Yahoo Autos We Look under the 2024 Lexus GX550 and Test Its Suspension
Lexus made a huge step forward with the 2024 Lexus GX550, but when it was first released it came across as a dead ringer for the new Toyota Land Cruiser. Wait, what? They aren’t supposed to be platform mates. Turns out, they are. This time around, both share the 250-series architecture. This was a non-event for the GX, but it necessitated a two-year delay in Land Cruiser production, which is now subservient to the Lexus–at least price-wise.
But this has more to do with the Land Cruiser than anything else, as the GX has stayed on the same path as before and has seen no delay in production. Yes, they now share a wheelbase of 102.2 inches, and their track widths only differ by wheel offset, but the GX has substantially more motor and greater towing prowess. It’s a three-row machine—in most cases—that is adept at carrying more people into the wild in more comfort.
Some of the differences have everything to do with what I mean by that. The GX has adaptive dampers at the high end, particularly on its off-road model, the Overtrail. Its front and rear differentials are upsized compared to a Land Cruiser because its engine supports higher sustained towing loads. But most of all, it has the e-KDSS (electronic-kinetic dynamic suspension system) to automatically disconnect both stabilizer bars instead of the Land Cruiser’s simpler push-button front stabilizer bar disconnect mechanism. In a cruel twist of fate, the forward mounting of the e-KDSS system may affect its ultimate off-road prowess, as the GX suffers a six degree loss in approach angle compared with the Land Cruiser.
What does all this look like? Come along and see for yourself. In this video, I’ll remove the wheels and tires and point out the differences. Ultimately, you’ll see what the differences add up to by running it up my RTI ramp, where you’ll see how it scores to the closely related—but not identical—Toyota Land Cruiser.
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