Canyonero
Beating up Land Cruisers since 2015
TL;DR: The new LX700 Overtrail is a beast out of the box. Capable and comfortable. Triple lockers and the other off road goodies are welcome improvements. There is plenty of room for improvement, however.
Longer version: Yesterday at lunch I was notified my dealership had an unclaimed (for the moment) LX700 Overtrail. We immediately headed that way and picked it up.
This morning, I headed out for some light 4-wheeling at a series of trails about an hour from my house. Rainbow Falls OHV area if you're in Colorado and familiar with the area. The trails are a mix of rock obstacles, off camber sections, and you can choose your own adventure from mild to wild. There's a section called "mini Moab" that challenges even the most build rigs.
Today it was very muddy, with some light leftover snow.
My intention was to take it easy and just test the capabilities of the new LX700 and for the most part I succeeded... Had one "oopsie" that has mostly buffed out and is not super noticeable and I probably will just leave as a battle scar.
With 1 hour of driving there on back roads and about 2 hours on trails and then 1 hour back on the highway, I think I have a pretty good impression of the vehicle after just a single day. Here goes.
Pros:
-Smooth and quiet. More "Lexus-y" than other Lexus vehicles I've owned. They took NVH seriously and it shows.
-Interior functionality and ergonomics are really good. It's easy to find what you will commonly use, quickly. I know people bemoan the two-screen setup, but it's actually great in practice. I think the interior looks fantastic, very clean.
-Nice road presence. Stealthy but one of those IYKYK vehicles.
-Overtrail tires are 3 peak rated and do very well on snow and ice. Not great in the mud, as they cake up and you're then ice skating.
-Ground clearance is excellent in H2 even on factory tires. Approach angle, not so much, but most people won't be attempting the dumb things I was today. If you want more approach angle, I'm sure Dissent and maybe Slee would be happy to sell you a front bumper. I see no need, this vehicle is not meant to be a Jeep.
-Power and power delivery are both ample and smooth at low speeds off road.
-Triple lockers are the pinnacle of capability. I actually needed them today to get up a muddy hill. No chance MTS alone would have sufficed on a slippery uphill with tires caked in mud. I tried to get up with just the center locker (nope), then added the rear locker (nope) and finally the front locker (success.)
-What I love about the addition of lockers is how much they help you go UP things. But DAC/CRAWL is incredible for helping you get down safely. Having both is quite nice.
-The camera system is much improved and actually helpful. In the photo below, you can see to the left where it's darker; this is actually a 2.5' drop off, so the cameras can now show you some level of depth.
-I could complain about space, but I won't. The 112.2" wheelbase is perfect, and that's why Toyota kept it. Any smaller and it would be too small. Any bigger and it would be too big. I think the size is perfect.
-Articulation reminds me exactly of my 2015 200 series. It's excellent.
-In fact, the whole truck reminds me of my 200, just improved in every way.
-This thing simply drives like a Land Cruiser. Not a bad thing.
Cons:
-Honestly, I just could not get comfortable in the driver's seat. The thigh cushion feels like it's 4" too short. I'll keep messing with it, but if you're considering an LX I suggest an extended test drive. Seat comfort is among the key reasons I sold my GX460 prior. I have a normal frame, 6'' 200lbs and I'm comfortable in my wife's Cayenne, my F-150 Raptor, my
Wrangler, etc. But this seat is going to take some fine tuning.
-The ML sound system is a joke. Sure, it has clear sound, but without bass, I feel there's no point. I have better stock sound in my Jeep, Porsche, and F-150. I think even our Sienna's JBL is better. I'm severely disappointed in the lack of base. I get that Toyota had trouble with packaging as it is (clearly), but the lack of any sub-woofer is inexcusable to me for a halo vehicle that costs $120k. It can be fixed, but I should not have to pay extra to add a sub.
- I know I said above you don't need a better approach angle, but that's still a missed opportunity from Lexus. The approach angle should be better, even if most won't need it. Why give it triple lockers if I can't get over a rock that's too tall? Again, a halo vehicle, triple locked, off-road tires, skid plates, and a dumb approach angle. The breakover is great. Departure is fine.
-Ventilated seats. C'mon, Toyota, get your sh!t together on this. It basically just makes fan noise like all Toyota and Lexus products. I wish Toyota engineers would spend some time in a Ford and realize why Ford sells so many trucks - they get all the interior details like this right. Not to mention, seat comfort is so much better in a Ford truck.
-It would be nice to have a larger fuel tank, but I understand the concerns with payload and packaging when adding a battery and electric motor. My Wrangler 4xe deals with similar compromises, so I won't fault Toyota for this but just know you're not going over 300 miles on a tank unless you bring Rotopax.
-This one is weird, but trust me, it's noticeable: When the vehicle is in EV only mode and the ICE kicks in, you will hear a low, almost pop sound. It sounds like if you had a lax ball in the back of the vehicle and it rolled back into the tailgate when you take off. It's not loud, but you'll hear it every single time the engine kicks on, as pressure quickly exits the exhaust tip. Shocking to me, I've not heard anyone say this. My wife drove it home from the dealer and immediately was like "something is rolling around in the back" and when I investigated, I confirmed it's the ICE coming on. It will happen at any speed when you go from EV to ICE.
-I could complain about space, but I won't. The 112.2" wheelbase is perfect, and that's why Toyota kept it. Any smaller and it would be too small. Any bigger and it would be too big. I think the size is perfect.
-The transmission is not great. Not particularly smooth and even the hybrid engagement is rougher than I'm used to from Toyota. Sometimes braking would lead to harsh downshifts of the transmission. This is not unheard of, but again, at this price point, I expect Toyota/Lexus to get it right. Our Cayenne is flawless on every shift, up and down every single time. My Wrangler gets abused like a red-headed stepchild, but its ZF 8-speed always gets it right. Even my F-150 shifts its 10-speed much smoothly than the LX does. Hoping this is a break in thing, but I suspect it's not.
-Finally, hood flutter. You've got to be kidding me with this. 85mph on the way home and it's all I am noticing. $120k rig and the hood flutters because Toyota is too cheap to make it thicker? There's no obvious fix for this that I can see, the material is simply too thin and with enough wind and air pressure the thing flutters. That's bush league.
I realize that's a long list of cons, but I would recommend the vehicle to anyone if they go into ownership with eyes wide open. Resale should be strong, the vehicle should last a long time, we all know these are engineered to a very high standard. I'm glad I got it.
Longer version: Yesterday at lunch I was notified my dealership had an unclaimed (for the moment) LX700 Overtrail. We immediately headed that way and picked it up.
This morning, I headed out for some light 4-wheeling at a series of trails about an hour from my house. Rainbow Falls OHV area if you're in Colorado and familiar with the area. The trails are a mix of rock obstacles, off camber sections, and you can choose your own adventure from mild to wild. There's a section called "mini Moab" that challenges even the most build rigs.
Today it was very muddy, with some light leftover snow.
My intention was to take it easy and just test the capabilities of the new LX700 and for the most part I succeeded... Had one "oopsie" that has mostly buffed out and is not super noticeable and I probably will just leave as a battle scar.
With 1 hour of driving there on back roads and about 2 hours on trails and then 1 hour back on the highway, I think I have a pretty good impression of the vehicle after just a single day. Here goes.
Pros:
-Smooth and quiet. More "Lexus-y" than other Lexus vehicles I've owned. They took NVH seriously and it shows.
-Interior functionality and ergonomics are really good. It's easy to find what you will commonly use, quickly. I know people bemoan the two-screen setup, but it's actually great in practice. I think the interior looks fantastic, very clean.
-Nice road presence. Stealthy but one of those IYKYK vehicles.
-Overtrail tires are 3 peak rated and do very well on snow and ice. Not great in the mud, as they cake up and you're then ice skating.
-Ground clearance is excellent in H2 even on factory tires. Approach angle, not so much, but most people won't be attempting the dumb things I was today. If you want more approach angle, I'm sure Dissent and maybe Slee would be happy to sell you a front bumper. I see no need, this vehicle is not meant to be a Jeep.
-Power and power delivery are both ample and smooth at low speeds off road.
-Triple lockers are the pinnacle of capability. I actually needed them today to get up a muddy hill. No chance MTS alone would have sufficed on a slippery uphill with tires caked in mud. I tried to get up with just the center locker (nope), then added the rear locker (nope) and finally the front locker (success.)
-What I love about the addition of lockers is how much they help you go UP things. But DAC/CRAWL is incredible for helping you get down safely. Having both is quite nice.
-The camera system is much improved and actually helpful. In the photo below, you can see to the left where it's darker; this is actually a 2.5' drop off, so the cameras can now show you some level of depth.
-I could complain about space, but I won't. The 112.2" wheelbase is perfect, and that's why Toyota kept it. Any smaller and it would be too small. Any bigger and it would be too big. I think the size is perfect.
-Articulation reminds me exactly of my 2015 200 series. It's excellent.
-In fact, the whole truck reminds me of my 200, just improved in every way.
-This thing simply drives like a Land Cruiser. Not a bad thing.
Cons:
-Honestly, I just could not get comfortable in the driver's seat. The thigh cushion feels like it's 4" too short. I'll keep messing with it, but if you're considering an LX I suggest an extended test drive. Seat comfort is among the key reasons I sold my GX460 prior. I have a normal frame, 6'' 200lbs and I'm comfortable in my wife's Cayenne, my F-150 Raptor, my
Wrangler, etc. But this seat is going to take some fine tuning.
-The ML sound system is a joke. Sure, it has clear sound, but without bass, I feel there's no point. I have better stock sound in my Jeep, Porsche, and F-150. I think even our Sienna's JBL is better. I'm severely disappointed in the lack of base. I get that Toyota had trouble with packaging as it is (clearly), but the lack of any sub-woofer is inexcusable to me for a halo vehicle that costs $120k. It can be fixed, but I should not have to pay extra to add a sub.
- I know I said above you don't need a better approach angle, but that's still a missed opportunity from Lexus. The approach angle should be better, even if most won't need it. Why give it triple lockers if I can't get over a rock that's too tall? Again, a halo vehicle, triple locked, off-road tires, skid plates, and a dumb approach angle. The breakover is great. Departure is fine.
-Ventilated seats. C'mon, Toyota, get your sh!t together on this. It basically just makes fan noise like all Toyota and Lexus products. I wish Toyota engineers would spend some time in a Ford and realize why Ford sells so many trucks - they get all the interior details like this right. Not to mention, seat comfort is so much better in a Ford truck.
-It would be nice to have a larger fuel tank, but I understand the concerns with payload and packaging when adding a battery and electric motor. My Wrangler 4xe deals with similar compromises, so I won't fault Toyota for this but just know you're not going over 300 miles on a tank unless you bring Rotopax.
-This one is weird, but trust me, it's noticeable: When the vehicle is in EV only mode and the ICE kicks in, you will hear a low, almost pop sound. It sounds like if you had a lax ball in the back of the vehicle and it rolled back into the tailgate when you take off. It's not loud, but you'll hear it every single time the engine kicks on, as pressure quickly exits the exhaust tip. Shocking to me, I've not heard anyone say this. My wife drove it home from the dealer and immediately was like "something is rolling around in the back" and when I investigated, I confirmed it's the ICE coming on. It will happen at any speed when you go from EV to ICE.
-I could complain about space, but I won't. The 112.2" wheelbase is perfect, and that's why Toyota kept it. Any smaller and it would be too small. Any bigger and it would be too big. I think the size is perfect.
-The transmission is not great. Not particularly smooth and even the hybrid engagement is rougher than I'm used to from Toyota. Sometimes braking would lead to harsh downshifts of the transmission. This is not unheard of, but again, at this price point, I expect Toyota/Lexus to get it right. Our Cayenne is flawless on every shift, up and down every single time. My Wrangler gets abused like a red-headed stepchild, but its ZF 8-speed always gets it right. Even my F-150 shifts its 10-speed much smoothly than the LX does. Hoping this is a break in thing, but I suspect it's not.
-Finally, hood flutter. You've got to be kidding me with this. 85mph on the way home and it's all I am noticing. $120k rig and the hood flutters because Toyota is too cheap to make it thicker? There's no obvious fix for this that I can see, the material is simply too thin and with enough wind and air pressure the thing flutters. That's bush league.
I realize that's a long list of cons, but I would recommend the vehicle to anyone if they go into ownership with eyes wide open. Resale should be strong, the vehicle should last a long time, we all know these are engineered to a very high standard. I'm glad I got it.
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first 300 through sounds like an epic journey!!! Cheers guys, leading the charge for the OT, love it!!!
