2022 Lexus GX 460

The 2022 Lexus GX 460 is offered in 3 basic trim levels and one special edition. Prices for the SUV start at $55425 and climb up to $64900. The SUV is just offered with one powertrain option and 4-wheel drive is offered as standard.

Which trim should you buy?

The standard GX 460 comes pretty much with all the bells and whistles that you might need and hence our recommendation would be the base spec trim level. If you need mode luxury and creature features then you may upgrade to the Luxury trim but that’s a little too pricey.

The 2022 Lexus GX 460 retains the old powertrain from 2021. The SUV uses a rather large 4.6 liter, naturally aspirated V8 engine that makes a healthy 301 horsepower and 329 lb-ft of torque. The engine is coupled to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and a 4-wheel drive configuration is offered as standard.

Straight-line acceleration numbers do not matter all that much in this segment but it is always good to know how quick your vehicle is. The GX 460 takes around 7.8 seconds to hit the 60 mph mark from rest, while it takes about 15.6 seconds to cover the quarter-mile distance.

The engine has a very relaxed and calm demeanor. Step on the throttle and the engine will take its own time to build pace. The gearbox is smooth shifting but you cannot exactly term it as slick. Like the engine, the gearbox has a relaxed nature but it takes care that your power and torque demands are always met and you’re never left out of breath while driving.

If you like the truck-like character for your SUV, then you’ll like the Lexus’ powertrain. It’s a large NA engine with no rush to catch up with speed and it almost feels like you’re driving a pickup truck. However, if you crave a peppy and powerful engine in your SUV, then perhaps you may not like this one.

Of all the SUVs in the segment, the Lincoln Aviator has the highest power and performance numbers. The 3L twin-turbo V6 engine of the Aviator makes a bonkers 400 hp and does a 0-60 mph in just 5.4 seconds, and covers the quarter-mile distance in about 14.1 seconds. The Lexus and the Volvo are the slowest vehicles in the competition. While the Land Rover Discovery S does place itself midway in the segment, it is not necessarily quick and its 6.9 second recorded time to the 60mph mark is evidence of the fact. 

The Lexus engine is a proper gas-guzzler. In the city, the GX 460 can drive for only about 15 miles on a single gallon of fuel. On the highway, it can haul for about 19 miles which is pretty low. It gets a combined EPA rating of 16 MPG which is quite low by the standards of the segment. Even its fuel tank does very little to help its cause and the SUV manages a combined range of 304 miles, which is considerably lower than the rivals. 

The Volvo XC90 has the most fuel-efficient engine in the competition and delivers around 23 MPG combined. The Lincoln Aviator makes 400 horses and yet delivers 21 MPG combined which is significantly higher than the Lexus and similar to the Land Rover. However, the 2022 Discovery S P300 gets the most voluminous tank in the segment of 23.5-gallons, which bestows upon it the highest combined range of 493.5 miles. 

The interior design of the 2022 Lexus GX 460 is simple and sober. There’s nothing all that fancy or glitzy about the cabin but it’s rather very plain and upscale. At the front, there’s a nice, tall dashboard that gets multi-contour and multi-color treatment. There’s a floating infotainment screen that sits in the middle of the dash and below it is physical buttons and knobs to control and adjust the infotainment and vehicle settings. The cabin has a plush appeal and feels quite upscale. The quality of materials used is good and there are no signs of cost-cutting in this area, whatsoever.

The front seats are positioned nice and high and you get a good clear view of the outside world. The seats are pretty snug and offer good support and bolstering to ensure that you don’t fly around while driving. The second-row bench is also quite comfortable and 3 adult passengers won’t have any problem at all fitting in there. The third row is also quite usable and two adults can sit in there. Yes, they won’t be the most comfortable there but yes they can fit in there and the seat isn’t as redundant as it is in most three-row SUVs.

The SUV does pretty well in terms of practicality too. Behind the third row of seats, there’s around 11.6 cubic feet of luggage space which is good enough to carry a couple of bags. Fold the third row down and then you open up to around 46.7 cubic feet of cargo space. With the second row down, you get a massive 64.7 cubic feet of luggage space. On the inside, there are again several storage spaces. At the front, there’s an average-sized glove box along with storage cubbies and cupholders in the center console. At the back, there are cup holders on both the rows of seats and the third-row passengers even get device holders with charging slots which is a nice and neat touch.

The Lexus GX 460 is luxurious on the inside but it isn’t quite as opulent as a few of the other vehicles in the competition. The Lincoln Aviator and the Volvo XC90 are the better vehicles in terms of interior design and creature comfort and the Lexus’ design and setup feel a touch too dated. On the other hand, while the Land Rover Discovery also feels fairly modern, it lacks cargo space and has a trunk volume of 9.1 cubic feet only. 

The standard list of equipment offered with the SUV isn’t all that long either. We’ve listed a few standard interior features down below:

• 10-way power-adjustable heated front seats
• NuLuxe interior trim
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather-wrapped gear shift lever
• Interior Air Filtration

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The GX 460 is well equipped on the infotainment front. It gets a rather large and good quality 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display which is pretty slick and intuitive to use. The system is accompanied by a standard 9-speaker audio system, but you can always pay extra and opt for the superb 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system. Other standard infotainment features include:

• Apple CarPlay
• Android Auto
• Lexus Enform remote
• Amazon Alexa compatibility
• Bluetooth smartphone integration
• HD radio
• SiriusXM radio
• Turn-by-turn navigation

The 2022 Lexus GX 460 shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Land Cruiser and has that classic boxy SUV shape. Yet, Lexus has managed to make it look bold and handsome and indeed looks striking and attracts a lot of attention on the road. At the front, there’s that large spindle grille along with the signature Lexus sweptback day-time running lights. The sculpted bumper might look a little too overdone compared to when you look at the other sides of the SUV. Nonetheless, it gives the SUV a very aggressive face and just helps it grab eyeballs.

Nothing interesting on the sides though; just squared-off wheel arches along with mildly protruding squared fenders. You get to see the classic boxy proportions on the sides and those look cool in a world full of curvy and round SUVs. The design at the back is a bummer and it is as if Lexus designers got bored and scribbled something just to finish off the job. It is just too plain and lacks an element of excitement at the rear and the tailgate looks like it was retrofitted from some Lexus SUV from the early 2000s. So yes, the exterior design is a mixed bag and some may like it and others may hate it.

The cool part about the Lexus’ design is its boxy proportions and the front face. We love the way Lexus has managed to create the drama at the front while retaining the old-school proportions. On the flip side, we hate the way Lexus has put no effort in creating the rear end. The SUV has a decent ground clearance of 8.3 inches which is good enough for some mild off-roading but hardly anybody will ever take their GX 460 off-roading. Talking of the competition, it is the Aviator that is the largest SUV here with a wheelbase of 119.1 inches, while it is the Volvo that boasts the highest ground clearance of 9.4 inches. The Land Rover Discovery S P300 is proportionately curated and like its competitors have a proper SUV-like aura to it.

Key exterior features:

• Triple-beam LED headlights
• Power moonroof
• Illuminated running boards
• 18-inch split six-spoke alloy wheels
• Heated power-folding outside mirrors

The 2022 GX 460 hasn’t yet been tested and rated by the NHTSA and IIHS and neither has been its previous model iterations. That leaves us nothing to talk about safety ratings but we can certainly assert that Lexus will not compromise on safety with their flagship SUV and we’re pretty confident that the SUV would come up with decent safety ratings when once tested. To further enhance the safety quotient, Lexus has offered a good number of safety features. We’ve listed a few below:

• Blindspot monitor
• Lane-keep assist
• Front and rear collision mitigation
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Adaptive cruise control
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

2022 Lexus GX 460 vs. 2022 Land Rover Discovery

The Lexus GX 460 and the LR Discovery closely stack up against each other. Both the SUVs are priced closely and deliver similar power and performance numbers. The major difference between the two SUVs though is that the Discovery is better equipped for off-roading while the Lexus is a luxury SUV that mostly will be driven around the city and on paved roads by the owners. The Lexus employs richer and plusher materials on the inside than the LR but the Discovery’s interior design has a fresh presence.

However, both the SUVs are equally appealing and it is really difficult to pick one. So, if you plan to take your SUV off-roading, go for the Land Rover. If you plan to drive mostly around the city and on the highway, go for the Lexus.

2022 Lexus GX 460 vs. 2022 Lincoln Aviator

The Lincoln Aviator hands down is the best SUV in the segment. It makes 400 horses, is super quick off the straight line, has a very opulent and spacious cabin, is practical, and also manages to deliver decent fuel economy numbers. You cannot ask for anything more from an SUV in this segment. No other SUV in the competition comes even close to it in terms of power and performance. Our pick in this comparison is the 2022 Lincoln Aviator.

2022 Lexus GX 460 vs. 2021 Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90 is yet another very interesting luxury SUV. It looks striking on the outside with its unique Thor’s hammer headlights and is very plush on the inside. The Volvo makes less power than the Lexus with its standard engine but it has more powerful engine options on offer that deliver more power and help it go faster than the Lexus. Now, if you crave for European looks and luxury of the Volvo, go for it. If the boxy design of the Lexus appeals to you and if you’re okay with spending large sums of money on gas, then you may perhaps go for the Lexus.

The 2022 Lexus GX 460 is an imperfect vehicle. It has a lousy powertrain, it chugs a lot of gas, its interior design feels a bit dated and the exterior design is a mismatch. Moreover, it is based on an old and aging platform and it tries hard to stay relevant to the competition with an old set of mechanicals. We do not think the GX 460 is worth the money and we would recommend you avoid it. There are better vehicles out there in the market and putting your money on one of those would just help you fetch more value.