The Lexus LX 470 sets the benchmark for luxury and ultimate off-road capability.
The big Lexus now faces an all-new BMW-designed Range Rover and a less expensive but rugged Cadillac Escalade, and its smooth external design is starting to show its age.
However, it is still a wonderfully sumptuous, high-performance vehicle. The LX 470 is powered by one of the industry’s V8s and offers precise handling and a sumptuous ride. The interior is stylish, well-equipped, and offers the kind of environment you would need to have in your home.
It also comes from Lexus, which provides quality, durability and reliability in the industry, as well as stores committed to visitor satisfaction.
One model is available, which retails for $61,855.
For 2002, the LX 470 benefits from a significant upgrade to its popular device: DVD navigation is now available on each and every LX470. The formula is updated with a faster automatic unit that cuts address calculation time in half. The formula covers the US and Canada, provides detailed data on destinations in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and the Whistler resort area, and provides voice guidance in English or French. In the past, this formula was only available as a component of a $4,280 Feature Package that included an audio formula from Mark Levinson. The Levinson appliance is still available as a standalone option for $1,280.
Lexus designed the LX 470 to be able to fit into a typical two-car garage and it is actually shorter than the Lexus LS 430 sedan.
Last redesigned for the 1999 style year, the LX 470’s styling is bland and uninspired. With the exception of its three hundred sporty GS and IS styles, Lexus rarely takes any chances when it comes to styling, and it’s a strategy that works pretty well. We’re not saying the LX 470 isn’t good-looking; We found it much nicer than the Lincoln Navigator, but it doesn’t offer the subtle European styling of the new Range Rover.
The Lexus LX 470 presents a more upscale appearance than the Toyota Land Cruiser, its distant cousin. Split-lens halogen headlamps, a chrome Lexus grille, body cladding, integrated running boards, and elegant use of paint contribute to this impression.
Lexus has beautiful interiors. The LX 470 offers three rows of seating, offering sumptuous accommodation for another six people and seating for eight. Large door openings make it easy to get in and out.
The front seats are incredibly comfortable. The view of the road is excellent and the giant side mirrors provide visibility to the rear. Pretty walnut trim adds an upscale touch to the leather interior. Electroluminescent tools offer exceptional clarity and excellent appearance. We wish there were audio controls on the steering wheel.
All luxury features are supplied. The gigantic rear windows open with the touch of a couple of buttons fixed to the dashboard. The side mirrors retract electrically for parking in tight spaces. Auxiliary power outlets on the dash, center console and rear shipping area provide wonderful convenience. A hydrocarbon sensor automatically recirculates air when elevated levels of air pollutants are detected, while a micron activated carbon filter removes dust, pollen and odors from the indoor airstream, benefiting those suffering from hay fever.
The navigation formula screen can be used to watch DVD movies, even when the stream is parked, so you won’t be tempted to watch and drive at the same time. However, the audio portion of the movie can be played in the formula while in motion.
The rear booster seats are some of the most productive models we’ve seen of this type. They are comfortable and easy to access. They can be folded up when not in use, but they are a bit larger than others of this type and take up a bit of shipping space. Its extraction provides an additional 15 cubic feet of shipping capacity for a total of 90. 4 cubic feet. In general operation, with the rear deck folded out to the sides and the middle seat set up to carry passengers, there is 39. 2 cubic feet of shipping space.
All exterior seats and the middle second-row seat come with a three-point seat belt. The driver and front passenger seat belts incorporate pretensioners and force limiters. Two front airbags are standard.
Other interior features include an advanced protection feature for the remote keyless entry system, child safety seat anchors for the second row, a wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and an auto-dimming virtual compass. integrated into the rearview mirror. and improved rear cupholders.
In addition to being luxurious, it is comfortable and quiet.
At top speeds, you hear some wind noise coming from the vicinity of the giant mirrors, but with such a huge vehicle, those mirrors are something we need to do without.
Lexus’ 4. 7-liter 32-valve V8 is smooth, quiet, and punchy. It produces intelligent torque at low revs; 80% of the maximum force is obtained at just 1100 rpm. This provides responsiveness at low speed and strength for towing or climbing steep terrain. While most SUVs use truck engines, this 4. 7-liter V8 has four camshafts (DOHC) and 4 valves per cylinder (32V). Although it only produces 230 horsepower, it generates a solid 320 pound-feet of torque. The LX 470 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in about 10 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in less than 18 seconds. It’s not fast among popular ones, but it’s enough to safely merge onto roads if you lower the throttle. This engine meets California’s popular for low-emission vehicles.
The suspension provides a comfortable ride on winding and bumpy roads, while still being able to climb any mountain and ford any stream. The rack and pinion guide provides an exact answer. It’s easy to turn the guide wheel in crowded parking lots, but not to isolate the motive power on open roads.
The LX 470 comes with an Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS), which allows the driver to adjust the damping between comfortable or corporate settings. It is electronically controlled by the response of the road sensors; The formula consistently adjusts the semi-active shocks from 16 settings to suit the conditions. It’s a complicated formula, and it works incredibly well. The LX 470 rides smoothly on unpaved roads, but inspires confidence in the driving force with its tense reaction on winding terrain. roads.
Like the Range Rover, the LX four70 has an adjustable ride height. With the push of a button, the hydropneumatic formula raises and lowers the vehicle approximately four inches. This allows the driving force to increase floor clearance when negotiating obstacles or obstacles. Lowers the ride height when driving on the highway. It also makes it less difficult to get in and out of the vehicle when everyone is dressed for a night out on the town.
The permanent all-wheel drive formula is permanently engaged and uses a limited-slip medium differential to distribute torque. Add to that a locking center differential, a limited-slip rear differential, and plenty of suspension joints and just the driving power, or worn tires. – You can be blamed for getting stuck in the mud.
The anti-lock brake formula works even at low revs and is designed to provide better off-road functionality than classic ABS by preventing early activation on slippery slopes. The intervention of the ABS decreases as the roughness of the pavement or slope increases. This is a wonderful feature, as classic ABS can particularly extend braking distances on unpaved roads. Giant disc brakes provide feedback and seem to bring this 5,400-pound vehicle to a halt in an oddly short distance.
Three active safety technologies are tied in with the ABS to enhance driver control: Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) helps maintain traction under demanding conditions by detecting and correcting wheel slip. When it detects a loss of traction, the system applies the brakes to individual wheels to help the driver maintain control. The system also integrates a Brake Assist function that interprets a quick, hard push of the brake pedal as emergency braking and supplements the applied braking pressure.
Finally, this giant SUV also includes a four-wheel drive (TRAC) system, which provides a differential limited-slip effect by employing brake and accelerator intervention to spin the wheels. The TRAC provides some of the traction benefits of locked center and rear differentials, while preserving the orientation reaction related to open differentials.
Lexus LX 470 features a beautiful interior and superior off-road capability. It provides a quiet interior with a smooth ride and good handling. If you want big, luxurious, and capable, then this is the benchmark.
LX 470 ($61,855).
Honsha, Japan.
roof racks ($621); Trailer hitch ($294).