The Used Lexus That Can Give A New Luxury SUV A Run For Its Money

8 minutes reading

Tuesday, 22 Sep 2026 01:30 0 4 autotech

Buying a new luxury SUV is one way to get the height of comfort, tech that does everything for you, the best sound systems, and the last word in refinement and road-going prestige. All luxury brands are now producing them, and the market is brimming with SUVs made by high-end brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Aston Martin.

Luxury Doesn’t Always Get Better With Every New Generation

Front 3/4 shot of 2018 BMW X5 in white parked

BMW

Today’s luxury SUV market is a strange place. A BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLS, Range Rover, or Porsche Cayenne gives you virtually everything you could want, from massaging seats and air suspension to huge displays and massive power from the engine.

Newer SUVs Bring More Tech But Often Lose The Old-School Hardware

Newer does not always mean more interesting, especially if you like your luxury SUV with a bit of mechanical substance. Big naturally aspirated V8s have mostly made way for smaller turbocharged engines, hydraulic steering has disappeared, and even straightforward four-wheel-drive systems are increasingly wrapped up in electronics.

A modern Range Rover or BMW X7 is undoubtedly more capable and comfortable than some older SUVs, but some older models can have a simpler charm. There is always something satisfying about a big V8 doing its work without three turbos, a hybrid rig, or a team of computers getting involved.

The Lexus LX 570 Has The Ingredients Modern Luxury SUVs Are Missing

3/4 action shot of the Lexus 2021 LX 570 driving on road

This is where the Lexus LX 570 does a lot of heavy lifting in the used SUV market. The Lexus LX 570 debuted for the 2008 model year and concluded with the 2021 Lexus LX 570. Not only did it mean the end of a model line, but it also spelled the end of the legendary naturally aspirated 3UR-FE V8 in Lexus models.

5.7-Liter V8 Gives This Heavyweight Serious Muscle

Studio shot of the 2021 Lexus LX 570’s engine and chassis

The 3UR-FE V8 is by far one of the most used V8s in Toyota’s and Lexus’ SUV lineups, and under the hood of the LX 570, it offers the kind of old-school, smooth feel that is missing from an awful number of modern luxury SUVs. All models of the LX 570 are equipped with a 5.7-liter V8 good for 383 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 403 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm, delivering smooth, dependable power.

Model years between 2008 and 2015 are equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, while model years between 2016 and 2021 are equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission. And, unlike a lot of modern SUVs, the drivetrain is made for a little more than just smooth on-road riding.

Body-On-Frame Construction And Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive Give A Little Extra

The LX 570 is built on the J200 body-on-frame platform shared with the Toyota Land Cruiser 200, which tells you quite a lot about what sits beneath all the leather and wood trim. It is proper high-strength truck-based hardware, and it uses the same basic platform shared by the Tundra and Sequoia of the time. So, while the LX looks perfectly happy outside somewhere nice, underneath it is built like something that can spend time somewhere much less civilized. When properly equipped, the LX 570 can tow up to 7,000 pounds.

Then there is the four-wheel drive rig, which is just as mechanical-minded. The LX 570 is equipped with a full-time system with a two-speed transfer case and Torsen center differential, normally sending 40% of the torque forward and 60% rearward. The center diff can be locked, while low-range gives you a 2.62:1 reduction when you need proper grip off-road. A-TRAC is also equipped and can brake individual spinning wheels to find traction, while Crawl Control manages throttle and braking inputs at low speeds.

The LX 570 Has A Lot Going For It Beyond Its Price

According to CarEdge, Lexus is one of the best brands for value retention, holding onto around 62% after five years. Today, that makes even older LX 570s a relatively expensive buy. However, it does show there is something quite special about them.

Kelley Blue Book says the 2008 model today has an average used price of $17,350; the 2009 model, $19,000; the 2010 model, $19,950; and the 2011 model, $22,700. The 2012 model year was skipped, as Lexus went directly from the 2011 model to a facelifted 2013 model. 2013 to 2016 models have average used prices ranging from $25,700 to $42,700, and 2017 to 2021 models have an average used price range of between $44,000 and $66,500.

Plush Cabin And Impressive Build Quality Still Feel Premium Today

Shot of 2021 Lexus LX interior showing front cabin

As we find with many Lexus SUVs, the interior of the LX 570 is built around sumptuous luxury instead of in-your-face tech. Early models are decked out with leather, real wood, soft-touch materials, and plenty of chunky controls, while the 2013 update brought along mahogany trim and fresher detailing. It doesn’t have the minimalist look of a new Range Rover, but that is why it still works. The seats are built for long-term comfort, the materials feel good, and Lexus didn’t cover every surface with fragile gloss-black plastic just because everyone else was.

Lexus did keep adding tech throughout the LX 570’s lineage, but they did it without tearing apart the cabin and making screens the focal point. 2013 models get an 8-inch touchscreen, but the big jump came in 2016, when the center display was updated to 12.3 inches and the driver display to 4.2 inches. You can also get used examples with dual 11.6-inch rear entertainment screens, and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.

Proven Toyota Engineering Makes It A Long-Term Buy

Front 3/4 shot of 2013 Lexus LX 570 parked

Then there is one of the biggest reasons why used Lexus SUVs are such sought-after commodities: they are Toyota’s luxury arm and boast the same lifelong build quality. As luxury SUVs go, it is one of the most dependable, and according to iSeeCars, the LX 570 has an average lifespan of 230,502 miles, or 19.6 years, while they also say that it has a 63.9% chance of reaching 200,000 miles during its usable lifespan.

Owners who left a review on Kelley Blue Book rate the LX 570 4.6 out of 5 overall, 4.5 out of 5 for performance, styling and value, 4.7 out of 5 for comfort, and 4.8 out of 5 for quality and reliability. 90% of owners also said they’d recommend buying one. One owner sums up owning an LX 570 nicely:

This is about the best SUV I’ve owned. I’ve owned 7 Lexus’s, this one tops them ALL. Quality is outstanding. The reliability is proven. I purchased the blackened version. It gets a lot of attention. All I can say is it is the BEST. You won’t be disappointed.

The LX 570’s Old-School Formula Has A Modern Luxury Advantage

Front 3/4 shot of 2017 Lexus LX 570 parked

Now, there are the downsides of owning an LX 570. Firstly, FuelEconomy.gov says that the final model year can only achieve 14 combined mpg (12 mpg city/16 mpg highway), and will cost you an estimated $5,450 a year for gas, or $16,250 more in gas over five years compared to the average modern vehicle. So even something like the 2026 BMW X6 M60i xDrive, with its bi-turbo V8, is cheaper to fuel up, at $4,000 a year. There are also repair costs; RepairPal estimates that it will cost you, on average, $832 a year to maintain. So, it is cheaper than the $976 a year it costs for the average luxury SUV, but much more than the market average of $652.

However, that thirsty V8 and hefty running costs are almost part of the point. The LX 570 belongs to an era when a luxury SUV could still be built around a proper frame, an overbuilt naturally aspirated engine, and a four-wheel-drive system designed to get dirty rather than just shuffle torque between axles. You get a cabin that is genuinely plush, without the sense that half the dashboard is going to become obsolete as soon as the next software update arrives. Few modern luxury SUVs combine this level of comfort with this much mechanical hardware and such a long track record of durability. The LX 570 may seem old, but that is why it works in a market filled with high-strung rolling computers.