Lexus GX 550 Suspension Deep Dive and RTI Test | Car and Driver

Read more: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a61... Lexus made a huge step forward with the 2024 Lexus GX550, but when it was first released it came across as a dead ringer for the new Toyota Land Cruiser. Wait, what? They aren’t supposed to be platform mates. Turns out, they are. This time around, both share 250-series architecture. This was a non-event for the GX, but it necessitated a two-year delay in Land Cruiser production, which is now subservient the Lexus – at least pricewise. But this has more to do with the Land Cruiser than anything else, as the GX has stayed on the same path as before and has seen no delay in production. Yes, they now share a wheelbase of 112.2 inches, and their track widths only differ by wheel offset, but the GX has substantially more motor and greater towing prowess. It’s a three-row machine—in most cases—that is adept at carrying more people into the wild in more comfort. Some of the differences have everything to do with what I mean by that. The GX has adaptive dampers at the high end, particularly on its off-road model, the Overtrail. Its front and rear differentials are upsized compared to a Land Cruiser because its engine supports higher sustained towing loads. But most of all, it has the e-KDSS (electronic-kinetic dynamic suspension system) to automatically disconnect both stabilizer bars instead of the Land Cruiser’s simpler pushbutton front stabilizer bar disconnect mechanism. In a cruel twist of fate, the forward mounting of the e-KDSS system may put paid to its ultimate off-road prowess, as the GX suffers a six degree loss in approach angle compared to the Land Cruiser. What does all this look like? Come along and see for yourself. In this video I’ll remove the wheels and tires and point out the differences. Ultimately, you’ll see what the differences add up to by running it up my RTI ramp, where you’ll see how it scores to the closely related—but not identical—Toyota Land Cruiser. Subscribe to Car and Driver http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoCARandDRIVER 00:00 Intro 01:07 Front suspension overview 01:49 Upper control arm 02:27 Lower control arm 03:34 Front E-KDSS overview and arrangement 05:42 Front shocks 06:32 Recovery hooks 07:29 Front brakes 08:59 Land Cruiser anti-roll bar location on GX 09:31 Front suspension wrap up 10:17 Rear suspension overview 11:39 Rear bump stop 11:53 Rear shocks 12:27 Rear E-KDSS overview and arrangement 14:33 How E-KDSS works 16:22 Differential differences between Lexus GX and Toyota Land Cruiser 17:15 Rear brakes 17:24 Wheel and tire overview 18:14 Wheel and tire weight 18:34 Rear suspension wrap up 18:50 RTI test setup 19:44 Front clearance on ground 20:31 Driving up the ramp 21:17 Front clearance on ramp 21:48 Measuring 22:33 Calculations 23:15 Results 23:56 Lexus GX and Toyota Land Cruiser comparison 26:00 Lexus GX RTI scores versus other vehicles