The story
When Toyota decided the 300 Series Land Cruiser wouldn't be sold in North America, the LX 600 became the only way to buy one here. Unveiled on October 13, 2021, it moved to the new GA-F ladder frame, lost 441 lb compared with the LX 570 and swapped the old 5.7-liter V8 for a 409-hp, 479 lb-ft 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 and a 10-speed automatic. The trim is fancier than any Land Cruiser buyer asked for, but the low range, locking center diff and solid rear axle are pure Land Cruiser.
THE LAND CRUISER AMERICA COULDN'T BUY
The LX has always been a Land Cruiser in a better suit, from the 80 Series-based LX 450 through the 200 Series-based LX 570. Lexus says the LX has been sold in more than 50 countries and regions, with over 500,000 sold by August 2021. Its 112-in wheelbase dates back to the first LX of 1995. When the 300 Series arrived without a US version, one launch report summed up the mood: 'Many were disappointed to learn that the 300-Series Toyota Land Cruiser wouldn't come to the U.S.'
The LX 600 filled that hole with five grades at launch: Standard, Premium, Luxury, F Sport and Ultra Luxury. The Ultra Luxury is a four-seat limousine with 48-degree reclining rear seats. The F Sport adds 22-inch forged wheels, a rear stabilizer and a Torsen limited-slip rear differential. None of the US grades got front or rear lockers. Those stayed in Japan, which got an LX 'Offroad' grade with all three differentials locking.
WHAT THE NEW CHASSIS BROUGHT
Lexus describes the GA-F frame as 20 percent more rigid. The front uses high-mounted double wishbones, and the rear keeps a four-link axle with lateral control arms. Suspension travel is 100 mm of bound and 145 mm of rebound, and rear rebound alone grew by 20 mm. Active Height Control offers Low, Normal, Hi1 and Hi2 heights, and adaptive dampers use linear solenoid valves. At normal height, the approach, breakover and departure angles are 25°, 23° and 20°.
The off-road electronics got smarter too. Multi-Terrain Select has six modes, including a first-for-Lexus Auto setting that reads the terrain from sensor data. Crawl Control offers five speeds, and the Multi-Terrain Monitor adds four cameras and an underfloor view. Lexus rates it to climb 45 degrees and wade 700 mm (27.5 in). Not everyone wants the gadgets, though. Slee Off-Road's 'Marshmello' build was a Premium LX 600 custom-ordered without AHC so it could run Dobinsons suspension.
THE ENGINE QUESTION
The V35A-FTS is where the LX 600 story gets complicated. In 2024, Toyota recalled 102,092 Tundras and LX 600s, 3,524 of them LXs built from July 30, 2021 to November 25, 2022, because machining debris could damage the main bearings. The remedy was a new engine. In November 2025, recall 25V-767 added another 9,895 US-market LXs built from February 26, 2022 to April 2, 2024. That count includes 10 trucks that had received affected service engines. At first Lexus told dealers the remedy was still being developed. NHTSA's record now says dealers inspect the No. 1 main bearing using inspection software and drive data and replace the engine if necessary, with owner letters mailed August 28, 2026.
The recall report notes that some later engines use improved manufacturing processes or an improved main bearing. On IH8MUD, owners argue about it constantly. Some see the recall as an open-ended engine warranty, while others are waiting for Toyota to name a root cause. Owners also report a clunk into first gear on rolling stops and laggy throttle tied to the pre-collision system. Neither is dangerous, but both are worth knowing about before you test-drive one.
WHERE IT STANDS
The LX 600 has sold steadily for something this expensive, with 3,642 US sales in 2022, 6,959 in 2023, 6,830 in 2024 and 7,464 in 2025, when 2,883 of those were the new LX 700h hybrid. That hybrid makes 457 hp and 583 lb-ft. In October 2024, Lexus finally gave Americans the triple-locked LX it had kept in Japan: the LX 700h Overtrail, with front and rear lockers on top of the center lock.
For 2027, the gas LX 600 continues in Premium, Luxury and F Sport Handling grades. The EPA rates the 2025 LX 600 at 17 city, 22 highway and 19 combined. It's still the most luxurious way into a 300 Series chassis, and with the shorter, boxier GX 550 now on the same platform, it's no longer the only GA-F Lexus that can go off-road.
SIDEBAR · THE LX AMERICA DIDN'T GET (AT FIRST)
Japan's triple-locked LX, and its US answer
When the LX 600 launched, Japan got a model called the LX Offroad, with front, center and rear differential locks. US buyers got a choice between leather and more leather. The closest US equivalent was the F Sport, whose Torsen rear limited-slip and 22-inch forged wheels suit a canyon road more than a trail.
That changed on October 10, 2024, when Lexus revealed the LX 700h Overtrail with front and rear lockers plus the standard center lock. Owners on IH8MUD have worked out the rules. The center lock can engage on the move, 4L needs the truck stopped in neutral, and the axle lockers need 4L and the center lock engaged first, at very low speed.
