2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Vs. 2025 Lexus GX: 5 Major Differences originally appeared on Autoblog.
Can the Lexus justify its much higher price?
Including Lexus, the Toyota brand has several capable off-road vehicles to choose from in its lineup. The Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX are two of the best. Both are mid-size SUVs designed around the same TNGA-F platform for body-on-frame models, but they differ in a number of key aspects. If you want something a bit more sophisticated than the 4Runner, you may be struggling to decide between the Land Cruiser and GX, so let’s take a deeper look into how they match up.
1. Toyota Has An Efficient Hybrid, Lexus Goes For Powerful V6
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The Toyota Land Cruiser sold in the United States is now a smaller mid-size model, so the company decided a smaller hybrid powertrain was more appropriate. Accompanying an electric motor is a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. All models have full-time four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Lexus GX’s more premium positioning starts with its powertrain. It has a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 349 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Full-time 4WD is also standard, but the Lexus has a 10-speed automatic.
Lexus claims 6.5 seconds for the GX’s 0-60 sprint, while the Toyota needs roughly 8.3 seconds to do the same, so the GX is easily quicker.
But while the Lexus is speedier, it can only hit 17 mpg combined, whereas the Toyota manages 23 mpg combined.
Related: Five Off-Roaders Toyota Should Add to Their Lineup
2. Lexus Has Better Ground Clearance, Toyota Has Better Approach Angle
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Both these SUVs are capable of heading off-road confidently, thanks to their robust underpinnings and standard full-time 4WD, but they have unique strengths when it comes to towing specs.
The GX has up to 9.84 inches of ground clearance on the more expensive Overtrail models and 8.66 inches on other models, whereas all Land Cruisers have 8.7 inches of ground clearance. However, a lower approach angle of 26 degrees for the GX (32 inches for the Toyota) means you will have to be much more careful not to scrape the front of the Lexus when approaching steep inclines.
The Land Cruiser has breakover/departure angles of 23/22 degrees, respectively, while the GX has figures of up to 24/22 degrees for the same.
3. Lexus Can Tow A Lot More
Although the Toyota is much more efficient, its hybrid powertrain can’t tow nearly as much as the GX’s V6. The Land Cruiser can tow up to 6,000 pounds, a decent amount, but the GX can manage as much as 9,096 lbs if you go for the Overtrail trim, an excellent figure.
Even the cheapest GX can tow as much as 9,063 lbs, and the lowest figure of 7,601 lbs applies to the Luxury+ trim with a specific seating arrangement.
Both SUVs come with a standard tow hitch.
4. Lexus Forces You To Spend More For The Best Off-Road Equipment
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It’s here where the Toyota Land Cruiser’s value proposition shines. Even if you go for the cheapest Land Cruiser 1958 at $56,700, you still get the following off-road equipment as standard:
Front skid plate
Drive Mode Select with Snow mode
Electronically-controlled locking center and rear differentials
Crawl Control and Downhill Assist Control
The GX has a center locking differential, but you need to spend well over $70,000 for the Overtrail models with their electronic locking rear differentials, crawl control, and downhill assistant control.
The Multri-Terrain Select system with auto/Dirt/Sand/Mud/Rock/Deep Snow modes is standard on the top Land Cruiser trim, which costs $61,470. Once again, it costs well over $70k for a GX Overtrail with a similar Multi-Terrain Select system.
To be fair, the GX Overtrail does also get an Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS) that can lock and unlock the front and rear stabilizer bars. This system improves control and wheel articulation when off-roading.
5. Only One Can Seat 7 Occupants
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In transitioning to a mid-size SUV, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser is exclusively a five-seater vehicle. It has a reasonably spacious second row, with 36.7 inches of legroom and 39.4 inches of headroom. Cargo space measures 46.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 82.2 cubic feet behind the first row.
In the Lexus, seating for seven is standard, while both Overtrail trims are five-seater SUVs. Premium+, Luxury, and Luxury+ trims can be configured to seat six occupants, with second-row captain’s chairs in place of the standard second-row bench seat. Overall, then, there is a lot more seating flexibility in the Lexus. That said, third-row space in the Lexus isn’t massive.
Cargo space with the third row measures 10.3 cubic feet behind the third row in the GX and up to 40.2 cubic feet behind the second row, so the Land Cruiser has more trunk space behind its second row. With both back rows folded, the GX has 76.9 cubic feet, while Overtrail derivatives have 90.5 cubic feet behind the first row.
Final Thoughts
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Pricing needs to be taken into account when comparing these two models. The Land Cruiser has just two trims and costs $56,700 for the 1958 and $61,470 for the top trim.
For the 2025 Lexus GX, the base price is $64,735. From there, you’ll pay $69,200 for the Premium+, $77,200 for the Luxury, and $81,200 for the Luxury+. The off-road-focused Overtrail starts at $72,380 and goes up to $79,845 for the Overtrail+.
The Overtrail models are most comparable to the Land Cruiser, as they have a lot of the same off-road goodies and a five-seater layout.
Overall, both SUVs are great off-roaders and boast butch styling. The Lexus justifies its more premium badge with a nicer interior, a more powerful V6, the option of a third row, and more features, so we can understand buying one if your budget can accommodate it. But if you want a solid off-roader in the mid-size class, you can save a lot of money by getting either of the Land Cruiser trims.
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Vs. 2025 Lexus GX: 5 Major Differences first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 18, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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