The Lexus GX 550 Overtrail 4WD SUV is a true off-roader for this luxury carmaker

​While Lexus is known for quality luxury sedans and crossovers, Lexus debuted a true off-roader in the form of their 4WD GX 550 Overtrail that has all the chops and prowess of a 4WD Jeep Wrangler Rubicon or Land Rover Defender. The GX 550 is a bona fide outbacker and creek forder.
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The GX 550 is not the first SUV for Lexus as there’s the GX 460, LX570, LX500 Ultra Luxury models. But the GX 550 Overtrail adds extra’s in the form of 11 drive modes, rear locking differential, skid plates, 11 inches of ground clearance, tall 33-inch all-terrain tires and an automatic disconnect for the front and rear stabilizer bars for rocky, uneven terrain. Plus, it has adaptive dampers to cushion the ride 

For many years, Toyota offered their similar Land Cruiser that was discontinued but brought back this year and the GX550 shares the same platform but otherwise it’s completely different. It also shares the platform with the Lexus LX. 

GX550 is offered in Premium, Premium Plus, Luxury, Luxury Plus and Overtrail, Overtrail Plus models. 

We tested the Overtrail model and starting with the exterior, GX 550 has a boxy, sculpted, rugged look with squared fender flares and a non-Lexus traditional grille. Instead, Overtrail has a spindle type grille and multibeam LED high-mounted headlights and taillights. The only way to know this is a Lexus is by the large “L” on the front grille. 

One super nice feature is that the cargo hatch opens separately from the powered liftgate. This makes retrieving small or lengthy items that extend out of the gate or to quickly stow gear if it’s raining. 

GX 550’s interior is typical Lexus upscale design and quality. With an easy 16-inch step in onto the fixed running boards, there’s a 25-inch stretch straight in for those in a hurry and with long legs. 

While upper trim levels get leather seats, Overtrail gets adorned with a mix of suede and NuLuxe faux leather that feels like the real McCoy and is equally as comfy and long wearing. Heated/ventilated front seats are nicely padded to absorb rough terrain and have ample lumbar support that is not confining so heavy coats can be worn in winter months.  

Back seats have an appreciable amount of leg room and ample head room. And with a low-profile transaxle hump, a short-legged passenger can be seated in the middle seat. 

GX 550 Overtrail comes with a huge 14-inch touchscreen infotainment display and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The touchscreen offers Wi-Fi connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto connectivity, rearview camera display, navigation, HVAC, Sirius radio and much more. 

But there’s one feature that is annoying. And that’s the safety sensor centered on the steering wheel column. For example, when approaching a “T” intersection and turning the head to check for oncoming crossing traffic, or if seeing children playing roadside to insure one of them doesn’t run out onto the road, it annoyingly gives out an audible and “Driver Inattention Detected Look Forward” warning. It annoyed me so much that I put a piece of black electrical tape over it. But that didn’t solve the problem as it now displayed a “Sit Up Driver’s Face Not Detected” warning. 

On the favorable side, the GX 550 had an excellent auto braking feature that autonomously applies the brakes when sensing a possible collision situation. The feature will save lots of crunches, especially when backing out of a parking spot between two tall vehicles. 

Another neat feature and in place of a console box, Lexus installed a Cool Box there. It’s a refrigerated compartment to keep water or soft drinks cool. In front of it is a pad that appears could have been used for a cell charging pad, but surprisingly it didn’t have one. 

Below the vivid infotainment display is a Mode selection switch for Custom, Sport S, Sport Plus, Normal. Comfort and Eco modes. There’re also additional modes for Deep Snow, Mud, Sand, Dirt and Auto. The 4WD switches, residing behind the 10-speed automatic transmission gear selector, offers H4, L4 along with center and rear locking differential switches for when the going gets really tough. 

The 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster has a combined speedometer and tachometer in a single gauge. This turns into a driver information display for alerts, functions and features. 

GX 550’s back seat has ample head room and generous leg room for two adults or a third with short legs for the middle position. The rear seat bottoms flip forward to increase cargo space. 

Back in the cargo area, its spacious and with the rear seats upright, the area measures 44 inches deep, 44.5 wide and 35 high. Flip the rear seats and loading depth increases to 78 inches or 64 inches with the entire seat flipped up against the front seats for a flat load floor. 

GX 550 gets its grunt from a 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 that generates 349-hp and 479 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of 15 city, 21-highway when coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission (a hybrid version is reportedly forthcoming). It moved the 5,170-pound SUV with ease and it felt like a V8 under the hood. So powered, it carries an 8,000-pound tow rating. This proven engine also powers Toyota’s Tundra pickup, Toyota Sequoia’s 3-row SUV and the Lexus LX600. 

Shod with Toyo 18-inch, deep cleated, 9-inch wide Open Country tires, a double wishbone front suspension along with a four-link coil rear suspension plus Lexus’s Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, and the GX 550 has an assuring, smooth and typical Lexus quiet ride. Its heft can be felt but it remains planted in sharp turns with no tippy feeling. It also came with Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking so the lady of the house should not have any trouble parking it in tight spaces. 

GX 550 came with Lexus’s Safety System 3.0 that includes pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and intersection support, road sign assist, lane tracing assist, all-speed dynamic radar cruise control w/curve speed management, lane departure alert w/steering assist, blind spot monitoring w/rear cross traffic alert and more. 
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Of course all this capability, comfort and luxury comes at a price. The GX 550 Overtrail had a base price of $67,900 exceptionally loaded, but after adding Bi-Tone paint ($350), Cool Box ($170), Head-Up Display ($900), Tonneau Cover ($110), Traffic Jam Assist ($840) and delivery ($1,350), the Overtrail bottom-lined at $71,620. A bit less than the Land Rover Defender and considerably less than a Jeep Rubicon with similar features. But neither possess Lexus renowned quality and build. The GX 550 Overtrail is the ultimate, luxury SUV.