The Lexus LX 570 is our favorite Lexus. Well, the LFA is pretty awesome I guess, but it costs half a million dollars and there’s no way that thing is going off-road. The LX, short for Luxury Crossover, is a full-size luxury SUV, and it’s Lexus’ biggest (and most expensive) SUV, seating up to 8. 

For those that know the connection between Lexus and Toyota know that this is basically a Toyota Land Cruiser, but somehow even more luxurious and refined. After all, the TLC didn’t have bubinga (an exotic African hardwood) accents and its seats weren’t semi-aniline (a durable, high-quality leather).

But that doesn’t mean it can’t kick some major ass when it leaves the pavement. Let us assure you that it can and here’s how: The LX 570 comes standard with a four-wheel electro-hydraulic suspension with an updated six-setting Active Height Control system that can raise the vehicle by 3” or lower it by 2” by using a knob in the center console. The front suspension's air bag spring rates are variable and the Adaptive Variable Suspension provides more immediate damper firmness adjustments that are diagonally cross-linked through a mechanical system using hydraulic fluid, similar to its sister, the 4Runner's X-REAS system. Other offroad performance features include a Crawl Control system that negotiates off-road obstacles in both forward and reverse at low speeds by automatically providing throttle and braking inputs. It makes even novice overlanders look like they know what they are doing. The LX even came equipped with a multi-terrain ABS system that gives shorter stopping distances on surfaces such as sand or gravel and a Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) prevents rolling backwards on hills and other slippery surfaces.

This particular model is a 3rd generation rig, which debuted in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show for the 2008 model year. The 2011 enjoyed a nice facelift over the 2nd gen, adding the “spindle” grille Lexus design language without changing any of the core bodywork. It also got a heated steering wheel, a luxury touch that was on the cutting edge at the time.