Lexus LX VS BMW X4
Lexus LX
Likes
- Refined
- Comfortable
- Off-road capable
Dislikes
- Hefty price
- 22-inch wheels
- Tyres not suited to 4WD touring
BMW X4
Likes
- Slick exterior
- Punchy engine
- Excellent steering
Dislikes
- Cabin size
- Restricted visibility
- Boot design
Summary
Lexus LX
The Lexus LX line-up has a solid reputation as off-road vehicles and towing platforms.
And there’s plenty of excitement about the new-generation Lexus LX500d because it’s essentially a tarted-up version of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series – it’s built on the same platform as the 300 and even has that model’s 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbocharged diesel engine and 10-speed auto.
Sure, it’s not as tough looking as the new Prado-based Lexus GX, but if you like your off-roader with more than its fair share of posh trimmings then perhaps a Lexus LX500d is your cup of tea.
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However, with a price-tag topping out at more than $150,000, does this luxury 4WD wagon actually deserve your attention or should you look elsewhere?
Read on.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 3.3L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.9L/100km |
| Seating | 7 seats |
BMW X4
Look, personally I found it amusingly weird when German car companies started sloping the roofs on sedans and calling them “coupes”, despite the fact that they had four doors. Their ability to imagine segments, and find buyers in them, that have no reason to exist is almost something to admire.
But turning SUVs, like the already very capable X3, into coupes? Frankly, it’s like turning an ass into an elbow. Lower the roof to reduce headroom and shrink the boot? Why? Because it will look so sexy people won’t be able to resist it. That’s BMW’s approach with the X4 and, somehow, it seems to work.
And, to be fair, sporty SUVs are not a BMW thing: the Range Rover Evoque, Audi Q5 Sportback, and Mercedes-AMG’s range of GLC Coupé models have all taken off, each contributing toward an unlikely trend that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.
Read more on BMW
We’re having a steer of the 3.0 version to see what it’s like to have the somewhat bulky body of a mid-size SUV while shortchanging yourself on cabin space thanks to the lowered roof.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.9L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Lexus LX7.5/10
The Lexus LX500d is a luxury seven-seat 4WD wagon with a big price-tag to match its full-to-bursting standard features list.
The interior is now more cool than cheesy and as a daily driver and long-distance tourer the LX500d offers very impressive levels of comfort and refinement – and it’s no posh pretender off-road either.
Sure, it’s much more of a city conveyance than a country wagon, but the LX500d is spot-on for those who have a premium SUV on their mind.
BMW X47.5/10
Okay, so the BMW X4 xDrive30i is neither an ass nor an elbow, to be fair, it's more of a bulky shoulder muscle, or two.
I can't say I'll ever love the X4, the idea of it is a bit too weird for me, but I can't help admiring the way it looks and the way it drives.
It's a bit like a sedan on steroids - or an SUV on a diet, depending on your perspective - but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s fun to drive, comfortable and retains just enough coolness, and just enough practicality, to make it worthwhile.
Design
Lexus LX
The LX500d, in keeping with its positioning in the luxury slice of the market, is an imposing, premium-looking vehicle.
Lexus puts the LX500d’s dimensions at 5100mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1990mm wide, and 1885mm high (1895mm in the Enhancement Pack-equipped LX500d). This is a big, classy SUV, inside and out, and it’s more than just a 300 Series LandCruiser in a shiny suit.
The optional 22-inch alloy wheels (part of the $5500 Enhancement Pack) add to the overall polished look.
The interior is a classy mix of woodgrain trim, Hazel leather accents, soft-touch surfaces, Shimamoku ornamentation, plush but supportive seating, and even comfortable arm-rests.
BMW X49/10
So here's the thing. Obviously I have a personal beef with the existence of vehicles like this, but my eyes cannot deny the facts - the X4 looks fantastic. It's muscular, imposing and smooth all at once. Unlike the X6, a bigger and less visually successful attempt to play the same styling tricks with an X5, it doesn't have a ridiculous rear view that looks like it shoulders and buttocks have been fused (although it's hard to miss just how small the rear window is).
Even more impressively, there's no denying it looks better than the X3 that gave birth to it, so I can easily see why someone in a BMW showroom could be drawn to it. At least until they sit inside.
If the exterior style and eye-catching Sophisto Grey metallic paint don’t make an immediate impression then your eyes will surely widen at the interior, resplendent with bold Tacora Red seats, Aluminium Rhombicle trim finisher and the kind of sleek, classy styling that BMW excels in.
Both the adjustable ambient lighting on the doors (we were partial to lilac) and door projectors that shot out what looked like robot wings onto the ground every time we hopped out of the X4 at night walked a fine line between futuristic cool and “parked out the front of a nightclub entrance” chintz, but over time the scales tipped more to the former.
The big differentiator between the X4 and X3, of course, is the sloped coupé roof, a design feature that may make the X4 look a little cooler, but at the expense of cabin space, but more of that in a moment.
Practicality
Lexus LX
The cabin is a cavernous, plush space and driver and passengers are all generally well served in terms of practicality and comfort.
The tech is simple enough to locate and operate – it was easy 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, adaptive air-suspension height, the 4WD system, and other vehicle information), a head-up display, plus a 7.0-inch touchscreen for rear passengers.
Heating and cooling are managed via the climate concierge and everyone can keep themselves as comfortably hot or cold as they like with separate controls.
Storage is only reasonable for such a voluminous interior with a variety of door pockets, cupholders (eight in total), glove box, a deep 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 cupholders for the third row.
The Lexus has a Qi wireless charger and front and rear USB-C charging ports – one up front, two in the second row, and two in the third row.
There’s a 12V DC socket (front and rear) and a 220V socket in the rear cargo area.
Power-adjustable seats up front mean the driver and front passenger can dial-in their favourite seating position and these seats are very comfortable. Even the second row is plush, but the third row is not quite at that comfort level.
Second-row passengers have air con and entertainment controls, and an HDMI port.
The sunroof – an Enhancement Pack inclusion – is power-adjustable and allows plenty of natural light in through the top.
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 each half of 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, of course.
The tailgate has a foot-swipe-to-open sensor (part of the $5500 Enhancement Pack).
BMW X47/10
For a car that is very much a mid-sized SUV on the outside, the interior can feel a bit too snug, like you’re driving a compact car that’s tried on a suit a few sizes too big (for reference, I’m 175cm tall - above-average height drivers may find the snugness soon turns to claustrophobia).
While comfortable - it is BMW we’re talking about, after all - there’s not an overly abundant amount of headroom available, a feeling that becomes more pronounced should you shut the big moon roof.
My two children felt slightly too close to “you’re annoying me” distance from one another, which is to say this isn’t really the kind of car you should be getting if you plan on regularly ferrying about passengers in the rear who are bigger than a child. But I really don't think many people with kids would choose the X4 over the X3.
Boot space also takes a hit when compared to the X3 (550 litres versus 525-litres in the X4 - I was surprised the difference wasn't larger - although that expands to 1430-litres with the rear seats folded down.
The boot opening is also mouth-shaped, which makes packing in wide-load items more of an issue.
Cupholders are plentiful - two in the front, two in the rear, and bottle holders in each door - and there’s a decent-sized storage cubby in between the front two seats.
The sloped roof, and big fat A pillars, also result in the X4 being a bit more pinched at the rear, which is not especially great for visibility, with the vehicle’s blind spots taking some getting used to.
Price and features
Lexus LX
The seven-seat LX500d is the base-spec in the three-variant diesel LX line-up – below the F Sport and Sports Luxury – but you wouldn’t know it from its price-tag.
The LX500d retails for $157,061 (excluding on-road costs), but our test vehicle has an optional Enhancement Pack (which includes 22-inch alloy wheels, sunroof, hands-free power tailgate with kick sensor, $5500) and has been fitted with a towing set-up (towbar etc, $1545 fitted) pushing its price up to $164,106 (excluding on-road costs).
As standard the LX500d features list includes a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluetooth), a 25-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, heated and ventilated power-adjustable seats, woodgrain steering wheel trim, 8.0-inch multi-information driver display, four-zone climate control, 7.0-inch touchscreen and separate control panel for rear passengers, multi-terrain monitor with panoramic view, and 20-inch alloy wheels (but, as mentioned, our test vehicle has the Enhancement Pack with 22-inch alloy wheels).
It has a digital rear-view mirror, adaptive variable suspension with low, normal and two high settings, as well as full-time four-wheel drive, a low-range transfer case, locking centre differential, and a variety of driving modes (including off-road modes) and driver assistants.
Exterior paint choices include the no-extra-cost Onyx, or options such as Liquid Metal, White Nova (F Sport models only), Sonic Quartz (not available on F Sport models), Titanium, Graphite Black, and Khaki Metal (on our test vehicle), all of which incur an extra cost.
BMW X47/10
Cost-wise, the X4 is roughly in the same ballpark as the other cars in this strange sub-segment, but when you add in optional extras - metallic paint, panorama glass sunroof and BMW Laserlight headlights among them - the base price of $95,900 plus on-road costs sneaks up to $101,800, which is is no small figure.
It’s also a considerable $8000 more than the SUV-shaped X3, meaning you’re essentially getting the same car, but with less cabin and boot space, for more money. To be fair, this is just part of a long tradition of the style-conscious buyer being willing to pay more for less, one that the invention of the coupe pretty much invented.
That kind of money also makes exclusions like adaptive cruise control, heated seats and wireless charging a bit of a head-scratcher.
Still, there’s plenty to love, including an M Sport kit that comes standard with the X4 (a suspension/brake package and various styling embellishments), butter-soft Tacora Red Vernasca leather seats (Sport adjustable for the driver and front passenger), 20-inch M light alloy double-spoked wheels, a head-up display, adaptive LED headlights, and an automatic tailgate.
There’s also a generous high-resolution 12.3-inch control display and digital 12.3-inch instrument display, the former operated by touch or via the rotary iDrive Touch Controller.
Cable-free Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available, but BMW allows you the option to use its iDrive system instead, just in case you're some kind of mad Munich fanboy - or you hate Apple.
Under the bonnet
Lexus LX
The Lexus LX500d has a 3.3-litre 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 permanent all-wheel-drive system, low-range transfer case and a lockable centre diff.
It also has six on-road drive modes – including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom – and off-road drive modes.
The V6 is an impressive fit in this behemoth, but even though this is a smooth-shifting SUV, there’s a leisurely, rather than lively, overall feel to how the engine and auto work together.
Because it is so hefty – with a listed 2690kg kerb weight – the Lexus does need a bit of heavy right boot to get going off the mark and during overtaking moves.
BMW X48/10
Now, prepare to be confused. In the past, the 3.0 in the xDrive3.0i nomenclature might have led you to believe you'd bought a BMW with a 3.0-litre straight six engine. But in this case, you have not, the 3.0 just means you have a more exciting version of the 2.0; a TwinPower turbo 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine, making 179kW and 353Nm that the xDrive system delivers to all four wheels.
The claimed zero to 100km/h time of 4.9 seconds feels completely realistic as this engine has plenty of poke. Put it in the Sport setting and you'll get some serious shove. Indeed, the switch between Comfort and Sport is very noticeable and changes the character of the car entirely.
The transmission is an eight-speed conventional torque converter automatic gearbox that’s both smooth and responsive.
Efficiency
Lexus LX
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 12.2L/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 almost 656km from a full tank.
BMW X47/10
The X4’s 65-litre tank needs to be 95-octane at a minimum, and BMW’s claimed combined fuel consumption is 7.9 litres per 100km. The temptation to use its rorty little engine is going to push you higher, though - you chose the one with the 3.0 badge on it after all - and we averaged 10.9 litres per 100km in our week together, which was mainly city driving, to be fair.
Driving
Lexus LX
This Lexus feels tighter and better controlled than previous iterations on sealed surfaces, but it’s still a big rig so it’s no surprise when body roll continually creeps in, with this hefty SUV revealing wallowing tendencies 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 – irons out any major issues, but, even with consistent support from the adaptive variable suspension, it’s not perfect.
Steering is light and precise and adds to this posh 2690kg beast’s overall feeling of low-key composure.
This is a very nice cabin in which to spend time as NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels are kept to a minimum.
As mentioned earlier, the drive modes include normal, eco, sport and each adjusts throttle response, engine outputs, and gearshifts to suit the driver and the driving conditions.
Now for a few on-road niggles…
The brake pedals feel too spongy in their action – from stomp to stop – but the ventilated disc brakes front and rear do manage to wrench the Lexus to a controlled halt when needed.
The V6 and auto work well together, and though that transmission remains a smooth shifter, 10 gear ratios still seem like too many to me but, alas, that’s the way of the world.
To the off-road portion of this test…
The LX500d is a great open-road tourer but it does reveal some flaws when it comes to 4WDing – but more about those later.
As well as its robust mechanicals, the Lexus has off-road-capable Cruiser underpinnings with dirt-biased tech thrown into the mix as well.
There’s plenty of glass around so driver-to-track visibility is fine, steering feels light but takes on a clinical precision during low-speed, low-range 4WDing.
And ‘clinical’ is exactly how the Lexus continues to feel off-road – 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 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 don’t forget about downhill assist control, hill-start assist, crawl control, and off-road traction control.
The danger is that – with so much tech working away at making everything so easy and safe – the driver feels completely removed from the off-road experience. The LX500d isn’t the only culprit, not by a long shot; most of the current crop of off-road vehicles are increasingly offering a sanitised, hyper-controlled version of 4WDing rather than the visceral experience many of us know and love. I’m old and grumpy, sue me.
Our test vehicle has all-season Dunlop Grandtrek 265/50R22 112V tyres, which are fine for sealed surfaces, but they’re not at all suited to the demands of low-range 4WDing in tough conditions, even more so on these 22-inch rims.
Unbraked towing capacity is 750kg, braked towing capacity is 3500kg. The LX500d has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3280kg and a gross combination mass (GCM) of 6780kg.
It has a full-size spare tyre and that’s mounted under the rear cargo area.
BMW X48/10
The impressive trick that BMW continually pulls off with its SUVs is giving them the same sensual, muscular steering as its sedans, and an impressively similar ride and handling balance.
The steering is the highlight here, but it's also noticeable how planted to the road it feels.
The X4 speaks to its looks, in fact, by feeling sportier and more alive to drive than you'd expect an X3 to be.
This is less an SUV for soccer mums and dads, and more a bastard love-child that’s into loud leather and bright neon - a CEO who dressed punk rock-lite on weekends, if you will.
If those weekends are bereft of child taxiing and loading up the boot with several tons of kid stuff, then you’ll have a blast in the X4.
Safety
Lexus LX
The Lexus does not have an ANCAP safety rating as it has not been tested.
Safety features include 10 airbags (driver and front passenger: front, knee, side; rear: side), AEB with pedestrian detection and daytime cyclist detection, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera with rear camera washer, adaptive cruise control, road sign assist, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, tyre pressure warning system, and more.
BMW X48/10
A 2018 test gave the X4 a five-star ANCAP safety rating, and an easily located button on the dash brings up the vehicle’s safety suite if you’re the kind of driver who likes to make a few adjustments.
A 360-degree camera offers multiple viewpoints and is a godsend when parking the X4, since the cabin makes the car feel smaller than it actually is on the outside, and the range of safety features on offer are more than adequate.
Those include autonomous emergency braking, dynamic braking lights, dynamic stability and traction control, rear-cross traffic alert, speed limit information and hill descent control.
Ownership
Lexus LX
The Lexus LX500d has a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Capped-price servicing applies for three years or 60,000km, whichever occurs the soonest.
Service intervals are scheduled for every six months or 10,000km intervals with each appointment costing $495 a pop over that period.
Lexus Encore benefits – including a loan vehicle during services, service pick-up and return, as well as valet parking offers and fuel discounts – are standard for new Lexus owners.
BMW X46/10
Despite all the brouhaha about other car manufacturers offering more generous warranty periods - seven years for Kia, for example - BMW has not shifted its stance, still offering its standard three-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Frankly, it's just not good enough.
BMW also offer a Service Inclusive package for $2010 that covers owners for five years, or 80,000km.