Lexus TX 350 Review

Ok here’s the thing: For families & road trips, the minivan is the perfect vehicle. Problem is – a lot of people don’t want to drive a minivan… so the crossover was born. And today – crossovers dominate the market. Toyota dang near perfected the crossover with the Toyota Highlander. Then Toyota 1-upped themselves and introduced the Grand Highlander, with even more square-footage, & versatility. The Lexus TX 350 offers all that… in a more luxurious & refined package.

The Lexus TX 350 is an ideal choice for a family road trip…

And that’s exactly what we did. Epic Universe baby! Right off the bat, the Lexus TX 350 had us scratching our heads in our driveway. Were we forgetting something?? There was room to spare… a lot of it actually. And I don’t know about y’all, but no matter where we go as a family, even if it’s just a 1-nighter, any vehicle we drive is somehow packed full to the max. But not the Lexus TX. There was literally still open floor space in the rear. The Lexus TX is somehow more spacious than the sum of its parts. I don’t know how Lexus did it. All things considered, the Lexus TX could quite possibly be a top-5 family road trip vehicle.

The Lexus TX 350 is not a powerhouse… 

The 2.4 turbocharged 4-cylinder makes 275hp & 317tq. But with the TX being 4,500lbs, it’s got a lot to move. However, the 350 has good core-components that should be reliable & low maintenance for decades to come. You can get the 350 in both front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. There is no hybrid in the TX 350 (hybrids are in the TX 500h & 550h models). But what that means for the TX 350 is: There’s no battery, no electric motor, no over-complication… and less fail points. The TX has a real, robust-feeling 8-speed automatic (versus a CVT). All things considered – the Lexus TX 350 should be a good longterm vehicle. And that’s why you buy the Lexus.

Here’s where the Lexus TX 350 fits in. 

The Lexus TX will haul the family & everyone’s stuff in low-stress comfort. It’s luxurious and sophisticated… yet it’s also smart & sensible. The TX is a unibody crossover, not a body-on-frame SUV like the GX or LX (or Tahoe or Expedition). That mean it’s easier/lighter to drive & maneuver – probably quieter – and all around more nimble. The trade-off is: It does not have the brute strength, or as much towing-capacity should you need it.

Personally, I found some of the advanced tech in the Lexus TX (particularly the driver’s aids) to be a bit of an annoyance. For example, the auto-braking had me unhinged. It works fine in simplified and/or elementary driving situations. But I found it to be erratic & overcompensating in real world scenarios. In short, the vehicle may miscalculate your intentions, and intervene (aggressively) with auto-braking. It erratically disrupts the flow of traffic, and creates a dangerous situation where the driver does not have full control of the vehicle. Anyhow, once I turned that stuff off, all was right in the world again.