I’ve long said that, despite its appearance and off-road legacy, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the best cars for city driving. The G-wagen has excellent visibility, a manageable footprint and a fantastic driving position, plus it’s fun to quickly whip around and run errands in. Even the new Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender haven’t quite been able to capture the G’s magic in that regard, but there’s a somewhat unlikely new contender in town. Last week I got to drive the excellent third-gen Lexus GX, which has boxy styling, a driver-focused cabin and a wonderful view out that rivals the Mercedes.
One of the biggest analogs to the G-wagen is the GX’s windshield. Lexus made the windshield flatter and more upright, and the new GX’s A-pillars are thinner and pushed further back towards the driver. The GX’s beltline is lower and the windows are larger and more rectangular, too, so you get a better view out of all of the side windows, and the A-pillar’s grab handles don’t obscure the view. Even the B- and C-pillars are pretty thin, and while the D-pillar is definitely thick and creates a blind spot, it’s better than the outgoing GX and the back window and rearmost side windows are nice and large. Compared to the old GX the 2024 model is bigger by a few inches in every dimension, but it doesn’t feel it.
The G-Class has trapezoidal turn signals protruding up from the front corners of the hood, which is a huge help when maneuvering the car both off road, around town or in a parking lot — just take a look at the turn signals, and you know exactly where the corners of the car are. Lexus’ designers came up with a clever hood design that achieves a similar effect. The new GX has a tall hood, but the center section dramatically slopes down, increasing visibility by a surprising amount. Its hood ends in fairly sharp-looking corners, and ridges that flank the sloping center section along the edges of the hood are the same width as the GX’s track, and you’re able to quickly discern exactly where your tires are. Because the front end is so blunt and the overhangs are shorter than the old model, the GX’s squared-off hood makes placing it in a tight spot a cinch.
Every trim of the GX apart from the base model comes with a surround-view camera system, but the overland-focused Overtrail trim adds a Multi-Terrain Monitor function with a bunch of off-road camera views that display on the standard 14-inch central touchscreen. In addition to displaying top-down views of the front wheels, it can use the front and rear cameras to transpose a view of what’s underneath the car so the driver can better navigate obstacles. It’s definitely helpful when off-roading, though I wish the camera quality was a bit better.
A design feature I hadn’t really noticed from the images before actually getting behind the wheel of the GX were the side-view mirrors. They’re more akin to those of a bus or semi truck, or maybe the towing mirrors of a pickup. Tall and narrow, these mirrors take a bit of time to get used to, but I found myself loving them. In addition to being less likely to get damaged while off-roading, the stretched shape means you can position them to view both the ground and the top of the car, a nice help if you’ve got a full roof rack or are in a tight parking garage. (Blind-spot monitoring also comes standard.)
Also important is the GX’s driving position. I already like sitting fairly high and upright even in bigger SUVs, but sometimes that can feel too much like being a bus driver, or akin to sitting in a diner stool like the old Fiat 500. Luckily, at least for me, the GX’s seating position is ideal. I’m able to position myself to be relaxed without slouching, and I don’t need to strain my neck or readjust the seat to better see over the hood or through the windows. The seat is comfortable, with standard 8-way power adjustment plus heating and ventilation, and you can option it up to 10-way adjustment with a fantastic massage function. Trust me, it doesn’t get better than off-roading with your massage on.
Lexus wanted all of the GX’s important controls to fall closely to hand, to use an old auto journalist cliche. The camera-view button is on the dash just behind the right-hand steering wheel stalk, and the controls for the four-wheel-drive system and diff lockers are right below the large, traditional shifter. Ahead of the shifter are a dial and buttons that control both the drive modes and the Crawl Control system. And despite having such a large touchscreen and nearly-as-large digital gauge cluster, which are housed in the same plastic surround, the screens are all positioned below the driver’s sight line, so they don’t take up any of your view out the windshield.
Best of all are the GX’s door panels. Just like on the G-Class, the GX has two different spots to rest your elbow, and both are chef’s-kiss perfect. The actual armrest itself is nicely padded and is the right spot for my elbow to fall naturally with my hand on the lower half of the wheel, while the top of the door card at the window line is ideal for holding the wheel at 9 o’clock. I’m constantly critiquing this sort of thing, partially inspired by the “elbow scores” of @fanchracing, the coolest guy on Instagram. It makes a genuine difference in how relaxing and enjoyable a car is to drive, especially a vehicle as typically unwieldy as a big SUV.
Previous generations of Land Cruiser and GX have always found fans, whether that be in hardcore off-roaders or more regular consumers who just like the look and feel of a more traditional body-on-frame SUV. But I never really connected with them, the outgoing GX in particular, as the tech and driving experience all felt too outdated and unwieldy, and the styling wasn’t cool enough to make up for it. That’s one of the reasons I love the current G-Class so much — it may look retro-rugged on the outside, but it feels modern and is a breeze to use as a daily driver.
The 2024 Lexus GX, though, is another story. Its fantastic design, luxurious interior and greatly improved driving experience already won me over, but the excellent visibility and driver environment are what have left the most lasting impression. I can’t wait to get one to drive in LA — maybe I’ll take it to the Trader Joe’s parking lot in West Hollywood, which is tougher to navigate than any off-road trail.
And don’t forget the GX is twinned with the new-for-the-U.S. Toyota Land Cruiser, sold elsewhere as the Land Cruiser Prado. With the same basic greenhouse, seating position, door panels and exterior styling, the 2024 Land Cruiser should share the GX’s best attributes.
