I've always liked the LX, and this is no exception. They got a lot of things right with the LX, but it is still compromised in many aspects. However, I wouldn't buy one over a Range Rover. The LX, while nice, still lacks some of the refinement of the Range Rover and other LR products. That's the nature of a body-on-frame platform. It also doesn't have the charm and character that you get with a Land Rover. Many luxury SUVs have tried to dethrone the Range Rover, but it is still the end-all, be-all luxury SUV.

 

Agree. Reliability put aside there is absolutely nothing on the market like the full size Range Rover.

 

I have the rear locker on mine, and I agree - you don't need it. A Defender without a rear locker can go everywhere one with a rear locker can go. It will spin its wheels a little bit more, but it will make it. The electrical architecture in the Defender is so much more advanced than earlier JLR models, and because of this and the brake-by-wire system, the traction control and ABS can react so much quicker that a rear locker is borderline obsolete. Take a look at how big of a difference the rear locker makes on an L405 Range Rover or an LR4. That's not the case with the Defender. I still would always spec the rear locker, but it is by no means necessary.

 

@CincyRovers @McKinneyBear

Land Cruiser/Lexus LX and Range Rover cater to very different audiences. Range Rover targets wealthy individuals who drive mostly on paved roads and frequently update their vehicles to enjoy the latest technology and performance. In contrast, the Land Cruiser/Lexus LX is an old-school, off-road-focused truck designed for long-term ownership, providing simplicity and reliability to those in harsh environments like the Middle East and Australia.

Even though today’s traction control systems are very powerful, you can still see a significant difference compared to the triple lockers in the video I linked above. The Land Cruiser, with only the center locker engaged, performed better than the Defender with both center and rear lockers. When the Land Cruiser had front and rear lockers engaged, it passed through without any slipping or the need for momentum.

A recall is not a bad thing; it's the resolution of an issue. What we really worry about are the never-ending problems. Recalls happen with Toyota/Lexus from time to time, and the manufacturing quality rankings have taken this into account.

 

I don't think the LX700 caters to a different crowd. It's just doesn't compete because it's based on decades old design and isn't made for today's market. It's what Toyota did to keep their cars reliable, proven tech with little changes to drive consistency in supply chain. It was impressive but so is what Land Rover has done with the Range Rover.

Toyotas reputation has definitely taken a hit after their Tundra struggles. The new Tacoma is also having issues in its drivetrain. Toyotas are bland and expensive cars, the only reason you'd buy one is the reliability, so they need to repair that quickly!

 

The Defender is compromised in this video, as it is on the mediocre Goodyear Adventure tires, and everything else is on dedicated all terrains. That also makes a big difference.

 

I second this - I know a number of people who have cross-shopped an LX and the Range Rover. Every single one of them went for the Range Rover, and many have kept them longer than five years.

I have one neighbor who would always lease an LX every three years. He would always get the exact same one - black over black with the Mark Levinson stereo. I never understood why he did it, as it he should've just kept his first one. A few years ago he switched over to the Escalade when they redesigned it back in 2021. His wife had an LR4 and an L494 RRS Supercharged over the years.

 

The Range Rover will always be the mac daddy! There is no comparison between it and the LX.

 

My points are:

1. Three lockers make a big difference: Just look at the Land Cruiser. Even with just the center locker on, its traction control is good enough to go through with minimal slipping. When the front and rear lockers are engaged, the performance is much better.
2. The Land Cruiser 300, with only the center locker engaged, outperformed the Defender with both center and rear lockers on: If you doubt this video due to the Land Cruiser having more aggressive tires, please see another great example in the video below, where both have moderate stock AT tires. Focus on the steepest slope test at the end of each vehicle's test - it's the only place where the Land Cruiser used its center locker while the Defender automatically engaged both center and rear lockers in each test. What's impressive is not only how easily the Land Cruiser climbs the slope but also that it can use crawl control to automatically finish the test. Additionally, the LX600 with street tires in this video completed the test more easily than the Defender.

PS: the two videos I linked are from a select few of the most professional 4x4 YouTubers.

Again, as I said, the Land Cruiser/Lexus LX is a very different and niche product compared to the Range Rover/Defender. Most people, especially in the US, don't prefer it. However, I think the LX700h Overtrail, with three lockers, will appeal to some off-road enthusiasts, much like its sibling - the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport. Let's see its actual performance compared to all the other competitors, including the Defender, later this year.

 

There's overlap to the customer base (it's a 100K vehicle) although with different priorities. The Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and similar are first luxury cars with some design considerations allowing them to go off-road. They're being cross shopped with Escalades by city dwellers with no intent on going off-road, but they'll take you farther off pavement than most vehicles on the market. I've never seen a Range Rover out on the trails - ever.

The LX is a legitimate, commercial quality utilitarian vehicle used by the UN, NATO, and various militaries, made with a 25 year design life in austere environments, wrapped in various luxury and tech features. The typical U.S. buyer won't pay for that level of ruggedness or longevity because infrastructure is decent and we flip cars every 5 years or so. Most sales are in Russia, Africa, and the Middle East where those design considerations are a higher priority. Earlier in this thread I was griping about how the Defender (and definitely Range Rover) recovery hooks aren't accessible and they ride on 22" wheels. I could find the recovery hook on an LX with my eyes closed, and the LX on 18s (which are standard and can be fitted without also changing the brake calipers) won't be stranded in the middle of nowhere if it hits a curb or pothole.

Example: I watched a video of a bumper and winch install on a new GX550. Super simple using basic tools in a typical garage, and no need to relocate cameras or parking sensors because the front end was designed to be modular, knowing many buyers would add these accessories. The Defender: 20+ hour job / $4K just in labor to relocate sensors, heat exchangers, etc.