Motor Trend wanted to find out how good the 2016 Lexus LX 570 is. It went to a place where few of them are taken to get the answer.
The video below starts in the type of environment where you’re likely to see a lot of LXs and their European counterparts, such as Range Rovers and G-Wagens: near upscale stores, such as those in Las Vegas. There, the big-bodied Lex gets praised for its relaxed, reliable, and Rolls-Royce-like 5.7-liter V8 and soft suspension when in the Comfort setting.
However, Motor Trend spends most of its time in the LX out in the rock formations of Utah. That gives it the chance to test out the flagship SUV’s wealth of off-road gizmos, such as CRAWL Control and Multi-Terrain Select. (We found those easy to use and highly effective when we took our LX 570 tester into the rough down in Texas.) Motor Trend also discovers how surprisingly capable the LX’s low-profile street tires are on unpaved surfaces.
Unfortunately, the rougher sections expose the LX’s biggest limitations: its approach and departure angles. They leave the front and rear bumpers with the scars of experience, which, oddly enough, make the LX look even more attractive.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.