Lexus LX vs Nissan Patrol

The Patrol for most cross-shoppers. Its $105,408 driveaway entry buys eight seats, a V8, 273mm of clearance and the same 3,500kg tow rating the Lexus offers, leaving $71,911 on the table on August 2026 pricing. The LX for the buyer who was never really shopping on price: its diesel claims 8.9L/100km to the V8's 14.4, it carries ten airbags to six, and the cabin runs a class above anything Nissan fits. The wrinkle is timing: with the Y63 Patrol's order books opening from late August 2026 and deliveries due in the first quarter of 2027, the Y62 is in its run-out, which cuts both ways on price and on being last-generation.

Nissan confirmed in early August 2026 that Australian orders for the next-generation Y63 Patrol open later that month, with first customer deliveries scheduled for the first quarter of 2027. The new car swaps the 5.6-litre V8 for a 317kW twin-turbo V6 and adds equipment the Y62 never offered, including available adaptive air suspension. Australian pricing and grades were still unannounced at the time. So the choice is concrete: the Y62 is the last V8 Patrol, likely with run-out pricing to match, while the Y63 brings the newer platform for those willing to wait. Buyers who want the V8 have a closing window; buyers who want the latest hardware have a short one.

On standard grades, the Patrol. It approaches at 34.4 degrees to the LX's 23, clears 273mm to 210, and fits a rear diff lock the entry Lexus doesn't carry, with sand, snow and rock drive modes on top of low range. The LX counters with a locking centre differential, height-adjustable suspension and, on the Overtrail grade, front and rear locking differentials on all-terrain tyres, the variant Lexus built for exactly this question. Both run full-time capability with low-range gearing and 3,500kg of towing. For a stock-standard tourer the Patrol starts ahead; for a buyer speccing the Lexus properly, the Overtrail closes most of the gap.

The ratings tie at 3,500kg braked and 750kg unbraked, so the answer lives in the supporting numbers. The Patrol publishes a 350kg tow-ball limit, a 714kg payload and a 7,000kg gross combination mass, the full working set a caravan buyer needs, and its 3,500kg GVM leaves usable margin. The LX publishes a 3,280kg GVM with a 250kg ball limit, and its diesel's 700Nm at least out-muscles the V8's 560Nm for hauling. On paper the Patrol is the more transparent and better-supported tow rig; the LX is the more relaxed engine doing it. Heavy towers should run the weighbridge arithmetic on the Nissan first.

Neither vehicle holds a current ANCAP rating, so equipment has to carry the comparison. Both are well armed with assists: autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring and 360-degree cameras appear on both spec sheets. The separation is structural: the LX fits ten airbags to the Patrol's six, adds a head-up display the Nissan doesn't offer, and its Lexus Safety System+ suite was expanded again in the MY25 update. Families weighting airbag coverage and the newest assist calibrations have their answer in the Lexus column; the Patrol's suite is complete but older.

Fuel is the headline. The LX diesel claims 8.9L/100km where the Patrol's 5.6-litre V8 claims 14.4, and the 5.5L/100km gap compounds over a touring year. Premium unleaded for the Nissan sharpens it further. The Patrol answers with Nissan's ownership program: under the brand's January 2025 arrangements, dealer-serviced cars earn warranty and roadside extensions running as far as ten years or 300,000km, on top of the standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre cover both these vehicles carry. Lexus services the LX every six months. Exact servicing prices are under review on both sides, so we won't quote them; the structural read is diesel economy versus program generosity.

It splits on what the family needs. The Patrol carries eight seats to the LX's seven, and its 3,075mm wheelbase, the longest dimension on the page, serves third-row legroom. The LX counters with the protective and comfort layer: ten airbags, rear climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, and the newer assist suite watching the school run. Boot comparisons are not clean in our data, so we won't force one. A family that regularly fills every seat leans Patrol on capacity alone; a family of six or fewer that values the cabin and the airbag count leans Lexus. Neither choice is wrong, which is rare on this page.

The Patrol range is short and sharp on August 2026 driveaway pricing: $105,408 for the Ti, $117,483 for the Ti-L. The Premcar-developed Warrior sits above them, priced at order. The LX ladder starts at $177,319 for the Luxury diesel and climbs through Sports Luxury, F Sport and the off-road Overtrail to $217,009 for the hybrid F Sport. The gap between the cheapest cars is $71,911, close to the price of a second vehicle. The sweet spots: the Patrol Ti already carries the full mechanical package, and the LX Luxury diesel delivers the economy and cabin case at the lowest entry.

Mechanically, yes, and that is the appeal. The LX rides the same GA-F ladder frame as the LandCruiser 300, shares its 10-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive, and its 3.3-litre twin-turbo diesel is the familiar 227kW, 700Nm unit. What Lexus adds is the layer Toyota doesn't sell: ten airbags, the 12.3-inch cluster and head-up display, heated and ventilated seating, ambient lighting, and a hybrid flagship pair making 341kW and 790Nm. Against the Patrol, the shared-platform point matters mostly as pedigree: the LX's bones are proven Toyota touring hardware, wearing a Lexus interior. Buyers deciding between the twins themselves should read our LX versus LandCruiser 300 page.