Compare the2023 Lexus GXVS 2023 Maserati Levante

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Maserati Levante doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The GX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Levante doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Lexus GX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Maserati Levante has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the GX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Levante doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Lexus GX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Levante doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GX’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Levante.

The GX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Levante doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GX and the Levante have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the GX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Maserati covers the Levante. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Levante ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The GX’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Levante’s (6/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

There are over 2 times as many Lexus dealers as there are Maserati dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GX’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the GX’s reliability 61 points higher than the Levante.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GX second among midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Levante isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Maserati vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 98 more problems per 100 vehicles, Maserati is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the GX gets better mileage than the Levante:

The GX has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Levante (23 vs. 21.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus GX higher (3 out of 10) than the Maserati Levante (1 to 3). This means the GX produces up to 22.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Levante every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Lexus GX as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Maserati Levante is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The GX stops much shorter than the Levante:

The Lexus GX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Maserati Levante only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The GX has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Levante; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The GX has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Levante doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The GX is 4.9 inches shorter than the Levante, making the GX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the GX is quieter than the Levante Modena:

The GX has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Levante can only carry 5.

The GX has 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Levante.

The GX’s cargo area provides more volume than the Levante.

The GX’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the right swing out door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Levante’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The GX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Levante’s (6500 vs. 5952 pounds).

While the Levante Modena S can only tow 3306, any GX can tow a minimum of 6500 pounds.

The GX’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Levante’s standard xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

The GX has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Levante doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Lexus GX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Lexus GX outsold the Maserati Levante by almost 8 to one during 2022.