The 2024 Lexus GX is all-new after a 14-year gap. It's more capable off-road and more expensive on paper. Here's what it actually costs to own.
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Fourteen years. That's how long Lexus sold the previous GX without a full redesign. It ran from 2010 to 2023 largely unchanged, and people bought it anyway, because it was reliable, capable, and held its value like a vault. So when Lexus finally replaced it for 2024, the question was never whether it needed updating. The question was whether the update would make it better or just make it more expensive.
The answer is: mostly better, noticeably more expensive, and still not for everyone.
The GX is a body-on-frame SUV. That means it's built more like a truck than a car, with a separate frame underneath instead of one unified structure. That makes it heavier and less car-like to drive, but it also makes it more capable when the road ends.
This is a vehicle for people who genuinely go off-road, or who live somewhere that demands real ground clearance and four-wheel drive with low-range gearing. It seats up to seven in some trims, but the third row is tight enough that most adults will refuse to use it after the first trip.
Who should skip it: anyone who drives mostly on pavement, anyone who thinks "AWD" and "four-wheel drive with low range" are the same thing (they're not), and anyone who balks at spending $60,000-plus on a vehicle that gets under 20 miles per gallon.
Lexus offers five trims on the 2024 GX build page. Here's what each one delivers:
| Trim | MSRP | What You Actually Get |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | $62,250 | 14.8-inch touchscreen, leather seats, 18-inch wheels, standard safety suite, third-row seat |
| Premium+ | $67,650 | Adds power-folding third row, 360-degree camera, head-up display, ventilated front seats |
| Luxury | $74,875 | Adds semi-aniline leather, 21-inch wheels, panoramic roof, rear entertainment |
| Overtrail | $74,950 | Off-road focused: skid plates, Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, locking rear differential, 18-inch all-terrain tires |
| Overtrail+ | $82,500 | Adds electronic rear locker, E-KDSS, upgraded off-road tech, more approach/departure clearance |
The spread from base to top is $20,000. The Overtrail is the interesting one for people who actually use these vehicles in dirt. The Luxury trim costs nearly the same and is aimed at a completely different kind of buyer.
Every 2024 GX uses a 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 349 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. That torque number matters more than the horsepower. It's what pulls you up a steep trail or through mud without the engine screaming.
Fuel economy is where optimism should be left outside. According to fueleconomy.gov, the 2024 GX is rated at 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined. Real-world driving will likely land somewhere between 17 and 20 depending on how much off-roading or towing you do. Towing capacity tops out at 8,000 pounds.
This is a truck that drinks like one. Plan accordingly.
The interior is a real improvement over the previous generation, which felt like a rental car by comparison. The 14.8-inch touchscreen is large and reasonably responsive. Physical climate controls survived the update, which is not something you can say about every new vehicle from this era.
The seats in mid-to-upper trims are genuinely comfortable over long distances. Noise isolation is strong. The new platform, shared with the Land Cruiser 300 series and Prado sold overseas, gives the GX better suspension geometry and more wheel articulation off-road than its predecessor.
The Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) on Overtrail trims is a hydraulic stabilizer bar system that disconnects at low speeds to let each wheel move more independently. In plain terms: it keeps more tire in contact with uneven ground. Most GX buyers will never test it. The ones who do will appreciate it.
The third-row power fold on Premium+ and above is genuinely useful. It's a small thing, but struggling with manual third-row seats is one of those annoyances that compounds over years of ownership.
The price. The entry point of $62,250 is hard to justify against what you get at that level. For comparison, a base Toyota Land Cruiser, which shares the same platform and engine, starts below $60,000 and comes with more standard features.
Yes, the Lexus badge comes with the Lexus dealer experience and a slightly more refined interior. But $2,000-plus more for the baseline, when the mechanicals are nearly identical, is a lot to pay for upholstery choices and a logo.
The third row is too small for adults. It works for kids under 10, maybe up to 12 if they're not complaining yet. Marketing it as a three-row family vehicle is technically accurate and practically misleading.
Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, but the infotainment system can still feel slow to process inputs. This is a $60,000-plus vehicle. The software should be faster.
The 21-inch wheels on the Luxury trim are a mistake if you ever plan to use this vehicle as anything other than a school pickup vehicle. Larger wheels mean shorter sidewalls on the tires, which reduces off-road traction and ride quality. You're paying more for something that makes the vehicle objectively worse at what it's designed to do.
As of this writing, NHTSA has not published crash test ratings for the 2024 GX. IIHS has also not yet issued ratings for this generation.
This is common for all-new vehicles in their first model year. Ratings typically follow within 6 to 12 months of sale. That gap is real risk for early buyers, and worth acknowledging plainly.
The GX does come standard with pre-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure alert, and adaptive cruise control. Those are table stakes at this price point, not extras worth celebrating.
Using the Premium+ at $67,650 MSRP as the mid-level reference point:
Depreciation: New vehicles typically lose 15 to 22 percent of their value in year one. The previous GX held value exceptionally well, and the new model may follow suit, but no one knows yet. Using a conservative 15 percent loss on $67,650, that's roughly $10,150 in depreciation in 12 months. If it lands closer to 18 percent, you're at $12,177.
Fuel at 15,000 miles: At 19 mpg combined and a national average of $3.40 per gallon, 15,000 miles requires about 789 gallons. That's roughly $2,682 in fuel for the year.
Insurance: Expect $1,800 to $2,800 annually depending on your location, age, driving record, and coverage level. Luxury SUVs in this price range trend toward the higher end of that estimate in most metro areas.
First service: Lexus recommends the first oil change and inspection at 10,000 miles. At a Lexus dealer, budget $100 to $150 for that interval.
Conservative year-one total: $14,732 to $17,209, before any loan interest. If you're financing $60,000 at 7 percent over 60 months, add approximately $11,600 in interest over the life of the loan.
Owning this vehicle is not cheap. That's not a criticism. It's math.
Land Rover Defender 110: The Defender is more exciting to drive and has a stronger visual presence; the GX will almost certainly cost less to repair over five years, because Land Rover's reliability record remains a legitimate concern.
Toyota Land Cruiser (2024): The Land Cruiser shares the GX's platform and engine and costs less at the base level; the GX offers a more refined interior and a better dealer service experience, which matters if you're keeping the vehicle long-term.
Lincoln Navigator: The Navigator has a far better third row, more interior space, and a stronger standard feature list at comparable prices; it is not a serious off-road vehicle, so if dirt roads are part of your life, this comparison ends there.
Buy the 2024 GX if you actually use it for what it's built for: dirt roads, towing, unpaved terrain, or living somewhere that punishes lesser vehicles for several months a year. In that context, the price is defensible. The capability is real. The reliability history of the platform gives reasonable grounds for confidence.
Skip it if you want a large, comfortable SUV for suburban driving and occasional road trips. At $67,000 and up, you will spend more money per year to move through traffic at 18 mpg when a crossover costing $20,000 less would serve you identically, or better, on the roads you actually drive.
The 2024 GX is a genuine truck with a Lexus interior. That combination is rare and, for the right buyer, worth every dollar. For everyone else, it's a lot of capability sitting idle in a parking garage.
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