Lexus SUVs: from the 1996 LX 450 and RX 300 to the TX

Lexus SUVs and crossovers history

The LX 450 was revealed in New York in 1995 and went on sale in early 1996 as the brand’s first SUV. The RX 300 followed at the 1998 North American International Auto Show. Lexus calls it the first luxury crossover: car-based unibody construction instead of body-on-frame, a 220-hp V6 and available 4WD. About 42,000 sold in its first year.

The GX 470, announced in 2002, added a midsize body-on-frame SUV with a 4.7-liter V8 paired exclusively with all-wheel drive. The RX 330 became the first Lexus built outside Japan, in Ontario, and by 2009 Lexus had sold more than one million RX models in the US.

Smaller crossovers came next: the NX premiered in Beijing in 2014 and the UX at Geneva in 2018. The three-row TX premiered in 2023 and is the first Lexus SUV built in the US, at Toyota Indiana. It offers a turbo four, a turbo hybrid and the first Lexus V6 plug-in hybrid.[1],[2],[3]

Years and production numbers

Engine and drivetrain facts

• The 1999 RX 300 used a 220-hp 3.0-liter V6; the 2004 RX 330 moved to a 230-hp 3.3-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic.
• The GX 470’s 4.7-liter V8 started at 235 hp and was raised to 270 hp; the 2010 GX 460 switched to a 301-hp 4.6-liter V8 with a six-speed automatic.
• The fourth-generation LX (2022 LX 600) moved to the GA-F platform and lost 441 pounds; the 2025 LX 700h hybrid makes 457 hp and 583 lb-ft and can tow 8,000 lb.

Sources:[1],[3],[4],[5],[6]

What changed over the years

1. 1995LX 450 revealed in New York.
2. 1996LX 450 goes on sale as the first Lexus SUV.
3. 1998RX 300 debuts in Detroit as the first luxury crossover; LX 470 arrives.
4. 2002GX 470 announced.
5. 2003Second-generation RX 330 goes on sale; RX production announced for Cambridge, Ontario.
6. 2008LX 570 goes on sale.
7. 2009Third-generation RX 350 and RX 450h; US RX sales pass one million.
8. 2010Second-generation GX 460 arrives.
9. 2014NX premieres in Beijing.
10. 2017Three-row RX 350L and RX 450hL revealed.
11. 2018UX premieres at Geneva.
12. 2021Second-generation NX and fourth-generation LX premiere.
13. 2023TX premieres and enters production in Indiana; third-generation GX premieres.
14. 2024LX 700h introduces the first LX hybrid.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[4],[6]

What to check before you buy one

• Know which kind of SUV you’re buying. The LX and GX are body-on-frame with four-wheel drive, while the RX, NX, UX and TX are unibody crossovers, and many crossovers were sold with front-wheel drive.
• Confirm the exact model and powertrain from the VIN-decoded data. RX, NX, TX and LX models come as gas, hybrid or plug-in versions that look similar.
• On older LX and GX models used off-road, check the underbody, suspension and four-wheel-drive system, and ask for maintenance records.

Model-specific problems by generation are tracked on our Lexus RX known issues page.

Lexus SUVs and crossovers prices and values

Medians of asking prices, not transaction prices; every trim is blended, so performance variants usually sit well above these medians. "Below new median" compares each model year's median used listing with the median listing price of a new 2026 RX today. More in our Lexus RX depreciation study.

Mileage: across 13,137 used Lexus RX listings in our November 2026 study (all model years), the median odometer reading was 74,262 miles and 3.8% showed 200,000 miles or more. See how long a Lexus RX lasts.

How to verify a Lexus SUVs and crossovers's factory options

A used Lexus's model, engine and drivetrain are fixed at the factory. CarWhere decodes the 17-character VIN and, where licensed factory build data exists, lists the equipment the car was built with. It does not promise a complete option list for every VIN.