Yahoo Autos We Play around with 3 Neat Features on the 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail
At Car and Driver's HQ in Ann Arbor, Michigan, new vehicles come and go every two weeks. During that time, they're put through our litany of tests. But they also provide staffers with an excuse to get out of the office and play around with—er—study their various features and glean driving impressions. A 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail was one of our more recent guests, so we took it for a spin on a lunch break, which also let us try out three cool features.
Flip-Up Rear Glass
There was a time when most sport-utility vehicles had rear glass that could be opened separately from the liftgate. Nowadays, there are only a handful that offer this useful feature—and the new Lexus GX is one of them (the same goes for its platform mate, the Toyota Land Cruiser). Simply press the discreet button on the lower left edge of the back panel to pop open the flip-up rear glass. Not only does this make it easier to quickly grab items out of the cargo area, but you can also enjoy the satisfying hiss from the gas struts that dampen the window's motions. OK, so some people could care less about the sound, but it's undoubtedly nostalgic for those of us who remember the best SUVs from the '90s.
A Surplus of Drive Modes
The GX550 Overtrail will take your mall-crawler's five drive modes and raise you six more. That's right, drivers can choose among 11 different settings when accounting for the ute's regular drive modes (Custom, Sport+, Sport, Normal, Comfort, and Eco) and the Multi-Terrain Select system (Deep Snow, Mud, Sand, Dirt, and Auto). To access your surplus of choices, locate the column of buttons on the center console near your right knee. The Rolodex of modes will appear in the digital gauge cluster, and you can scroll through them with the sturdy rotary knob labeled "Mode Select." Along with a Tow Haul mode, the GX has Crawl Control that functions as a low-speed cruise control to help conquer tough terrain. Of course, it's only accessible in low-range four-wheel drive.
The Hidden Cool Box
What does the 2024 Lexus GX550 Overtrail and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan have in common? Both offer a refrigerated compartment. Sure, the new Land Cruiser can make that claim too, but that doesn't make their "Cool Box" any less cool. Located underneath the GX's center armrest, the deep cubby has enough space for four 12-ounce bottles of water and other similarly sized beverages. To turn on the fridge, just push the Cool Box button nearest the driver. While the cooling feature can be turned on or off, there's no heat setting—which obviously would've been called the "Hot Box."
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