Two of these are body-on-frame with full-time four-wheel drive and five named terrain settings. The GX Overtrail grades have 9.84 inches of ground clearance, a 26-degree approach angle and a 21-degree departure angle, and we will put one on the lift for you to measure.
Written by the Chatham Parkway Lexus team · Reviewed by Syed Madni, General Manager · Updated September 11, 2026
What off-road settings and clearance do these Lexus SUVs offer?
The LX has five off-road settings: Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, Dirt and Auto. Both the GX and the LX are body-on-frame with Full-Time 4WD, which is what lets them work on rough ground.
The GX Overtrail grades carry 9.84 inches of minimum running ground clearance, a 26-degree approach angle and a 21-degree departure angle. Water crossings are the one to ask us about directly.
Twin-turbocharged V6. The engine you start from for rough ground.
LX
5 off-road settings
Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, Dirt, Auto, with Crawl Control and Turn Assist. It is the most capable once the pavement ends.
Whatever tires are on it
We check the tires
Off pavement, tires matter more than the model name.
Which Lexus SUVs handle off-road driving?
1. What does each off-road setting do?
The system
What it covers
5 off-road settings
Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, Dirt, Auto
Multi-Terrain Select
The system that switches between them.
Crawl Control with Turn Assist
Low-speed control, with help tightening a turn on loose ground.
Full-Time 4WD
Standard on both the GX and the LX.
Mud and deep snow need opposite responses from a traction system, and a system with a separate setting for each one handles both.
Try Crawl Control with Turn Assist before you buy. It takes over the pedals at low speed so you can focus on where the wheels are going, and it is hard to appreciate from a description.
Understand the five settings as a group, not one by one. Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, and Dirt change how the vehicle meters power to wheels that are losing grip, and Auto decides for you when you would rather not think about it.
It feels wrong at first. The vehicle makes noises and moves itself, and knowing that on a test drive is better than discovering it on a slope.
2. The GX and the LX are body-on-frame, and that is what makes them capable
Full-Time 4WD with Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control with Turn Assist.
The rest of the range
The GX and the LX are the two built for this.
Body-on-frame is a different way of building a vehicle, and it is why these two behave differently on a rough track from a crossover with the same badge.
It is also why these two stand out from the rest of the Lexus range for this kind of driving. The RX and the NX are built for a different job.
The LX pairs the same full-time four-wheel drive with Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control and Turn Assist. So the difference between the two is size, price and how many seats you need.
3. The most capable GX seats five
GX trim
What it brings
Overtrail
5 seats, 9,096 pounds of towing. The off-road trim, and the third row is not offered.
Premium
7 seats, 9,063 pounds. The seven-seat vehicle with almost the same towing figure.
Luxury
7 seats, 7,844 pounds. The grade above the Premium, also with the third row.
All three
Full-time 4WD and 349 horsepower. The drivetrain is not what separates them.
This is the decision that matters, and it is not about capability at all. All three GX trims are full-time four-wheel drive with the same 349 horsepower, so nothing about getting up a track is decided by which one you buy.
What is decided is how many people come with you. The Overtrail seats five; the Premium and the Luxury seat seven.
So the real question is not which GX is most capable. It is whether the trip you are planning has five people or seven, because that is the thing you cannot change afterward.
If you tow as well, the Premium is within thirty-three pounds of the Overtrail's figure while keeping the third row. The Luxury also seats seven, so ask us for its current tow rating against the trailer you pull before you decide between the two.
None of this appears in the trim names, so check the seat count and the tow rating on the grade before you settle on one.
4. Which grade gets which clearance and angle figures?
Figure
What it brings
Which grade it applies to
Approach angle
Up to 26 degrees
The GX Overtrail grades.
Breakover angle
24 degrees
The GX Overtrail grades.
Departure angle
21 degrees
The GX Overtrail grades.
Minimum running ground clearance
9.84 inches
Overtrail and Overtrail+, where the disconnecting stabilizer bar is standard.
Towing
Up to 9,063 lbs and 9,096 lbs on one grade
The higher figure is the Overtrail with the standard tow hitch.
Water crossings
Ask us directly
They depend on the vehicle and the crossing, so tell us about both.
The ground clearance figure is grade-specific. It applies to the Overtrail and Overtrail+, where the disconnecting stabilizer bar is standard, and a Premium or a Luxury measures differently.
Ask us about water crossings before you attempt one. Ask before you cross, and we will talk through the specific vehicle and the crossing.
5. What should you check, and what should you bring?
Check
Why
Try Crawl Control on loose ground
It is the feature hardest to appreciate from a description and easiest to appreciate in use.
Measure the clearance yourself
Bring a tape, and we will put the vehicle up.
Look at the tires
They tell you more than the badge or the mode selector.
Describe the track you drive
Fire roads and rock require different vehicles and different tires.
All four take a few minutes, and they answer questions a specification sheet leaves open.
Come and do them with us. We will put it on the lift and let you measure it yourself.
Bring a tape measure. The number you take off the vehicle is the one that applies to your car, and it takes about ten minutes on a lift.
Look closely at the tires before anything else on the spec sheet. On loose ground, they matter more than the mode selector, and they are the cheapest thing on this list to change.
Then tell us the track you drive. A graded fire road and a rock step ask for different things, and only one of them needs the Overtrail's hardware.
6. Off-pavement here means sand and pluff mud
What you meet here
Which setting is it for
Soft sand at a beach access
Sand. Lower speed and steady throttle beat power every time.
Pluff mud on a river track
Mud. It is heavier and stickier than mud anywhere inland.
Wet clay after a storm
Dirt, and a great deal of patience.
Standing water of unknown depth
No setting. Tell us about the crossing before you try it.
Almost nobody around here is rock crawling. The ground that causes trouble is soft, wet and flat, which is exactly what Sand and Mud exist for and exactly what a road tire is worst at.
Tell us where you go, and we will tell you whether the vehicle or the tires are the thing to change.
Soft ground is a different problem from steep ground, and different things get you through. Momentum and tire choice matter more than suspension articulation. Buy for the ground you drive.
That also changes what to carry for recovery. Getting stuck here usually means sinking, not hanging up, so what you carry matters as much as what you drive. A set of recovery boards belongs in the back whatever you drive.
Tide is the part to plan around. Ground that carried you out will not necessarily carry you back, and and once the tide comes back in, the ground decides the outcome whatever you drive.
What was it like for people who bought here?
You want it serviced properly
A vehicle used off pavement is harder on its fluids, filters and underbody, and we will set the schedule around the way you use it.
Can't say enough good things about this dealership! Every service advisor I've worked with has been incredibly knowledgable and follows-up promptly with any questions. I've worked with Lauren, Thomas and Maureen (now the service manager) and they are all top notch. They are absolutely the customer-facing employees any business owner would kill to have working for them.
Read more
I recently purchased another Lexus from this dealership and was helped by Cassidy in the sales department. Kudos to you, Chatham Parkway Lexus, for another fabulous employee. She was knowledgable about every model and feature, extremely personable, SO EASY to talk to and work with. Not many people (women in particular) can say they've never had a bad experience with car maintenance or sales, but I have only had exceptional experiences! Chatham Parkway Lexus was, and still is, nothing short of fantastic!!!!
We will tell you which grade each figure applies to before you decide anything.
The wait times is never awfully long. While waiting you can take advantage of the lounge area that has massage chairs and some days a nail technician on site
You own it at the end, with no mileage limit. The longer you keep it, the cheaper it is per year.
Finance
Pay for the car monthly over a term you choose. We show you the rate, the term and the total before you sign.
Lease
A lower monthly payment for a set term and mileage. At the end you return the car, buy it or lease another.
Trade in
We appraise your current car and put its value in writing, as its own figure beside the price of the new one.
What else you may be wondering
Capability
How many off-road settings does the Lexus LX have?
Five: Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, Dirt and Auto.
What is Multi-Terrain Select?
The system that switches between those five settings, alongside Full-Time 4WD and Crawl Control with Turn Assist.
What is Crawl Control with Turn Assist?
Low-speed control that manages the pedals so you can focus on steering, with assistance tightening a turn on loose ground. It is a feature to try before you buy.
Is the Lexus GX body-on-frame?
Yes: body-on-frame construction with Full-Time 4WD and a twin-turbocharged V6.
Which Lexus is best off-road?
The GX and the LX. Both are body-on-frame with Full-Time 4WD, and the rest of the range is not built for this.
Is Full-Time 4WD an option?
It is standard on both the GX and the LX.
Figures
What is the ground clearance of a Lexus GX?
Ground clearance varies by grade, and the Overtrail and Overtrail+ have the most ground clearance because they come with off-road hardware. Tell us the trail, ramp, or driveway you have in mind, and we will measure the actual vehicle with you on a lift.
How deep can a Lexus ford?
That depends on the vehicle and on the crossing, so ask us about the one you have in mind. If you cannot see the bottom of the water, the answer is the other route regardless of the vehicle.
What are the approach and departure angles on the GX?
The GX Overtrail grades carry a 26-degree approach angle and a 21-degree departure angle, alongside 9.84 inches of minimum running ground clearance.
Those belong to the Overtrail and Overtrail+ grades, where the disconnecting stabilizer bar is standard.
Ask us to confirm the grade on the vehicle you are looking at.
Buying
What should I check first?
The tires, then Crawl Control on loose ground. Those two tell you more about how a day out will go than any figure.
Do tires matter more than the terrain modes?
Off pavement, yes. A capable vehicle on road tires runs out of grip long before it runs out of ability.
Can I use these for towing as well?
Both tow. Never tow beyond a vehicle's rated capacity, and we check the rating on the individual vehicle.
Choosing
How many seats does the Lexus GX Overtrail have?
Five. The Premium and Luxury seat seven, so the off-road trim trades two seats for the hardware.
Is a more capable GX a different vehicle underneath?
No. All three GX trims are full-time 4WD with 349 horsepower. The only differences are equipment and, on the Overtrail, the number of seats.
Around here
Do I need the Overtrail for driving on the beach or in soft mud?
Not necessarily. All three GX trims are full-time 4WD with the same 349 horsepower, so on soft flat ground tire choice and momentum decide more than the trim does. The Overtrail hardware matters most on rock and ruts.
What gets people stuck around Savannah?
Soft ground and the tide, more than steep ground. Sinking is what happens here, not hanging up on a rock, so recovery boards and knowing the tide matter more than articulation.
Figures on our lot
Can you tell me the ground clearance of a car on your lot?
Yes, and we would rather measure it with you. We put the vehicle on a lift, and you take the number off the car itself, loaded the way you will drive it.
People also ask
How many off-road modes does a Lexus LX have?
Five: Mud, Sand, Deep Snow, Dirt and Auto.
Is the Lexus GX good off-road?
It has a body-on-frame design, full-time 4WD and a twin-turbocharged V6, which is what makes it capable off-road.
What off-road technology does the Lexus LX have?
Full-Time 4WD, Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control with Turn Assist.
What is the ground clearance of a Lexus LX?
We measure the actual vehicle with you, because the figure that matters is the one taken off the car you are buying.
