2025 Lexus LX600 Overtrail review: Where luxury meets capability

For decades now, Lexus has been waving its luxury wand over parent company Toyota’s LandCruiser offerings to make them appeal to a different clientele than the traditional Cruiser buyer.

Think Range Rovers with lashings of leather hides, a smattering of woodgrain trim and premium fit-out to bring in buyers from the luxury SUV segment. The latest off-road offerings from Lexus are the updated LX range, which arrived alongside the refreshed LandCruiser 300 Series on which the current LX is based.

Significantly, the 2025 LX update introduced an Overtrail variant to the line-up – a model designed to appeal to clientele who want to get their Lexus dirty and make the most of its LandCruiser underpinnings. The LX Overtrail follows the launch of the GX550 Overtrail earlier this year, which gave the same off-road-focused treatment to the 250 Series Prado.

JUMP AHEAD

• Lexus LX Overtrail explained
• Luxury meets off-road capability
• How the LX600 Overtrail drives on- and off-road
• Verdict: A luxury 4×4 with real ability
• Specs

Lexus LX Overtrail explained

The LX Overtrail is offered with either petrol or diesel power.

The LX Overtrail 500d uses the same V6 diesel found in the LC300 and starts at $182,300, while the LX600 Overtrail runs a V6 petrol engine and starts at $185,800. Both Overtrail variants are five-seat only, leaving the rear section open for cargo. Seven-seat LXs are available in other trims, but not as an Overtrail – and they miss out on the auxiliary fuel tank, limiting capacity to 80 litres. The five-seat Overtrails, by contrast, can carry 110 litres of petrol or diesel, depending on the model.

For the record, the LX600 has an ADR combined-cycle fuel consumption rating of 11.9L/100km, while the LX500d is rated at 8.9L/100km.

We have the LX600 Overtrail variant on test here, powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged petrol V6 producing a healthy 305kW at 5200rpm and 650Nm. That’s plenty of torque on tap for those prepared to forgo the diesel option. Interestingly, this engine in the GX550 produces the same 650Nm but is limited to 260kW, and with different engine codes, the two units are not exactly the same.

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Differentiating the Overtrail from its LX siblings is the fitment of 18-inch alloy wheels shod with 265/70R18 Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres, chosen for improved off-road performance. This sensible wheel-and-tyre combination replaces the oversized alloys – up to 22-inch – and low-profile road rubber fitted to other LX grades.

Those wheels and tyres are backed by locking front and rear differentials, Crawl Control, and a Multi-Terrain Select system to boost the LX’s off-road ability. Model-specific front and rear bumpers improve clearance at each end, while black exterior highlights set the Overtrail apart – though its smaller wheels look a bit out of place against the big, slab-sided LX profile.

The Overtrail rides on Lexus’s Active Height Control (AHC) suspension, which uses hydraulic pressure to raise or lower the vehicle for extra clearance when needed. In high range, AHC can lift the LX by up to 73mm, while low range allows 83mm – with a further 20mm (103mm total) temporarily available if the system senses the vehicle is stuck.

The system automatically adjusts ride height depending on the drive mode or low-range setting, and also keeps the vehicle level. For easier access, it can drop the body by 27mm when parked. Because it’s hydraulic rather than air-based, there’s no compromise in ride quality – though the suspension does feel noticeably firmer when extended to its maximum height.

Luxury meets off-road capability

There’s no compromise on the styling or features inside the LX Overtrail – it’s every bit as plush as you’d expect from a $185K Lexus.

Headlining the 2025 updates is a new 12.3-inch multimedia display, which controls everything from sat-nav and entertainment to vehicle drive modes. The LX now features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with a wireless phone charging pad.

Lexus has long set the benchmark for OEM sound systems, and the Overtrail is no exception. A premium Mark Levinson audio setup delivers crystal-clear sound through no fewer than 25 speakers.

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There’s a luxury feel throughout the cabin, with quality leather trim set off by model-specific green stitching on the seats. Front passengers get heating, ventilation and massage functions, while the rear outboard seats are also heated and ventilated. The steering wheel is heated too, with automatic temperature control for both the tiller and seats. The steering column offers power adjustment for reach and height, and there’s a digital rear-vision mirror and head-up display for the driver.

The Lexus/Toyota Safety Sense suite of advanced driver assistance systems ensures the LX is well covered when it comes to protecting both passengers and pedestrians.

How the LX600 Overtrail drives on- and off-road

On the road, the LX600 Overtrail drives exactly as you’d expect of a large luxury wagon. The V6 is smooth, quiet and effortlessly powerful, with the 10-speed auto shifting almost imperceptibly unless you bury the throttle. Press on and the abundant torque shrugs off the LX’s considerable mass, making overtakes and long climbs a relaxed affair.

The cabin is plush, spacious and comfortable giving the feeling that you could easily drive in it all day long. It’s so refined that you almost feel guilty leaving the blacktop for dirt and ruts – but with the LX’s LandCruiser DNA, you can be confident the Overtrail is up to the task.

On gravel and dirt tracks, the taller sidewalls of the 18-inch tyres soak up bumps far better than low-profile rubber on larger rims ever could. The Toyo all-terrains inspire confidence that you’ll make it wherever you’re headed.

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Things aren’t as straightforward as they should be when the track steepens and you need to dig into the LX’s drivetrain. Locking the centre diff is easy enough – there’s a button right by your left knee – but the high/low-range selector dial is on the far side of the console, nowhere near where you’d expect it in a Toyota-based product. As for the front and rear diff-lock switches? They’re hidden away under the dash to the left of the steering column, well out of sight.

With only the MTS set to Rock mode, the Overtrail failed on the first steep climb, making it up only after the centre diff was locked – fair enough. Selecting low range prompts the AHC to raise the suspension, but this in turn reduces available downward travel, so the LX jolts and bumps its way through ruts and holes on an ascent. If you don’t need the extra clearance, it’s smoother and quieter to tackle the climb at a lower suspension setting, where the springs and shocks can do their job properly. Maximum height should be reserved for when you really need it.

The rear axle delivers that lovely, supple articulation Toyota 4x4s are famous for, and the traction control is sharp and decisive, meaning you can leave the locking diffs alone for all but the most challenging tracks.

Verdict: A luxury 4×4 with real ability

With a legacy stretching from the 100 and 200 Series to today’s 300 Series–based LX, Lexus 4x4s have cemented their place as true Range Rover rivals in the luxury off-road space.

While the latest LX commands a hefty price, it still undercuts a Rangie or a G-Wagen – and offers the proven reliability and capability that comes with its LandCruiser DNA. The addition of the Overtrail variants allows the LX to fully exploit its LandCruiser underpinnings and abilities, while adding a rare level of luxury to the off-road segment. It’s a combination that will appeal to buyers seeking both attributes – particularly those towing large horse floats or boats, who’ll appreciate the 3500kg braked towing capacity.

The Overtrail is also an option for those who’ve long admired the style and luxury of a Lexus but dismissed it due to the oversized wheels and low-profile tyres offered on other variants. With its more practical wheel and tyre package, the Overtrail gives buyers the best of both worlds – whether they choose petrol or diesel power.

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Specs