Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover
Test Drive

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover

The Russian buyer is less and less confused by the frequent maintenance of diesel cars and possible problems due to low-quality fuel. These motors have convincing advantages.

The hungry howl of the eight-cylinder diesel will make the Greenpeace activist go gray, but the Lexus LX450d was created with an eye to the countries where giant SUVs are still found. In Russia, it is already sold much better than the gasoline version, and this is not surprising. More than half of Russian Range Rovers are also refueled on a dispenser with an inscription DT. Basically, these are economical V6s, but the share of the status V8 is also high - 25%.

The Russian buyer is less and less confused by the frequent maintenance of diesel cars and possible problems due to low-quality fuel. These motors have convincing advantages. For example, traction, available from the very bottom and pressing passengers into the seats, is in demand both off-road and on the highway. Still gasoline atmospheric "eights" of large SUVs are too gluttonous, so the efficiency of turbodiesels against their background is obvious.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



The status of the car no longer determines the number of cylinders, because several turbines and an electric motor-assistant can significantly increase the output of a more modest engine. Therefore, the approach of Lexus and Jaguar Land Rover seems a little old-fashioned, but it also has an obvious plus - a large motor, created in an era when the car assembly was aimed at first being strong, and only then light and compact, is more credible.

The 4,4 liter Range diesel was developed back in the days when Land Rover was owned by the Ford concern, and its version was installed on the Ford F-150 pickup. The Lexus engine is also not new, it is a seriously modernized version of the 2007 unit known from the Toyota Land Cruiser 200. It would seem that it is difficult to equip the G2015 and the related LX, but the Japanese premium brand has matured to this decision only in XNUMX. By this time, the flagship SUV was produced for the eighth year. The philosophy of Lexus is atmospheric engines and a little bit of hybrids, the company uses even gasoline "turbo-fours" very carefully, not to mention diesels.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover

The diesel engine is not the only innovation of the LX: the SUV has undergone the second restyling in its life. The spindle-shaped radiator grille, sharp-angled headlights with arrows and large LED crystals, sharpened blades of the lanterns - all this is bright, avant-garde, eye-catching. LX, despite the more noticeable hollows on the sides and a thin C-pillar with a characteristic kink, still carries the steel body on the frame, and the rear axle is continuous. The diesel car turned out to be heavier than the gasoline one: the most equipped car weighs under three tons. In order to fit it into the passenger category, we had to reduce weight through options, so the hatch and third row of seats are not available for the 450d.

The Yachting Range Rover is still one of the nicest SUVs to this day, although it has been on sale for its fourth year. And its design is the most modern: a load-bearing, all-aluminum body, an independent suspension is made of light alloys for the sake of weight reduction.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



The interior of Range Rover is glassy, ​​light and very luxurious - the test car has the highest grade, Autobiography. The front panel and armchairs seemed to be hand-sewn by an English tailor from Savile Row, holding a piece of chalk in one hand and a tape-centimeter in the other, so everything is hand-made here. Inside the LX, the mood is fundamentally different: a huge hood, thick pillars, a roof hanging from above, a massive back of the seat seem to protect the driver from the dangers of the outside world. Lexus is as good as semi-aniline leather on the seats and wood trim, but what is the limit for it is just the beginning for the Range Rover. In the interior of a Japanese SUV, there is no such attention to detail: the relief of the front panel artlessly imitates leather upholstery, plastic does not try to cheat with a metallic sheen, and the wood is massive, matte, spongy, as if cut from rafter beams. Everything is done thoroughly and it is unlikely that in a few years it will fade, peel off or be covered with a net of scratches.

The LX sofa is in theory a three-seater, but in order to use the climate control, you need to lower the wide center armrest. The backs can be tilted and the seats themselves can be moved. There is not only heating, but also ventilation of the seats. However, separate monitors for the second row, which are in the petrol option list, are not available for the 450d.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



There is more legroom for rear passengers in the LX than in a standard Range Rover, but the Englishman also offers a version with an extended wheelbase for an extra charge. Plus, you can order a car with separate rear seats, many adjustments and a massage function. But in this case, the trunk will be impossible to transform.

The buttons on the center console and the Range Rover tunnel are at a minimum. Most of the SUV's functions are automated as much as possible. To turn on the heated seats and distribute the air flow, you need to point your finger at the touch screen. LX, on the contrary, has a huge number of knobs, keys, toggle switches. The maximum number of them was placed on the central tunnel, some scattered along the front panel. You constantly find something new - a button for all-round view or cleaning the particulate filter, deactivating the side airbags - so as not to fire off-road. At the same time, the "Japanese" is sufficiently automated - here, for example, there is a "climate concierge", which synchronizes the heating of the steering wheel, heating and ventilation of the seats with a given temperature.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



Range Rover was one of the first to receive a virtual dashboard, and the multimedia system screen is able to show different pictures for the driver and passenger. But the infotainment system itself on the test car is still of the previous generation, sluggish, confusing and much inferior to the fresh head unit of Jaguar Land Rover. The updated Lexus LX is content with real devices, and the screen between the dials is too small, but a huge wide-angle screen with good picture clarity appeared in the center of the panel. Its menu is simpler, but still controlled by a joystick on a monumental pedestal, very responsive - try it, get to the right point. Unfortunately, in terms of convenience, speed and functionality, these systems are inferior to even a simple Android smartphone.

Both SUVs are equipped with air suspension and can squat to make it easier to board or load things. Range Rover can do this remotely, by a signal from the key, and LX can do it automatically: the driver just needs to stop and switch the automatic selector to Parking. The Lexus's default ground clearance is slightly higher than the Range Rover: 225 versus 221 mm, but it is able to rise on tiptoe by 60 mm, and the "Briton" - by 75 mm. In the event that the maximum clearance is not enough, the electronics will raise the body a little more so that the SUV can get off the "shallow". The Range also has such a function, although it has less chances to sit on its belly.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



In addition, Range Rover has an intermediate "off-road" height - plus 40 mm to the normal clearance: in this position, it is able to travel at speeds up to 80 km per hour. But it is hardly worth rushing so quickly at full speed over rough terrain - it would be good to keep the wheels with a diameter of 21 inches, shod with low-profile tires. The smallest size available for a V8 diesel is 20 inches, while the Lexus LX 450d is equipped with uncontested 18-inch wheels and tires with a profile of 60 for a reason. Despite the long front overhang and loss in off-road geometry, the LX looks more ready for daily ordeals - powerful levers, continuous rear axle. With him, you can safely go on reconnaissance.

The Englishman, with its delicate aluminum body panels, is a rare off-road visitor, but part of the British brand's heritage. Therefore, the flagship continues to carry with it both a downshift and an advanced off-road autopilot Terrain Response, which changes the machine settings in accordance with the type of coverage. The driver cannot independently lock the central or rear differentials, only select the mode for driving on ice or snow crust, sand, muddy rut or rocks. Terrain Response is able to act independently - just drown the washer-switch to the Auto position: for light off-road conditions, this is quite enough.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



Lexus is also equipped with a range of off-road modes, but allows for deeper interventions in the drivetrain and drivetrain control. First, you have to look at the instructions for this: otherwise, how else can you guess that the same washer is responsible for choosing the speed in the "creeping" mode and for switching five fixed off-road settings? Intuitively, you can understand that this key blocks the center differential, and the other allows you to get under way from second gear on slippery roads. The fact that there is a "turn assist" function, which is useful if the SUV is driving at a low and with a locked "center", is impossible to understand without instructions.

The large wheels and roll control that are required on all V8 Range Rovers do not make the SUV look sporty. The electronics, which regulate the characteristics of the shock absorbers approximately 500 times per second, are gentle. She does not always have time to react correctly - the car suddenly rolls more than it should, or, conversely, rigidly fulfills the joint on the roadway. It's even odd that the Range Rover has a plethora of off-road tweaks that it actually doesn't have. The car cannot be made softer and thus receive less information about road defects. A special "autobahn" mode, which is available in a gasoline compressor machine, and which improves road performance, a diesel SUV is deprived.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



The LX lets you force-change suspension settings without relying on complex and wayward electronics. In a comfortable mode, pits, cracks, joints of the roadway are almost imperceptible, but as soon as you lay a bend more abruptly, the car begins to storm perceptibly. For more successful cornering, there is a Sport + position - the suspension is clamped, the steering wheel becomes heavier, and the squeak of tires, rather than a threatening roll, speaks of overspeed. This will not turn the LX into a supercar, but it will significantly improve its on-road behavior. The Normal mode is a sweet spot with a slight roll for comfort. The car can be adjusted individually: for example, to tighten the suspension, but leave a "comfortable" response to the gas pedal.

At full throttle, Range Rover glides onto the rear axle. Impressive 339 hp and 740 Nm give it decent dynamics - 6,9 s to 100 km per hour. But it does not seem very fast: the smoothness of the eight-speed "automatic" ZF hides the speed of the British SUV's acceleration, the car becomes a little more emotional with the transfer of the automatic transmission to sport mode.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



The V8 diesel when installed on the LX has added power and now develops 272 hp, but the moment remains the same as on the Land Cruiser: 650 Newton meters. The "Japanese" is also heavier and, in theory, should seriously lag behind the competitor in overclocking in overclocking. In reality, the difference in dynamics is not that big: Range Rover wins less than two seconds from zero to "hundred", and at maximum speed it is only 8 km per hour faster: 218 versus 210 km per hour. In addition, acceleration of the LX is more emotional: the six-speed LX gearbox recounts gears more noticeably, the diesel responds brighter, and reaches the peak torque earlier. At idle, it is surprisingly quiet, vibrations and the characteristic clinking heard from outside do not penetrate into the cabin. Acceleration accompanies a chilling howl. The Range Rover engine is quieter, more intelligent, and at low speed it clearly rattles like a diesel engine, but the characteristic timbre of the "eight" cannot be confused with anything. Voice is one of the big and fat advantages of eight-cylinder engines.

With acceleration these cars are doing much better than braking. It seems that the lighter Range Rover should slow down intensively, but it does so very gently. The Lexus has a fairly large free pedal travel, after which the brakes are suddenly caught.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



The average consumption of Range Rover on the on-board computer was 13,2 liters, at night on an empty highway it even dropped below ten liters. Moving the LX requires a lot of energy, even with a dedicated Eco-mode. It turned out to be more voracious - for the same hundred kilometers it consumes 16 liters of diesel fuel. Lexus has to refuel more often, not only because of the higher consumption. The LX is capable of taking less fuel on board than the Range Rover, and the additional fuel tank that can be fitted to the diesel Land Cruiser 200 is not available.

The moment Range Rover's advantage is tangible, prices come to the rescue. The standard LX 450d is offered for $ 70, while the most packaged variant is priced at $ 954. The rich basic configuration includes four-zone climate control, an all-round camera, LED headlights, and leather interior. The list of additional equipment is more modest, moreover, it was also reduced for a diesel car.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



A Range Rover, even with a junior V6, is significantly more expensive than the LX, and the most affordable British SUV with a V8 in Vogue trim costs at least $ 97. The Autobiography test car's price tag approaches $ 640. "Briton" offers an endless number of interior options, interior and exterior color combinations and a serious set of equipment. For a surcharge - any whim, but they also include the usual premium-class options like all-round cameras and four-zone climate control. There are no fully LED headlights in the list of its equipment yet, but there are door closers that Lexus lacks.

Restyling and new options gave the LX a third youth and added status. But all these changes did not go deep and did not touch the core - this is still a powerful frame SUV with a large margin of safety. LX is rude, massive, solid, but all these are rather pluses, attractive character traits. The farther from a big city, the worse the roads are, and the more confidence it inspires. He doesn't even have the right shoes for the "parquet", but if asked, he will show some sports tricks.

 

Test drive and comparison of Lexus LX and Range Rover



Range Rover - trained a lot, including off-road, but the position of a sophisticated snob and gentleman obliges to live in a prestigious area and drive mainly on the highway. The reduced gear for him is the very same pigtail of Baron Munchausen for self-pulling, a happy ending of a future fascinating story. The "Englishman" is too self-confident and used to trust his own electronic systems more than the wishes of the driver.

 

 

 

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