2022 Lexus LX 600 Ultra Luxury: Families Beware

As a mom of three kids under 12 and an automotive journalist, I mentally classify three-row vehicles as family mobiles — and usually I’m right. Not so for one version of the huge 2022 Lexus LX 600. In the new Ultra Luxury trim, Lexus’ largest SUV has just four seats — one short of what I need for family duty. The LX was redesigned from the ground up for 2022 with fresh styling, a new turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine, a revised multimedia system and a special trim that adds opulence and comfort to the second row — at the cost of more seats.

Related: 2022 Lexus LX 600 Up Close: First-Class Perks for First and Second Rows; Third Row? Don’t Ask

The 2022 LX 600 seats four to seven occupants in two or three rows of seats, depending on trim level. It’s available in Standard, Premium, Luxury, Ultra Luxury and F Sport trims; the last two are new this year. I tested the Ultra Luxury, and it came up short for my family in a couple of ways.

Why Didn’t It Work for My Family?

Welp, the short answer is that there simply aren’t enough seats for my family. Any family needing seating for five can bow out of this top configuration. However, the Ultra Luxury trim wasn’t designed for families.

“The Ultra Luxury grade was created to take our Lexus flagship SUV to the next level of luxury,” said Leigh Anne Sessions, Senior Manager of Lexus Communications, in an email. “Its opulent, spacious cabin with ottoman, massagers, 48 degrees reclining captain chairs, and special A/C curtain system was designed for those VIP executives who expect the most of their vehicles — and can utilize it as their own personal office.”

The model should also impart a sense of exclusivity; Sessions said Lexus expects the Ultra Luxury grade to make up about 5% of total LX builds.

The long answer is that, aside from its lack of seats, there’s just too much fancy happening in the back. My kids were all too excited to press all the buttons on the rear-seat control panel; chaos ensued. Granting backseat passengers (my children, in this case) access to the front passenger seat’s controls should be reserved for a Candid Camera episode. They were able to move the front passenger’s seat, change audio stations and sources, and make climate control choices, too — for the entire vehicle.

Another editor on staff with young kids also noted awkward backseat ingress and egress that made it difficult for kids to climb in and out by themselves, and that the adjustable height suspension didn’t lower far enough for easy entry.

Ironically, however, the LX 600 in Ultra Luxury trim accommodated car seats splendidly during our Car Seat Check — but obviously only two of them. Easy-access lower Latch and top tether anchors made installation drama-free, and there’s oodles of legroom to accommodate even space-hogging rear-facing infant and convertible seats behind the front passenger seat. However, one editor struggled with the placement of his rear-facing convertible car seat behind the driver’s seat; the backseat’s large seatback screen protrudes from the seat, and it impacted the amount of space he needed for the car seat.

In addition, the LX’s tall, stable buckle stalks mean kids buckling up in booster seats should be able to easily grasp and use the buckle independently.

How About That Luxury?

The Ultra Luxury trim replaces the second-row bench with two gigantic captain’s chairs that rival even the cushiest of movie theater loungers. The seats are huge, sumptuous and endlessly adjustable.

The seats also have a massaging function and recline up to 48 degrees, so there is no third row. Backseat passengers can also deploy a footrest for added comfort. And the comfort doesn’t stop there; Lexus calls the setup VIP seating and says the head restraints, seatbacks and lower cushions are curved to help maintain posture and improve comfort.

Part of being comfortable is being in control. Backseat passengers have access to their own touchscreen control panel for climate, seat and audio functions, as well as an HDMI- or streaming-based rear-seat entertainment display. Getting wireless streaming working for his kids stumped one editor, however, even after sitting down with all owner’s manuals open. There’s also a wireless device charger, large storage console and a work surface that Lexus says is coated in a “scratch-resistant self-healing paint.” While the concept of scratch-resistant self-healing paint in a family car is intriguing and necessary, we luckily didn’t test that out.

What’s more, even the air is rare thanks to an exclusive air-conditioning system with specific overhead ceiling vents for what Lexus calls a “full body comfort breeze experience.”

What Does It Cost?

The trim will cost shoppers both in price and usability. On the price side, the Ultra Luxury trim starts at $127,345 (all prices include destination). By comparison, the base Standard trim, which comes with two rows and seats five, starts at $88,245. The Premium trim ($96,345), F Sport ($102,345) and Luxury ($104,345) trims have three rows and seat seven.

In terms of usability, the LX’s cabin loses seats — the middle spot in the second row and the prospect of a third row. And although we called the third row “nearly unusable for adults” and difficult to access in a recent review, during road tests with my family in the previous version, I found the third row useful in a pinch for carpools, play dates or grandparent visits (where the kids switch into the cheap seats), though this generation’s third row has slightly smaller dimensions in some areas.

Lexus says the redesigned LX speaks to a wide variety of customers and diverse lifestyles — and it’s not wrong on that — but the LX 600 in Ultimate Luxury trim will likely be wrong for some families.

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