2005 Lexus LX 470 Impressive off-road capability with luxurious accommodations for eight. By Mitch McCullough, New Car Test Drive .com

The Lexus LX 470 combines outstanding off-road capability with first-class accommodations and a smooth ride. Its 4.7-liter V8 is smooth and powerful, and comes mated to a five-speed automatic for responsive performance. The LX 470 is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds.

The interior is elegant and well equipped and can seat up to eight passengers. Lexus offers the best quality, durability and reliability in the business, with retailers dedicated to customer satisfaction.

It comes standard with high-tech features, including a video display that can help the driver spot objects behind the vehicle when backing up, such as a tricycle. Bluetooth¦ allows hands-free operation of your cell phone without having to pull it out of your jacket pocket or purse.

The Lexus LX 470 ($64,775) is available as one fully loaded model. It's equipped with the 4.7-liter V8, five-speed automatic, a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a locking center differential and four-wheel traction control. It also comes with an adaptive suspension with variable-rate damping and adjustable height control and big P275/60HR18 mud-and-snow tires on 18-inch alloy wheels. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and vehicle stability control help drivers maintain control.

LX 470 comes standard with a sumptuous leather interior and a boggling list of luxury and convenience features. Just a few of the many standard features: automatic climate control front and rear and power seats, windows, door locks, windows and moonroof. Also standard is a DVD-based navigation system and a premium AM/FM/cassette stereo system with a six-disc DVD/CD auto changer, seven speakers, automatic sound leveling and a separate rear-seat audio system.

Standard safety equipment is impressive: frontal, seat mounted side and side curtain airbags, front seat belts with pretensioners and force limiters, and a first aid kit. The side curtain airbags are designed to help provide protection for the

four outboard passengers in the front and second-row seats in certain types

of severe side impacts or in case of a severe tilt degree. Windshield wipers adjust for rain automatically and the windshield is coated with water repellant.

Options include a rear-seat DVD entertainment system that plays movies on a 6.5-inch overhead screen; put it in Park and watch a movie on the navigation screen. A Mark Levinson audio system ($1,280) is optional, and XM Satellite Radio is available as a dealer-installed option on 2005 models. Night View ($2,200) is available, which uses near-infrared technology to help illuminate people, deer and other objects at night up to 500 feet away and display them on a section of the windshield in front of the driver. There's also a roof rack with cross bars ($220) and a rear spoiler ($280).