5 Automobiles To Contemplate As a substitute Of The Lexus GX550

the Lexus GX has change into some of the fascinating SUVs available on the market since its introduction again in 2003. It combines Toyota’s spectacular off-road DNA with modern Lexus refinement and is sized in a candy spot for a lot of SUV consumers. It has been this fashion because the unique GX 470, and the legacy lives on by way of the third-generation GX 550 that debuted for the 2024 mannequin 12 months. Lexus at the moment presents six totally different variants of the GX550: Premium, Luxurious, and Overtrail trims in addition to ‘plus’ variants of every. The bottom-level Premium model begins at $66,935 plus the usual array of tax, title, and dealership charges and the flagship Overtrail+ units you again $82,045 plus those self same bumps.

All GX550 variants include a twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 engine mated to a 10-speed computerized transmission and four-wheel drive system and SlashGear’s evaluation of the 2024 Lexus GX550 concluded that its 349 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque assist make it “one of the best of old-school and new-school SUVs in a single succesful bundle.” There are many different attractive SUVs in its worth vary, however a GX comparability shopper will need off-road functionality, up-to-date options, and refinement and reliability that problem these of Lexus’ luxurious SUV. Listed here are essentially the most formidable challengers to the Lexus GX 550 we might discover, together with a few its Toyota cousins.

A fast look is likely to be all it takes to see the similarities between the Lexus GX550 and Toyota Land Cruiser, however there are a couple of key variations when you look previous their shared TNGA-F platform. The 2026 Land Cruiser is available in two trims: the entry-level Land Cruiser 1958 prices $57,200 plus choices, charges, and a $1,495 vacation spot cost and the better-equipped however blandly named Land Cruiser is $63,275 plus extras. So in the event you just like the seems to be and the off-road functionality of the GX however desire a cheaper SUV with out the Lexus emblem on the grille, the Land Cruiser is price a glance.

The badges aren’t the one factor totally different about these two SUVs, although. For the reason that 2024 mannequin 12 months, The Land Cruiser has include Toyota’s i-Drive Max hybrid powertrain. The two.4-liter turbocharged I4 and electrical motor within the transmission mix to generate 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, each good however not nice numbers. On paper the 2 engines may appear on par with each other, however there’s a noticeable distinction of their efficiency. The GX550 can tow as much as 9,600 kilos to the Land Cruiser’s 6,000 and the V6 makes it greater than a second faster to 60mph.There’s quite a bit to love concerning the Land Cruiser’s rugged, heritage-oriented design, however consumers should determine if these compromises are acceptable. And in the event you add the $4,695 premium choice bundle to your Land Cruiser, it is virtually as costly as a Lexus GX550 in its most reasonably priced type.

There’s one other Lexus GX550 various from throughout the household price contemplating; the Toyota 4Runner. It is extra reasonably priced than its GX550 or Land Cruiser cousins, with half of its 12 variants beginning at below $56,000. The bottom-trim SR5 prices simply $41,570 plus choices, tax, title, and registration. The fully-equipped TRD Professional trim is $67,900 plus those self same add-ons, making it akin to the bottom GX550.

In between are 10 different variants of the 4Runner with the traditional i-Drive and hybrid i-Drive Max powertrains. This is the place the largest compromise between a 4Runner and GX550 may be discovered, with the usual i-Drive 2.4-liter 4 solely able to 278 horsepower with out assist from the Max model’s electrical motor. But when energy is a priority, the hybrid and upper-trim variations of the 4Runner nonetheless are available in cheaper than the Lexus GX550. With the hybrid i-Drive Max powertrain, 2025 4Runner drivers get the identical 326 horsepower as GX550 house owners and simply 9 fewer pound-feet of torque.  Whereas we discovered the loaded 2025 4Runner Trailhunter fairly spectacular, the candy spot within the lineup is amongst much less fancy i-Drive trims which can be tens of 1000’s of {dollars} cheaper.

The Land Rover Defender is among the few European SUVs that competes straight with the Lexus GX550. The Defender does a great job of mixing 4×4 functionality with luxurious and refinement, and head-to-head comparisons between it and the Lexus have proven them to be related by way of efficiency. One large distinction is that the Defender has a unibody building, making it somewhat smoother on-road than the body-on-frame GX550. The Defender 110 comes along with your alternative of a gasoline, diesel, or plug-in hybrid powertrain and begins at $84,590 plus tax, charges, and a $1,695 vacation spot cost. 

That makes the stripped-down model pricier than a fully-loaded Lexus GX550, and a Defender Trophy Version will value you a hefty $115,850 earlier than line gadgets are added. Land Rover’s fame for constructing luxurious and succesful off-road machines has been dinged by long-term reliability, though our evaluation of the Defender 110 discovered it superior to the GX550 “in each financial system and — arguably — renown.” The brand new GX has its personal points, together with a November 2025 recall for steel particles in some non-hybrid engines. As such, the GX550 and Defender 110 each attraction to upscale consumers and provide related measures of consolation, efficiency, and complications.

Most severe conversations about fashionable SUV choices ought to embody a Jeep of some kind, and the model’s finest Lexus GX various is the Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee has a car-like unibody building, but it surely’s nonetheless some of the succesful midsized SUVs round. It has loads of premium options however is not marketed as a luxurious mannequin; three of the 9 accessible variants have a base worth below $40,000 plus vacation spot cost of $1,795. The highest-trip Summit Reserve variant begins at a still-reasonable $63,040 plus line gadgets, and the Grand Cherokee solely will get into Lexus pricing territory when you think about choosing the 4xe hybrid powertrain. You may get 25 miles of electric-only vary, though a Grand Cherokee 4xe will value between roughly $63,000 and $90,000 relying on choices and costs. 

The gas-only Pentastar V6 produces lower than 300 horsepower however supplies for as much as 6,200 kilos of towing capability, and the present Grand Cherokee has its share of detractors even amongst brand-loyal house owners. Shopper Reviews named it the least satisfying SUV to personal in its 2025 mannequin 12 months survey, and RepairPal ranked it fifteenth out of 26 midsized SUVs for value of repairs and upkeep. These impressions have already impacted the Grand Cherokee’s resale worth, and that is an enormous issue for anybody prepaing to drop tens of 1000’s of {dollars} on a automobile. Most new Jeep fashions are lined by a three-year, 36,000-mile guarantee and house owners profit from the model’s giant dealership community, so there’s some consolation in that.

Given the reliability points with and price of many competing fashions, it isn’t shocking that one of the best GX 550 substitutes come from Toyota. One other good various to a brand new GX is a gently used one, significantly the earlier technology GX460. It debuted method again in 2010 and stayed comparatively unchanged till it was bumped in favor of the GX550. Some devotees truly desire the GX460’s 4.6-liter V8 that permit it to tow as much as 6,500 kilos and in our testing of the 2021 GX 460 we discovered it to have a “quiet that belies the GX’s age and talents.”

And although its naturally aspirated engine’s 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet do not fairly match as much as the GX550’s twin-turbo V6, the prior technology’s fame for reliability is robust. Whereas Toyota has issued two separate remembers for the GX550’s engine particles problem, many GX460 house owners are nonetheless fortunately making do with their unique motors.The added efficiency and fashionable design of the GX 550 are tempting, however you may in all probability discover a used GX460 within the neighborhood of $25,000 or much less.

How did we select this handful of fashions from all of the SUVs which may attraction to potential Lexus GX 550 consumers? We recognized essentially the most related ones by way of worth and capabilities, and started by rating them based mostly on first-hand impressions. To make additional distinctions we consulted evaluations, reliability surveys, used automotive listings, and recall notices for every mannequin. Proprietor impressions and rankings got extra weight than third-party stories, however not as a lot as SlashGear’s personal expertise.