Jim Bray's Car & Tech rants - publishing online exclusively since 1995
New for 2024 Lexus TX 350 upgrades the three row SUV experienceBy Jim Bray If you want a mid-sized SUV/Crossover that's a little more nicely tricked out than something like the Toyota Grand Highlander, Lexus may have your answer. The new TX, available in two versions in Canada, is based on that great Grand Highlander, but as is typical for Lexus, they've worked their luxury magic on what was already a very nice vehicle. The result, not surprisingly, is "very nicer." The TX offers three rows of seating, configurable for six or seven people, depending upon whether you opt for a second-row bench or captain's chairs. Lexus Canada's sample had the captain's chairs, which is the way I'd configure it if I were purchasing this vehicle. Not only are captain's chairs more comfortable, but it's easy to sneak around them to gain access to steerage, the small but adequate rear bench. Of course, if you really need to carry seven people, you'll either have to opt for the second-row bench or glue that seventh person to the roof, which might open up a different can of worms. Lexus makes a couple of TX versions. My test sample was the TX 350, a gasoline-only version, but you can also opt for the TX 500h hybrid and even the TX 550h+, the plug-in version, which as of this writing isn't quite available yet. The TX is meant to go head-to-head with such competitors as the Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Genesis GV80, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Volvo XC90. I haven't driven most of those competitors, so can't comment on how it stacks up, but Lexi are usually very competitive, if a tad soft. 
The TX is all-new for 2024 and it kind of takes the space of the RX 350L, the three row version of what's essentially a two row SUV/Crossover. That's good, because my memories of the RX version have it with a very tight third row. The TX's is much better. The TX is built on the same platform as the RX, however, as well as the NX and, on the Toyota side, the Grand Highlander and the (not so grand?) Highlander. It comes with a turbocharged 2.4- litre four-cylinder engine that Lexus says makes 275 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. of torque. Power gets to the wheels (all of them, in this case, though it's front biased) via an eight-speed automatic transmission. I'm glad Lexus/Toyota chose not to add more gears than the eight because it balances power with economy better than those 10-speeds that tend to hunt and peck when you're driving spiritedly, or when navigating hills and the like. The hybrid version, the TX 500h, use the same engine, but it's rated in this case at 271 horses and 339 lb.-ft. of torque – and then you add on the hybrid stuff and get a more interesting 366 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. And that one gets a six-speed automatic transmission, which I think would make for an even more interesting drive. Time was when, in my never humble opinion, buying a hybrid meant you were spending extra money for a vehicle that was gutless and uninteresting. Fortunately, those days are long gone and even an eco-curmudgeon like me would entertain a hybrid if I were shopping. The recent hybrids I've driven feel more like they're enhanced by turbochargers (which most are these days, but that isn't the point) to add performance, rather than shackled to a hybrid system that sucks the joy out of the drive (especially when saddled with a CVT transmission). I look forward to trying the hybrid TX – and don't forget, there's also a plug-in hybrid coming. The TX 350 is available in three trim levels, with the "entry level" Luxury trim including a 14-inch touchscreen, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, a lovely panoramic sunroof, and heated power-adjustable steering wheel. You also get eight-way power-adjustable heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and the third-row features power-folding seats. 
The Ultra Luxury trim level adds a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, ten-way power-adjustable leather front seats, a digital rearview mirror, and a hands-free tailgate. Lexus' sample featured the top-line Executive package, which adds $8,750 to the price of the six-seater but also stuffs in a lot of extras, including:
The interfaces on the centre stack are reasonably straightforward but mimic a smart phone too much, which means you're swiping and poking at things when you should be driving. I'd like to see a return to buttons and the like, which (depending on how they're used, of course) can be a lot more straightforward to operate. 
This isn't specifically a Lexus thing; other makers seem to be falling into this tech trap as well. And talk about distracted driving! Besides the stupid front cross traffic monitoring, you also get traffic sign recognition on the instrument panel, but not just speed limits and stuff like stop signs. No, it'll also warn you about construction zones, crosswalks and the like. This is another double-edged sword because, while handy, I found the almost constant lighting up of stuff on the dashboard to be very distracting, taking my eyes off the road. The voice control system can be activated merely by speaking to the vehicle. I guess this is also handy, but it also indicates that the vehicle is listening to everything you say so it doesn't miss your hollering at it. Maybe I'm paranoid – and I definitely have nothing much to hide – but do we need our connected-to-the-grid vehicles monitoring our conversations? Again, this isn't specifically a Lexus thing but reflects an annoying trend throughout the industry, let alone society as a whole. Why can't we just be left alone? I'd love to see carmakers offer special "de-teched" versions that offer all the performance and luxury features you might want, but without beating you over the head with all this safety and electronic stuff. And I don't like making the consumers pay for all this tech/safety stuff even if they don't want it and will shut it all off. Which brings me to another whine: that damn front cross traffic warning can be shut off if you pore into the centre stack's settings. But you not only have to go looking for it, you have to turn the damn thing off every time you fire up the vehicle. I hope its constant monitoring of my utterances while inside didn't lead to it getting hurt cyber feelings from all the times I yelled and cussed at it! Still, it's a very good vehicle that's very pleasant to drive and will probably outlast nuclear holocaust (by which time only the cockroaches will be around to drive it!). I find it softer than I like, but I'm not the target audience. That softness applies even if you put the TX into its sportiest settings. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you like things soft, but if you're looking for a bit more of an apex carver from your three row SUV, you'd probably be happier with something like the Mazda CX-90, which is also substantially cheaper (about $83K for the Lexus as tested – including its "Executive Package" – vs. about $65K for the Mazda). The Lexus is more luxurious, though, and of course it has Lexus/Toyota's reputation for reliability, even though Mazda generally punches above its weight in these departments. But this column is about the Lexus, and there are many reasons to like it on its own merits. Copyright 2024 Jim Bray |