The front seats are supremely comfortable. There's a good view of the road ahead while large outside mirrors provide good rearward visibility. Attractive bird's-eye maple trim adds an upscale look to the rich leather-trim upholstery. The steering wheel and shift knob are handsomely finished in a combination of wood and leather.
The LX is packed with luxury and convenience features. Big rear quarter windows swing out at the touch of a pair of dash-mounted buttons. Side mirrors retract electrically for parking in tight quarters. Auxiliary power outlets are provided in the dash, center console and rear cargo area. A trip computer, digital clock, and compass keep the driver well informed. A hydrocarbon sensor automatically switches the climate control to the Recirculate mode when high levels of air pollution are detected, while an activated charcoal micron filter removes dust, pollen, and odors from the interior air stream, a benefit for hay fever sufferers. Automatic climate controls are integrated into the navigation system. Steering-wheel audio controls make it easy to adjust volume and change pre-set radio stations.
The rearmost jump seats are among the best of their type. They are comfortable and relatively easy to access. They can be folded aside when not in use, but they are big and take up cargo space. Removing them provides an additional 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity for a maximum of 90.4 cubic feet, still less than the Cadillac Escalade (104) but significantly more than the Range Rover (75). With the rear jump seats and the second-row seats set up to carry passengers, the LX 470 still offers 39.2 cubic feet of cargo space.
Other interior features include a sophisticated security function for the remote keyless entry system, child safety-seat anchors for the second-row seat, a digital compass integrated into the auto-dimming rearview mirror, rear cupholders and cargo-net hooks.
The optional rear-seat DVD entertainment system plays movies on a 6.5-inch, wide-format overhead screen that deploys from the headliner ahead of the second row. The DVD player is mounted in the cargo area (in the right rear quarter panel) and the system includes two sets of wireless headphones and a remote control.
The navigation system screen can be used to watch DVD movies, but only when the transmission is in Park to eliminate any temptation to watch and drive at the same time. The audio portion of the movie can be played over the system while moving, though. The navigation system can be operated with voice commands.
