The 2024 TX 550h+ Luxury AWD is the upscale SUV that Lexus needs to compete against the affordable 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander it is based on.
If that sounds confusing, it is. Luxury vehicles based affordable models are usually so much better, there’s very little comparison. But Toyota’s new midsize three-row Grand Highlander SUV is so good, it is a genuine alternative to the more expensive version offered by the company’s Lexus luxury brand.
In large part that is because the Grand Highlander is already a larger more sophisticated version of the popular midsize, three-row Highlander. The new Grand version is four inches longer, with the additional length creating enough room in the third row of seats that adults can actually use it. Although the Highlander is only available as a hybrid, its bigger sibling offers a more powerful turbocharged Hybrid MAX 2.4-liter engine that produces an impressive 363 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque, while still achieving an EPA estimated 26/27 miles per gallon, which is very respectable for such a large vehicle.
When I tested a top-of-the-line Platinum AWD version a few weeks ago, I predicted it would effectively compete against the lower trim level 2024 Lexus TX 350, which costs about the same but has a less powerful non-hybrid engine. I also thought it would be competitive against the entry level versions of the TX 550, which includes a slightly more powerful version of the Hybrid MAX 2.4 but costs thousands more.
But Lexus has a trick up its sleeve. The top-of-the-line TX 550h+ Luxury AWD comes standard with an even more powerful 3.5-liter V6 hybrid engine that pumps out 404 horsepower. Although Lexus has not released the combined torque, Motor Trend reports the V6 engine produces 274 foot-pounds, the front-mounted electric motor produces 199, and the rear-mounted electric motor produces 124, so you do the math.
By coincidence, the 2024 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury AWD following a slowdown in the sale of all-electric vehicles that began late last year. That happened at the same time that sales of traditional and plug-in hybrids increases, meaning that consumers who wanted to save gas were choosing the hybrids over the EVs. That in turn prompted the environmentally-oriented auto publications and websites to take them more seriously, resulting in several reviews praising the 2024 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury AWD as at least a bridge to all-electric vehicles, although I think it more than stands on its own.
The catch is, the 2024 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury AWD costs over $20,000 more than the top-of-the-line 2024 Toyota Highlander Platinum AWD. That shouldn’t be surprising, since luxury vehicles are inherently more expensive and plug-in hybrids cost more than conventional hybrids, although less than all-electric vehicles.
Having tested the two of them practically back-to-back, I have to say it’s a tough choice. If money is no object, saving gas is a priority, and you can regularly recharge with no inconvenience, by all means go with the Lexus. The ride is slightly smoother and the interior materials are of course more refined. But the additional power is not immediately apparent in day-to-day driving.
On the other hand, both come with an impressive array of technology, including large displays, impressive stereos, and advanced safety systems that I could not tell apart. And both offer a choice of turbocharged and hybrid engines and transmissions that can be selected to maximize mileage or. Like I said, Toyota has introduced an affordable midsize three-row SUV that competes against its more expensive luxury Lexus version. That’s something that was bound to happen when affordable manufacturers created their own luxury brands but kept improving their basic versions and offering even more features in the upper trim levels.
The winner is ultimately the consumer who has more good choices than ever before, at the cost of doing even more research to understand what they’re buying.
2024 Lexus TX 550h+ Luxury AWD
Base price: $55,050 (TX 350 FWD)
Price as tested: $82,534
Type: Midsize three-row SUV
Engines: Turbocharged 2.4-liter 4 (275 hp, 317 lbs -ft); turbocharged Hybrid MAX 2.4-liter 4 (366 hp, 406 lbs-ft); 3.5-liter V6 Plug-in Hybrid (404 combined hp; N/A torque – as tested)
Transmissions: 6-speed automatic; 8-speed automatic; Continuously Variable Transmission automatic with paddle shifter (as tested)
Drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport
EPA estimated mileage: 21/27 (T2.4 FWD); 27/28 (Hybrid MAX 2.4); 76 MPGe/29 gas only)
Towing capacity: 3,500 pounds (T2.4); 5,000 pounds (Hybrid MAX 2.4)
Overall length: 203.5 inches
Curb weight: 5119 pounds
Final assembly: Princeton, Indiana
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