2024 Lexus GX vs. the Competition

The Lexus GX is the best choice to arrive at your next destination in both luxury and style. And we don’t just mean it’s at home at both the grocery store and the opera. Unlike other luxury SUVs, the GX can also take that luxury offroad, crawling over rocks or powering through mud. But as impressive as all of this is, the luxury SUV market offers a lot of alternatives, and it’s important to know how the GX compares. To help with that, we put together this guide.

Lexus GX VS Defender 110

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium	VS	2025 Defender 110 S
$64,250	MSRP	$60,800
349 HP / 479 LB-FT TQ	Horsepower / Torque	296 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ
6.5 seconds	0-60 Time	7.0 seconds
10	Transmission Speeds	8
76.9 cubic feet	Max Cargo Space	66.2 cubic feet
9,063 pounds	Towing Capacity	7,716 pounds
Standard	Third-Row Seats	Optional
20 inches	Wheels	19 inches
Heated and ventilated	Front Seats	Heated
Standard	Power Tailgate	Not Available

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First up is the Defender. This comes in several different sizes, but it’s the 110 model that is closest to the GX in both size and price, so this is the version we’ve chosen, comparing the base models of both vehicles. And the first thing to notice is that even in base form, the GX comes with more power than the Defender - a lot more. Unsurprisingly, this extra power gives the GX a real advantage in the sprint to 60 mph. And while the Defender is one of the few other luxury SUVs built to go offroad, the more sophisticated 10-speed transmission in the GX will let you more easily find the right gear for any speed on any terrain. The GX is a bit longer than the Defender 110, which is part of the reason why it comes with a third row of seats as standard, but you’ll have to pay a couple thousand extra to get one in the Defender 110. This extra length also means that the GX offers more cargo space, noticeably more.

Both of these vehicles feature body-on-frame construction, to make them tougher and give them better offroad capability. This also gives them better than average towing capacity, but even though the Defender 110 has a towing capacity that would be impressive when compared to most luxury SUVs, the GX not only matches it, but exceeds it. The base trim of the Defender 110 recently got an upgraded set of wheels, but they still fall short of the set that comes with the GX. And while heated seats of course come standard on both vehicles, it’s only the GX that throws ventilation in there with it. Lastly, the side-hinged tailgate on the Defender means that a power tailgate isn’t even available as an option, much less the hands-free power tailgate you’ll find on the GX, as the GX comes with a power tailgate as standard equipment, with a kick sensor available as an option.

Lexus GX VS BMW X7

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+	VS	2025 BMW X7 xDrive40i
$77,250	MSRP	$83,500
479 lb-ft	Torque	398 lb-ft
10	Transmission Speeds	8
Body-on-frame	Construction	Unibody
Standard	All-Terrain Tires	Not Available
Standard	Locking Rear Differential	Not Available
Standard	Adaptive Suspension	Optional
Heated and ventilated front and heated 2nd-row all standard	Seats	Heated front, optional heated 2nd-row and ventilated front
Standard	Parking Assist	Optional
Standard	Fast-Response Interior Heater	Not Available

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Up next we have the BMW X7, and the first thing to be said about this is that it’s expensive, really expensive. As a result, we’ve chosen to compare the Overtrail+ trim of the GX, just so we can compare 2 SUV’s with comparable prices. For that money, the BMW comes equipped with an engine with decent horsepower, but severely lacking in torque when compared to the GX. The GX also comes out on top when comparing transmissions, thanks to the sophisticated 10-speed automatic. The GX is built to be tough, with body-on-frame construction. It also comes with a locking rear differential and all-terrain tires. This gives the GX an offroading prowess that the X7 simply never could possess. Even fitted with aftermarket offroad tires, the X7 is intended more for school runs and grocery store trips, than as a serious offroad utility vehicle.

The price and lack of offroading prowess on the X7 aren’t necessarily problems. Or at least they wouldn’t be if you got something else for the money instead, but it seems that the X7 isn’t just a poor offroader, it also comes up pretty short in the luxury department. Even with the already higher price, BMW still asks you to pay more for adaptive suspension, as well as heated 2nd-row seats, ventilated front seats, and parking assist, all of which are standard on the Overtrail+ trim. A fast-response interior heater, something very much appreciated by anyone living in Ohio, also comes standard on the Overtrail+ trim, but isn’t available at all on the X7. Fold the seats down and the cargo space in the GX 550 Overtrail+ and the X7 is identical, so that extra money isn’t going to more space. Really, it’s not entirely apparent where it’s going at all.

Lexus GX VS Mercedes-Benz GLE

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2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium	VS	2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 4MATIC
$64,250	MSRP	$64,350
349 HP / 479 LB-FT TQ	Horsepower / Torque	255 HP / 295 LB-FT TQ
6.5 seconds	0-60 Time	7.0 seconds
Standard	Third-Row Seats	Optional
20 inches	Wheels	19 inches
Heated and ventilated	Front Seats	Heated, ventilated optional
21 speakers, 1,800 watts	Premium Stereo	13 speakers, 590 watts
Body-on-frame	Construction	Unibody
Optional	All-Terrain Tires	Not Available
9,063 pounds	Towing Capacity	7,700 pounds

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Finally, we come to the Mercedes-Benz GLE, which makes for a good comparison thanks to its nearly identical price. With such similar pricing, the question of what you get for that money with each vehicle is of primary importance. And your money is certainly going a lot further with Lexus in the power department. Enough that, even though 0-60 sprints aren’t what the GX is made for, it will still easily beat the GLE. You get more seats in the GX too, although a third row is available in the GLE for a price of over two thousand dollars. You get bigger wheels on the GX, and ventilated front seats, which cost extra on the GLE, are standard on the GX. The GX comes with a better audio system as standard, with 10 speakers compared to just 8 in the GLE. But the really dramatic difference in the available premium stereo options, where the choice for audiophiles could not be clearer.

So the GLE doesn’t measure up to the GX very well when it comes to luxury, and it doesn’t make up for it in offroad ability either. The GLE, like the BMW X7, uses unibody construction, which can’t compare to the toughness that comes with the body-on-frame construction of the GX. And also like the X7, all-terrain tires aren’t even offered as an option on the GLE. The GLE does offer decent towing capacity, considering the lack of power and unibody construction, but it still can’t compare to the GX.

Winner - Lexus GX

It’s one thing to make an SUV that’s better than run-of-the-mill grocery-getters at going offroad, several different manufacturers manage to do that. It’s also fully possible to make a luxury SUV that offers a superior level of equipment to the big European brands, the whole Lexus brand is built on this idea. But combining them into one vehicle isn’t something that you can really find in a mainstream luxury vehicle, with the sole exception of the Lexus GX. There is simply no substitute.