2024 Lexus TX 350 First Test: A Three-Row SUV That’s Even More Welcoming to Families

The TX is a new nameplate, but its interior is as familiar as it gets for Lexus customers. Taking a page from the NX and RX SUVs, the 2024 Lexus TX gets a mega 14.0-inch touchscreen with Lexus' new infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Though the infotainment itself is based on a subscription model (you must subscribe to navigation and some of the available voice commands), we used CarPlay every time we drove it. We're fans of the big screen, which has great resolution and automatically connected to our phones every time we settled into the cabin.

This screen, combined with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, makes the cabin feel modern and contemporary. There are seven USB ports, one for every passenger. Other nice cabin touches are the small shifter that leaves an airy center console, and the "push" door handles that are different from traditional ones. All these things come from other Lexus models, like the NX and RX, making the overall experience familiar for existing or previous Lexus owners.

The 2024 Lexus TX is different from the second row back. Our TX 350 test SUV came with a second-row bench seat, which was nice for two people but a little cozy for three, and legroom can get a bit compromised when accommodating people in the third row. Speaking of which, third-row ingress and egress really needs improvement; the TX uses the same manual lever found in the Toyota Highlander, which feels cheap for a luxury SUV. We prefer the simple push-button actuation found in the Acura MDX, where you simply push and hold a button to cause the entire seat to slide forward, leaving ample space for adults to get into and out of the third row. In the TX, you must use two hands to move the seat forward. Once you're back there, the available space is reasonable but not impressive. Our knees were too high thanks to the low hip point, but we'd be OK spending a couple of hours back there.

Oddly, the third row can fold up or down automatically with the push of a button. Should you need more space for the trunk, the third row folds quickly from the cargo area, and this was handy when we had our hands full and needed more cargo room.

The 2024 Lexus TX is available with three different powertrains: a conventional four-cylinder turbo, a performance-oriented hybrid, and a plug-in hybrid. The TX 350, the model we tested, will be the bestseller, as it's the base trim. Powered by a 2.4-liter turbo-four inline engine that makes 275 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque, the TX 350 employs an eight-speed automatic transmission to send power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is available, but our test model was front-drive.

We've seen this powertrain in different Lexus and Toyota models, like the RX and NX, but we felt something odd with the transmission in the TX. We should mention the unit we drove was preproduction, which means some of its parts are not yet finalized. The transmission might be one of those parts, as we felt issues with its mapping and programming as it struggled to shift smoothly. Whether it was on the road or at the track for our instrumented testing, the shifts, especially from second to third gear, were rough. Chief tester Chris Walton noted that even in manual mode the shifts weren't smooth, which leads us to believe this is a preproduction issue.

The rest of the vehicle felt up to production specs. The engine has plenty of punch for an SUV of this size, getting up to speed in a timely manner when merging on the freeway or starting from a stop. In our instrumented testing, the 2024 Lexus TX accelerated from 0-60 mph in 7.7 seconds, and it completed the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds at 91 mph. Those are not impressive numbers, but the TX 550 is available to satisfy customers who want more oomph, and the 550+ PHEV will join the lineup next year.

Everyone riding in the TX will be mostly comfortable, but beware of the 22-inch wheels, as they make the ride a bit harsh. The suspension, however, responds well to potholes and pavement imperfections, and the cabin is quiet overall. Perhaps our biggest complaint here is that the TX does its job just fine, but there's nothing special to point out. The ride doesn't stand out from other luxury SUVs, and the cabin isn't quiet enough to be remarkable—it feels like a plusher Toyota Grand Highlander.

In a world where seemingly everyone wants SUVs, it was weird that Lexus didn't offer a three-row family SUV not based on a body-on-frame platform. Although the TX joins the lineup a bit late, it fills a gap Japan's biggest luxury automaker needed to plug.

With plenty of standard safety technologies, like a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and intersection support, the TX has more features than other SUVs in its class. And by delivering an estimated 21/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined, Lexus' newest three-row SUV is amongst the best SUVs in its segment in terms of fuel economy.

Overall, Lexus has created a decent three-row luxury SUV, but after spending a week behind its wheel we wished it offered something even more special. The TX delivers lots of things families should be happy about, but it doesn't make a big statement against its competitors.