When I first drove the new Lexus LX 600 a year and a half ago, the one drawback I noticed was the poor second-row legroom.
The LX 600 was, at introduction, only available with three rows of seating. That's become something of a must these days, with the thought that you can always fold down that third row for more cargo space. But what about people space? How often are buyers of luxury SUVs really ferrying around more than a couple of extra people?
In the past couple of years, other makers of luxury---maybe the better term is ultra-luxury---SUVs have decided to offer versions that revert to two rows of seating and limo-like legroom for the folks in the second row---the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 and the Range Rover SV LWB.
This year, Lexus got the memo---and the LX 600 is now available in a trim called Ultra Luxury.
The third row is removed and the second row moved back to give those passengers more legroom and the ability to recline in diamond-stitched leather seats with massage functions (oddly lacking in the front chairs). The right-hand seat also has a sliding footrest.
Those folks also get individual seatback entertainment screens, a wireless device charger and audio and climate controls.
Under the hood, it's the same 3.5-liter, 409 horsepower twin-turbo V6 with 479 lb-ft of torque that lives in the three-row LX. And the EPA fuel economy average remains the same, too---at 19 mpg combined city/highway. If towing is part of your lifestyle, there is an integrated trailer hitch and the LX 600 Ultra Luxury is rated for towing at 8,000 pounds.
Base price of the 2023 Lexus LX 600 Ultra Luxury is $130,750 including destination. Beyond what we've already mentioned, that price includes heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a memory system for the driver, four-zone climate control and refrigerated center console box, heated wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel, wood interior trim, rear seat manual sunshades, active height control with easy-close power doors, a Mark Levinson Surround Sound system, illuminated door scuff plates and thematic ambient illumination.
Those are just the items exclusive to the Ultra Luxury trim. The usual LX 600 standard equipment includes full-time four-wheel drive, adaptive variable suspension, triple-beam LED headlamps and LED tailamps, roof rails, a power moonroof, power tailgate with kick sensor, Lexus' comprehensive active safety suite, multi-terrain monitor, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a three-month Platinum trial of SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
If you think that sounds like there's not much room left for anything else, you're right. The extra-cost options on our tester were limited to wheel locks ($95) and a carpeted cargo mat ($150), so the bottom line on the window sticker comes to $130,995.
That's about $22,000 more than the '22 LX 600 F SPORT I reviewed in the summer of 2022. But it's a lot less than the other big SUVs that have decided to dispense with the third row to pamper second-row passengers. Combined with Lexus' legendary reliability, this could be the hot deal in that rarefied segment.
