Bigger is supposed to be better, right? The more the merrier. Go big or go home. You can never have too much of a good thing. Size matters.
There are few vehicles that can adequately depict each and every one of the above clichéd sayings to perfection; but the 2016 Lexus LX 570 is just such a car because it is oh-so big and oh-so large, and oh-so luxurious all at once.
Does it have a place in the market? Of course it does. Otherwise vehicles like the Escalade, Yukon Denali, and QX80 wouldn’t exist, either.
Top of the luxury food chain
Truly, the LX 570 sits at the very top in terms of luxury in the Lexus lineup. It isn’t just the largest in size, but is also the largest in amenities, quality, and features. There’s nothing this behemoth doesn’t provide and/or do.
Let’s start with the fact that there is only one model available, and it comes pretty much fully loaded starting at $104,300. Yup, the price is as large as the vehicle, but at least you know you’re getting a lot for your many dollars. And you’ll look the price too with an all-new exterior design, new LED headlights and taillights, new 20” wheels, and a sportier rear window design.
Driving the 2016 Lexus LX 570 is rather like driving a barge, but not in an entirely negative way, far from it. Because the LX 570 drives so large it cocoons you from the world, keeps you from poor road conditions, inclement weather, unfortunately not stop-and-go traffic, but at least you’ll be coddled to the point where you’ll not care how long you sit in said traffic.
That’s mainly because the interior of the new LX 570 is so incredibly luxurious and high-end and so loaded to the nines with everything and anything. Let’s start with the fact that Lexus outfitted the interior of the LX 570 with a 12” navigation screen situated front and centre atop the dash, and the rear-seat passengers weren’t forgotten either as there are two 11.6” screens attached to the front seat headrests for full entertainment purposes (and to keep the kiddies content and quiet).
Of course, there’s more to the interior than big screens (though you know as well as I do that touchscreens and technology are what really sell cars today, and Lexus is well aware of that fact, too). Full leather, wood trim, chromed bits and bobs, and seating for eight with full power-folding rear seats (which fold up to the sides instead of into the floor, by the way, for the first time), as well as a second row that’s also power-sliding, heated and cooled all adorn the interior of the ’16 LX 570, and all these elements come together to form a more-than-pleasant interior.
My only real qualm with the interior of the LX 570 is in the second row where the 11.6” screens are attached, they look like an afterthought and in my mind should be better integrated into the front seats. Like iPads that’ve been stuck to the seats, I feel the exposed corners are just waiting to end up in some child’s eye as they scramble into their seats the way children do, i.e.; not paying attention to their surroundings or the exposed screen corners. While they aren’t necessarily sharp corners, they are still corners.
Big inside and big on the road
Now, for all that glorious space inside the LX 570, it seems to take up just as much real estate on the road. This thing is a behemoth. It’s large. And despite housing the Tundra-sourced 5.7L V8 under its newly sculpted hood, the Lexus LX 570 feels like it’s bearing a heavy load when on the open road.
The 383 horsepower and 403 lb-ft of torque is sufficient to get the massive, over 2,680kg (6,000 lbs) vehicle moving, but the sheer size of the LX 570 is definitely noticeable behind the wheel. The brand new 8-speed transmission does a good job keeping the large Lexus in precisely the right powerband for those up-hill climbs, and no doubt helps bring the fuel consumption down from last year to a combined rating of 15.9L/100km.
The 2016 Lexus LX 570 also features adaptive suspension settings (sport, eco, normal and comfort) that customizes drivetrain and steering setups accordingly, as well as ride height adjustment and terrain select. Truly, this thing is loaded with everything but the kitchen sink, which will easily fit in the capacious 1,267 litres of cargo space behind the second row (259 litres with the third row up).
Thanks to four all-around cameras, you’ll have no problem parking this behemoth or maneuvering tight streets in the city, which makes driver confidence increase. And steering is surprisingly direct for such a large vehicle. Based on the Land Cruiser platform, the LX 570 feels a bit like a truck, but a much more refined and luxurious truck, which is what you want when paying that amount for it.
Big bucks for a big rig
If you really do need all that space and all those amenities, then you can’t really go wrong with the 2016 Lexus LX 570. Sure, there are other options out there like the Caddy Escalade or Lincoln Navigator or even the Infiniti QX80, but the new Lexus LX 570 has a certain panache about it, and the new exterior look is quite impressive and makes a serious statement on the road. And really, that 12” infotainment screen is just so impressive, and we all know tech sells.
