The 2024 Lexus TX is an all-new three-row SUV with room for up to seven people and a choice of gas, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid powertrains. It’s the largest SUV in the Lexus lineup, and it’s the first dedicated three-row for the brand. Yes, the GX and LX had the option for a cramped third row and the RX-L was a nice attempt that was discontinued in 2022, but this is the first vehicle that was always intended to be a true family hauler with three rows of seating.
It takes more than a seat for everyone to make a decent family vehicle: There needs to be room for cargo, a spacious interior, and all the creature comforts that let parents relax up front while the kids stay relatively content in the back.
We spent some time with the TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid and found plenty to like about this luxury SUV. Here are the five best features of the all-new Lexus TX.
1 The Cupholders – Really
Before you discount this list entirely, stay with us for a minute. Cupholders are an important feature in any car and never more so than when the whole family is along for the ride. You need a spot for everyone to put their drink and that spot needs to fit everything from a can of soda to a giant Stanley tumbler filled with enough water to keep you hydrated for a month. The cupholders in the TX accomplish this easily, with a square design that looks weird, but works. They grip round or square containers and hold them securely. But wait, there’s more.
Each cupholder is individually locked in place and can be removed. There are two up front and two on the center console in between the captain’s chairs. Up front, you can remove one or both and even lock one in the middle of the console all by itself, leaving room for storage on either end. This is brilliant for letting you stow your phone or wallet in an easily accessible spot. In the back, the cupholders do the same thing, with the entire center console section also coming out completely if you choose.
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This creates a nice pass-through for the kids to climb right in the back without moving the seats. What about that third row? What do they get? Well, they have two square pods that aren’t removable, but you can snap in any of the other cupholders in those spots if you choose. You can even buy extra removable cupholders beyond the four that come with the TX if you want everyone to have one all the time.
2 Electronic Door Release
The Lexus TX has an electronic door release for all four doors rather than traditional door handles. Usually, when you open a car door from the inside, there’s a handle that you pull to unlatch the door. Once unlatched, it takes a good push to fully open so you can exit the vehicle. It’s easy, and it works, but on the TX and some other Lexus models, things are different.
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Instead of a handle to pull, you push a lever in the same spot as the door handle. Once pressed, the door unlatches and opens slightly without needing you to give it a shove. All it takes from there is a light push on the door to open it all the way.
This electronic release makes it easier to open the doors, especially for kids who might find them heavy. It’s also fantastic when your hands are full, since you just press the button and the door opens partly so you can just barely push and it swings wide to step out. This is a small thing, sure, but it makes daily life just a little bit easier. And before you worry that you’ll be stuck if there’s an issue with the electronic release, just pull the lever two times and it works the old-fashioned way.
3 Heated And Ventilated Second Row
The second row in the 550h+ comes with standard captain’s chairs, which takes seating down to six. If you don’t need that extra seat, captain’s chairs are so much more comfortable for adults, and they give kids a little extra space to avoid the inevitable squabbles over room. In the TX, depending on the trim, those captain’s chairs are available both heated and ventilated.
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While heated captain’s chairs and heated outboard bench seats are more common in SUVs, ventilated second row seats are harder to find. Equipped with captain’s chairs, ventilation is optional with top trims making it standard. It’s features like this that make a luxury vehicle feel like a luxury vehicle and make your passengers much happier on sweltering summer days.
4 Cargo Room
Large families need plenty of space for cargo and the Lexus TX has room for everyone’s stuff. It’s not just the overall cargo room, but what’s available behind the third row that matters. When you have a full load of people, there’s still 20.2 cubic feet for cargo in the back. This makes the TX a great choice whether you’re packing it up for a weekend of camping or stowing suitcases for a week’s vacation.
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2024 Lexus TX Cargo Room vs. Competitors |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Total Volume |
Second Row |
Third Row |
|
|
Lexus TX |
97 ft³ |
57.4 ft³ |
20.2 ft³ |
|
Acura MDX |
71.4 ft³ |
39.1 ft³ |
16.3 ft³ |
|
Genesis GV80 |
71.7 ft³ |
36.5 ft³ |
11.6 ft³ |
If you don’t need the third row, then the cargo room increases to 57.4 cubic feet. All but the base trims also have a power-folding third row, so it’s easy to do this on the fly and doesn’t require pulling straps or releasing levers as you lean awkwardly over the bumper. When you have a weekend project and need all the room you can get for supplies, fold the second row and there is 97 cubic feet of space to work with. The Lexus TX offers a great combination of passenger space and cargo room that’s easily reconfigurable.
5 The Large Infotainment Touchscreen
Standard across the full Lexus TX lineup is a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen. It’s not uncommon for the base trims of any vehicle, even a luxury one, to have a slightly smaller screen as a part of bringing the price down and giving you a reason to go up a trim. Lexus doesn’t play that game and instead puts a large screen in every trim.
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In addition, there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless smartphone charging – a must-have combination that is infotainment done right. This keeps the center console clean and uncluttered without a tangle of cords. For the passengers, there are three USB-C ports up front, two on the back of the center console for the second row, and one on each side of the third row. Add in the available 21-speaker Mark Levinson audio system to complete the premium experience.