My Thoughts Exactly: 2025 Lexus TX 350
This time, it’s the TX 350 with its turbocharged four-cylinder internal combustion engine. To be honest, this is the model you want to know about it.
A year ago, we welcomed the Lexus TX for the first time with us. We liked the premise of a more comfortable three-row SUV from Toyota’s luxury brand that offered adult-sized space in the third row. That, along with it being a V6 plug-in hybrid driveline.
A year later, Lexus sent another TX. This time, it’s the volume-selling TX 350 with its turbocharged four-cylinder internal combustion engine. To be honest, this is the model you’d like to know about it.
Why is that? Perhaps because of the fatigue setting in regarding electrification and plug-in vehicles. The approach to SUVs these days is based on the principle of replacing displacement with boosted performance or some form of electrification. This is a prime example of the former.
Our TX 350 tester starts with the 275-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged engine. Down low, this boosted engine puts down 317 pound-feet of torque. Rounding out the driveline in our Luxury tester was an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
The key to this strategy is to balance performance with efficiency, while maintaining that air of Lexus luxury. It turned out OK. It’s not going to be a barn burner, but it will do the job. Cruising down the highway is not problem. Lane changes and such – still no problem. Shifts were on point.
This turbocharged engine is not perfect by any means. Fuel economy was a bit of a letdown, averaging 21.0 MPG. You hoped and expected that you would get better fuel efficiency, but it is a nearly a 4,600-pound SUV.
Just to get that out in the open, the notion of the TX is to carry your family in luxurious style. The driveline is fine. Hybrids – including the V6 Plug-In Hybrid – yield more performance. No matter which driveline you choose, the essence of its purpose is there.
The TX is easy on the eyes. The hint of the Spindle Grille might make this SUV anonymous. However, it is a Lexus. All you have to do is look at the badge above the grille.
The side glass profile is nice, with a chrome frame on the D-pillar. Overall vision is pretty good. Doors open wide, especially the rear doors for third row occupants. The liftgate opens high for cargo management.
Still, I have seen and heard the word “anonymous” to describe the overall exterior design. Thankfully, the words “plain” and “boring” have not been applied to the Lexus TX. It is interesting in its own special way.
The Luxury model wore 22-inch alloy wheels to go with its low-profile all-season tires. Our tester came with running boards. Personally, I do not think this feature was necessary on this vehicle.
The interior is stylish, with a recessed digital instrument cluster and a large 14-inch Lexus Interface infotainment screen. The front center console has dual square-shaped cupholders, along with a shift-by-write transmission actuator. It is a familiar cockpit based on our last experience with last year’s TX 550h+, and that familiarity helped to navigate easily around the cabin.
While six of you settle into the three-row cabin, Mark Levinson will feed you some nice sound all around. You do have space to stretch, even in the rearmost seats. In turn, cargo space is massive. While its competitors top out about 75 cubic feet behind the front row, the TX has up to 97.0 cubic feet to spare.
One little thing that would make the TX more livable for the driver is a better brightness control for the instrument cluster screen. It’s not just the glare I experienced, but the rather faintness of its brightest setting in broad daylight. At least there is a head-up display on this tester for the more critical readouts.
The Lexus TX is a pleasant vehicle to run around in. We’re talking a smooth and well-balanced ride. Although handling tended to be on the soft side, it is well controlled through the corners. Your passengers will be just fine.
When we look at the Lexus TX, one turn of the steering wheel will tell you how nimble it us. It is a longer vehicle, but the turning radius and action is quite good. That includes its on-center feel, when the Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist comes into play. As for the brakes, they’re also quite good. Pedal feel is solid, yielding good stops in normal and paic situations.
For 2025, there are nine TX models to choose from. That includes turbocharged hybrids and V6 plug-in hybrids. Pricing starts from $56,490. This TX 350 Luxury AWD tester came with a sticker price of $73,795.
No matter which driveline you choose, there are some compelling reasons to consider the Lexus TX. Right off the bat, the third-row space will attract growing families. Not to mention its massive cargo space. Roomy interiors are always big winners when it comes to families looking for a practical vehicle – such as the TX.
In the premium/luxury space, it may not stand out as its rivals. Size-wise, yes. If you want as much room as the Lexus TX among luxury branded vehicles, you will have to pay more.
If you want another reason to consider the TX, its final assembly is in Princeton, Indiana.
Let’s face it, you will ultimately take home a Lexus TX because of its interior space. All of your passengers will thank you for making that decision.
DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Toyota Motor North America – our opinions are of our own
All photos by Randy Stern