Lexus GX 550 vs Lexus TX

Neither of these is a three-row SUV in every build. The GX 550 offers its third row on four of six grades — Premium, Premium+, Luxury, and Luxury+ — with a choice of a seven-seat bench or six-seat captain's chairs. The off-road-focused Overtrail and Overtrail+ are five-seat, two-row configurations, full stop.

The TX seats seven only on the TX 350's bench trims; the hybrid 500h and plug-in 550h+ carry captain's chairs and seat six. If seven belts is the requirement, each model narrows to specific grades before the spec comparison even starts.

The TX publishes 33.5 inches of third-row legroom and 37.2 in of headroom. The GX publishes 31.89 in of legroom and 35.45 in of headroom — and that headroom figure is the Moon Roof basis; the Luxury+ Dynamic Sky roof lowers it to 35.28.

The gaps — 1.61 in of legroom and 1.75 in of headroom — both favor the TX, which is the unibody packaging dividend in plain numbers. The GX's tall body does not translate into a roomier way-back.

Behind the third row: TX 20.2 cu ft, GX 10.3 — the smallest behind-row-3 figure in this dataset, roughly half the TX's. Behind the second row: TX 57.4, GX 40.2. Maximum: TX 97, GX 76.9 — a 20.1 cu ft gap.

With all seven seats up, the TX takes a full airport run; the GX takes a grocery run. If the vehicle hauls people and cargo at the same time, this is the TX's strongest section.

The GX 550 posts the highest tow rating in this dataset: Lexus publishes 9,096 lb for the Overtrail grade and 9,063 for the Premium, Premium+, and Overtrail+ grades. The TX tows 5,000 lb — a gap of about 4,000 lb.

One wrinkle worth naming: the 9,096 lb figure belongs to the Overtrail, a five-seat two-row build. A GX that actually carries a third row still out-tows the TX by a wide margin at the published 9,063 lb — but the headline number and the three-row configuration are different trucks.

The TX 350 starts at $58,190 for the gas base model, and the line climbs through the 500h hybrid to the 550h+ plug-in hybrid at the top. The GX 550 — gas only — spans $68,335 (Premium) to $84,800 (Luxury+), figures that include Lexus's $1,550 delivery fee.

On those published bases the gap between floors is roughly $10,000. What it buys in the GX is frame construction and towing; what staying with the TX buys is space, electrification options, and the lower entry price.

Lexus GX 550: Towing is a real, recurring need — no other model in this dataset publishes a higher rating than its 9,096 lb — and body-on-frame construction matters more than third-row comfort. Just configure around the Overtrail trims if the third row is the point.

Lexus TX: The third row and cargo bay do the daily work: it beats the GX on third-row legroom, headroom, and every cargo figure, starts $10,000-ish lower at $58,190, and offers hybrid and plug-in options the GX line does not. Towing needs simply have to fit under 5,000 lb.