Lexus has had a long track record of success when it comes to selling hybrid SUVs with the brand first starting to offer them in 2006. Lexus has made massive strides since with the LX700h Overtrail being the latest pinnacle of its green infused efforts. But has it lost its way in the process?

LX700h excels in familiarity

At first glance, the LX700h does not appear to stray too far outside of its comfort zone with the bulk of the exterior styling carried over from lesser versions and as a result, there’s not alot to talk about here. Instead, the bulk of the attention is focused on the Overtrail trimmings with our tester arriving with trim exclusive 18-inch wheels and meaty 33-inch off-road tires.

The sand colored paint on our tester also embodies its trail ready character and it looked great in the sunlight. The LX is the closest thing the U.S. gets to the international market Toyota Land Cruiser and it’s good to see some of that model’s foundational genetics bleed through to the LX.

LX700h interior lives the high life, but at a cost

Slip inside and you’ll be forgiven if it feels like your in any other LX with the core theme and the basic control layout all being carried over from lesser models. However, the 700h addresses some of the missing omissions that dogged the LX at its launch a few years ago. For example, front massaging seats are now standard across the board but the 700h is the only one that gets a refrigerated chillbox and rear sunshades. Front seat occupants have plenty of room to stretch out and relax.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the second-row with the muttered grumblings of my mother-in-law and her two friends being constant reminders of just how tight the second-row was when the LX was tasked with being transportation for a Persian wedding (a Chevrolet Trax has more room.)

The center passenger is perhaps the unluckiest of all with the raised floor (needed to accommodate the hybrid battery) scrunching leg and foot room and making headroom tight for taller folks. The third row is just as uncomfortable but Overtrail and Ultra Luxury trim buyers can skip it to help improve cargo room.

Hybrid engine brings power but where’s the efficency gain?

Performance for the LX700h comes from a turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 that’s paired with a hybrid system to produce 457 hp and 583 lb-ft of torque. The gains here are not as readily noticeable as these boosts might suggest but our tester managed to make the sprint to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds despite our rig carrying over 400 extra lbs of flab and its arsenal of off-road focused equipment. Handling in the LX700h Overtrail is not too ponderous but buyers expecting anything close to a communicative driving experience on pavement will have to go for either the smaller NX or RX models.

The 10-speed automatic provides smooth shifts and the transition from electric to gas driving modes is smooth and seamless with the engine feeling very responsive as a result. Unfortunately, the biggest selling point of any hybrid is noticeable fuel economy gains and this is where the LX700h in any guise falls woefully short. The LX700h is rated for 19/22/20mpg in city/freeway/combined driving and when these figures are tallied up, it represents a very minimal gain in fuel economy versus the LX600 which also serves to blunt the reason to buy it in the first place.

Value Quotient?

With the fuel economy gains being not that radical, the LX700h instead prefers to use its higher place on the numerical totem pole to show off its increased performance and pricing and the latter becomes very clear when you look at the 700h’s pricing ladder. An Overtrail like ours starts at $116,685 before options with the F-Sport starting slightly higher at just over $118,000. Things only get pricier from there with the Ultra Luxury version starting at $142,450.

This pricing ladder when combined with the minimal gains in fuel economy makes the 700h a hard sell and it also shines a light on some of the inner flaws that still exist with the LX especially in interior ergonomics and rear passenger room when compared to rivals (hybrid or otherwise.) That’s a shame since the LX is still one of the most trail ready flagship SUVs on the market today and can still shine when tasked with tackling the road less traveled.