Compare the2024 Kia EV9VS 2024 Lexus LX

Both the EV9 and LX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV9 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The LX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The EV9 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The LX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the EV9 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The LX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the EV9 and the LX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Kia EV9 (Built after January 2024) achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The LX has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The EV9 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The LX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV9 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the LX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the LX ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV9’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 8th.

The EV9 GT-Line’s standard electric motors produces 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 479) than the LX’s 3.4 turbo V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the EV9 GT-Line electric motors is faster than the Lexus LX:

On the EPA test cycle the EV9 gets better mileage than the LX:

The EV9 can travel with zero emissions for 230 to 304 miles (dependent on model). The LX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the EV9’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The LX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia EV9 higher (10 out of 10) than the Lexus LX (5). This means the EV9 produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the LX every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the EV9’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the LX:

For better traction, the EV9 GT-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the LX (285/45R21 vs. 265/55R20).

The EV9’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the LX Premium/Luxury’s 65 series tires. The EV9 GT-Line’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the LX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV9 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the LX Premium/Luxury.

For superior ride and handling, the Kia EV9 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The EV9 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the EV9 flat and controlled during cornering. The LX base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The EV9’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The LX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV9’s wheelbase is 9.8 inches longer than on the LX (122 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV9 is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the LX.

The EV9 GT-Line AWD handles at .87 G’s, while the LX 600 F Sport pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Kia EV9 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 550 pounds less than the Lexus LX.

The EV9 is 3 inches shorter than the LX 600 F Sport, making the EV9 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the EV9’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The LX doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The front grille of the EV9 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The LX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the EV9 GT-Line AWD is quieter than the LX 600 F Sport:

The EV9’s cargo area provides more volume than the LX.

The EV9’s cargo area provides more volume than the LX 600 Ultra Luxury.

The EV9’s available rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The LX Ultra Luxury doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The EV9 GT-Line has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the LX.

The EV9 (except Light/Wind)’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The LX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The EV9 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The LX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The EV9 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024. The LX has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV9 as the 2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The LX has never been chosen.