Joke about the new Lexus TX’s name all you want, but it’s no joke when it comes to what the three-row crossover is designed to do: haul people and their families in spacious luxury. Lexus offers the TX with three different engine options, and buyers wanting to ease into electrification can go for the TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid. While they’ll be satisfied with how well it hauls people and their things, the price of the plug-in hybrid system might be too big of a pill to swallow.
Full Disclosure: I patiently waited until Lexus’ TX reached the fleets so I could get my hands on one for a week of real-world testing. It handled all my family hauling duties with ease, including Costco runs and crumb-filled seats.
Lexus’ new TX was introduced as a new nameplate for 2024, sharing a platform, some mechanicals and the basic body structure and styling with Toyota’s new Grand Highlander. Both were developed to take a shot across the bow of the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride as the Toyota group’s largest dedicated three-row family haulers. Lexus desperately needed the TX — the body-on-frame GX and LX aside, the brand has had no three-row SUV in its lineup for the last couple of years after the demise of the compromised RX L, which was something dealers begged Lexus for but had a third row so tiny that it was nearly useless.
There is something for everyone in the TX’s lineup. The TX 350 is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 with 275 horsepower, while the TX 500h F Sport comes with the same engine attached to a hybrid system for a total of 366 hp. This TX 550h+ is the most expensive and most powerful TX you can buy. Its 3.5-liter V6 is paired with a plug-in-hybrid system and a larger lithium-ion battery pack for 404 total horsepower and an electric driving range of 33 miles.
That plug-in-hybrid system will cost you. Including destination, the TX 550h+ starts at $78,050, an increase of $8,700 over the TX 500h and $23,000 more than the nonhybrid TX 350’s base price. Add on the $2,150 Technology package and an $895 Convenience package, and this TX rings in at a wallet-hurting $81,655.
Surprising But Compromised Performance
Climbing behind the wheel and driving the TX is a pleasant experience. Some may find it to be typical Lexus boring, but as I get older, I appreciate the on-brand quietness and smoothness. Predictably, when starting the TX PHEV up there’s no engine sound, as it defaults into EV mode unless you opt to use the gas engine to charge the battery or run the climate control. When the engine is on, the 3.5-liter V6 pulls strongly. It doesn’t necessarily feel like it has over 400 horsepower — that could have something to do with the fact that this thing weighs 5,400 pounds — but it hustles when you need it to.
When you want to be more efficient and drive the TX in either hybrid or full-on EV mode, the transition is seamless. The TX has one of, if not the smoothest start/stop systems I’ve ever encountered in a vehicle. It’s almost imperceptible, with no thunking sound or clunking feeling — you just hear the engine stop. Even when smashing the gas from a standstill to get the full power of the engine and hybrid system it feels seamless. Other automakers definitely need to take note.
Using the hybrid system is easy enough. Buttons on the console right behind the shifter allow you to choose between full EV, hybrid or charge mode. The efficiency of the entire system may leave a lot to be desired, though. Using it as a hybrid, Lexus says you should get 29 mpg combined (EPA ratings for the TX plug-in still aren’t available for some reason). While that’s 6 mpg better than the TX 350, it’s just 2 mpg better than the TX 500h F Sport Performance that can’t plug in.
Using the EV mode as intended is good for stints of all-electric driving around town, which I find myself doing when running to the bank or going to grab food. The regenerative braking system is excellent and can easily yield another 2-3 miles of range in times like this. But the EV range drops fast under normal driving: once, just after charging the TX at a local station, I lose four miles of range in just over two miles of driving. I’m able to recoup some of that loss with the regen system, but still, it eats kilowatts in EV mode.
Charging is the one weak point in the system. The TX PHEV doesn’t support fast charging, so it’s a long affair if you want to fully charge the battery — figure around four hours. Even charging a battery that isn’t fully depleted will take a while. One night, while visiting a casino, I stop in a parking garage that offers free charging, with 14 miles of EV range indicated on the TX’s dash. It takes 2 hours and 21 minutes to go from 14 miles to full on a charger running at 6.2 kWh. During another charging session I see just five miles of range added in 34 minutes.
An Excellent Family SUV
Aside from its performance, the TX is pretty damn good when used as intended. The seats are some of the most comfortable I’ve ever sat in, and they’re covered in a nice shade of Peppercorn chocolate brown. The first and second-row seats have both heating and cooling, with power adjustments for the front, plus a heated steering wheel. There’s more than enough storage space, with cubbies including door pockets, a deep storage area under the center console that’s covered by a retractable wireless phone charger, and an equally deep center armrest.
The controls are familiar if you’ve been in any modern Lexus. That means a huge 14-inch touchscreen display with excellent resolution and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, and a digital gauge cluster and head-up display for the driver. You get lots of USB-C ports too — three up front, two in the second row along with a 120V outlet, and two more in the third row.
You can tell this thing was designed with Americans in mind given how much room there is inside. Second-row legroom is excellent at nearly 40 inches, but the real star is the third row that adults will actually be comfortable using. It’s so roomy back there I was able to fit three people in a pinch with no complaints, with both power and manual controls for the second row’s folding seats it’s easy to climb into the way back row.
When it comes to carrying stuff the TX gets even better. The third row also power folds with controls located in the cargo area. With all three rows up there’s 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space, enough to fit eight pieces of luggage side-by-side and stacked. Fold the third row and there’s 57.4 cubic feet of space; with both rows folded cargo space grows to a massive 97 cubic feet, enough to carry bikes, TVs, or anything else you need to haul.
The interior is not without its flaws, however. Lexus is still too generous with the damn piano black trim, which is used in many spots on the dash. The brand also insists on using electronic door handles. I’ve gotten used to them, of course, but there’s a learning curve for anyone not familiar with them, which is like 90 percent of the population. They’re an annoying and unnecessary hassle. This TX also didn’t come equipped with any sort of sunroof or panoramic glass panel. That’s not to say this TX just isn’t equipped with one — no sunroof is even available as an option on the TX, something I find ridiculous at this price point.
In another move to try to be different, Lexus designed these strange, square-shaped cup holders that are removable. Who would have thought that a cupholder could fail on two fronts? They fail at being actual cup holders because of their square shape, which prevents them from holding most drinks properly, and they also can’t hold reusable cups and bottles like those made by Stanley or Summit. You can unlatch and remove them, creating a bigger cubby area in the center console, but then you’re left with two cupholders that look like big ashtrays with nowhere to put them. Worse yet, the second-row floor console has the same removable cupholder setup.
The single worst part of the TX’s driving experience is the driver attention monitor. A sensor placed behind the steering wheel on top of the steering column monitors the driver’s face and eyes to make sure they’re always facing forward and paying attention. But the system is so sensitive and annoying it becomes a distraction itself. Turn to the side to talk to someone in the front seat for a few seconds, and the system beeps and shows a message on the gauge display, telling you to face forward. If your face is slightly tilted down but still facing forward, the system beeps, displaying a message telling you to tilt your head up. This happens constantly the entire time I’m driving. Even worse, the system in my car frequently malfunctioned saying the system isn’t available, even though it starts working fine again the next minute. Ultimately, I drive around with the system off.
The TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid is an excellent family SUV from a brand that’s been needing something like this for a long time. If you want a family hauler and the Toyota, Hyundai and Kia badges are a little too downmarket for you, the TX is your vehicle. It’s also unique in that it’s the only vehicle of its size offering a plug-in hybrid option. Unfortunately, that strength is also its weakness because of its near-$80,000 base price. Buyers not ready to go full-on EV might be tempted to go for the TX, but they also might be better served by the Kia EV9. The TX is bigger in some aspects like overall length and cargo room, but EV9 has it beat in a few areas like second-row legroom, power and most importantly price.
For most buyers that aren’t ready for an EV like the Kia EV9, their best bet is to go with either the hybrid TX 500h F Sport Performance, or save a nice chunk of change and get the turbocharged TX 350. But for those who want the added benefit of a plug-in hybrid and need to haul seven people and their stuff in room and comfort, the Lexus TX 550h+ is it. You’re just going to have to dig deep in your bank account to get one.