Redesigned 2016 Lexus LX 570 Still Skimps on Space
CARS.COM — The Lexus LX 570 has been redesigned for 2016, sporting an aggressive new look, but when it comes to this full-size luxury SUV’s third row and cargo area, it’s the same old problems.
Related: 2016 Lexus LX 570 Gets New Look, Interior, Tech
As a mother of three incessantly growing children and one large dog, space is critical for me.
For 2016, the LX 570 grew to 199.4 inches long from 197 inches in the previous generation. It’s also 0.4 inches wider at 78 inches; the wheelbase remains the same. Those expanded dimensions translate to slightly more second-row legroom, up 1.6 inches to 36 inches. However, the third row’s legroom dimensions remain the same as the prior gen at a measly 28.3 inches.
With the third row’s scant legroom, it’s best left to children. I’m average-sized at 5 feet 8 inches tall, and when I sat in the third row, my knees touched the second-row seatbacks.
The LX 570 is billed as an eight-passenger SUV with room for three in the third row. That’s a stretch; fitting three of me in the third row would be a tight squeeze. Not to mention that the unlucky passenger relegated to the third row’s middle seat would have to mind the gap — the seating position straddles the split seats.
The third row is also problematic when folded because the 50/50-split seats fold to either side of the cargo area, nestling against the walls. This is the same design used in the previous LX 570. This setup eats up otherwise useful cargo space, offering 24.8 cubic feet. That’s significantly less space than the 2015 LX 570 with its 41.0 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row folded up.
When the third row is in use, the cargo space is limited with only 9.1 cubic feet of space. That’s a decrease of 6.4 cubic feet over the previous generation. I snuggly fit five bags of groceries into the cargo area with the third row in place, but my weekly haul is usually twice that plus sports gear and backpacks.
I’m unsure of where my dog would fit if I had my whole brood piled in for a drive. Overcrowding can occur rather quickly in the LX 570, which seems so strange since it’s such a big SUV.
