Driving the Lexus GX550 4WD seven-seat wagon – it comes in three grades the entry Luxury, the mid-spec Overtrail and the flagship sports luxury. I drove the entry GX550 Luxury at $130,554 drive-away which shares its underpinnings with the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, but instead of the 2.8- litre diesel engine the GX550 is powered by a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine linked to a 10-speed automatic. A 21/2 tonne permanent all-wheel- drive the Lexus GX550 is a serious 4WD and Lexus has given this big 4WD the performance it deserves with 260kW of power and a healthy 650Nm of torque – the 10-speed gearbox silky smooth with the added ability to select different drive modes via a dial on the centre console. But despite its mechanical sophistication it still feels a large heavy 4WD around town and with the need for 95 grade premium fuel its far from fuel efficient. I managed 15.7L/100km around town. Despite its luxury pretensions however the Lexus GX550 still feels like a truck around town and obviously its best performance is off the beaten track. For this reason, whilst its highly equipped, there’s a number of luxury seven seat SUVs better suited to around town motoring for the same money.

Driving the Lexus GX550 4WD seven-seat wagon &ndash; it comes in three grades the entry Luxury, the mid-spec Overtrail and the flagship sports luxury. I drove the entry GX550 Luxury at $130,554 drive-away which shares its underpinnings with the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, but instead of the 2.8- litre diesel engine the GX550 is powered by a 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine linked to a 10-speed automatic. A 21/2 tonne permanent all-wheel- drive the Lexus GX550 is a serious 4WD and Lexus has given this big 4WD the performance it deserves with 260kW of power and a healthy 650Nm of torque &ndash; the 10-speed gearbox silky smooth with the added ability to select different drive modes via a dial on the centre console. But despite its mechanical sophistication it still feels a large heavy 4WD around town and with the need for 95 grade premium fuel its far from fuel efficient. I managed 15.7L/100km around town. Despite its luxury pretensions however the Lexus GX550 still feels like a truck around town and obviously its best performance is off the beaten track. For this reason, whilst its highly equipped, there&rsquo;s a number of luxury seven seat SUVs better suited to around town motoring for the same money.

A weekly show with all the latest information and news in the motoring industry. Hosted by 2GB's very own motoring corespondent David Berthon. 

For more engaging content visit the 2GB website, or listen live to 2GB 873.

A weekly show with all the latest information and news in the motoring industry. Hosted by 2GB's very own motoring corespondent David Berthon.&nbsp;
For more engaging content visit the 2GB website, or listen live to 2GB 873.

Motor Torque with David Berthon

A weekly show with all the latest information and news in the motoring industry. Hosted by 2GB's very own motoring corespondent David Berthon. 

For more engaging content visit the 2GB website, or listen live to 2GB 873 

A weekly show with all the latest information and news in the motoring industry. Hosted by 2GB's very own motoring corespondent David Berthon.&nbsp;
For more engaging content visit the 2GB website, or listen live to 2GB 873&nbsp;