Comparison: 2010 Land Rover LR4 vs 2010 Lexus GX 460 vs 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450

MotorTrend

We head to Death Valley to find out which of these seven-passenger luxury SUVs is king.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:07 What do you do with a luxury sport utility vehicle?

00:10 Drive it to the mall?

00:12 No way.

00:14 You take it to the dirt and sand of Death Valley.

00:17 [MUSIC]

00:27 [MUSIC]

00:37 Well, gathered here are three of the best grit tamers in their class.

00:48 Land Rover's LR4 is new for 2010.

00:51 A thorough revise of the Maker's LR3,

00:54 which won our 2005 Sport Utility of the Year Award.

00:57 Improvements include a revised suspension, enhanced terrain response system,

01:01 a gorgeous cabin.

01:03 But the big news is under the hood.

01:06 A new Jaguar-sourced direct injection double overhead cam 5 liter V8,

01:10 making 375 horsepower.

01:13 Another sport utility winner is the unibody Mercedes-Benz GL450,

01:18 a velvet-cloaked bruiser with a stout 4.7 liter V8 and

01:22 a superb 7-speed automatic.

01:24 Rounding out our trio is the Lexus GX460.

01:28 Sharing its updated platform with the new Toyota 4Runner,

01:31 the GX remains a body-on-frame workhorse with fresh styling,

01:36 a handsome new interior, an electronically controlled transfer case, and

01:41 most significant, a version of the 4.6 liter V8 that romps in the Toyota Tundra

01:46 pickup.

01:47 We judge these leather-lined tanks primarily on how they fare through

01:50 Death Valley.

01:51 Hundreds of miles from such hedonistic diversions as Starbucks, Wi-Fi,

01:56 and the Olive Garden.

01:58 If you're after something to take your 10-year-old daughter to her

02:00 heart-stringing lessons, this Comparo likely won't serve you well.

02:04 If you're looking for the dirty truth, though, watch on.

02:07 All three of our players offer more off-road competence than most

02:19 asphalt avoiders will ever use.

02:22 But among this mil-spec group, the big Benz is the least armed for battle.

02:27 Crucially, unlike the Rover and the Lexus, the GL450 lacks a low-range transfer

02:32 case.

02:33 That makes it more demanding than the other two through our rock crawling

02:36 drills.

02:37 With no transfer case and gearing designed for strip malls rather than

02:41 abandoned strip mines, this one took considerably more effort to pilot

02:46 through the crags.

02:48 While the big V8 is plenty strong--

02:50 335 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque--

02:54 the lack of low-range torque multiplication

02:56 limits extreme maneuvering, such as thrashing your way out of heavy muck

03:01 or tackling steep canyon obstructions.

03:04 Dial back to scud running at 8/10 or less, though, and the GL shines.

03:08 The GL makes marvelous use of its airmatic spring suspension.

03:12 A flick of a switch raises ground clearance to 10.9 inches.

03:16 Suspension offers sport and comfort modes, and there's auto load leveling.

03:20 It's the sportiest, most car-like chassis here.

03:24 So why the third place rating?

03:26 Two big Hertz, the mild-rated off-road hardware,

03:30 and a crushing sticker price.

03:32 Base sticker for the GL450--

03:34 $61825, which outprices the Lexus by nearly $9,000.

03:40 Outfitted with all the extras, our tester checked in at $68485,

03:45 topping the field by nearly $11,000.

03:49 This is a useful, functional, capable, and still handsome seven-passenger SUV,

03:54 but it's just too pricey.

03:55 Wait a minute.

04:04 Isn't this the vehicle that Lab Coat magazine dubbed a "don't buy"?

04:08 What's the evil Lexus doing here, anyway?

04:11 Well, here's our take.

04:13 During on-road drives and track tests, we

04:15 observed that the GX's stability control system does indeed

04:19 feel looser than many we've tried.

04:21 It's actually surprisingly sporty.

04:24 That said, we were driving way, way harder than any SUV pilot would ever

04:28 attempt.

04:29 And even so, the GX never felt scary or unsafe.

04:34 Underneath its tailored skin, the GX is a bonafide desert warrior.

04:37 Put it in four low, drop it into first gear,

04:40 and you just essentially modulate the brakes while the GX idles its way up

04:45 and over rocks and ledges.

04:47 In addition to low range, the GX offers such Swiss Army knife functionality

04:52 as downhill assist control, crawl control, hill start assist,

04:56 and hydraulic kinetic dynamic suspension that off-road frees up

05:02 the anti-roll bars so the opposite wheels can move more independently.

05:06 You could take this rig almost anywhere.

05:09 Add a silky V8, a smooth six-speed automatic,

05:12 every imaginable electronic luxury, a great ride, group high fuel efficiency,

05:18 and strong value, just 57.619 as tested, and the GX acquits itself well indeed.

05:26 In fact, it might have finished first were it not for two drawbacks--

05:30 a third place tow rating of just 6,500 pounds, and more important,

05:35 just 34 cubic feet of cargo room behind the front seats,

05:38 and a very tight third row.

05:40 This one was an easy call.

05:50 If you're taking the tribe cross-country,

05:52 and maybe even if you're heading off-road,

05:55 the Land Rover LR4 tackles every mission parameter with ease.

05:59 Room?

06:00 Well, it's the biggest here, with more than 90 cubic feet

06:03 behind the rear seats, and a third row genuinely comfortable for adults.

06:08 Towing?

06:09 Top rating, 7,716 pounds.

06:13 Off-road prowess?

06:15 Easily the best.

06:16 With up to 12 inches of ground clearance with the air springs raised,

06:20 the latest edition of Land Rover's terrain response system,

06:23 and chassis performance for any condition, driving this thing off-road

06:26 is as easy as twirling the terrain response dial.

06:30 In this vehicle, you're a conqueror of all you see.

06:33 View is incredible, too, through those huge windows.

06:36 When the tough stuff comes, this is the one

06:39 all the drivers fought to drive.

06:40 Yet the LR4 remains thoroughly refined on road, too.

06:44 It's got brilliant steering, plenty of feel and feedback, and a great ride.

06:49 Now, the LR4 isn't flawless.

06:51 The nav menus are slow, and the screen washes out in sunlight.

06:55 Also, that center stack is pretty fussy with buttons.

06:59 And it is undeniably tall and heavy, with a group low 12.17 city highway EPA

07:05 fuel economy rating.

07:07 Once you drive the LR4, though, you won't care.

07:11 From the off-road prowess, utilitarian seven-passenger interior,

07:15 split-folding tailgate, and the gorgeous leather and wood cabin,

07:20 the LR4 is for discerning, adventurous pros

07:22 who want to go anywhere, anytime, whether hitting the trail or the town.

07:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]

07:33 [MUSIC PLAYING]

07:36 (dramatic music)

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