I’ll say this up front, it should be a federal mandate that Nori Green be an option on every new car. Lexus gets it, and when they dropped off this 2022 Lexus LX 600 Ultra Luxury for review I was immediately smitten by the color. This was actually my second Nori Green Lexus loaner, but seeing it in this scale was pretty impressive. The LX 600 just kicked off it’s fourth generation (J310) for the 2022 model year. Take a look at Jeff’s video and then continue reading to hear what I thought of Lexus’ latest six-figure luxury SUV.

2022 LX 600 Overview

The LX is Lexus’ largest, and priciest SUV. It starts at over $31,000 more than the smaller GX SUV, and aside from the LC sports car lineup, and the LS Hybrid sedan, it has the most expensive starting MSRP at $88,245. All LX models are motivated by the same turbocharged 3.4L V6 putting out a fairly robust 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque) mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with standard four-wheel drive. While there are five trim levels, I want to focus on our tester, the top spec Ultra Luxury, but suffice to say all LX models are well-equipped.

At $128,030 out the door, it’s not inexpensive to say the least. However, it comes with, well, everything. Our tester had a couple of items tacked on from the Accessories section, but the Ultra Luxury, as the name implies, gets you everything. Here are a few items that are specific to the trim level, much of it focused on maximizing comfort for second row passengers.

• Premium leather seating surfaces
• Power second-row captain’s chairs with ventilation and massage
• Rear-seat entertainment system with two 11.4-inch screens
• Backseat wireless charging pad
• Digital rearview mirror
• Four additional USB ports
• Height-adjustable suspension

You can read through the monroney up there on your own, it’s quite a list of standard features. During my week with the LX 600 I set about setting it against a variety of backdrops, from the valet area to a Cub Scout campsite. Let’s see how it did, and it if lives up to the price tag.

2022 Lexus LX 5600 Ultra Luxury Inside & Out

The first thing you’ll notice about the big Lex is the grille. All LX 600 models have a similar face, save for the dark grille on the F Sport. While the grille is similarly shaped to the last generation, it’s a bit tamer in overall look and feel. You can see the 2020 Lexus LX 570 I tested a couple of years ago below, gone is the blingy chrome outline. It was still a “love it or hate it” type of reaction from most folks on the 2022 LX though.

The rest of the exterior is comparable in style to the last gen LX, but the overall appearance is simplified and more cohesive. It’s still got a similar feel, with a chunky side profile and nicely integrated lighting front and rear. The dimensions are comparable as well, the last LX was 200 inches even, while this is 200.5 inches. Height is actually down an inch, helpful for parking garages, while width is is almost identical. It’s unmistakable as an Lexus LX, and is based on the latest based on the J300 series Toyota Land Cruiser. Most buyers are going to be looking for significant improvements over the last generation on the inside to pony up the six-figure MSRP, so let’s move over to the interior.

The last LX I tested felt dated; at 13 years old, I noted that the LX 570 was “almost old enough to drive itself”. That feeling translated to the overall style and feel of the interior. While it had a more upscale feel compared to the similarly dated Land Cruiser, it still felt “old”. Not something you want in a new car, especially one that costs this much. Well, I have good news, the new LX has a much more modern feel. There are screens everywhere, including two up front, one in the rear center console, and two more for rear-seat entertainment.

The LX has a large top-mounted screen measuring 12.3-inches, as well as an additional seven-inch lower screen. That makes it easy to see a host of settings while on the go. It also means that if the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is filling the top screen, you can change other items without having to exit. Mercifully the old Lexus trackpad is gone (rest in hell), you are now able to control everything via touchscreen or via actual buttons. The LX has a high-mounted start button which was integrated into the screen housing, as well as a real volume button. #SaveTheVolumeButtons

It’s the rear of the Ultra Luxury that will catch your attention though. When the LX was dropped off, I immediately sat in the back and got a “full body refresh” massage. Both rear seat passengers can queue up their massage preferences via the center-mounted touchscreen. It’s quite a thing, but come on, how is that not available up front!?! The passenger side rear seat can become a full-on lounger by moving the front passenger seat forward and retracting the foot rest. It’s all similar to a nice First (or at least Business) Class airline experience.

The rear seats sits really high, and don’t adjust downward quite enough for taller passengers. Because of that, shorter passengers also have a little hard getting into them. Still the rear passengers can control their air temperatures, and audio options. I wasn’t able to get the XM channel to change from the back, may be a setting I missed, though I was able to change the volume. There are plenty of USB connections for those passengers needing to recharge.

There are tons of storage options, all well thought out and spacious. Up front the center console is double-hinged so you can access it easily from the driver or passenger-side. There is even a cool box up front that you can use to keep your drinks or other small items cool. I actually used it to stash some fast food on the way to our camping trip and the insulation kept it warm well into the journey. Lexus gave folks sitting in the front the option to move the front passenger seat up remotely to make room in the back.

Overall the materials are first rate, with exquisite finishes and nicely stitched leather. The only luxury item that I felt the LX was missing was a panoramic sunroof. I’ve been spoiled by most new press loaners having a large swatch of glass. Not a necessity, but I noticed its absence.

We took the LX out into the woods for a Cub Scout camping event. Unfortunately, the seats in the Ultra Luxury trim won’t fold flat because of all the fancy mechanisms and lounge style layout. I had hoped that the two of us could forego the tent and just sleep in the Lexus, but that wasn’t in the cards. Other LX trim levels do have that option. However, the 41.0 cu. ft. of cargo space was plenty big to swallow our camping gear.

Out on the road, the LX 600 feels a bit like an old American luxury car. It floats down the road on its air suspension, while the turbo six has plenty of power to get the near 6,000 pound SUV going. The Lexus driver aides are solid, and the LX has basically all of them, though they can be a little intrusive at times. Thankfully there are plenty of settings to configure it to your liking.

Ultra Summary

The LX 600 Ultra Luxury is most certainly an ultra SUV, I literally had someone pull up to a light the first day and say “wow that’s impressive”. It’s well appointed, giving buyers a significant level of quality and tech for the price. It’s got plenty of power, and as you saw in Jeff’s video, it can even go off-road if you decide to do so.

My only issue is that I’m not sure who it’s for? The only thing I can think of is the Kardashian set, people who are driven in the back of an SUV on a regular basis. Most kids don’t need massaging and reclining seats, their parents do, and I say that from experience. If it’s for older folks they likely won’t understand the buttons in the back. I guess if this was our family SUV, my wife and I would take turns riding in the back. It’s the best seat in the house.