(Above): Exterior view of the 2026 Lexus TX. (Toyota Motor Corporation/Lexus)
Lexus has come out hitting the ball out of the park with the TX, or at least the numbers say so. It’s one of their most popular models in recent years. But is it really worth all the hype? Janam Gupta takes it for a spin and here’s his take.
Three spacious rows of seats. All the safety features are already equipped. Oh and we cannot forget: physical dials to adjust your climate control. Lexus might have nailed the family‑hauler recipe with the TX.
First Impressions
When approaching the TX, you are immediately greeted by a muscular front‑end, finished with a body‑colored grille, which can be a touch in‑your‑face. The rear end has a light‑bar that wraps around and is overall much cleaner and simpler than the front. Personally, the design does not do much for me at all.
As we step inside, we are welcomed by a spacious interior with all the basic fittings you would expect from this car: a digital driver display, a nice and large infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and tons and tons of storage space. Nothing really sticks out, except for the physical climate‑control dials that literally stick out from the screen – a welcome sight.
Driving Dynamics
This is where the TX excels and falls apart at the same time. The drive of this SUV is completely uninspiring. The non‑hybrid 2.4L I4 in our vehicle was quick enough for a three‑row family SUV, but it felt weirdly disconnected from the car and was a bit too noisy for our liking.
The car turns on a dime, especially if it’s equipped with rear‑wheel steering. That said, the steering is not engaging at all. Lastly, the suspension is a bit jostling, essentially turning you into bobbleheads.
All in all, this is not a driver’s car; the TX is as engaging as a goldfish. However, that’s kind of the point: It’s not trying to be one. It simply gets a family from A to B quite comfortably. The engine is still a tad too noisy, and the suspension could be better calibrated, but otherwise, it drives perfectly for what Lexus intended.
The TX is extremely stable at speed, and the cabin stays relatively quiet when cruising. We slowly stopped caring about bumps in the road and just drove over them because the TX never complained. That was the beauty in this car for me: it simply just goes, it never complains. Well, that is until you step on the gas.
Interior
We have already raved about how nice and large the cabin area is. 6‑7 people can travel long distances very comfortably. The seats are really nice and comfortable. Even the third row has pretty generous legroom and the seats themselves don’t feel like afterthoughts. The materials are pretty nice throughout the cabin however, there are some parts that don’t feel very Lexus‑like.
The TX is also well‑equipped, with many driver‑assistance features standard and a high‑quality display smack dab in the middle. Lexus has been notorious for unintuitive systems; however, the TX finally breaks the stereotypes. The system did have a few laggy moments, but otherwise was easy to navigate and the climate control always worked reliably in place.
But the real star of the show is the Mark and Levinson sound system. It may be one of the best audio systems I have heard in any car. I would not blame you if that is the reason you pull the trigger on this car.
The Takeaway
If there is one word to describe the TX, it’s “uncomplaintive.” Ok, I might have just made that word up, but it fits this car super well. The TX feels like its okay with going anywhere or doing anything. It’s never bothered by anything you throw at it, as long as you are aware of what it’s capable of and what it is not capable of. If you are looking for the “sport” in SUV, then this Lexus isn’t for you, but it does the rest of it really, really well.
However, with competition like the Acura MDX, it makes the decision a little tougher. The MDX is a sportier tuned, more stylish option. The Lexus has the edge on sheer space, however, if the Lexus TX interior is one step up from the Toyota counterpart, the Acura is three. We believe the Lexus TX is Your Call, with a go‑anywhere/do‑anything attitude, and spacious interior, this SUV will be a great fit for some people, but we don’t see it holding much to the competition.
Siliconeer’s Auto Rating System (Lowest to highest rating): Ditch It | Your Call | Lucrative | Sign on it