Towing With the Hybridized 2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail

Key Points:

• The 2025 Lexus LX 700h is a full-size hybrid SUV rated to tow 8,000 pounds.
• Our towing expert tested the LX 700h with a camper trailer on a drive route that included 10% grades and elevation changes of 1,650 feet.
• The LX 700h comes with three very useful towing features — a 2-inch hitch receiver, 7-pin wiring harness and trailer brake controller — though there’s some room for improvement.

The 2025 Lexus LX 700h joins the LX lineup with a hybrid system that combines the twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 of the LX 600 with an electric motor and battery to boost power and torque. Unchanged, however, is the LX’s towing capacity of 8,000 pounds, which is the same for both the LX 600 and LX 700h. The hybrid system has the potential to improve the towing experience with more accessible power, but does it? I hooked up a 5,000-pound camper trailer to the LX 700h’s off-road-capable Overtrail trim to find out.

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Built for Towing

With an 8,000-pound towing capacity, the LX 700h is set up for getting the boat to the lake, towing a rental tractor for yard work or hauling a camper trailer far away from the crowds. Every LX 700h Overtrail comes with a 2-inch receiver hitch, 7-pin wiring and a factory trailer brake controller. It is great that all three are provided, and as far as I’m concerned, they’re requirements for a full-size SUV or truck. I’m a mechanical engineer and former product engineer for Progress Mfg. Inc. in Utah, makers of the Equal-i-zer hitch and Fastway Flash ball mounts.

However, all three standard towing features could use improvement.

• A precise hitch-pin length is required, or a ball mount with an internal-locking pin like the Fastway Flash Secure, because the 2-inch receiver has what appears to be very strong support around it. This requires the use of an extra-long hitch pin, similar to what the Ford 3-inch receiver uses, but the shrouding around the receiver prevents use of longer hitch pins.
• The 7-pin wiring is tucked under the vehicle, putting it farther away from the receiver hitch when compared to most tow vehicles. It is an improvement over the previous generation, as I had no need for a wiring extension for the LX 700h like with the LX 570.
• The factory trailer brake controller works great but is low on the left side of the dash, behind the steering wheel. It’s blocked from the driver’s view, so the driver should always be sure to check the location and even practice manually applying the trailer brakes to be ready in case of an emergency.

Trailer Details

I like to use a fairly lightweight but large-bodied camping trailer in an attempt to maximize the number of vehicles that can be tested using one trailer. Being just under 5,000 pounds allows most mid-size SUVs and trucks to be tested with the same trailer as full-size vehicles. The tongue weight varies between 485 and 515 pounds, depending on whether the batteries have been installed for the season or not. In this case, the batteries weren’t installed, putting the tongue weight at 485 pounds. While only 22 feet long, the trailer is 8 feet wide and over 10 feet tall. This makes it very susceptible to winds and makes it more difficult to tow at freeway speeds.

Test Route

My standard test route is about 30 miles long and includes city streets, freeway, highway and a long, steep climb with a return descent. Elevation starts at about 4,550 feet, with a slight elevation gain up to about 4,575 feet at the base of the long, steep climb. Then, over the next four to five miles, the elevation tops out at around 6,200 feet. Sections of the road are over a 10% grade, with the average grade closer to 6%.

Hooking Up

The effort needed to connect a trailer can range significantly from simple and easy to bothersome and annoying. In the case of the LX 700h Overtrail, it’s a little bit of both. It could start off frustrating if you don’t have a hitch pin that’s the right length, but it’s a non-issue if you do. The next step is easy thanks to the high-quality rearview camera system. Backing the hitch ball under the trailer tongue in one shot is about as easy as it gets. Then, it’s back to being slightly frustrating with the 7-pin outlet being tucked under the LX. Overall, the bothersome parts of the hooking-up process are generally more prominent for those connecting for the first time. Once it’s been connected a few times, it becomes a habit, and there shouldn’t be any issue.

Lexus recommends using a weight-distribution hitch and sway control for any trailer over 5,000 pounds. I would take that a step further and recommend using a high-quality weight-distribution hitch with built-in sway control whenever towing a trailer with a high center of gravity. However, to better evaluate a vehicle’s towing stability, I almost always use a non-weight-distribution, adjustable-height ball mount for this short towing test. In this case, I used a Fastway Flash Secure ball mount because the integrated locking feature negates the need for a hitch pin. Doing this provides for a better feel of how the vehicle performs without the stability adding assistance of a weight-distribution hitch.

One final item required before taking the Lexus out of Park is to select a trailer in the vehicle’s computer. By default, Lexus has the trailer brake controller disabled. This means that even when hooked up with 7-pin wiring, you cannot adjust the gain or activate the trailer brakes while driving. It’s not too hard to select a trailer if you know the steps.

For the LX, to turn on the trailer brakes, simply go to the main infotainment screen and do the following:

• Select settings (gear in lower left corner)
• Scroll down and select Vehicle customize
• Scroll down and select Utility
• Select brake type from the following options:
  • Electric(0-4999lb)
  • Electric(5000+lb)
  • E-O-H(0-4999lb)
  • E-O-H(5000+lb)
  • TBC Off

E-O-H is electric over hydraulic, which isn’t as common as standard electric. Usually, trailers with E-O-H will have a hydraulic reservoir, pump and often disk brakes instead of drums. This trailer uses standard electric brakes, and I found the 5,000-pound-plus setting to suit my needs the best.

One final note on the setup is that there is no dedicated Tow/Haul mode button. Therefore, I left the drive mode set to Normal for this test.

On the Road

Being heavy, stable and torque-y gives the LX 700h many great attributes of a solid tow rig. The hydraulic auto-leveling suspension and adjustable shock absorbers add stiffness to support the trailer tongue weight without making for a harsh ride.

From early on in the drive, it became apparent that the LX 700h would be solid throughout the test because of how differently it drives compared to the non-hybrid LX 600. The LX 600’s V-6 performs well, but there’s noticeable turbo lag at low rpm. This isn’t something you want in a luxury vehicle, tow vehicle or off-roader, and the LX is all three of those things. While the smaller GX 550 addresses this issue with smaller turbos that spool quicker, Lexus took the hybrid route with the LX 700h. The results are excellent; the hybrid system eliminates any notion of turbo lag. What isn’t very different from the LX 600, however, is its fuel economy rating of 20 mpg combined versus the LX 600’s 19 mpg combined; you won’t be buying the LX 700h for fuel efficiency.

Around town, accelerating and stopping was no issue. The smaller size of the LX compared to the similar, shared-platform Toyota Sequoia was noticeable. The LX is more nimble around town and better at swinging wide and diving in for sharp corners. Sharing a wheelbase with the GX 550, its maneuverability was very similar.

Merging onto the freeway was also no problem. The tachometer was nowhere near the redline, and the LX 700h was easily able to get up to the 70-mph speed limit well before the end of the on-ramp. Once on the freeway, it was solid and in control, maybe slightly better than the GX 550, but not quite as stable as the Sequoia or competing Nissan Armada. I would have no issues pulling this trailer long distances with the LX, especially when following Lexus’s recommendation and using a high-end weight-distribution hitch with sway control.

Once again, the highway portion was uneventful. Getting up to highway speeds between stop lights and bringing the trailer to a stop was very smooth, if not graceful. Keeping up and maneuvering through traffic was easy enough.

Next up was the steep hill climb. This is where struggles and strengths really show. The LX 700h performed very well, as was expected from experience with the GX 550 and Sequoia. The powertrain felt like it had much more to give. Even in the steepest sections that exceed 10% grades, the hybrid LX had no struggles at all.

Heading back down the hill was a similar story to all of Toyota and Lexus’s turbocharged body-on-frame vehicles: The turbos aren’t designed to provide exhaust braking, so overall engine braking isn’t really strong. However, the brakes perform very well, and the highly wind-resistant trailer helped alleviate the need for engine braking.

One area that could use some improvement are the mirrors, which don’t reach out far enough to see down the sides of this trailer. Without extended mirrors, it can be difficult to see if there are vehicles in the lanes next to the trailer, especially toward the rear of the trailer. This was just a short test, but for those who own a trailer wider than their mirrors, it is highly recommended for the safety of the driver, passengers and other drivers on the road to get a set of extended mirrors for use while towing the wide trailer.

Bottom Line

If you’re considering an LX 700h for towing, you can be confident that it will perform well. The engine and transmission work well together, always seeming to be in the correct gear. Power is always on tap, with consistent torque throughout the rev range. Fuel mileage is average to slightly below for this class of vehicle. Overall, it’s an excellent choice as a tow vehicle because it’s quiet, smooth and stable under load.

Read More About the 2025 Lexus LX:

• 2025 Lexus LX 700h Review: Whybrid?
• How Much Is the 2025 Lexus LX?
• 2025 Lexus LX Line Adds Hybrid 700h, Off-Road Overtrail Trim
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Lexus LX 700h?
• 2022 Lexus LX 600 Review: A Flagship Needs to Be Better

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