2024 BMW X5 vs. 2024 Lexus GX Vehicle Comparison
A big rival
The 2024 Lexus GX is a model that falls into a similar price bracket as the 2024 BMW X5 when you're shopping in Tacoma, Seattle, or Bellevue for a new luxury SUV. But how does the GX stack up against the X5, and which one most deserves your closer attention? Let's compare them to find out.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Regardless of what some people might want to try and tell you, how a vehicle looks is almost always one of the most significant deciding factors when shoppers choose a new vehicle. The first thing you will notice about the 2024 BMW X5 and the 2024 Lexus GX is they couldn't be more different. The X5 wears a familiar style that's muscular, classy, and full of presence. A familiar design which remains as popular as ever with its target audience.
Lexus is well-known for producing achingly modern vehicle designs that can be more than a little polarizing for some tastes. However, like the X5, the Lexus GX goes for style over controversy. Unfortunately, the GX isn't a particularly attractive model, partly due to its elongated body that always has to accommodate a third-row seat. The GX is a functional model that's starting to look a little long in the tooth, and it doesn't look as classy or desirable as the X5.
Performance priorities
The Lexus GX and BMW X5 go in different directions concerning performance. While the Lexus appears to adopt a somewhat functional approach with enough power and no more, the BMW starts with abundant power and heads northwards from there. It all comes down to priorities. The Lexus GX is a more family-focused model with its three-row format and the impressive off-road credentials you'd expect from a close relative of the Land Cruiser. But the capability comes at a price: a curb weight above 5,100 pounds.
The GX gets a suitably large 4.6-liter V-8 engine to handle that weight, but it's an elderly powerplant whose 301 horsepower now gets surpassed by some modern turbo-fours. By way of complete contrast, the X5 starts with 335 horsepower from its standard powerplant and goes up as far as 617 horsepower with the X5 M Competition. While the BMW doesn't weigh much less than the Lexus, you'd never know, thanks to its vastly superior acceleration and top speeds of its available powerplants.
Quality that's more than skin deep
We're used to Lexus being capable of delivering stunning interiors today that can often be up there with the very best, but it may be fair to say the 2024 Lexus GX interior isn't one of the brand's best. The cabin of the GX is spacious and well-equipped, but the interior accommodations are starting to look and feel decidedly old-school. And despite the GX residing in the large luxury SUV while the BMW X5 is considered midsize, there are plenty of dimensions where the BMW offers passengers and cargo more room than the Lexus.
The BMW also boasts a significant advantage over the Lexus with the way it drives and rides. Both models have lots of technology available to deal with body lean, such as adaptive dampers. The X5 corners with verve and can be great fun to drive, although its performance focus does mean the ride can be a little stiffer than the GX, especially the X5 M. The Lexus does its best to hide its size and weight, but there's nothing sporty or engaging about how it drives and handles. The X5 lives up to the "Ultimate Driving Machine" billing in a way the GX cannot imagine emulating.
Conclusion
The 2024 BMW X5 and 2024 Lexus GX cost relatively similar at the entry-level, and they're both luxury SUVs. But that's about the extent of their similarities. The X5 is more contemporary, stylish, upscale, performance-orientated, and desirable, which you'll surely appreciate when you come for a test drive with BMW Northwest at 4011 20th Street East Tacoma, WA. Alternatively, call us at (253)-922-8700 to arrange an appointment for a time that fits your schedule.