A 4WD That Is Highly Capable, Moderately Practical
The 2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail is an enigma. It’s the Japanese luxury brand’s flagship SUV, yet for every positive, there seems to be a negative. Driving on Southeastern Wisconsin freeways and country roads, the LX 700h demonstrates many strengths. It’s powerful, supremely comfortable, loaded with easy-to-use technology, and its ride is buttery smooth. However, I spot the shortcomings, too. The Lexus LX 700h has a hybrid powertrain, but it’s not that efficient, it lacks interior space for its massive size, and it handles poorly.
To get the most out of it, I should tap into its greatest strength by venturing off the beaten path. Instead, I’m driving it like most buyers will – to get from Point A to Point B. The 2025 Overtrail represents two firsts. The hybrid powertrain and the Overtrail trim are both new for the LX this year, and both contribute to advanced off-road prowess.
The hybrid system consists of a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 from the LX 600 with an electric motor mounted between the engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine spins up 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, and the electric motor increases total output to 457 horsepower and a stump-pulling 583 pound-feet of torque.
Unlike other Toyota/Lexus hybrid systems, the LX 700h has a traditional starter and alternator rather than using the electric motor for their functions. That’s to keep the powertrain working should the hybrid system somehow fail while the Overtrail is off-roading. The precise power delivery offered by the hybrid system can also be a boon when off-roading in situations when a slight tip of the throttle might get you onto solid footing.
More than that, though, the hybrid system makes the LX quicker and more efficient, but not by much in either case. The 0-60 mph time drops from 6.9 to 6.4 seconds, and fuel economy improves by 2 mpg, to 19 mpg city, 22 highway, and 20 combined – all for an additional $9,000 over the price of the LX 600. You won’t recoup that cost any time soon.
Every LX comes standard with a full-time four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing, a locking center differential, and a hydraulic suspension that can raise the ground clearance by two inches from the standard 8.3 inches for off-roading. The Overtrail trim goes further by adding 33-inch all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels and front and rear locking differentials.
A big footprint, a tall ride height, mushy tires, and an off-road-tuned suspension hurt the LX’s handling, but the 265/70R18 Toyo Open Country A/T III tires that roll over during sharp changes of direction also work in concert with the double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link independent rear suspension, and standard adaptive dampers to soak up even sharp bumps. The LX’s TNGA-F ladder frame platform causes only modest pickup truck-like jiggle on broken pavement.
The hydraulic suspension is not as advanced as the air suspensions of several rivals, lacking the ability to react to road conditions in real time and doing nothing to fight the LX 700h’s copious body lean through corners. The LX drives bigger than its considerable size, with slow steering that has a little play on center and more body lean than you’d get in the even larger Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator.
The last generation of the LX offered the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System of hydraulic-linked active anti-roll bars that fought body lean and provided greater wheel articulation for off-roading. The new generation would benefit from KDSS as well. How about it, Lexus? The tradeoff for the poor handling is amazing off-road prowess. Few vehicles on the market have front and rear lockers, which can be deployed to lock the wheels on an axle should one wheel slip to find traction with the other. That’ll get you out of tough situations that other adventure vehicles can’t.
The hybrid system’s nickel-metal hydride battery is located in the rear floor area and sealed within a box to keep it dry as the vehicle fords up to 27.5 inches of water. Lexus provides a front skid plate and two additional protective plates to protect the underbody from off-road hazards.
The LX 700h also has a two-speed transfer case for low-range gearing, and each of the H4 (High 4) and L4 (Low 4) ranges has its own drive modes. Auto, Sand, and Mud modes are common to both ranges, while H4 adds Deep Snow and L4 adds Rock mode. Those modes are in addition to the standard on-road drive modes that consist of Normal, Eco, Comfort, Sport S, Sport S+, and programmable Custom.
Beyond that, the LX 700h offers five settings of Crawl Control that set the vehicle speed to get through tricky off-road situations. This system comes with Turn Assist that brakes the inside rear wheel to shorten turns. A standard Multi-Terrain Monitor uses four cameras to provide a panoramic view, as well as underfloor, front, and rearview images on the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. A smaller 7.0-inch touchscreen below that screen offers such off-road data as brake and accelerator percentage, vehicle height, differential lock status, and Crawl Control setting. This screen also handles the climate and ambient lighting controls.
Inside, the LX 700h Overtrail combines technology with unmistakable luxury. Tech features run the gamut from 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and the gauge cluster to a rear camera mirror to a 4G wi-fi hotspot to a digital key. High-quality materials include soft semi-aniline leather upholstery and black open-pore wood trim. The LX 700h Overtrail also comes loaded with amenities, including heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, massaging front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a cool box.
However, the cabin offers only modest utility. At 200.6 inches long, the LX is about a foot shorter than the standard wheelbase version of the Cadillac Escalade, or about as long as the Dodge Durango. My Overtrail tester has the third-row delete option, which is just as well because the underfloor battery cuts into both cargo space and third-row passenger space. The LX 700h has only 7.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear row up and 62.8 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The latter figure is about nine cubic feet less than the LX 600. It’s even less space than the compact Toyota RAV4.
The Overtrail may sit atop the LX lineup for off-road capability, but it’s the least expensive LX. It’s priced at $115,350, including a $1,350 destination fee. For that money, buyers get the smoothest riding LX and the most capable off-roader in the Lexus lineup, though they have to give up handling and pay more for a marginal efficiency gain. Even flagship models don’t have it all.
Images Source: Lexus
