What's the difference?
When you look at a Lexus LX, you see a distinct resemblance to a Toyota LandCruiser. That’s understandable given that, fundamentally, the Lexus LX is a comprehensively gussied-up Toyota LandCruiser.
Built to put the luxury brand into the large SUV game, and taking advantage of Toyota's huge product portfolio, it's clear that this is not for chucking down the side of a mountain (although it can absolutely do that if asked, as long as you're on good terms with your local paint shop).
Lexus is - or more accurately, LX buyers are - very clear about how folks use the LX: it’s a city car. So it's got all the sophisticated city looks, with skirts and bling and big shiny alloy wheels. Whether there's a point to all that is irrelevant - there are clearly people, like you, who want a posh LandCruiser.
If you're in the market for a premium-style four-wheel drive wagon with eight seats and a petrol V8 engine and you live in Australia, your choices have been rather limited. You'd be looking at something like the Nissan Patrol or the Land Rover Defender 130.
Well, that has now changed as General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) is importing the GMC Yukon Denali to Australia. This top-of-the-range Yukon arrives here as a left-hand drive vehicle and is converted to right-hand drive at a facility in Victoria to suit our market.
The Denali has a price tag just under $175,000, though, and that makes it a lot more expensive than most vehicles that could be considered rivals in the Aussie market. Is it worth it?
Read on.
The Lexus is awkwardly big and not very fleet of foot when you're negotiating the commute to work, school or the shops. It slurps fuel at a rate we're not used to seeing these days and it's not the easiest to park, even with all of its cameras and beepers.
The LX is far more at home out on the highway, where it is incredibly comfortable and quiet. One imagines the diesel entry-level model would do it all, but with less consumption. If you must have a V8, the LX 570 without the S might be even more comfortable without the sports dampers.
Either way, it's a lot of car for the suburbs.
The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is a big, comfortable, eight-seat 4WD with few rivals in the Aussie market. However, while it may occupy its own niche, it doesn't offer enough in terms of premium look and feel and towing capacity over what could be considered its rivals – and it all comes back to that price tag.Â
While it lacks a competitive warranty and its price puts it way out of reach of a lot of 4WD buyers, if you are in the market for a big premium-style wagon with a V8 and eight seats – and the Nissan Patrol and Land Rover Defender 130 aren’t your cup of tea – then the Yukon Denali just might be the right choice for you.
But when all is said and done, for the price of the Denali, you could buy two Nissan Patrols – maybe not brand-new ones – and a camper trailer and a couple of cartons of beer.Â