BEND, Oregon – “I hope it’s well worth the noise!” I stored listening to Richard Lewis asserting that, with grand horns blaring inches from his head, in that cinematic basic, “Robin Hood: Males in Tights.” For greater than 13 hours, I drove the 2024 Lexus GX 550 Premium+ alongside California and Oregon highways at a gradual 70 mph. Any quicker, and the wind noise would elevate from a gradual roar to booming. Not due to the GX, thoughts you – it’s surprisingly quiet for a field on wheels with mirrors formed like a hardcover e book – however due to the full-roof accent roof rack I requested be put in for my journey from Agoura Hills outdoors Los Angeles to Bend in central Oregon.
As I described in Half 1 of my GX out of doors journey highway journey story, the accent rack was crucial as a result of the Premium and Luxurious trim ranges don’t include the Overtrail’s raised roof rails that allow you to set up your personal crossbars or different racks (such because the Yakima crossbars I personal). Whereas I might’ve requested Lexus set up the $440 cross bar official accent, I opted for the $1,580 accent “Roof Rack.” It will look rather a lot cooler, for starters, which I’ve to think about is why I so steadily see such full-roof racks on Land Rover Defenders, Mercedes G 550s and different luxurious off-roaders. Relatedly, it looks as if the type of factor somebody can be prone to match to their GX; attempting it out subsequently appeared helpful for reporting functions. I used to be additionally on a mission to make use of it for transporting a rented kayak as soon as in Bend, and it positive appeared like it might be extra helpful than plain-old crossbars.
However to know for positive, I requested the skilled opinion of Danielle, the pleasant worker of Bend Kayak College and Leases (pictured above left) that set me up with a stunning yellow tandem kayak and the straps wanted to verify it stayed atop the GX.
“So, I’m borrowing this automobile. I used to be questioning if that massive rack up there really makes a distinction for transporting and securing kayaks?” I requested as she secured the entrance strap onto the little tow hook that’s apparently simply beneath the appropriate facet of the bumper. She knew it was in all probability there, I didn’t.
“Oh yeah. All that additional floor space goes to make it much more steady, and make it simpler to rise up there,” Danielle reported to my aid. It was well worth the noise, it was!
Clearly, the GX is kind of a tall car; the truth is, it’s precisely as tall as me at 6-foot-3. My father is 6-foot-even, so we’re as near a best-case state of affairs other than some former basketball gamers. Nonetheless, it was fairly a hoist to get the massive tandem kayak off and later up there once more. Danielle is barely cracking 5-feet, nevertheless, so she expertly used the door sills and doorways to hoist herself and the kayak up. Not her first rodeo. Personally, if I had been going to be routinely transporting a kayak locations, I’d in all probability get a wagon due to the decrease roof. I ponder if Audi sells a full-length platform roof rack for the RS 6 Avant? (Strokes chin.)
The rack wasn’t the one gear-hauling accent I introduced alongside on the journey – the Yakima StageTwo heavy-duty bike rack that made its debut final 12 months after I made the same journey with a Honda Pilot TrailSport additionally made the journey. Each GX comes normal with a 2-inch trailer hitch, which is “hidden” behind a curiously conspicuous panel. It pops off simply — I used a flat-head screw driver to drag out a pair of plastic pins, which pop again in simply as simply sufficient.
There have been no points putting in or uninstalling the rack, which is extra a credit score to the Yakima, however the Lexus GX will get a reasonably large shout-out, too, because it proved to be completely arrange for carrying a motorbike again there. You see, the rack folds up when not in use and folds down once you want entry to the liftgate; when loaded with a motorbike, it tilts right down to let the liftgate swing up. Nonetheless, that performance was typically not wanted in any respect because of the GX’s pop-up rear window. I might simply stroll up, pop open the window, and simply drop in or pick gadgets within the cargo space with out touching the bike rack. I had identified the pop-up rear window may very well be helpful, however I didn’t find out about this. Against this, the Land Rover Defender and particularly its jumbo, door-mounted tire made utilizing my bike rack tough (I couldn’t use the inboard platform).
I might even pop the glass with the kayak in place. Barely, however it was nonetheless extra do-able than trying to open the entire hatch with the strap in place.
Now, above you will additionally see that I found the bike rack can double as a river float tube rack. Candy. Certain beats inflating it on the river (although the GX has an influence outlet to take action), attempting to tie it to the roof rack (lamest roof-mounted wheel ever) or attempting to stuff inside. I in all probability might have, although, because the GX’s boxiness proved time and time once more to be a boon for packing no matter inside. Satirically, I didn’t convey any of my traditional baggage check luggage, as a substitute choosing smaller soft-case luggage that had been simpler to load given the big, awkwardly formed gadgets that wanted to return alongside as effectively. That included a fold-up Thule stroller, a baby bike seat, helmets, a child’s stability bike, inflatable rafts, small oars, camp chairs and a field of groceries. I really had room left over, so I’m fairly proud of the quantity of cargo quantity current.
As a refresher, I used to be assembly my household in Bend (my spouse, 3-year-old son, mom and father). Though we might technically all slot in two rows, my son’s jumbo automobile seat makes that awfully squishy. As such, we stored the driver-side third-row up. My spouse, who’s 5-foot-zip, studies that it was completely snug again there and likewise appreciated that the GX’s boxiness makes it much less claustrophobic than in different third rows. With the passenger-side third-row seat lowered, we had sufficient room for the stroller, child’s bike and varied backpacks for our varied adventures. Mainly, the GX having one of many least helpful areas behind its third row wasn’t a hindrance on this journey.
Inside storage is adequate. The cupholders are large enough to carry a wine-bottle-sized water bottle, and the door holders are equally as vast (although the armrest above requires a barely smaller bottle). The wi-fi telephone charger is conveniently situated and didn’t roast my telephone. Alternatively, the quantity of heart console actual property dedicated to the cigarette lighter energy port and the little door that covers it looks as if a waste and the encompass wooden trim unimpressive. Additionally, I don’t assume the little storage shelf on the passenger facet is that helpful.
As for expertise, this GX already acquired the over-the-air replace that retains the native infotainment system shortcut buttons on display whereas utilizing Apple CarPlay. This can be a game-changer. The Toyota Land Cruiser I had the next week hadn’t been up to date, and the necessity to consistently trip between the Apple and Toyota techniques is endlessly annoying. Now, I can’t say the GX’s larger display makes a lot of a distinction versus the Land Cruiser’s (14 vs 12.3 inches), for the reason that additional actual property is totally dedicated to the local weather controls. These are common buttons within the Land Cruiser. The GX’s touchscreen controls work fantastic, in addition they keep completely docked and nonetheless have bodily temperature knobs, however I can’t say it makes a lot of a distinction. If something, I choose the little ledge underneath the Land Cruiser’s display that permits you to regular your hand whereas making inputs.
To be sincere, the Lexus infotainment system gave me probably the most pause as I contemplated spending 25-plus hours with it, however it finally was simply fantastic. As I described in Half 1, the driving force help tech proved to be the higher annoyance, however the offending options a minimum of stayed off. Finally, from a driving, practicality and performance perspective, the Lexus GX 550 Premium+ vastly exceeded my expectations. Now, I solely dipped a toe into its full out of doors journey functionality for the reason that furthest I took it off highway was on some unpaved parking heaps. There may be subsequently much more versatility right here, however given its off-roading functionality contributes to its poor gas economic system, it’s onerous to not marvel if the trade-off is value it should you don’t routinely enterprise to extra rugged locations.
I suppose the same argument might be made about that full-roof rack: Until you’re going to be doing all your justifiable share of kayaking or roof tenting, you might need to skip it – even when it at all times appears to be like cool. It in all probability received’t be well worth the noise.
