Lexus GX 550 Suspension Deep Dive and RTI Test | Car and Driver

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Lexus made a huge step forward with the 2024 Lexus GX550, but when it was first released it came across as a dead ringer for the new Toyota Land Cruiser. Wait, what? They aren’t supposed to be platform mates. Turns out, they are. This time around, both share 250-series architecture. This was a non-event for the GX, but it necessitated a two-year delay in Land Cruiser production, which is now subservient the Lexus – at least pricewise.

But this has more to do with the Land Cruiser than anything else, as the GX has stayed on the same path as before and has seen no delay in production. Yes, they now share a wheelbase of 112.2 inches, and their track widths only differ by wheel offset, but the GX has substantially more motor and greater towing prowess. It’s a three-row machine—in most cases—that is adept at carrying more people into the wild in more comfort.

Some of the differences have everything to do with what I mean by that. The GX has adaptive dampers at the high end, particularly on its off-road model, the Overtrail. Its front and rear differentials are upsized compared to a Land Cruiser because its engine supports higher sustained towing loads. But most of all, it has the e-KDSS (electronic-kinetic dynamic suspension system) to automatically disconnect both stabilizer bars instead of the Land Cruiser’s simpler pushbutton front stabilizer bar disconnect mechanism. In a cruel twist of fate, the forward mounting of the e-KDSS system may put paid to its ultimate off-road prowess, as the GX suffers a six degree loss in approach angle compared to the Land Cruiser.

What does all this look like? Come along and see for yourself. In this video I’ll remove the wheels and tires and point out the differences. Ultimately, you’ll see what the differences add up to by running it up my RTI ramp, where you’ll see how it scores to the closely related—but not identical—Toyota Land Cruiser.

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00:00 Intro
01:07 Front suspension overview
01:49 Upper control arm
02:27 Lower control arm
03:34 Front E-KDSS overview and arrangement
05:42 Front shocks
06:32 Recovery hooks
07:29 Front brakes
08:59 Land Cruiser anti-roll bar location on GX
09:31 Front suspension wrap up
10:17 Rear suspension overview
11:39 Rear bump stop
11:53 Rear shocks
12:27 Rear E-KDSS overview and arrangement
14:33 How E-KDSS works
16:22 Differential differences between Lexus GX and Toyota Land Cruiser
17:15 Rear brakes
17:24 Wheel and tire overview
18:14 Wheel and tire weight
18:34 Rear suspension wrap up
18:50 RTI test setup
19:44 Front clearance on ground
20:31 Driving up the ramp
21:17 Front clearance on ramp
21:48 Measuring
22:33 Calculations
23:15 Results
23:56 Lexus GX and Toyota Land Cruiser comparison
26:00 Lexus GX RTI scores versus other vehicles