2020 Dodge Durango vs 2021 Lexus GX

Dodge says it has three muscle cars in its lineup, but if you check out the website, you’ll see the Challenger and Charger. Where is the third? According to Dodge, it’s the Durango three-row SUV. Even though it is a seven-passenger family hauler, it has eye-catching muscle car styling cues. It is also available in a number of high-horsepower trims that deliver on the styling.

For that performance and style, you give up a bit of usability compared to leaders in the segment like the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, and Kia Telluride. The Durango also feels a bit dated compared to those vehicles. So, is this tradeoff worth it?

Most modern SUVs are really car-based crossovers—lifted station wagons, or minivans without the sliding doors. That’s not the case with the 2021 Lexus GX 460.

Like the mythical Loch Ness Monster, the GX is a creature that time forgot. It’s one of the last SUVs with truck-like body-on-frame construction and true off-road capability. That’s because the GX is actually a rebadged Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (a smaller version of the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser not sold in the United States), and is related to the Toyota 4Runner. It’s also genuinely old: the current generation dates back to the 2010 model year, and Lexus has kept it in production with some updates of styling and tech over the years.

That makes the GX a fairly odd proposition on the new-car market. It has the off-road capability, not as a lifestyle statement, but because that’s what was still expected of SUVs when it was launched. The GX sits between the RX and LX in Lexus’ lineup but has little direct competition. Its only real rival is the much newer Land Rover Discovery.

For the 2021 model year, the GX gets some minor updates, including a new Premium Plus Package, and acoustic front side glass. Lexus continues to offer only the GX 460 model, with a single powertrain option, standard four-wheel drive (4WD), and three trim levels: base, Premium, and Luxury. Our test car was the midlevel Premium version.