Is the 2024 Lexus TX a good road trip car? It really depends on how you look at it because if you’re looking right at it, then yes. It looks like something that could carry all your road trip needs. That said, not everyone needs this much vehicle for a road trip, especially if it’s just two people, which happened to be the case when my friend and I took the TX to Pittsburgh. On the flip side, two people could really get used to this amount of space when they’re doing a lot of shopping. I guess what I’m trying to say is the TX may not be your road trip vehicle of choice, but it’s definitely got its advantages. And it could certainly be worse, right?
What competes with the Lexus TX?
Generally, we wouldn’t jump right into the competition when it comes to reviewing a car, but I can’t stop thinking about all the other options that could be used for a road trip. If given the option to choose from big vehicles, the Lexus TX 500h, despite being a great SUV, would certainly not be at the top of my list. I don’t want to take away from what a great vehicle the Lexus is, but if we’re talking strictly road-tripping, there are better options. Don’t get too excited about the Land Cruiser-based GX Lexus also just launched; managing editor Jonathan Yarkony used one for a recent camping trip (check back for that review in the coming weeks) and found that it was too off-road oriented (and thirsty) to be a good long-distance cruiser. The smaller Lexus RX, however, is a hugely popular choice in Canada and is a spacious five-seater good for most families, and comes in gas, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid guise. For less money, Toyota offers the Grand Highlander, which Sami Haj-Assaad and I recently compared to the TX. Then there’s also the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.
Have you checked out the Jeep Grand Wagoneer? It’s also an unnecessarily large SUV with tons of space, but has some premium features like massage seats and available rear seat entertainment that can be connected to gaming consoles, streaming services and such. But maybe you’re looking to stay within the three-row premium brands and spend a bit more. There’s the Cadillac XT6 that has the option of Super Cruise, which would be awesome for road trips, as well as the Acura MDX, Volvo XC90 and Genesis GV80, just to name a few.
That said, while all of the above would make great road trip vehicles, Lexus/Toyota have great reliability and efficiency ratings, so that’s definitely a plus, especially if this is going to be your primary vehicle.
How much is the 2024 Lexus TX 500h in Canada?
The 2024 Lexus TX lineup begins with the TX 350, a non-hybrid priced starting at $68,750 plus the $2,205 destination charge. The TX 500h starts at $84,200 before fees, but the model tested was also equipped with the $6,000 F Sport Performance 3 package that adds a panoramic view monitor, head-up display, 21-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, 1,500W inverter, and so much more. Before taxes, the Lexus’s grand total rang in at $92,538!
Lexus TX 500h fuel consumption
In addition to the above pricing, keep in mind this vehicle requires premium fuel. While NRCan gave it a fuel consumption rating of 8.6 L/100 in combined highway and city driving, we never saw numbers quite that low. In fact, during our drive to Pittsburgh and back to the GTA doing predominantly highway driving — we didn’t do much city driving once we reached our destination since it was easier to just walk — we saw numbers hovering around the 10 L/100 km mark, which is actually closer to the TX 350’s average fuel consumption.
How comfortable is the Lexus TX?
The bolstered bucket seats are kind of like a hug and are pretty comfortable for long drives. Driving to Pittsburgh may not be quite the longest drive, especially considering we broke up the five-hour drive to grab coffee, then again to go shopping and once more for dinner, all before arriving at our destination. However, I will say that each time I got out of the vehicle, my lower back hurt a bit, but quite frankly, that could be a me-getting-old-problem and not the SUV’s fault. My friend sat in the front passenger seat throughout the drive and never complained about the comfort. Both front seats get heated and ventilated seats, but no massage function, which may have helped with that lower back pain.
My kids weren’t on this specific road trip (thank goodness, or the planning alone would have tired me out) but I did get a chance to test it out with them during the week and they found it to be pretty much exactly like the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander that we had been long-term testing. It was easy for the kids to get in and get comfortable, there’s a good amount of space in the third row, dare I say, even for adults — at least ones who aren’t NBA players. There’s even three-zone climate control, so passengers in all three rows can get cozy, while the second-row’s passengers can also enjoy heated and ventilated seats. The only thing that tends to catch people off guard are the non-traditional door handles on the interior that need to be pushed, not pulled. Interesting choice, Lexus.
What powers the Lexus TX 500h?
The 2024 Lexus TX 500h houses the same 2.4L turbo four-cylinder in the TX 350 but it also works with electric motors making it a hybrid powertrain that delivers a total output of 366 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque.
The big AWD Lexus was actually pretty comfortable to drive and didn’t feel as gigantic as it actually is, however, a large portion of the drive was on the open highway with no one around to make me feel uncomfortable. When we reached our destination of the hotel in Pittsburgh, we parked the Lexus in the underground parking lot. It wasn’t difficult to get into the spot because of a great backup camera but parking the SUV in tight underground parking spaces is definitely not something I’d want to do often, and so we left it there for the majority of the trip — and walked everywhere we needed to go — until we were ready to make the journey back home. Note that the TX does have a hands-free parking system, but it’s so hard to let go of controlling a vehicle this size, especially around other cars.
What features make the Lexus TX a good road-trip car?
When I first started driving (at 16 years old), I only drove our family car because the minivan just seemed too big for me to handle. After owning a minivan and spending the last few years testing increasingly larger vehicles, I find myself being less and less phased by the size. But that’s not a good thing. The massive size of some of these new vehicles is truly uncalled for when a slightly smaller minivan could do the same, or even better job. I’m not trying to bring you back to the time of the minivan, because maybe its time has passed; I just think we really don’t need to go bigger just for the sake of going bigger, when what was once big, was big enough. And don’t even get me started on the cost of going bigger!
Similar to size, I find myself getting used to a bunch of high-tech screens and gimmicks that are essentially just party tricks of sorts, and not actual needs in a family car. We were happily road-tripping well before lane-keeping technology, massage seats and whatever premium means to people in 2024. The difference is that all the new technology is distracting, specifically the nonsense that are the buttons on the Lexus’s steering wheel that are beyond frustrating. The centre screen is big but it also houses a bunch of touch options that are physical controls in the Toyota Grand Highlander.
The features that actually make this a good road trip car are the ones that make it a good overall vehicle, whether you’ve got a family to lug around or not. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay can connect wirelessly and you can throw your phone into the wireless phone charger once it’s connected. There’s also a head-up display, but I’ve never been a huge fan when all the information is clearly displayed in the digital dashboard already.
And of course, the space. Whether you’ve got a car load of people or just tons of shopping bags, you’ll find 572 litres behind the third row which opens up to a roomy 1,625 litres when those third row seats are folded. And it’s super easy to access that extra space with the power folding seats. If you’re planning on towing, it’s rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Final thoughts on the Lexus TX 500h
Driving a Lexus definitely gives you a bit of status on the road. I saw a few people give the Lexus a second, or even third glance and a few even stopped to appreciate it. It’s a big, flashy SUV that owns the road. If that’s what you want, and if you’ve got nearly $100,000 to splash on a Lexus, then all the power to you.
But for me, despite my road trip being a very enjoyable one, it’s definitely not what I need. The company was far better than the car itself, and truly, the company is what makes a road trip special.
Check out the latest Lexus TX 500h model. Click here for more Millennial Mom’s Reviews.
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