New Car Overview of the 2006 Lexus LX Series Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle

Description: Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $67,295
Invoice Price Range: $58,544
Where built: Japan

This full-size SUV carries luxurious fittings of an elite sedan and the muscular assets of a heavy-duty off-road warrior. The vast passenger compartment accommodates eight on three tiers of seats. And those cushy appointments: Soft leather and rich wood trimmings, power-everything, and a premium Mark Levinson audio system now listed as standard equipment. An optional navigation system uses a Bluetooth wireless connection plus a bumper camera for reverse video views.

Power for LX comes from a big V8 that earns VVT-i valve controls and boosts the power by 40 points to 275 hp. Towing capacity also climbs -- to 6500 pounds. The standard four-wheel-drive (4WD) system has a center differential with limited-slip capacity to distribute engine torque to front or rear wheels. Add a locking mechanism to the center differential plus limited-slip rear differential and you get maximum potential for traction to climb over daunting off-road obstacles.

The line of luxurious performance machines by Lexus, elite upscale label from Toyota of Japan, features elegant sedans, sporty coupes and rugged yet refined sport-utility vehicles. In 2006, Lexus rolls out new iterations of the IS series of wily compact-class sports sedans and recasts the GS series as perhaps the most sophisticated luxury sports sedans on our planet. The world's first gas-electric luxury vehicle also emerges badged as the RX 400h. Derived from the RX 330 crossover SUV, it packs a powerful V6 engine and multiple electric motors plus optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction.