why ads?

Popular at KBB.com

The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2009 Lexus LX

Please enter a valid mileage

View all 2 photos

Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Lexus LX

Overview

Trading in or Selling? Know where you stand with the most up-to-date Kelley Blue Book Value at your fingertips. See your car's value

Buying this car?

2009 Lexus LX Review

By KBB.com Editors

After a thorough revamping last year, Lexus' flagship SUV, the LX 570, rejoins the battle against industry giants such as the Land Rover Range Rover, Audi Q7 and Cadillac Escalade. A weak economy may hurt the entire segment this year, but with its powerful 5.7-liter engine mated to a six-speed transmission, an advanced suspension system and a sterling reputation for quality and reliability, the LX 570 stands ready to lure those few prospective buyers still shopping the full-size luxury SUV market. Those also looking for Lexus luxury with the option to traverse heavy terrain will find a solution in the LX 570.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you're looking for Lexus ride and interior quality teamed with off-road and towing capabilities, the 2009 LX 570 can fulfill your needs. The third-row seating and ample rear cargo room come in handy for extra passengers and hauling large items.

You May Not Like This Car If...

The luxurious styling and tremendous utility come at a high price, so if you're looking for a less expensive SUV with almost as much utility as the LX 570, you'll have to look elsewhere. Side-folding third-row seats are not as space-friendly as flush-folding units found on other luxury makes.

What's New for 2009

New for 2009 is the Luxury Package that adds semi-aniline leather seating, a cool box for beverages, a new SmartAccess keyless access device and 20-inch Liquid Graphite finished wheels.

Driving the LX

Driving Impressions Though large in size, the 2009 Lexus LX 570 is stable at freeway speeds and on curvy roads as well as comfortable off-road. Three different ride settings are available: The...

driver can choose "Comfort," "Sport" or the default ride setting, which is somewhat between the other two. We found the Sport setting to be stiff, but it made the LX 570 agile enough for slower, curvy roads, and even the default setting was on the firmer side. The Comfort setting was perfect for everyday driving while still providing a stable ride. In the off-road environment, the Crawl Control feature made going up and down steep grades without having to touch the throttle or brakes as easy as setting cruise control. Our only complaints with this feature were that it was loud and sounded somewhat like a machine gun.

Favorite Features

Crawl Control
This feature is akin to cruise control for off-roading. When activated, the driver can select to go one to three miles per hour and have the vehicle crawl up or down rocky or uneven terrain at that chosen speed without having to use the gas or brake pedals.

Mark Levinson Reference Surround Sound System
This sound system produces 450 watts through 19 speakers to deliver a harmonious balance of mid-range, high-pitch and deep bass sounds that are crisp no matter what the volume setting.

2009 Lexus LX Details

Interior

The 2009 Lexus LX 570 interior is comfortable and has enough room for eight passengers and a lot of luggage and gear. It has best-in-class second- and third- row legroom, thanks to a four-inch increase in interior length over the previous-generation LX 470. With over 30 inches of headroom in all three rows, tall passengers can be transported without a complaint and hauling large objects is easy, as the power-sliding second row and semi-powered third row fold conveniently to give a total of 83 cubic feet of available cargo space. Having the seats fold upward instead of into the floor, however, lessens the cargo bay's width.

Exterior

Lexus wanted the LX 570 to have a muscular appearance while still conveying a luxurious image. To accomplish this task, Lexus went with its L-finesse design theme, which includes a wider stance and more subtle design lines. The wheel arches have more definition, the running boards are fitted closer to the body to give a molded look and 20-inch wheels nicely fill the wide wheel housings. Up front, the LX 570 has a wide grille and refined bumper that maintains the luxury brand's familiar face, while chrome accents adorn the door handles, moldings and taillights.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The 2009 Lexus LX 570 comes standard with a 5.7-liter V8 engine, a six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission, 20-inch alloy wheels, Adaptive Front Lighting System, a power-folding third-row seat, navigation system with back-up camera, four-zone climate control, Active Height Control for easy ingress and egress, an Adaptive Variable Suspension that adjusts the shock absorbers for optimal handling, full-time four-wheel drive and Crawl Control.

Optional Equipment

Options for the 2009 Lexus LX 570 include climate controlled front seats with a heated second row, 19-speaker Mark Levinson Reference Sound System, the Luxury Package, Pre-Collision System with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, a rear-seat entertainment system that includes a nine-inch screen and headphones and Intuitive Park Assist. This parking system incorporates a wide-view front and side monitor that draws from cameras in the front grille and under the passenger-side mirror to help the driver see unseen objects or obstacles, a benefit when parking or maneuvering in tight spaces.

Under the Hood

The LX 570 is powered by a refined 5.7-liter V8 touting 383 horsepower and an impressive 403 pound-feet of torque. The LX 570's torque rating becomes useful when towing heavy loads – a maximum of 8,500 pounds – or going off-road. Although it's not a very fuel-efficient vehicle, and no one expects it to be, it is at least powerful enough to go anywhere a reasonable person would want to take it.

5.7-liter V8
383 horsepower @ 5600 rpm
403 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/18

To compare current market prices, check out KBB.com's car classifieds to view the new and used Lexus LX vehicles for sale near you.

Trading in or Selling? Know where you stand with the most up-to-date Kelley Blue Book Value at your fingertips. See your car's value

Buying this car?

2009 Lexus LX Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

9.3

Out of 10

Based on 19 Ratings for the 2008 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

9.0/10

Quality

9.6/10
Reliability

9.6/10

Performance

9.3/10
Comfort

9.5/10

Styling

9.4/10

Incredible SUV for the mountains

By Princess Stephanie (CO) on Monday, February 18, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "rugged luxury"

Cons: "over-priced ??"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"My husband surprised me with a 570 for my Birthday. What a gift! It's the nicest car (SUV aside), I've ever driven. We live in Vail, CO most of the year and it's incredible in the snow as well as powerful and quiet while climbing the mountain passes on a dry road. I liked the body style of my 470 better, but 570 puts it to shame in every other way. Stephanie C."

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Truly Great SUV, almost NOTHING BREAKS!!

By Gina (CA) on Friday, January 04, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 45,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Reliable, incredible quality, low service costs"

Cons: "Gas mileage"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"We have owned one LX570 (45,000 miles currently) and two LX470s (180k miles on our current one!). The LX570 is a fine continuation of the LX470 model,however I preferred the slightly narrower wheel base/size of the LX470 which makes it more maneuverable and those incredible lighted running boards had us standing and staring at it, with our jaws dropped, in the garage after we brought our first 470 home. I consider the LX470 a collectors item - was perfect for taking my son and friends to overnight soccer games (Lexus has THE BEST Navigation - much better than our BMWs, Ford truck), good for pulling a horse, like a rolling house! The LX570 takes that tradition farther by having the built-in refrigerator in front arm rest and we have DVD w this one (but rarely use - don't lose remote control as necessary to operate it!) But as an engineer, what really sold me on the Lexus SUVs when first driving them in comparison to Lincoln, Infinity, and other brands is their Engineering! I personally like the engine timing better on the LX470 than my husbands BMW645i (I know that is blasphemous) but the 470 just runs so smoothly. Became loyal Lexus buyers because almost NOTHING HAS BROKEN on 4 Lexus cars we have had aside from brake changes (I made to 80,000 highway miles on the RX450h we own and that my daughter now drives), the LX470/570s typically go ~65k for brakes with me driving. We do the minimally recommended maintenance and my husband changes the oil!! Our dealer service (very reasonable . . gives labor discounts & much cheaper overall than the BMW service) states he has 470s with 300k miles still running perfectly. All the electronics, engine, etc. are incredibly well engineered. The RELIABILITY of these cars is phenomenonall! The gas mileage is NOT!! I picked up the 570 last year right after the tsunami out of concern they might become scarce and we wanted to have one for when the 470 wears out, also hoping the larger engin might be better for pulling 26ft boat. Still, wish they had kept the LX470 body, however, until such large SUVs get phased out as fuel standards increase, these are too useful to be without. Truly great SUVs, I cannot imagine any European or American brands measuring up to these."

3 people out of 4 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

This is a fantastic vehicle.

By Mike (VA) on Thursday, June 14, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 27,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Lacks literally nothing in convenience."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"It's pricy and don't gripe about the fuel mileage. But as a master of the road it's simply the best vehicle I've ever owned. I've had 5 large domestic SUV's. They simply don't compare. The quiet smooth ride compares to that of an Audi A-8 which I've owned as well. It will "gadget" you to death which leads to it's plump owner's manual. It is truly a creature of comfort and style. It's price tag is hefty - but there's nothing that compares if you want a reliable, quiet, powerful SUV that is fully capable of off roading, but drives like the smoothest sedan you could find. Go ahead and spoil yourself."

11 people out of 12 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Better than any other SUV on the Road

By nick (North Brunswick, NJ) on Tuesday, January 18, 2011

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

"Also owned 2000 model LX470 this is better more luxury and best of the features than any other SUV on the Planet. What a fun to drive and 19 speaker 450 watts is amazing."

8 people out of 10 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

LEXUS LX570 LUXURY

By andrew (NEWPORT BEACH, CA) on Thursday, December 09, 2010

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

"JUST BOUGHT THE CAR TONIGHT, THE CAR IS VERY FAST FOR A BIG SUV AROUND 6.1 SECOND O-60, VERY SMOOTH, THE LEATHER IS PERFECT. LOVE THIS CAR"

1 person out of 6 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

Very Disappointing LX 570

By NH (Fort Lauderdale, FL) on Wednesday, September 15, 2010

10 5.0

overall rating 5 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 6/10
Performance: 6/10
Styling: 5/10
Comfort: 5/10

"I purchased my 2010 Lexus LX 570 in mid December 2009. At first I was delighted then after 3 to 4 months I began to notice the wear on my seats and the severe back pain that I was getting. I tried to increase the lumbar suppport but it was maxed out. I then relaised that my seat was too high and that the center console arm rest was too low but the seat was at the lowest setting. Now I have to drive with both my arms stretched out in front of me which gets tiring after about 100 miles! My dealer told me that they could redo the foam in the seats but could not get my seat any lower. The air venting in the seats is also very weak and not what I expected. The other problem that I am having is that my LX drinks gas. Without the power shifting on it was getting less than 10mpg and now with it on I am lucky to average 14.5mpg and I have to fill up several times a week. Not having the 3rd row rear seats folding flat is also unfortunate. The rest of the vehicle is superb, the phone works seamlessly unlike my old LX 470 and the sound system is amazing. I am trading it in this week for a Mercedes GL 350 turbo diesel which will get close to double the miles per gallon in the city, I think and my back pain will be gone! If you are tall with a thinner body type (I am 5ft 9in female) don't even think about the LX 570! Also my real estate clients say they are uncomfortable in the back seat too!"

5 people out of 10 found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? yes | no | report abuse

See all 19 reviews