2007 Lexus LX Safety Review [ 2008 ]
Lexus LX Safety Review
Safety - NA
The 2007 LX 470 includes some remarkable advanced safety features, but shows its age in lacking head air bag protection for third-row passengers. The LX 470 has not been crash tested by either the federal government or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the two major organizations that perform crash tests in the U.S.
Accident Avoidance
Lexus has led the development of many accident avoidance technologies, and the LX 470 takes advantage of many. Vehicle Stability Control and Active Traction Control work together to maintain the vehicle's course during emergency maneuvers or in slippery conditions. The standard antilock brakes include Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and a Brake Assist function that, according to Auto Mall USA, "interprets a quick, hard push of the brake pedal as emergency braking and supplements the applied braking pressure to ensure maximum stopping power." A standard tire pressure monitoring system warns the driver of dangerously underinflated tires. A backup camera mounted above the rear license plate displays through the LCD screen of the navigation system.
Lexus Night View, designed to warn drivers of objects beyond the reach of the headlamps, is an optional feature many reviewers liked. Edmunds explains, "using near infrared light, a charged coupled device camera and computerized image processing, the Night View System will project a black-and-white image on the bottom of the windshield that clearly shows what's ahead of the vehicle even in pitch-black darkness. It's a boon for LX owners who live on rural estates where street lighting is almost unheard of." Not all reviewers appreciated the system, however. The Detroit News reported "I found the night-vision system distracting, especially when I was trying to negotiate some of those tight turns on Mulholland in a tall vehicle that weighs too much and has a steering system that feels disconnected from the road. I'd advise you to save your $2,200."
Crash Protection
The LX 470 offers excellent air bag coverage for passengers in the first two rows of seating, but leaves third-row passengers less well-protected. Head curtain air bags inflate across the windows in side-impact accidents, to protect the heads of first and second row passengers. The head curtain air bags also deploy, and remain inflated for an extended time, if the vehicle detects a rollover. First-row passengers are also covered by torso-protecting side air bags which deploy forward from the front seats.
The last time the LX 470 underwent a major re-design, head curtain air bags protecting the first two rows of passengers were relatively standard. Now, many competitors, including the Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX56, and Mercedes-Benz GL, offer head curtain air bags that protect all three rows of passengers. Lexus has yet to make this upgrade.
The passenger's side front air bag includes an occupant detection sensor, which is designed to take the size of the front seat occupant into account when it determines the force with which to inflate.
