The question, posed by a Lexus official, is whether anyone needs all the capability of the 2008 LX 570 to negotiate the speed bumps on their way to Neiman-Marcus.
He was kidding, and the answer, of course, is that you don’t.
But if you are the luxury division of Japan’s Toyota, and you build your top-of-the-line Sport Utility Vehicle, it better be at or close to the most capable in the business - even if only a few or none of your customers ever use it.
Such is the character of the Lexus LX 570, which is the third generation of a truck-based luxury SUV that first reached showrooms in 1996.
The LX 570 is virtually identical to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Both are the sorts of vehicles you might choose, if cost were no object, if you wanted to traverse virtually all the terrain Mother Earth has to offer, and do it in comfort with exceptional durability and reliability.
But it’s unlikely that many examples of the LX 570, especially those in America, will ever be put to such a test. In truth, most of them will be seen on suburban streets and in upscale shopping centers.
But to justify the LX 570’s optioned $85,000 price tag, it also must be able to handle the trackless wilderness.
The people more likely to follow that path are the Land Cruiser buyers. They represent the hard core, which is why Toyota expects to sell just 2,500 copies a year, at a price tag that can exceed $72,000.
On the other hand, the projection for the LX 570 is for about 9,500 annual sales, reflecting the affluence of its customers, who Lexus says have incomes averaging more than $380,000 a year.
These buyers, the Lexus research shows, are so confident in their own circumstances that they feel no need to impress anyone with their material goods, including their vehicle choices.
It’s likely a good thing for Lexus because the LX 570 is not particularly distinguished looking. It’s a boxy truck that bears a family resemblance to other Toyota and Lexus SUVs and crossovers, including the Lexus GX and Toyota Sequoia, Land cruiser, RAV4 and Highlander. As such, the LX 570 attracts little attention.
But it’s a stellar performer. With its body-on-frame construction and luxury orientation, it’s one of the quietest vehicles you can find, rivaling even Lexus’s own LS 600h L hybrid sedan.
Considering its tall profile and three-ton weight, the LX 570 also exhibits impeccable road manners. The 5.7-liter V8 engine generates 383 horsepower, enough to move the LX 570 to 60 miles an hour in slightly more than seven seconds. That’s sports sedan territory.
Not unexpectedly, it also means just 12/18 miles to the gallon, on premium fuel, on the EPA’s city/highway cycle.
For such a bulky vehicle, handling is unexpectedly competent, with good straight-line steering feel on freeways and, with a suspension system nicely balanced between ride and handling, responsive maneuverability on curving roads. There are three adjustable suspension settings, ranging from comfort to firm.
For off-road adventures, the LX 570 has a full complement of engineering wizardry to keep things moving in the roughest conditions.
It has full-time all-wheel drive with a torque-sensing limited-slip center differential that can be locked in either high or low range. The front and rear differentials also have traction control.
In addition, the LX 570’s ground clearance can be adjusted among three settings, and the off-road equipment includes an innovation called CRAWL control, which automatically takes over for the driver in off-road conditions.
There are three settings: up to one mile per hour for rocky terrain, about two miles per hour for rubble and steep uphill driving, and up to 3.2 miles per hour for snow, mud, sand and the like. Once the system is engaged, it takes over acceleration and braking. The driver only steers.
Inside, the LX 570 is less accommodating than some other large SUVs. The front seats are a trifle short on comfort, though acceptable, and the second-row seats offer similar accommodations.
The second-row seats have four inches of fore-and-aft power adjustment, which is a good thing because it’s necessary to divvy up the knee room between the second and third rows.
The third-row seats are difficult to access and low to the floor, so probably should be reserved for physically-fit children.
There’s just 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, but the second and third rows fold to provide 41 and 83 cubic feet of space, respectively.
Unlike third row seats in most SUVs, the ones on the LX 570 fold up to the sides. That could be a chore except they are motorized and rise up at the touch of a button.
The LX 570 comes with a full complement of safety equipment. Only a few options are available, including rear-seat entertainment, a Mark Levinson sound system, park assist, dynamic radar cruise control, heated and air-conditioned front seats, and heated rear seats. With all that, the suggested delivered priced is $85,495.
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