Essentially, the LX470 is a dressed-up Land Cruiser, though the Lexus does come with a pretty tricky feature not available on the Toyota SUV. The Adaptive Variable Suspension feature allows the driver, with just the push of a toggle switch on the centre console, to raise and lower the ride height of the vehicle depending on the road, and load.
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| Although it does have some interesting features, does it warrant a $100K price tag? Of course, there's few competitors that near its combination of off-road worthiness and plush luxury either. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Still, you have to wonder why anyone would pay $100K for a vehicle like this. Such is the allure of the Lexus badge, I suppose.
The LX 470 receives a number of improvements and refinements for 2003. The V8 engine gets five additional horsepower from 230 to 235, a rear seat DVD player is available for the first time, standard 18-inch wheels replace the too-small 16-inchers, and the front and rear fascias have undergone some styling tweaks, as have some of the inside gauges and controls. Also, two new options are available for 2003. Lexus Link is an on-board system much like GM's OnStar that allows the driver to connect with a Lexus representative with the push of a button, and Night View, a night vision system utilizing light sensors and a nighttime camera to project a black and white image on the windshield.
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| Lexus Link and Night View are two of the new options on the 2003 LX 470. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
The performance and drivability of the LX470 is Lexus solid, with the 320 lb-ft of torque much appreciated with a full load of passengers and luggage.
I would give this vehicle a four out of five rating, but when factoring in the price, gas consumption and the sheer size of the thing, its closer to a three than a four.
But if you really like the Lexus LX 470, you better get down to a Lexus dealer before the big SUV goes the way of the, well, you know what.