2024 Lexus GX vs. the Competition

With its attractive styling, well-appointed interior, and advanced technology, the Lexus GX might look at first glance like a lot of other luxury SUVs out there. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, as there is quite a bit that sets the GX apart from the competition. But to really illustrate what makes the GX so special, we have to look at how the competition measures up, so we put together this guide to show just that.

Lexus GX VS Defender 110

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium	VS	2025 Defender 110 S
$64,250	MSRP	$60,800
349 HP / 479 LB-FT TQ	Horsepower / Torque	296 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ
6.5 seconds	0-60 Time	7.0 seconds
10	Transmission Speeds	8
76.9 cubic feet	Max Cargo Space	66.2 cubic feet
9,063 pounds	Towing Capacity	7,716 pounds
Standard	Third-Row Seats	Optional
20 inches	Wheels	19 inches
Heated and ventilated	Front Seats	Heated
Standard	Power Tailgate	Not Available

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The first vehicle we’re looking at is the one most similar to the GX - the Defender 110. There are a few different Defenders models out there, but we picked the 110 because it’s the one closest to the GX in both size and price. While the Defender 110 is built for the same purpose as the GX, to be a luxury offroader, it fails to measure up to the Lexus in several areas. The first of these is power, where the GX has an undeniable advantage. The difference is so great that even if you spend the several thousand dollars extra to upgrade to the bigger engine in the Defender, the GX will still have quite a bit more torque. And thanks to a more sophisticated 10-speed transmission, the GX makes better use of its power as well. The GX easily wins on practicality too, with more cargo space and quite a bit more towing capacity. The GX also comes with a third row of seats as standard equipment, an option that tacks a couple thousand dollars more onto the price of the Defender 110.

In the luxury department, the GX comes out ahead in several areas once again. First, it comes with a bigger set of wheels as standard, which is important when looking at the large wheel arches on both vehicles. Both the Defender and the GX have heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, but only the GX has front seat ventilation as standard equipment as well. And since the tailgate on the Defender is side-hinged, it cannot be power-operated. The GX, in contrast, comes with a power tailgate as standard equipment, with a hands-free sensor available as well. In all, the luxury on the Defender is scaled back to set it apart from the more luxury-oriented sub-brands from Land Rover. This isn’t a huge problem by itself, but when the GX is able to deliver both the offroad ability and the luxury for the same price, the Defender strategy is a bit harder to, well, defend.

Lexus GX VS BMW X7

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+	VS	2025 BMW X7 xDrive40i
$77,250	MSRP	$83,500
479 lb-ft	Torque	398 lb-ft
10	Transmission Speeds	8
Body-on-frame	Construction	Unibody
Standard	All-Terrain Tires	Not Available
Standard	Locking Rear Differential	Not Available
Standard	Adaptive Suspension	Optional
Heated and ventilated front and heated 2nd-row all standard	Seats	Heated front, optional heated 2nd-row and ventilated front
Standard	Parking Assist	Optional
Standard	Fast-Response Interior Heater	Not Available

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The next comparison is to the BMW X7. The BMW is a more expensive alternative to the GX, so much so in fact, that we had to pick a higher trim of the GX just to try to make the price a bit closer, but it’s not totally clear why. It’s not interior space, fold the seats down on these two vehicles and the cargo space is essentially identical. It certainly isn’t power either, where the GX once again has a significant torque advantage, as well as the more advanced transmission for making use of the power. The X7 can’t come close to the GX in terms of offroad ability, thanks to the BMW’s unibody construction, and the lack of either offroad tires or a locking rear differential, even as optional extras.

Whether you’re on the road or off, the adaptive suspension on the GX will provide an exceptionally smooth ride, but you’ll have to pay extra for this in the already more expensive X7. The X7 comes with heated front seats, which falls short of the heated and ventilated seats that come standard on even the base trim of the GX. But the Overtail+ trim, which still comes in at less than the starting price of the X7, adds heated second-row seats, one more thing that will cost you extra on the X7. Lexus earns extensive praise from the press for the use of advanced safety technology, and while BMW offers similar tech, the need to nickel-and-dime every feature means that features like Parking Assist will cost you extra on the X7. But that’s still better than the fast-response heater, which comes standard on the GX but isn’t available on the X7.

Lexus GX VS Mercedes-Benz GLE

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium	VS	2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC
$64,250	MSRP	$64,350
349 HP / 479 LB-FT TQ	Horsepower / Torque	255 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ
6.5 seconds	0-60 Time	7.0 seconds
Standard	Third-Row Seats	Optional
20 inches	Wheels	19 inches
Heated and ventilated	Front Seats	Heated, ventilated optional
21 speakers, 1,800 watts	Premium Stereo	13 speakers, 590 watts
Body-on-frame	Construction	Unibody
Optional	All-Terrain Tires	Not Available
9,063 pounds	Towing Capacity	7,700 pounds

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The GLE is the only vehicle in this comparison that doesn’t come with all-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive as standard, so we’ve chosen the 4MATIC version of the GLE 350, which also makes the comparison more interesting by being essentially identically priced. But once again, despite this incredibly similar pricing, we can see a huge difference in power, the biggest one yet. Neither of these claim to be sports cars, but if you’re paying for a luxury vehicle, you don’t want it to be sluggish either. A third row of seats, bigger wheels and standard ventilation for the front seats are once again advantages for the GX. The standard stereo is better in the GX than in the GLE, 10 speakers versus 8, but it’s the premium stereo where the difference is most startling. It doesn’t even take an audiophile to notice the huge difference here.

Like the X7, the GLE is built using unibody construction, which is easier to manufacture than body-on-frame, but limits offroad ability. The GX uses body-on-frame construction and also offers the option of offroad tires, both of which are indications of how much more seriously Lexus took offroading when designing the GX. Lastly, while the GLE actually has a pretty decent towing capacity for an underpowered unibody SUV, it still takes a distant second to the capacity of the GX.

Winner - Lexus GX

The mix of luxury and offroad ability that you get with the GX is a very difficult balancing act to pull off, and that’s why you see so few manufacturers that even attempt it. But this is hardly the first time that Lexus has shown that they can do what other luxury brands can’t or won’t. The GX is unique among mainstream luxury vehicles, a true luxury offroader. Others might try, but what has become obvious from this comparison is that the GX has no real competitors.