05switch between battery and a combination.
13:09It is very smooth.
13:09It's quiet.
13:10That handoff, very, very seamless.
13:13It definitely feels heavier, as there are more components
13:17at play here.
13:19However, the weight feels like it's
13:21more concentrated on the bottom of the car.
13:26And it feels less top-heavy than the other two TX models
13:31that we've tried out today.
13:33This one doesn't feel as dynamic as the F-Sport one,
13:39the 500h F-Sport.
13:42That one for sure feels way more buttoned down.
13:46This one's a little looser.
13:48And it's heavier, which obviously is the case,
13:51because it's plug-in hybrid.
13:52There's more just stuff that you're bringing around.
13:55As a commuter, though, things are going to be nice and smooth.
13:59The steering is still heavy and provides good feedback.
14:03That's probably the biggest surprise of today,
14:05is there's actually decent steering here.
14:08The brakes, too, are pretty good.
14:10Sometimes when you drive a hybrid,
14:12there's a very discernible change between friction
14:17brakes and regenerative brakes.
14:19This is blended very smoothly.
14:20I mean, it is a Toyota product.
14:21And Toyota has been at this whole hybrid thing for, jeez,
14:26decades at this point.
14:28So it's like, yeah, I mean, if anyone's
14:29going to be good at building a hybrid car, it's this company.
14:34Things are nice and quiet in the cabin,
14:37owing to that electric propulsion.
14:41The ride is a little wallowy in this one.
14:44Feels more relaxed than the F Sport, more comfort-oriented.
14:49I like it.
14:49I'm enjoying myself.
14:51It's 400 horsepower, but it's not an eager.
14:56Going over these bumps now, man, every TX today,
15:00gone over that same stretch of road, time and time again,
15:02I find myself thinking, god, it should ride a little softer
15:06than that, and it doesn't.
15:08That just seems to be an endemic TX problem.
15:11Rides a little harsher.
15:12And even though it's 404 horsepower, which
15:16sounds like a lot on paper, it's not an alert sports car
15:20404 horsepower.
15:21It's a power that gets you moving, gets you places.
15:24Not terribly exciting.
15:26That's another consistency that I found across all the TXs.
15:30They're not the most exciting to drive.
15:32I mean, we don't expect them to be.
15:34They are three-row SUVs.
15:36But if you were thinking the off chance
15:39that maybe you could get away with some performance
15:42driving in this car, I don't think that will be the case.
15:47It trades the sportiness for something
15:50that is comfortable and very, very daily livable.
15:54Out of all of the TXs today, I got
16:01to say this plug-in hybrid 550H Plus, this one's my favorite.
16:06It is the heaviest one.
16:08It's the most complex one.
16:10It's the most expensive one.
16:11It's $82,200.
16:14That's a lot.
16:16It's a lot.
16:16But it is a luxury car.
16:17But I like this one the best, despite all of those things,
16:21because I feel like this is the most Lexus-feeling
16:23Lexus of the three.
16:24The 350 is a little crude.
16:27It feels a bit like a Toyota.
16:29The 500H is nice.
16:32However, with all of the sports stuff on it,
16:35I feel like it's trying to be a sports car when it really
16:38doesn't have to feel like a sports car.
16:40I mean, nobody really wanted it to be.
16:42Are people wanting this car to be sporty?
16:46Certainly not me.
16:48But this one, nice and quiet, good power, good merging,
16:53nice brakes, and that all-electric driving
16:56capability can't be underestimated.
17:01For a most realistic errand runner use case,
17:05I think it's this one.
17:06I think this one fulfills most of it.
17:08Anyway, this has been our complete Lexus TX
17:12trim walk all the way from 350 up to 550H-plus.
17:16Be sure to check out the rest of our SUV of the Year coverage
17:20over at MotorTrend.com.
17:22Thanks, guys.
17:23Catch you next time.