2026 Lexus TX: A Dreamboat with Style, Space and Ruggedness
When it comes to large luxury SUVs, the 2026 Toyota TX is the most affordable pick of the litter, starting at less than $60K US.
There is almost 100 cubic feet of cargo room available when you fold both the third and second row of seats down, and you should be able to average about 23 miles per gallon, which is decent for the class.
Plus, it is an imposing-looking vehicle, but in a good way.
For all intents and purposes, the Lexus TX is the Toyota Grand Highlander, which I reviewed just last week. I know the big cheeses at Toyota Lexus don’t really want me to say that, and to be fair, there are a lot of subtle differences.
And yet, both vehicles are built on the same unibody platform, and both truly are excellent large vehicles.
Well, perhaps there is one big difference:
This year’s TX350 (petrol only) and 500h (hybrid) come with a 2.4-liter turbo with just an inline-4-cylinder engine. The 350 offers 275 horses and the 500h hybrid offers 336 horses. (There is also the 550h+, a plug-in hybrid, which has a 3.5-liter V6 engine offering 404 horses.)
To put just an inline-4-cylinder engine into a beast like the TX strikes me as a bit peculiar. Curb weight starts at 4,500 pounds and can go up to 5,400 pounds depending on trim and powertrain. Gross vehicle weight is closer to 6,000 pounds, or 3 tons.
As a result, the TX can sound and act like it is straining when trying to do anything more than a leisurely drive. You will need to get the plug-in hybrid 550h+ to get a V6 (the one I tested, seen here), and those start at around $80K US.
Standard creature comforts include a panoramic roof, 14-inch touchscreen and 12.4-inch gauge cluster screen, power / heated front seats and the standard Lexus Safety system 3.0 (one of the best standard safety packages in the industry), which includes pedestrian detection, lane-tracing assist, lane-departure warning with steering assist and front / rear parking sensors. To name a few.
As men-of-size, we are always trying to squeeze into a world that often is more concerned with our blood pressure and cholesterol than our mental health. Just like your clothing, when it comes to your vehicle, if you have the money and the parking space, no need to go ‘compact.’
The 2026 Lexus TX is a good choice for getting around while being able to breathe freely. Just be sure to do your homework and, as always, be very clear (and honest) about what you want and need in a vehicle.
Next week, I will start a new series where I will take an in-depth look into some of the popular luxury car brands that are trending in 2026.
Tentatively called ‘Bears Cruising in Luxury’, I will delve into some brands that have some of the most stylish cars on the road. Even if you cannot afford to buy these cars (I can’t), you can consider a car hire for that extra special road trip ahead.
First off, I will write about Land Rover / Range Rover, a British manufacturer that has carved significant inroads into the American market over the last generation. The brand started life as a scrappy ‘land rover’ industrial vehicle right after World War II because there was a shortage of everyday raw materials due to the war.
Nowadays, the Rovers are seen as the height of luxury and engineering, especially if you are under 45, according to the pros (that would include me). It is the only brand to have had its models displayed at the Louvre Museum in Paris (where Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo live) because they were seen as a museum-quality works of art.
Let me know if there are brands – or specific cars – you would like me to write about. We here at Bear World Magazinewant you to be comfortable and safe, and that doesn’t mean you can’t drive in style as well.
Caio for now.
