LX700h Overtrail - First Wheeling Impressions (3 Viewers)

[Canyonero]

Because engineers don’t set warranty terms. Marketing people and accountants do.

I don't think anyone claimed that engineers set warranty terms.

 

[JackAttack13]

I bought the LX, I clearly saw value.

But if you can’t refute every metric I posted, your only hope is to repeat the Toyota mantra: reliability.

Yeah, reliability. Maybe. We all know Toyota recalled this V6, including in the LX. There is no shortage of videos with late model Toyota 4x4s breaking under easy-to-moderate off road conditions.

The age we live in, where everyone has a camera and a YouTube channel, has not been kind to Toyota and their reputation for bulletproof vehicles.

Again, I bought one. I’m hoping it will not disappoint. Time will tell.

For the “it will last 25 years” argument: it’s an illogical statement. At this price point, anyone who can afford this rig doesn’t NEED 25 years out of it.

Also, if that were actually something you could take to the bank - it will last forever- why doesn’t Toyota warranty it accordingly?

Yeah. Exactly.

Same warranty as the Ford.

We have $18k company Kias with a 10 year 100k miles warranty.

Toyota has people on forums like this carry their water because it’s cheaper than actually standing by their product for 10 years.

You make solid points. I fell in love with the LC80 and 100 while living in Africa. They took us everywhere we needed without any issue. I got home, immediately sold my Xterra and bought a 99 100 Series. It has been the most solid rig I have owned. I purchased an Ineos Grenadier in hopes to upgrade and boy that was a mistake. I have had more issues with that in the year owned than the 10 years owning my 100 Series. I really wished for a 300 Series but the LX is the closest we will get. Whether its marketing fluff or not, the LC is a tried and true machine in my book. I am hoping to drive an LX700H for 10+ years like my Hundy.

 

[MRego]

I mean, there is absolutely no point to the LX700h OT for most people.

It’s very flawed. Very compromised. It has…issues.

There are better vehicles out there for literally everything the LX does, other than: 1) at the extreme edge of capability, 2) while having a 3rd row.

If you want a 2 row 4x4, the world is your oyster. Why even consider the LX? It’s objectively inferior to many other vehicles available.

Your complaints would cease to exist with a Lincoln Navigator/Ford Expedition. Or a Range Rover. Or a Defender. Or a GMC Yukon. All of these manufacturers make legit off road ready versions of their SUVs..

So with Toyota, it’s the same as it ever was. The vehicles they sell are conservative and compromised, full of cost cutting and middle fingers to their customers, and the vehicles are objectively worse than the competition in most classes. But theoretically reliable.

There are so many reasons to never even consider the LX700 OT (and storage isn’t even top 5)… but here we are.

I say: If you’re here and reading this, you’re probably an enthusiast on some level. If you understand the LX OT and why it’s special, and if you can afford it, just buy it already and thank Toyota for making it.

They didn’t have to.

They make their money on RAV4s and Tacomas and 4Runners, this is just them throwing us a bone.

Your points work for somebody other than someone with my profile. I became a Toyota fanboy around 10 years ago when I bought my first 4Runner Trd Pro. Since then I have always owned a Toyota and that’s how it’s going to be now until the end of the line. I may own other cars, but there is always going to be a Toyota or Lexus in my garage.

When I bought my 200HE I thought. That’s it for a long time now. This is going with me to the grave since Toyota will never bring the 300 anyway.

Then the stars converged and like you correctly said Toyota throws us a bone - the 700OT. I give it a hard time because I like it a lot as a replacement for what we don’t get. The 300GR. I wish it was better, yes. Better chin, real sliders, a decent boot without that camel hump.

I couldnt care less for a ford, GM or RR, man. You couldn’t pay me to buy one of those. I will buy a 700OT in the near future. It’s just that FOR ME the trade off in having that hump for a third row is simply not there. Since I know the 2row will eventually come, I rather wait and be happy when I open the boot and don’t have to face that lazy ass solution Lexus fit there to be able to call it a 3 row suv.

I get that it works for you, but it won’t necessarily work for everybody and IMO, given the choice, the enthusiasts buying the OT to take off-road will prefer a 2-row in 90% of the cases. My opinion is based on the number of folks (mainly enthusiasts) I have seen all these years that yanked the third row from 200s as a first measure when bringing the car home. The stealth wealth buying a 200 to be a grocery gather and occasional fertilizer picker up from the garden store in the Hamptons certainly didn’t bother messing up with the third row and left it intact.

Bottom line, let’s all rejoice we have the OT. Some with 3rows others with 2rows. But all with the big old chin.

 

[JackAttack13]

Your points work for somebody other than someone with my profile. I became a Toyota fanboy around 10 years ago when I bought my first 4Runner Trd Pro. Since then I have always owned a Toyota and that’s how it’s going to be now until the end of the line. I may own other cars, but there is always going to be a Toyota or Lexus in my garage.

When I bought my 200HE I thought. That’s it for a long time now. This is going with me to the grave since Toyota will never bring the 300 anyway.

Then the stars converged and like you correctly said Toyota throws us a bone - the 700OT. I give it a hard time because I like it a lot as a replacement for what we don’t get. The 300GR. I wish it was better, yes. Better chin, real sliders, a decent boot without that camel hump.

I couldnt care less for a ford, GM or RR, man. You couldn’t pay me to buy one of those. I will buy a 700OT in the near future. It’s just that FOR ME the trade off in having that hump for a third row is simply not there. Since I know the 2row will eventually come, I rather wait and be happy when I open the boot and don’t have to face that lazy ass solution Lexus fit there to be able to call it a 3 row suv.

I get that it works for you, but it won’t necessarily work for everybody and IMO, given the choice, the enthusiasts buying the OT to take off-road will prefer a 2-row in 90% of the cases. My opinion is based on the number of folks (mainly enthusiasts) I have seen all these years that yanked the third row from 200s as a first measure when bringing the car home. The stealth wealth buying a 200 to be a grocery gather and occasional fertilizer picker up from the garden store in the Hamptons certainly didn’t bother messing up with the third row and left it intact.

Bottom line, let’s all rejoice we have the OT. Some with 3rows others with 2rows. But all with the big old chin.

Well said.
That chin tho! Lol. It honestly is the only part of the truck that bothers me. And I am shocked that they didn't redesign the front end for the OT. But I am also shocked at the terrain people are putting it through without hitting it.

 

[eNx]

I got the LX OT because I wanted it. I'm pretty sure 95% of my forest/offroad drives can be done with a subaru or even the new Passport Trailsport (which looks cool, btw). But at the end of the day and when I do decide to go to a more technical offroad, I'm ready. Until then, this fat Rav4 will get me around to everywhere I'm planning to go.

 

[peneumbra2]

Have you tried turning the "Surround" setting to off? I found the 3D and 2D settings add a ton of high frequency and you get a more balanced aound with it in off. I can turn it up a lot louder in off and there is decent bass. I would have sworn there is a subwoofer somewhere, at least in the 600.

Check under the hood to make sure the bass fluid tank isn't empty.

 

[Obi Wong Kenobi]

I got my wife the OT because she thought it looked cooler than most other cars around her in the Starbucks drive-thru.

 

[M1911]

Don't forget the best thing about it - split tailgate!

I'm sorry, but I've had a regular tailgate in my 4th Gen 4Runner and a split tailgate in my 2013 LC and 2020 LX, and I will simply never understand why some folks think the split tailgate is so awesome.

Does it have some advantages -- yes, it provides a better surface to sit or work. But it also had disadvantages -- it puts you another foot away from the cargo space, making it harder to reach inside. It's also more expensive and more complicated.

I've got the split tailgate now. Do I like it? Sure. But would I miss it if I got a GX 550 or LX 600/700? No, I would not miss it.

 

[MRego]

I'm sorry, but I've had a regular tailgate in my 4th Gen 4Runner and a split tailgate in my 2013 LC and 2020 LX, and I will simply never understand why some folks think the split tailgate is so awesome.

Does it some advantages -- yes, it provides a better surface to sit or work. But it also had disadvantages -- it puts you another foot away from the cargo space, making it harder to reach inside. It's also more expensive and more complicated.

I've got the split tailgate now. Do I like it? Sure. But would I miss it if I got a GX 550 or LX 600/700? No, I would not miss it.

There is no way I am losing my own personal cave...with gate and all.

 

[M1911]

There is no way I am losing my own personal cave...with gate and all.
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If you had a regular liftgate, it would be easier to reach into the cargo area to pull out those heavy bags, because you would be a good 1’ closer to the cargo area. With the split tailgate, I have to climb into the back to reach stuff further in.

 

[MRego]

If you had a regular liftgate, it would be easier to reach into the cargo area to pull out those heavy bags, because you would be a good 1’ closer to the cargo area. With the split tailgate, I have to climb into the back to reach stuff further in.

Honestly, I did not have any trouble reaching out to the back of the cargo area to pull the bags. I can understand the trouble if you are a shorter fellow, but at 5 10, I can also easily reach out to the back of the trunk by leaving the tail gate closed and leaning over it. Having the gate is a tradeoff, as anything in life, and IMO the benefits vastly outweigh the inconveniences. I think you will find that most 200 owners believe it was a sin for Toyota to delete it from the 300, but I understand if it is not for you.

To be clear the lack of tailgate won't deter me from buying an OT, what currently does is the camel hump there is in the 3row version now. It would have been twice as hard to hoist those ten 40lb bags form the cart to that platform, even in access height. I am patiently waiting for the 2rows starting to show up.

 

[snowman69]

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.
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How annoying is the pop sound now that you’ve had the car for longer time? It’s honestly freaking me out, putting a deposit down but this could be a deal killer. Thx

 

[Canyonero]

How annoying is the pop sound now that you’ve had the car for longer time? It’s honestly freaking me out, putting a deposit down but this could be a deal killer. Thx

It bugs me, not gonna lie. Never goes away. Honestly, it’s one of the top 3 worst things about the vehicle.

I’m hoping there will be a TSB for it.

 

[MRego]

It bugs me, not gonna lie. Never goes away. Honestly, it’s one of the top 3 worst things about the vehicle.

I’m hoping there will be a TSB for it.

Are you able to record it and post here? TIA

 

[Canyonero]

Are you able to record it and post here? TIA

I feel that it's something best experienced, so you can feel the slight bass that occurs at the same time as the sound. You should take a LX700h for a spin and see what you think. It's such an interesting vehicle, honestly. So much was done so well, but then there's a random thing like this and it's like WTF?!

 

[Oakleyguy]

I feel that it's something best experienced, so you can feel the slight bass that occurs at the same time as the sound. You should take a LX700h for a spin and see what you think. It's such an interesting vehicle, honestly. So much was done so well, but then there's a random thing like this and it's like WTF?!

I just tell myself it's like the 918 or 992.2 GTS.

 

[Canyonero]

I just tell myself it's like the 918 or 992.2 GTS.

I haven't driven either of those P-cars but I do have a 2025 Cayenne GTS with a twin-turbo V8 and it has no such nonsense associated! Just fires up like thunder and GOES. What's weird is that this is far from Toyota's first foray into hybrid. I've owned so many Toyota hybrids and they are smooth like butter.

 

[Oakleyguy]

I haven't driven either of those P-cars but I do have a 2025 Cayenne GTS with a twin-turbo V8 and it has no such nonsense associated! Just fires up like thunder and GOES. What's weird is that this is far from Toyota's first foray into hybrid. I've owned so many Toyota hybrids and they are smooth like butter.

Lexus is just trying to remind us that this seemingly bland looking SUV has nearly 500hp and 600ftlb!

 

[nickandrews]

I'm sorry, but I've had a regular tailgate in my 4th Gen 4Runner and a split tailgate in my 2013 LC and 2020 LX, and I will simply never understand why some folks think the split tailgate is so awesome.

Does it have some advantages -- yes, it provides a better surface to sit or work. But it also had disadvantages -- it puts you another foot away from the cargo space, making it harder to reach inside. It's also more expensive and more complicated.

I've got the split tailgate now. Do I like it? Sure. But would I miss it if I got a GX 550 or LX 600/700? No, I would not miss it.

I love the split tail gate almost as much as I love my kids when I take over as CEO of Toyota it's the first thing I'm bringing back

 

[snowman69]

It bugs me, not gonna lie. Never goes away. Honestly, it’s one of the top 3 worst things about the vehicle.

I’m hoping there will be a TSB for it.

This legitimately blows me away. I got quotes on it today, with WA sales tax and dealer add on it was 156k. 156k for a car that farts. How does that even happen?!
What is a TSB?