2024 Lexus TX First Drive: It's Absolutely A Three-Row SUV

What’s better than a three-row SUV? According to car buyers these days, not much; in 2022, 70 percent of SUV buyers opted for a three-row configuration — which meant that a brand like Lexus, which didn’t feature a dedicated three-row platform for its mid-size SUVs, was leaving a lot of buyers on the table. The 2024 Lexus TX is designed to fill that gap in the luxury brand’s lineup, and it’s set to be a competitive challenger in the well-outfitted-but-reliable SUV market.

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Full disclosure: Lexus footed the bill for a quick trip to Austin, TX, where I was able to take the all-new 2024 TX for a cruise.

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

Contents

What Is The 2024 Lexus TX?

The 2024 Lexus TX is a brand-new nameplate for Toyota’s luxury division, and it’s replacing the RX L, a two-row SUV that could have a third row crammed in the back, much to everyone’s discomfort. The new all-new TX is built on the same platform as the Toyota Grand Highlander, itself a dedicated three-row, mid-size SUV. The Lexus is its upscale cousin that always got way fancier gifts for its birthday.

If you’re someone who likes to customize your cars, then you’ll enjoy the Lexus TX. You’ll have three powertrains too choose from (a 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 275 horsepower, a hybrid that ups power output to 366 horsepower, and a 3.5-liter V6 PHEV that makes 406 horsepower), and each power option comes with two to three trim levels to select from depending on just how luxurious you like your crossover.

I drove the Lexus TX350 Luxury AWD, which is the top trim for the turbocharged 2.4-liter engine. It’s the version that makes the least horsepower, but it’s also slightly more affordable than anything else; the model I drove started at $61,200 and was equipped to be $69,814; the very top-of-the-line trim, the TX550h+ Luxury, settles in at over $80,000.

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

Added onto the model that I drove were the following options:

Captain’s chairs in the second row ($680)Cold area package, which includes things like heated wipers ($100)Convenience package, which includes safety features like traffic jam assist as well as a digital key subscription option ($895)Premium paint color called Cloudburst Gray ($500)Mark Levinson 21-speaker audio system ($1,160)Technology package, which includes a 12.3-inch information display, a panoramic view monitor, head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, and advanced park assist ($1,050)22-inch alloy wheels ($2,140)Rear hatch cargo lamps ($399)Side puddle lamps ($175)Mudguards ($165)

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

How Does The Lexus TX Drive?

If you’ve ever driven an SUV, then there’s a pretty damn good chance you’ll understand the basics of how the Lexus TX350 Luxury drives. It’s a somewhat ponderous vehicle thanks to its size, shape, and 275 ponies; a different powertrain option would absolutely put a little extra pep in the acceleration, but the more budget-minded buyers opting for the base engine will likely find that the TX needs a little convincing to get where it’s going. But if your daily tasks don’t require you to launch from a stop sign like a drag racer, you’ll be more than fine.

My biggest concern was in the steering. Despite the size of the vehicle, the steering felt extremely light, flow-y, and a bit unresponsive. You turn the wheel, and not only was there little resistance, but it also felt like it took a hot second before the TX responded. I don’t need to feel like I’m getting an upper body workout when I’m driving an SUV, but I do enjoy the assurance that comes from putting in an appropriate amount of elbow grease for the vehicle’s size. Otherwise it kind of feels like maneuvering the Goodyear Blimp, top-heavy body roll and all.

But if you’re buying this vehicle to take on the standard slate of three-row SUV challenges — running errands, going to work, road tripping, shuttling some kids around — then you’ll likely be more than pleased that the Lexus TX isn’t much of a thrill, and you’ll also be pretty jazzed about the fact that the cabin is incredibly quiet and the suspension is comfortable enough to prevent any bouts of carsickness.

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

What’s Good

If you’ve driven a Lexus at any point in the past few years, then I am absolutely delighted to announce that this infotainment system rules. The number-one thing that previously demolished any semblance of joy I could feel behind the wheel of a Lexus was the tragic trackpad that used to control the screen — a feature I disliked so aggressively that I simply stopped trying to enjoy driving Lexus products.

The trackpad is blissfully absent from the Lexus TX, which features an incredibly crisp and simple screen that was incredibly inoffensive. I wasn’t a massive fan of the fact that most of the controls for things like heated seats have been digitized, but the screen was so responsive that I couldn’t stay terribly pressed about it.

I was also really impressed by the storage systems in the TX. To the left of the steering wheel is a cubby tucked behind a spring-open door, which is perfect for sticking your keys (so perfect that it took my driver partner Alanis King and I a solid 25 minutes to figure out where the key was hiding).

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

The cupholders, too, are removable and adjustable. Press the ‘release’ button in one of the cupholders, and you’ll be able to pull it entirely out of the center console. When Alanis needed somewhere accessible to store her camera, we were able to pop one of the cupholders out to place it there. I’m one of those people that really only ever needs a single cupholder; any extras inevitably get used for storing my vast collection of knick-knacks and treasures (i.e. my phone and wallet). Being able to just pop out a cupholder to give yourself a totally different kind of storage space was very soothing to the part of my dragon brain that enjoys having a wide variety of places to put things.

And, finally, I have to mention the space and overall comfort of the Lexus TX. The Lexus RX L’s third row often felt like it was hastily tacked on; anyone sitting all the way in the rear either needed to be really short or have no knees. Because the Lexus TX was designed specifically to accommodate that third row, smaller humans like myself can actually fit back there. Plus, the second-row captain’s chairs were comfortable as hell; I sampled them as Alanis drove and was pleased with the leg room, comfort, and the option to either ventilate or heat my butt as a lowly backseat passenger.

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

What Needs Work

The Lexus TX is a very solid vehicle, so my main criticisms came in the previous section about how the SUV drives. Firmer, more responsive steering would do this machine wonders, especially compared some of the sportier offerings from competing luxury mid-size SUV brands.

But I think it’s finally time to address the elephant in the room: the Lexus TX grille. I’ve come to expect a funky snout from the Lexus crew, but I can’t get past the shutter-shade grille. It’s like someone from 2010 just appeared in the Lexus design room with an LMFAO album and a dream to see the shutter shade trend hit the automotive world. The grille especially stands out on lighter paint colors; on darker bodywork, the vents kind of disappear into the rest of the front end.

That’s also really the only notable feature from a styling perspective. Overall, the Lexus TX just looks like an SUV. Obviously looks are an extremely minor criticism when it comes to the overall capabilities of the car, but the TX feels like a very conservative entry into a niche that features distinctive offerings from the likes of BMW and Genesis. You can tell that the TX is cut from the same cloth as the Toyota Grand Highlander, but whether or not that formula will work for a more upmarket vehicle remains to be seen.

Photo: Jalopnik / Elizabeth Blackstock

The Verdict

I don’t want it to sound as if I dislike the 2024 Lexus TX; it’s just that I was left uninspired. It’s a good, utilitarian vehicle. It has some fantastic niceties for the folks who love their reliability to come with a little side of luxury. It’ll do exactly what you need it to do, but if you’re opting for this particular vehicle, your “needs” are probably something along the lines of “shuttle multiple humans around with all their shit, but be comfy while doing it.” You’re not buying the Lexus TX because it moves you. You’re buying it because you made a well-reasoned decision based on a lengthy list of pros and cons, comparison shops, and budgetary considerations. For a mid-size SUV, what more do you really need?