Lexus LX vs BMW X5

What's the difference?

The Lexus LX500d is a genuine seven-seater with impressive levels of refinement, comfort and even off-road capability.

The interior borders on being chintzy and it’s price-tag is the wrong side of bloody expensive, but there's no denying this Lexus is packed with stuff.

It’s more city than country, more bling than bush tourer – it’s like a tarted-up 300 Series – but that’s absolutely fine for the people who buy these.

I wouldn’t blame anyone for cross-shopping a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series with this – and then opting for the 300 Series! For one thing, you’ll save a stack of cash.

This is a luxurious prestige five-seater brimming with BMW’s latest design and technology that’s not only practical for weekly family duties but can also embrace spirited driving with the push of a button. A great all-rounder for families that like a sporty edge. 

In firmly keeping with its target market, the LX500d is a premium-looking SUV.

This is a big unit and everything is slick and in-your-face impressive. Inside and out this Lexus looks a lot like a tarted-up LandCruiser 300 Series that’s been on a recent cycle of steroids. 

The optional 22-inch alloy wheels (part of the $5500 Enhancement Pack, as mentioned above) add to the overall look. 

The interior is a tasteful blend of woodgrain, leather accents, soft-touch surfaces, plush seating, and even comfortable arm-rests.

The latest front-end design features subtle revisions to BMW’s signature 'kidney' grille theme, highlighted by slimmer matrix LED headlights with chevron-shaped DRLs that incorporate the turn indicators.

There’s also an ‘iconic glow’ function, which illuminates the twin-grilles at night in-sync with the external courtesy lights when approaching and departing the vehicle. Lower front air-intake and tail-light treatments have also been revised.

The dash features a new curved instrument panel. Based on BMW’s latest generation 'iDrive' operating system, it consists of a 12.3-inch driver’s info display and 14.9-inch control display presented across the same seamless glass surface.

The control display’s touchscreen functionality has allowed dash buttons and switches to be minimised.

This new design dash has a blend of synthetic leather trim and dark brown/high-gloss woodgrain surfaces, along with new LED ambient lighting and gear-selector design.

The rear seat is sumptuous and spacious, even for someone my height (186cm). There’s ample knee and headroom and it can seat three kids in comfort, but for adult passengers wanting that 'business class' feel it would be ideal for two.

My only criticism of the new instrument display is that with more than 30 applications displayed on the expansive control screen, it can be distracting at times trying to visually locate and operate these functions while driving.

And, depending on sun angle, there were also complaints from different front seat passengers on different days about blinding glare caused by the dash’s high-gloss woodgrain inserts. Fortunately, the driver is unaffected by these reflections.

Everyone is well catered for inside this Lexus, in terms of, well, everything.

The tech is easy to use – it was simple enough to get Apple CarPlay working – and the screens are big: the horizontal 12.3-inch multimedia unit upfront, an 8.0-inch screen (to monitor air-con, air-suspension height, the four-wheel-drive system, and other vehicle information), a head-up display, plus a 7.0-inch touchscreen for rear passengers.

Heating and cooling are via the 'climate concierge' and everyone can keep themselves as comfortably hot or cold as they like with separate controls.

Storage is plentiful with the usual array of door pockets, cupholders, big glove box etc, but there’s also a cavernous centre console (with multiple ways to open the lids) as well as map pockets for the second row, cup-holders in the centre fold-down armrest and even cupholders for the third row.

The Lexus has a Qi wireless charger as well as front and rear USB-C charging ports – one upfront, two in the second row, and two in the third row – so that should keep any whinging about devices to a minimum – but, knowing kids, it probably won’t. 

There’s also a 12V DC socket (front and rear) and a 220V socket in the rear cargo area.

Power-adjustable seats upfront make life easy for the driver and front passenger and these pews are as good as what I’d imagine a massage chair is like. Even the second row is on the right side of plush, but the third row is not quite there.

Second-row passengers have their own air con and entertainment controls, and there’s also an HDMI port.

The moon roof – an Enhancement Pack inclusion – is power-adjustable and allows plenty of welcome natural light in through the top.

In terms of packability, the Lexus LX500d has a claimed 174L (VDA) of cargo space when seven seats are in use; 982L when five seats are being used (that’s with the power-folding third row stowed flat at the push of a button); and 1871L when all seats are stowed away (the 60:40 folding second-row seats tumble-fold forward), except for the driver and front passenger. 

The boot has a 220V power outlet.

With its 2165kg kerb weight and maximum allowable weight of 2885kg, our test vehicle can legally carry up to 720kg.

That should be ample for five adults (even better for kids) and their luggage, of which up to 100kg can be carried on the roof rails using a rack or roof box (both in BMW's accessory range).

Powered upper and lower tailgates provide good access to the luggage area, which is carpeted and equipped with a roll-out privacy screen, load securing hooks, a 12-volt accessory outlet and a first-aid kit stored behind a removable side panel.

The space-saver spare and tools are stored below the hinged load floor, so all luggage must be removed to access them.

Internal luggage space with the rear seat upright is 650 litres (0.65 cubic metres) which expands to 1870 litres (1.87 cubic metres) with the rear seat folded flat.

A useful load-carrying feature when the rear seat’s backrest is upright is a hinged centre section that folds forward and flat to carry long and narrow items.

These can stretch all the way from the tailgate to the dash if need be, which could be handy for carting anything from skis to home hardware purchases (firmly secured, of course).

It’s also rated to tow up to an impressive 3500kg of braked trailer, which matches the class benchmark for one-tonne utes.

However, given that tow-ball download (TBD) is usually around 10 per cent of trailer weight, the X5’s maximum TBD rating of only 140kg could be a challenge if 3500kg towing is required.

Front of cabin storage includes a big bottle-holder and bin in each front door, a glove box and on the right-hand side of the dash a pull-out driver’s bin, both of which are felt-lined.

The centre console, in addition to its wireless phone-charging pad, USB-A port and 12-volt outlet, has two small-bottle/cupholders up front and a large box at the rear, housing a USB-C port and topped by a padded dual 'brochure fold' lid that double as an elbow-rest for driver and front passenger.

Rear seat storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each door and pockets on each front seat backrest. The rear of the centre console has two storage nooks for small items in addition to its air-vents, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt outlet. There’s also a handy tablet-mount and USB-C port on each front seat backrest, which is great for long trips.

Folding down the rear seat’s centre armrest reveals two pop-out small-bottle/cupholders. And under its hinged lid is a hidden felt-lined compartment that’s ideal for storing slim screened devices away from prying eyes.

Our test vehicle, to use its full name, is the X5 xDrive 40i M Sport. That breaks down to xDrive (intelligent all-wheel drive) and 40i (3.0L turbo in-line petrol six) with eight-speed automatic transmission.

M Sport denotes a package that's included as standard equipment which contains desirable goodies like enormous multi-piston M Sport brakes/adaptive suspension/aerodynamics, M leather-rimmed steering wheel, high-gloss black roof-rails and more.

All up, the list price is $138,900. However, our example has an optional ‘Enhancement Package’ which for another $6000 adds your choice of selected 22-inch alloy wheels (fitted with 275/35 R22 Continental tyres on ours), a tyre pressure monitoring system, metallic paint ('Skyscraper Grey' on ours), Harman Kardon 16-speaker surround-sound audio and 'Crafted Clarity' glass application (glass-handled shifter).

And this is on top of many standard features including three-zone climate control, automatic two-piece tailgate, digital radio, a head-up driver display, adaptive LED headlights with high beam assist, a panoramic full-length sunroof, wireless Apple/Android integration, 'Verino' quilted synthetic leather upholstery, numerous USB ports/12v outlets and more. However, there’s only a space-saver spare.

Numerous options include self-levelling air suspension, 'Merino' leather upholstery, active seat ventilation and massage functions, thermo-adjustable cupholders, LED-illuminated ‘sky lounge’ panoramic glass sunroof and Bowers & Wilkins premium surround sound to name a few.

The Lexus LX500d has a 3.3L V6 twin turbo-diesel engine, producing 227kW at 4000rpm and 700Nm between 1600-2600rpm.

It has a 10-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode, a full-time all-wheel-drive system, low-range transfer case and locking diffs. 

The V6 is impressive and this is a smooth-shifting beast, but there’s a real lazy – not lively – feel to how the engine and auto work.

It’s pretty hefty as well – with a listed 2690kg kerb weight – so the Lexus takes a bit of a wind-up to get going off the mark and during overtaking moves.

The X5 xDrive40i is powered by BMW’s legendary 3.0-litre DOHC 24-valve in-line six with state-of-the-art technology.

This includes twin-scroll turbocharging, variable valve/camshaft timing and 48-volt mild hybrid technology (delivering up to 9.0kW and 200Nm) using an electric motor integrated with the transmission.

The combined effect is optimised power and throttle response (0-100km/h in 5.4 secs) with minimal fuel consumption and Euro 6d emissions.

It produces 280kW between 5200-6250rpm and 520Nm of torque (this can reach 540Nm with hybrid input) across a remarkably wide and flat peak torque band between 1850-5000rpm, which showcases its flexibility. There’s also auto start-stop and selectable drive modes.

This is paired with BMW’s smooth and sharp-shifting eight-speed torque converter automatic, which combines the best characteristics of a dual-clutch and traditional torque converter transmission.

There’s overdrive on the seventh and eighth gears to optimise fuel economy and the choice of rapid manual-shifting using the steering wheel paddles.

Power reaches its wide tyres through the xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system, which actively varies the engine’s torque distribution between the front and rear wheels to optimise traction at all times.

BMW’s ‘Efficient Dynamics’ also includes brake energy regeneration with recuperation display and many other standard features to enhance driving safety and efficiency.

The Lexus LX500d seven-seater has a listed fuel consumption of 8.9L/100km on a combined cycle.

Our actual fuel consumption on this test, from pump to pump, was 13.2L/100km. Note: our test included a lot of low-range 4WDing. 

The LX500d has an 80-litre fuel tank – so, going by that on-test fuel consumption figure, you should be able to get a driving range of about 606km or so. Take off a 30km safe-distance buffer and you have 576km.

BMW claims combined average (WLTP) fuel consumption of 9.9-8.5L/100km. Our 415km test comprised a mix of suburban and highway driving and when we stopped to refuel the dash display was showing 10.2L/100km which was line-ball with our own 10.6L/100km figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 780km from its 83-litre tank using standard 91-octane petrol.

The Lexus is a refined and comfortable vehicle on sealed surfaces.

It’s 5100mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1990mm wide (with a 1675mm wheel track, front and back), 1895mm high, and it has a 2690kg kerb weight.

The woodgrain steering wheel feels nice in the hands but even though the Lexus feels tighter and more controlled than the previous-gen – its body-on-frame structure has shed some kegs – this is a hefty rig so it’s no real surprise that body roll remains pronounced – it always tends to wallow even at optimal ride height. 

The suspension set-up – adjustable dampers, double wishbones at the front, a four-linkage rigid axle at the rear, stabiliser bars front and rear – is aimed at keeping things under control, and it certainly irons out any major issues, but it’s not perfect, even ably supported by adaptive variable suspension.

The brake pedals feel spongy, taking some time to ‘bite’, but the ventilated disc brakes front and rear did pull the Lexus to a controlled stop when I did a “watch out for that roo!” emergency-braking move.

And while, by its very nature, it may not be a very dynamic SUV to drive, its low-key composure makes up for that.

The gutsy V6 and auto work well, if lazily, together, and while that transmission is enough of a smooth shifter, 10 gear ratios seems like overkill to me.

Driving modes include normal, eco, sport and each adjusts throttle response, engine outputs, and gearshifts to suit the driver and the driving conditions.

It’s quiet inside – very quiet – and there’s no issues with vibration or harshness levels either.

Among its many tech-based attractions, the digital rear-view mirror is a handy touch.

This is a great open-road touring vehicle but with some flaws when it comes to adventuring off-road.

Our test vehicle is shod with Dunlop Grandtrek 265/50R22 112V tyres and these all-season tyres are fine for sealed surfaces, but they’re not up to low-range 4WDing in tough conditions, even more so on these 22-inch rims, as we found out during a few hours at our 4WD testing ground.

The Lexus has Cruiser-like off-road-capable underpinnings with top-layer dirt-focussed tech as well. 

There’s plenty of glass around so visibility is fine, steering generally feels light but takes on a clinical precision during low-speed, low-range 4WDing.

And ‘clinical’ is how the Lexus feels off-road – not always in a good way either. Like many contemporary tech-heavy off-roaders nowadays, it’s almost so good that you’re in danger of feeling entirely removed from the actual process of driving.

With multi-terrain select driving modes offering auto, dirt, sand, mud, deep snow, and rock options; with a multi-terrain monitor and panoramic view helping you ‘see’ everywhere that you usually wouldn’t be able to see on the track; with active height control helping you to lift the vehicle’s body in order to improve off-road angles at the push of a button; and the list goes on. 

That’s not forgetting downhill assist control, hill-start assist, crawl control, and off-road traction control.

Don’t get me wrong: high-tech is great because anything that helps maintain safe forward progress out bush or while beach driving is awesome but, Great Odin’s raven, it’d be great if the tech onslaught stops now. As if that’s going to happen.

If you’re looking to tow with your Lexus, listen up: unbraked towing capacity is 750kg, braked towing capacity is 3500kg. It has a gross vehicle mass of 3280kg and a gross combination mass of 6780kg. There you go.

It has a full-size spare tyre and that’s mounted under the rear cargo area.

It’s supremely comfortable, with front bucket seats that offer powered-adjustment of height, reach and backrest angle along with side bolsters that can tighten their grip of your upper torso.

There’s also two-way lumbar support, that adjusts not only how far it pushes your spine forward but also allows that pressure point to be raised or lowered.

Combined with its power-adjustable leather-rimmed steering wheel, it would be hard not to find a comfortable driving position.

Eyelines to all mirrors are good and over-shoulder blind-spots are minimal. Front and rear occupants can talk without raised voices thanks to low engine, wind and tyre noise at highway speeds.

As you’d expect, it has high build quality and a tangibly solid feel as though it was machined from a single block of steel, from the satisfying thuds of its closing doors to the absence of shudders or rattles on a variety of roads.

It also has two personalities, which can be switched in an instant. In 'Comfort' mode it will happily cruise around city and suburbs as a mild-mannered family car, fulfilling daily duties like work commutes, school drop-offs and pick-ups, supermarket shopping and the like.

However, flick the drive mode to 'Sport Plus' and you awaken, well, if not ‘the ultimate driving machine’ then something close.

Its optimised drivetrain and handling settings feel more like a sports sedan than a family car, which can turn any winding mountain road into an engaging experience.

It has impressive reserves of cornering grip and braking force, combined with sparkling engine response and fast sequential manual-shifting at your fingertips.

It feels impressively agile, with all-round response that belies its 2.0-tonne-plus kerb weight, backed by a symphony of sounds from its sublime in-line six.

Five-star ANCAP (awarded in 2018) includes front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, plus head airbags for front and rear seats.

The comprehensive 'Driver Assistant Professional' active safety menu includes AEB (city, interurban and vulnerable road user) and a multitude of others.

It also has 'Parking Assist Professional' and for young families there are ISOFIX child seat anchorages on the two outer rear seating positions and top-tethers for all three.

The Lexus LX500d has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Capped-price servicing applies for three years. Servicing is set at six month/10,000km intervals with each appointment costing $595 over that period.

Lexus Encore Platinum benefits – including valet parking and on-demand vehicle loans – are standard for new Lexus owners.

BMW covers the X5 with a five year/unlimited km warranty and offers several service plans to suit different budgets and requirements.

For example, the 'Service Inclusive Basic' package covers all scheduled services over five years/80,000km for a total of $3450, or an average of $690 per year.