Would You Take This $88K Car Off Road???

Off Road Lexus
Our off road crew: Travis Martin, Carrie Kim, me and Sara Lacey. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Get some of your freedom back with Lexus.

So here’s a sad stat: 90 percent of vehicles that are off road capable never go off road. Ever.

Of course, we love our four wheel drive cars because they keep us safe in bad weather, make climbing gravel roads a breeze and their size accommodates our families, our gear and more. But wouldn’t you like to have some of your freedom back?

Does your 4WD really give you your freedom?

Off Road Lexus
After all, how else can you get here? Photo: Scotty Reiss

Does it make you giggle? Does it make your kids smile? Does it take you places no one else can go? If not, you’re not getting your money’s worth.

This is something I hadn’t thought of, even after owning two 4WD Jeeps and an AWD Toyota Highlander. Sure, they were great for getting to our neighbor’s ski house. And getting down my aunt’s very steep gravel drive – and up my own snow and ice slicked driveway. But they were so capable I never needed to use the 4 low gear; they just did their thing on command.

Truly going off road is another story. And, it’s often where the magic happens. Imagine this: you, your kids, no devices, no WiFi, no crowds, no distractions, just beautiful scenery, fresh air and time together.

Now that is the way to recharge your batteries. And that is why you’d take this $88,000 Lexus LX570 off road.

Off Road Lexus
Pardon the dusty screen, a hazzard of off roading; we can see our wheels, what gear we are in and how the Lexus is managing the road. Photo: Scotty Reiss

And, here is why you’d feel fine about taking this expensive SUV off road:

  • The Lexus off road commend center give you have tons of control at your fingertips.
  • It can handle just about anything the landscape presents.
  • Just because the car is roughing it doesn’t mean you have to: you’ll be comfortably ensconced in leather seating, enjoying the premium sound system and a ride experience designed to make you giggle, not jiggle.
  • The “Crawl” setting gives the LX570 the power to slowly and systematically get out of almost any situation. The story goes that the system has gotten trucks out of sand pits where they were nearly buried.
  • The camera setting allows you to see right next to the right and left tires, as well as right in front of the front bumper, giving you the agility to navigate around (or over, if you wish) rocks, logs, ditches and more.
  • The ample cargo space and third row means that you can take everything you need to your off road destination—no need to make a milk run, just bring it with you.
  • All these soft, luxurious surfaces—leather seating, leather trim— are easy to clean after being out in the dirt, sand or snow.
Off Road Lexus
The luxury was compulsory, the giggles were spontaneous. Photo: Scotty Reiss

We were invited to take LX570 off road in central Oregon. It was a ton of fun and giggles. And, we were all amazed at what we could accomplish when we had a pro in the passenger’s seat walking us through how to use the off road settings. 

My friend Carrie Kim takes us off road in Oregon, guided by expert Travis Martin. 

 

Off Road Lexus
Buttons let you control some of the luxuries and all of the off road options, including the crawl mode. Photo: Scotty Reiss

 

Off Road Lexus
Going off road in the Lexus was a blast and we have the dirt to prove it. Photo: Scotty Reiss

 

Off Road Lexus
Drive and entertainment settings are displayed between the gauges; we could easily see which 4WD setting we were in. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Next time you think about buying a 4 wheel drive –or if you own one–make it a goal to hit an off road trail. Here is a list of National Parks where you, your family and your 4WD will be right at home.

Disclosure: I was a guest of Lexus for this drive event; travel and accommodations were provided. Opinions (and giggles) are all my own.

 

Scotty Reiss
Scotty Reiss

Journalist, entrepreneur and mom. Expertise includes new cars, family cars, 3-row SUVs, child passenger car seats and automotive careers and culture. A World Car Awards juror and member of the steering committee, Scotty likes to say the automotive business found her, rather than her finding it. But recognizing the opportunity to give voice to powerful female consumers and create a voice to match their spending power, her mission became to empower women as car buyers and owners. A career-long journalist, she has written for the New York Times, Town & Country, Adweek and co-authored the book Stew Leonard, My Story, a biography of the founder of the iconic grocery company Stew Leonard’s. Her love of cars started when her father insisted she learn to change the oil in her MG Midget, but now it mostly plays out in the many road trips taken with her family.

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