Lexus GX 550 vs Mini Cooper

What's the difference?

The retro-cool Lexus GX550 Overtrail is a solid mix of understated style, on-road performance and 4WD capability.

It’s suitably refined, luxurious and it’s a comfortable off-roader – and if you’re planning to cross-shop it against the likes of Land Rover Discovery, Toyota LandCruiser 300 or Land Rover Defender it actually compares quite favourably.

But there are some negatives: the Overtrail’s fuel consumption impacts its general appeal as a day-to-day driver, it lacks people-carrying flexibility without that third row of seats and the fact there’s no diesel Overtrail on offer is a real letdown.

Still, there’s no denying this is a worthy contender among the current line-up of large luxury SUVs and it makes a lot of sense.

The new petrol Cooper range very gently evolves the upmarket Cool Britannia cliché BMW invented with the R50 back in 2001 and fostered with every iteration since.

More of the same, only slightly updated and just improved enough to justify trading the old one in. If this appeals to you, then go for it. This is the best petrol version yet. Probably.

But the Cooper’s real spark literally and metaphorically lies within the EV version.

Two very different Minis indeed.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The Lexus GX550 Overtrail is 5015mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 2000mm wide, 1935mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2515kg.

It has a chunky, almost straight up and down, old-school look, and leans heavily into retro cool rather than sleek styling.

A big front grille, bulging wing mirrors (more about those soon), as well as Toyo Open Country all-terrain tyres, wheel arch mouldings, and side steps that are all on the correct side of large, add to this wagon’s overall presence.

The bulky wing mirrors offer only a narrow field of rear vision, which is peculiar given the mirrors’ size and that field of rear vision is also vertically oriented which is even more peculiar.

The Overtrail has black trim highlights, and bridge-type roof rails that top off its sporty look.

Inside, there’s a little more posh-ness going on: most striking of all is the olive green synthetic suede accents and stitching added to the front seats, while the rest of the interior mostly consists of soft-touch surfaces with a smattering of durable plastic.

The interior is low-key classy with great build quality.

You’ve got to hand it to BMW.

The new nose and triangular tail-light treatment on the 2013-vintage midsection look as if they were designed to all go together back in the day.

You could even mistake it for the previous Cooper EV, though side-by-side that’s less likely, since the latter ditches the upright windscreen for a more raked item, clamshell bonnet opening, horizontal bumper shutlines for shorter and more-angled ones, plastic wheel arch surrounds and pull-out door handles for flush units.

The wheels are further apart, the overhangs shorter and the lower-side surfacing broken up by an artful sheetmetal crease.

The overall length at 3876mm, width at 1744mm and height at 1432mm have increased by 55mm, 17mm and 18mm respectively over the old model, but the 2495mm wheelbase stays the same.

And that’s not all.

This is a Lexus so, of course, the Overtrail’s practicality comes with lashings of prestige.

As mentioned, build quality is impressive, as is overall fit and finish. The olive green synthetic suede front seat accents and stitching are nice subtle touches – it adds nothing in terms of practicality but geez it looks good.

The 14.0-inch multimedia touchscreen system dominates upfront. While setting up wireless Apple CarPlay was easy enough, I had consistent issues with it and needed to repeatedly stab my finger onto the screen in order to work my way through countless menus and sub-menus to actually eventually reach the function I wanted to reach – and that’s far from ideal.

I’ve experienced this in several new-gen vehicles and my tip to you is: while the vehicle is stationary, work out how to use the functions you need/want to use most often, because the operation of some of those functions is counter-intuitive.

The driver also gets a 12.3-inch digital cluster with a variety of vehicular information to keep track of and a head-up display, which is a handy addition but polarised sunnies rob you of that.

There’s also a powered sunroof.

Otherwise, there are plenty of charge points, including a wireless phone charging pad in front of the cooled centre console, six USB-C ports, and 12-volt outlets front and rear, and a 220V outlet in the rear cargo area.

There are also cupholders galore – upfront and in the second-row armrest – and too-small bottle holders in the doors.

And – whoo-whee! – are the seats in here so bloody comfortable! Obviously upfront, ventilated, heated and power-adjustable etc are the pick of the pews, but the second row is no Gulag jail cell either. There’s room enough there for three burly blokes - just.

The Overtrail does not have the third row of seats as the Luxury and Sports Luxury do, but that frees up more space in the rear cargo area. Cargo space is listed as 1063L with all seats in use, and 2000 litres if the back row is folded down.

The rear cargo area has a 220V/100W socket (to run camp lights, fridge etc), a cargo blind, tie-down points and leftovers from the seven-seat layout: cupholders on both sides.

The rear tailgate is powered and lifts to open rather than swings to the side like the previous barndoor-style tailgate. Bonus: you don’t have to open the whole door to gain access to whatever gear you’ve stowed away in the rear cargo area; you can open the glass section only and reach in through there and that’s a very handy feature.

The Overtrail’s full-size spare is mounted to its underbody.

The previous Mini 3DR featured a messy and quite overbearing dashboard design from 2013 that’s aged about as well as Robin Thicke’s videos from that year.

In contrast, the new model's is far simpler and less protruding, dramatically boosting the sense of space and light.

That said, all four occupants still sit low, with an upright windscreen ahead and beside high window sills. There’s an oversized, circular screen in the middle of a pared-back dash and a neat row of toggle switches below. It’s still pure Mini in theme.

As before, there’s enough space for even the tallest people up front, reflecting the British icon’s German packaging, with plenty of head and legroom, as well as ample width. It’s only when you jump from the EV to the petrol Cooper that you realise this feels noticeably narrower.

All Coopers regardless of fuel share the 240mm (9.4-inch) central OLED display. It might seem like visual overload at first glance, with so much going on, but after a brief period of familiarisation, the touchscreen becomes a cinch to decipher and navigate. The colour-coded driving modes, pleasingly slick screen swipe action and ultra-crisp graphics are especially noteworthy.

Revel, too, in the twist engine starter and toggle gear selector actions, that also save space and are super natural to operate. This is button-lite dashboard de-cluttering done right.

As with the previous model, the Mini’s driving position has you sitting upright, but it’s comfortable enough on the S’ sports seats we sampled this on, and everything is within reach. There’s sufficient storage. The ambient mood lighting is fun. And kudos for the deployment of animal-free materials. In fact, the Cooper’s fresh textures are quite remarkable.

We’re less fond of the glass roof with no sunlight block; there are blind spots due to the thick side pillars; and some of the lower-placed plastics do not seem $60K’s worth in a supermini this expensive.

Rear-seat access isn’t graceful, with a narrow aperture to squeeze past and a slow-moving electric seat to wait for, but that should surprise nobody given this car’s size. There’s enough space for two adults and not much else really. It’s pretty basic back there.

And even further back, Mini quotes just 210 litres VDA of luggage capacity, rising to 725L with the twin backrests dropped.

Don’t forget, though, that no spare wheel exists. Just an ever-fiddly tyre repair kit.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Cooper…

For the duration of the original BMC/BLMC/Leyland/Austin/Rover era, the Mini was often the cheapest new car around. We’re talking bare bones motoring here, for the people.

Obviously, BMW bothers with no such democratic notion today.

The new Cooper comes in two models differentiated by engine size – the C with a 115kW 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo and S with a 150kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo. Both are carryover units, and automatic only, sadly. 

Which helps explain why the base C Core starts from a steep $41,990 (all prices are before on-road costs). Much the same car cost $10K less just five years ago.

The Core includes climate control air-conditioning, an OLED circular touchscreen, a head-up display, a reverse camera, parking sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio, a smartphone charger, ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels and a basic cruise control set-up.

You’ll need to step up to the $44,990 Cooper C Classic for adaptive cruise control, a surround-view monitor, interior camera, 'augmented reality' satellite navigation, front seat warmers, seven rather than four colour choices, 18-inch alloys, a glass roof and more.

'Sun Protection Glazing' for the latter, along with a Harmon/Kardon premium audio system, John Cooper Works (JCW) sports seats with electric adjustment and memory, fancier interior materials and a broader palette of options are part of the Cooper C Flavoured package from $47,990. 

Meanwhile, the more-powerful Cooper S auto bypasses Core and kicks off with the Classic from $49,990, Favoured from $52,990 and the JCW Sport from $54,990.

The latter includes a JCW body/interior styling, steering wheel and stripes, along with adaptive suspension, paddle shifters and uprated brakes.

Going for the 5DR Cooper equivalents adds $2000 to the price.

All up, then, with drive-away pricing, the Cooper before options is priced between $47,000 and $63,000.

Obvious rivals are the Audi A1, Fiat/Abarth 500, Citroen C3 and even Suzuki Swift Sport, though alternatives with a retro bent and driver focus might also be in BMW’s crosshairs, including the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, Mazda MX-5, Ford Mustang and Nissan Z.

The GX550 Overtrail has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine – producing 260kW at 4800-5200rpm and 650Nm at 2000-3600 rpm – and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

This is an impressive combination: smooth, plenty of torque across a wide rev range – punchy off the mark, and refined at highway speeds, always controlled, always comfortable.

The Lexus GX550 Overtrail has full-time 4WD and an electronic rear diff lock.

Its selectable driving modes include Normal, Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport S and the Overtrail also has 'Adaptive Variable Suspension' and 'Multi-Terrain Select' with drive modes, such as Dirt, Sand, Mud and Snow, designed for off-roading.

Compared to the previous model, the new one brings more performance to the table.

The Cooper C uses BMW’s 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine, and pumps out 115kW of power at 6500rpm and 230Nm of torque from 1500rpm to 4600rpm. Previously it was 100kW and 220kW.

With a power-to-weight ratio of 91.3kW per tonne, it’s enough for a zero to 100km/h time of 7.7 seconds (previously 8.1s), on the way to a 225km/h top speed.

Mounted transversely, it drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

It’s still difficult to imagine Mini buyers not outraged by the manual’s disappearance. But don’t worry. There’s always the Suzuki Swift.

Stepping up to the Cooper S, you’ll find a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit delivering a useful 150kW at 6500rpm and 300Nm between 1450rpm and 4500rpm. It was 141kW/280Nm in the old version.

Boasting 117kW/tonne, this one needs just 6.6s to 100km/h and can achieve a 242km/h V-max.

Now known as the FAAR platform, it is an evolution of BMW’s UKL (Untere Klasse, German for ‘lower class’) modular architecture that debuted in the previous model.

Suspension is via MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link independent rear end.

Fuel consumption is listed as 12.3L/100km and that's on a combined cycle.

On this test I recorded 13.9L/100km but, as I have a penchant for dirty stuff, I was doing a lot of low- and high-range 4WDing so I think that figure is actually pretty decent for a 2.5 tonne vehicle with a V6 petrol engine. That’s okay, but I can see those fuel figures climbing considerably once you load the Overtrail up or you tow something with it: a boat, a camper trailer, or a caravan.

The Overtrail has an 80-litre fuel tank so, going by our on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 575km from a full tank.

The new Coopers enjoy a drink more than before. By almost half a litre per 100km more, in fact.

Rated at Euro6 and running on 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, the Cooper C averages 6.0L/100km (F56: 5.6), while the more-powerful Cooper S ups that to 6.3L/100km (F56: 5.8).

In terms of carbon dioxide emissions averages, this translates to 137 and 145 grams per kilometre, respectively. With a 44L fuel tank, the potential range-average is up to around 730km.

The smooth Overtrail driving experience begins before you even push the start button: the Overtrail has big grab handles for each door – and I bloody love a good solid grab handle.

Also, the combination of power-adjustable steering wheel and driver’s seat means you’re able to precisely dial-in your preferred driving position.

On road and at speed on dirt tracks, the Overtrail sits nicely. It has a wide wheel track and long wheelbase, so it retains a controlled and composed posture on sealed and unsealed surfaces. 

Some body-roll does creep in when you throw the Overtrail into a corner hard, but that won’t surprise you if you’ve spent any time at all in a large or upper large 4WD wagon recently and that characteristic is no deal-breaker.

Ride quality is very impressive and the suspension set-up – double wishbone IFS with eKDSS at the front, and four-link live axle with eKDSS at the rear – mostly soaks up any bumps, however, it does skip over some more substantial irregularities in the road/track surface here and there, but that’s mostly ironed out by the Overtrail’s adaptive suspension and you can also simply adjust tyre pressures up or down to suit the terrain.

With its 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine at full go – and harnessed so smoothly through the 10-speed automatic transmission – this Lexus offers plenty of acceleration, plenty of power, and plenty of torque.

It's quiet in the cabin although there’s some wind noise from the massive wing mirrors but that's not a huge deal when the overall vehicle itself is so impressive on-road. 

Once underway, this is an easy-driving 4WD wagon. And off-road, there’s a lot of good news about the Overtrail.

It shares the same platform as the 300 Series LandCruiser and the all-new Prado and it has a lengthy wheelbase (2850mm) and a wide wheel track (1685mm front and 1690mm rear) and that means it drives with impressive composure through most off-road situations, whether it's rumbling along a corrugated dirt track or climbing a rocky hill.

Steering is well weighted and precise and there's plenty of feedback for the driver from the dirt to the steering wheel so you know exactly what's going on. And further to that you have a 360-degree camera system, so you can be exacting about your wheel placement and that maximises your chances of always being in control of the vehicle and minimises the risk of any damage.

This Overtrail has so much mechanical goodness engineered into it and so much driver-assist tech that I didn’t even need to engage the rear diff lock because through its off-road driving modes, – sand, mud, rock, snow – it just delivers the right amount of throttle response, the right amount of traction, and with the 'Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System' (e-KDSS) ticking away, working almost like a sway bar disconnect, the Overtrail is surefooted more often than not.

e-KDSS (essentially an electronically-controlled active swaybar) adjusts tension on the front and rear sway bars to suit the terrain and driving conditions. It tightens them for better body control at higher speeds on sealed surfaces, and allows for a lot more play in them when you’re off-road for improved wheel articulation through undulating terrain. It helps to get the tyres to the dirt and maintain optimum traction, maintain forward momentum – that's what it does and it does it with little to no stress whatsoever. It doesn’t even have to work hard. 

The Overtrail has decent all-terrain tyres – Toyo Open Country (265/70R18) – and even though they’re not as tough all-round as Light Truck (LT) construction all-terrains, they still provide plenty of grip and that's in a variety of off-road situations, on a variety of surfaces: sand, loose gravel, shale, even rain-soaked mud which can be very slippery and can quickly fill your tyre tread. These tyres are a handy addition to the Overtrail package and on a standard vehicle straight out of the showroom, they’re fine. 

But the news is not all good. 

The Overtrail’s 225mm ground clearance is industry standard for a larger or upper large SUV, but it isn't great for a vehicle that’s intended as an off-road beast.

And the off-road angles, approach (27 degrees) and departure (22) aren't fantastic, and rampover is not listed. Again, those measurements are industry standard for a larger and upper large SUV, but for the Overtrail, a vehicle that is supposedly an adventure machine, ground clearance and off-road angles could be a lot better. Having said that though, the underbody is well protected by some substantial bash-plates. Note: The Overtrail’s full-size spare is mounted to the underbody.

Wading depth is listed as 700mm, which is on par with its rivals.

The big side steps stick out and if you don't drive with real consideration then they'll probably cop a scrape here and there and maybe even a bit of a dent. 

One of the quirks about modern-day, large luxury 4WD wagons, such as the 300 Series, the Land Rover Defender and the Land Rover Discovery, is that the driver-assist tech onboard is so laser-precise that it almost removes the driver from the equation of actually driving. Manoeuvring one of these vehicles off-road can sometimes feel so clinical that you almost feel like you’re a spectator, that the vehicle is in control, not you. 

But what the Overtrail has in its favour is that driving it doesn't have that clinical feel about it. As the driver, you do feel dialled in to the entire experience, even though the mechanicals and tech are so very effective, you do still feel like you’re in control … and that’s how it should be.

Towing capacities are 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). Payload is listed as 595kg, which is not a lot once you throw in your kids, dogs, and camping equipment – not to mention anything you might be towing at the time – but that payload figure is about standard for this part of the 4WD wagon market. For reference, a 300 Series LandCruiser's payload, depending on the variant, is between 650kg (VX/Sahara/GR Sport) and 785kg (GX).

The Overtrail’s listed kerb weight is 2515kg, gross vehicle mass (GVM) is 3110kg, and gross combined mass (GCM) is 6610kg.

So far, similarities in design, packaging, dashboard presentation and suspension layout suggest that the electric Cooper and petrol Cooper would be like fraternal twins from behind the wheel.

But in reality, the petrol-powered Mini feels much the same as the previous model, whilst the EV is more akin to what we secretly wish the fantasy Tesla Model 1 would be like. From the future.

Now, we never had a chance to drive the Cooper C, but the closely-related (though larger and heavier) Countryman C sibling – complete with the same powertrain – proved to be a willing and feisty performer once on the go, after what seemed like protracted turbo and DCT lag.

Why the hell can’t Mini just offer manuals again?

The Cooper S, meanwhile, completely lived up to brand expectations, with the familiar, revvy snarl of BMW’s sophisticated 2.0-litre four-pot turbo providing punchy of throttle response and effortless cruising capability, though there’s still some initial acceleration hesitation.

Thankfully, the Mini’s steering is always alert, offering precision and agility by the bucketful, backed up a chassis that seems permanently glued to the road – even in the wet and wintry conditions we had to endure.

Yet, other than a ride quality that seemed better than any previous-gen Mini we’ve ever encountered and so genuinely surprised us, the Cooper S seemed a little… stale compared to the glorious SE EV we had just (reluctantly) surrendered.

A bit like having a favourite dish as leftovers for two nights in a row, it felt a bit passé in 2024, even when surrounded by that dazzling OLED dash and glitzy ambient lighting.

In every important metric – performance, handling, roadholding, ride quality, packaging and (particularly) refinement – the battery-powered Cooper is the more vibrant and alive option. And truer to the vision of the original’s creator, Alec Issigonis, as a result.

There are no crash-test ratings for the 2024 Cooper at the time of publishing.

The previous F56 managed four out of five stars with ANCAP. 

On the driver-assist tech front are AEB, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, rear-collision prevention, driver-attention monitor, tyre-pressure monitor, auto high beams and an exit warning.

However, at the time of publishing, no AEB operating parameter data was available.

Other safety features include adaptive cruise control with automatic speed-limit assistance from Classic-grade and up, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability and traction controls and nine airbags (front/side/head and interaction centre-front airbags).

A pair of child seat tether latches and twin ISOFIX latches are fitted within the rear seats.

The Lexus GX550 Overtrail has a five-year/unlimited-km warranty.

Servicing is scheduled for every six months or 10,000km, whichever occurs soonest, and costs $595 each time for a total of $5950. That schedule is a little too soon for our liking.

Like all Minis, the Cooper comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance.

There are no set service intervals, as the car’s onboard computer will alert the driver based on condition and wear/tear. That said, we recommend going every 12 months or 10,000km, just to be on the safe side.

Mini also promotes several prepaid service plans on its Australian website. According to BMW, “… both new and used Mini owners can upgrade to a MINI Service Inclusive plan for 5-years/80,000km (whichever comes first).”