King of the Hill: The 2017 Lexus LX570

The 2017 Lexus LX570.

The Dow Jones cracked 19,000 just before Thanksgiving.  Gasoline---at least here in Phoenix---is $1.90 or so a gallon. Those are ideal conditions for the people who are the intended buyers of the Lexus LX570.

2017 Lexus LX570.

As has been said many times during the eight-plus years of TireKicker's existence, most recently in our review of the 2015 Lexus LX570,  there are really only four major players in the large luxury SUV field...Range Rover, the Mercedes-Benz GL, the Cadillac Escalade and the Lexus LX570. Of the other three, only the Range Rover has the go-anywhere credentials of the LX570, which is, at its heart, a Toyota Land Cruiser.  And if utter reliability is any factor in the decision, the Lexus becomes a category of one.

What's changed?  The styling is more aggressive, following the rest of the Lexus lineup with now-exaggerated spindle grilles and "Angry Birds" taillamps.   The powertrain is the same, a 383-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 with a six-speed automatic transmission and an EPA fuel economy estimate of 13 city/18 highway...hence the reference to low gasoline prices at the beginning of this review.

2017 Lexus LX570 interior.

And the instrument panel and steering wheel are new---less blocky and truck-like---with a much larger and more attractive wide-screen for the navigation and other functions in the middle and at the top of the dashboard.

The price has changed, too.  The 2015 model we tested had a base price of $82,930.   For 2017, it's $89,380.  That is a huge leap, but the intended buyers in this category are not shopping for price.  All it needs to be is in the same ballpark as the competition, and up against Range Rover, Mercedes GL and Escalade, this is right there.

For that money, you get a huge list of standard amenities.  But, as usual in high-end vehicles in general and Lexuses (Lexii?) in particular, there's always more in the way of extra-cost options. Our test vehicle had:

• Wireless phone charger ($75)
• Cool box---a refrigerated center console ($150)
• Heads-up display ($900)
• Luxury Package---semi-aniline leather-trimmed interior with contrast stitching, heated/ventilated front seats with second row heated seats, SmartAccess card key ($1,190)
• Mark Levinson Audio System---19-speaker reference surround sound with DVD Audio and DVD video playback ($2,350)
• Dual-screen DVD rear entertainment system with wireless headphones and AV inputs ($2,005)
• Heated dark walnut wood steering wheel ($150)

With $975 delivery, processing and handling fee, the as-tested price was $97,195.  The age of the $100,000 SUV is upon us.  And if you're going to spend that, the LX570 makes a strong case for itself.