Which Toyota Is The Lexus GX 550 Most Similar To?

Lexus has existed as the luxury division of the Toyota Motor Corporation since 1989, when the LS400 arrived on the scene. The Toyota and Lexus brands are among the most reliable auto brands you can buy, and the that reputation helped Toyota sell 11.3 million vehicles worldwide across all divisions in 2025. Toyota's other brands include Hino trucks and Daihatsu, but Toyota and Lexus vehicles account for a large majority of the group's global sales.  Producing millions of vehicles each year requires some sharing of platforms and designs, even if the final products differ in significant ways.

The Lexus GX 550 shares its TNGA-F body-on-frame platform with the Toyota Land Cruiser and is more similar to that Toyota SUV than the Seqouia and 4Runner that also use TNGA-F underpinnings. Tundra and Tacoma trucks also ride on this same architecture, as does the fourth-generation Lexus LX SUV. Toyota and Lexus are getting a lot of use out of a single platform here, using it for a range of pickups and SUVs in various sizes and levels of refinement.

The 2026 Lexus GX 550 has some features you'll want to pay extra for like a 21-speaker sound system and center console mini-fridge, but the entry-level Premium trim costs $66,935 before tax, title, and options. The range-topping GX 550 Overtrail + starts at $71,400 plus those same add-ons, and the 10.7-inch heads-up display alone is another $900.

SlashGear's review of the 2024 Toyota Land cruiser concluded that it was "better than the badge," and it's interesting to see what elements it shares with its Lexus cousin. While the exact body dimensions of each model vary according to variant, every GX550 and Land Cruiser shares a  112.2-inch (2,850 mm) wheelbase. The most obvious difference between the two SUVs is their respective powertrains. 

The GX550 comes standard with a twin-turbo V6 making 349 horsepower, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive. All 2026 Land Cruisers come with Toyota's 2.4-liter turbocharged I-Force Max hybrid engine system that makes 326 horsepower, an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and full-time 4WD. The offroad-focused Lexus GX 550 Overtrail employs what the brand calls its Electronic Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, or E-KDSS. 

This allows for seamless on-the fly adjustments to the front and rear stabilizer bars for surer footing on uneven surfaces. Toyota Land Cruiser drivers need to disconnect the front stabilizer bar manually when they want more body flex, and most will want to reconnect it before getting back on the highway. It's probably not surprising that the Land Cruiser's entry price is more than $7,000 less than the GX550's, but you might not suspect that the more luxurious Lexus can also tow much more. 

The Land Cruiser maxes out at 6,000 pounds while a properly outfitted GX550 can tow up to 9,063 pounds. The GX550 can also haul more passengers with optional three-row seating for up to seven people, while the U.S.-market Land Cruiser doesn't offer a third row and is only set up to carry five. If you choose the GX550 Overtrail for its robust towing capacity, E-KDSS, and locking rear differential, you're also limited to five seats in two rows.

The Lexus GX 550 comes in Premium, Luxury, and Overtrail trims with a plus variant of each for a total of six options. The first four (Premium, Premium+, Luxury, and Luxury+) provide just about anything a modern SUV buyer needs, including room for up to seven people. It's well-suited for family transportation, long road trips, and in-town missions like grocery and home improvement store runs. For those seeking to ride further from the beaten path, the Overtrail and Overtrail+ variants have more than enough off-road chops to get you there and back. 

Standard equipment on the entry-level Lexus GX 550 Premium includes a power moonroof, front-row heated and ventilated sets with 8-way power adjustment and memory, a 10-speaker audio system, and 20-inch alloy wheels. You also get six USB-C ports to connect to the 14-inch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-enabled touchscreen. 

Lexus claims a 6.5-second 0-60 time for all six variants of the GX550; that's a respectable performance for a SUV that weighs 5,710 pounds in Luxury+ trim. Top speed is 109 mph thanks in part to the 0.39 drag coefficient. That's in the same ballpark as many other SUVs on the market, and exactly matches the aerodynamic performance of the audacious and polarizing Tesla Cybertruck.