Lexus UX Review & Prices

The UX was, until the launch of the new LBX, Lexus’ smallest SUV. Sitting underneath the NX and intended to be a plush Japanese alternative to cars such as the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes GLA, the UX has always stood out with bold styling and a hybrid-only engine range - before that was fashionable!

But with the posh NX and the stylish LBX flanking it, the UX is in danger of being a bit like the angsty middle child - hardworking but just not as popular as its siblings. Is that a reputation it deserves?

The UX isn’t off to a great start when it comes to its credentials as a family car. The rear doors are small, the rear seats quite cramped - and the boot is pretty pathetic. At just 320 litres in capacity, it trails behind even some small hatchbacks, and is eclipsed by pretty much every other small SUV including Lexus’ own LBX.

The interior is somewhat of a mixed bag too. There’s absolutely no arguing with the build quality, solidity of materials and luxurious touches on offer. Lexus knows how to make an interior that feels nice and it’s certainly translated to the UX - you get fantastically comfortable seats, plush materials on every surface that you touch and an array of luxurious little additions, like the way the windows soft-close at the top of their travel.

However, look at the UX’s old-fashioned digital dials or its rather clunky infotainment system and you feel a little hard done-by, especially when you compare it to something like the BMW X1 or the Mercedes GLA with their big panoramic displays and myriad techy features.

The UX has used a hybrid engine right from the start - though there is also a fully electric UX badged as the UX 300e, which we’ve reviewed separately.

The hybrid model was originally called the 250h, but after an update in 2024 it’s now the UX 300h. That update brought with it some improvements in performance and drivability, slightly closing the gap between the UX and some of its more sporty alternatives.

You get a total of 199hp from the combination of a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor. Performance is strong - 0-62mph takes around eight seconds, which is much quicker than base models of the Q3 or X1. However, the CVT transmission common to most Lexus and Toyota hybrids doesn’t really encourage you to press on - instead, it’s great for smooth, unhurried progress, especially around town.

It’s in town where you’ll find the most benefit from the hybrid system too, and you should only feel the petrol engine firing up occasionally to sling some charge into the batteries.

Out on the open road, the UX is set up more for comfort than for enjoyment, with rather numb steering. Even in Sport mode, it’s never a particularly fun car to throw around - though it’s competent and safe, you’ll have a more enjoyable time in a BMW X1.

If the Lexus UX’s mixture of comfort and premium build appeals to you, though, why not check out the best Lexus UX deals right here on Carwow. You can also see examples of used Lexus UX models for sale, or other used Lexus models here. And remember that Carwow can even help you sell your old car.

The UX’s price tag of just under £35,000 puts it smack in the middle of the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1, where it competes quite favourably in terms of both standard equipment and performance.

You might be tempted to step up a trim grade or two - the base car does get climate control, a whole raft of safety kit and 17-inch alloys, but it’s well worth going up one trim level for keyless entry and all-round parking sensors. F Sport models feature sportier suspension but the same engine, so they’re not really standalone performance models in the way that an Audi RS Q3 is.

The UX is at its best at a relaxed pace - don’t bother spending the extra for the four-wheel drive system

In town

Being a hybrid, the UX can cover short distances at low speed on electric power. Which is ideal for driving in town because you can sit in stop-start traffic or manoeuvre without creating any emissions or noise. When the engine does cut in, it’s generally really quiet and responsive enough to make a quick getaway.

You sit quite low down for an SUV – the UX is really more of a slightly raised hatchback – but you still have a good view out of the front. Less so out of the back, though. The wide rear pillars create enormous blindspots and the back window is tiny. You do at least get a reversing camera on all models so you can see behind the car. Higher spec models also have front and rear parking sensors, plus a clever 360-degree camera system that gives a much better view.

There’s lots of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel (both electric on high-spec models), so you can easily find the right driving position. The seats are fantastically comfortable, and the ride is smooth.

On the motorway

The UX has a CVT gearbox, which doesn’t actually have gears. Instead, it holds the engine revs at whichever point works best at that moment. Accelerate quickly onto a motorway and that point is quite high, so the engine gets pretty noisy. It’s not a pleasant noise, either. Still, once you’re up to 70mph, the revs drop and you can cruise along in near-silence.

Very little wind or road noise gets through to the interior, either. There’s even extra sound deadening above the wheels specifically positioned to absorb the noise of water sloshing up when it rains. It’s certainly very quiet compared to its BMW or Audi alternatives.

With 199hp, the engine hauls the UX along happily at the speed limit, and has power in reserve if you need to hurry up. The car feels solid as a rock and is smooth over bumps – it really is a very relaxing car to travel in.

On a twisty road

In many ways, the UX feels pretty good to drive on a winding country road, in as much as it feels utterly safe and stable, the steering is light and takes the car where you want to go, and there’s enough power to get a shift on when you need to overtake.

All of which sounds excellent. There’s just not a trace of fun to be had. You don’t feel particularly connected to the car, and the traction and stability control cut in keenly if you go just a little bit quickly round a corner. If you want a car that engages you, the BMW X1 is a much better bet. If you just want to relax and enjoy the scenery, though, the UX is one of the best cars in its class, up there with the Range Rover Evoque.

The UX can be specified as an ‘E-Four’ model, which adds a second electric motor to the rear axle. This doesn’t change the car’s overall power output, nor does it much affect performance - it accelerates only marginally quicker. Given that the UX is never going to be much of an off-roader, we’d recommend saving your money and buying the regular, front-wheel drive car.

The Lexus UX is practical enough for single people and couples, but its credentials as a family car don’t stack up

Just about anyone can get comfortable in the front on the UX. Leg, head and shoulder room are all pretty generous. The fabulous seats have a wide range of adjustment, so it’s easy to find the position you want.

For storage, there are door bins that can hold a litre bottle, two cupholders and a phone tray in front of the gear lever (the latter also doubles as a wireless charging pad in high-spec models), and quite a small glovebox. There’s a coin tray in the centre console and a cubby hole with two USB charging ports under the armrest, which can be opened from either side.

Space in the back seats

There’s decent space for a couple of average size adults in the back of the UX, but anyone taller than that will be complaining about the lack of headroom. And it’s too narrow to carry three adults. Small children won’t be keen on the view out of the back, either, as they basically won’t have one out of the small, high windows. There are two sets of ISOFIX mounts, but installing a child seat is a faff. 

All there is for storage is a pair of cupholders in the armrest and a single pocket on the back of the passenger seat. The UX is fine if you only occasionally have back seat passengers but, for a family car, you’d be much better off with a BMW X1 or particularly a Volvo XC40.

Boot space

The boot in the UX is tiny for a compact SUV. Indeed, its 320-litre capacity is in the same ballpark as significantly smaller hatchbacks. That capacity includes an extra storage area below the boot floor, which is useful for keeping things like maps, umbrellas and walking shoes. However, E-Four all-wheel drive models don’t have that extra space, reducing boot capacity to just 283 litres. That’s just about enough to accommodate a couple’s luggage for a week-long holiday.

At least the loading lip is low, so it’s easy to haul heavy stuff in. There are various hooks and tie-down points to secure the load, and a couple of extra hidden storage compartments to the sides. The back seats fold down if you need to carry more stuff.

Every other premium compact SUV has a much bigger boot than the UX – the Audi Q3 has the biggest at a hefty 530 litres.

Interior quality impresses, outdated tech impresses less

The Lexus UX underwent a fairly comprehensive interior update in 2023 where the horrendously outdated infotainment system was replaced with a new version similar to that in the NX and LBX. The result is a big improvement - it’s now fully touchscreen, and much easier to use than before.

However, it still lags behind the best systems from BMW and Audi. Some functions, particularly safety features that you might want to toggle on and off on the move, are buried a few layers deeper than we’d like. There’s also no real ‘home’ screen, so if you’re not actively using the system you’ll be staring at a menu instead. Not the biggest issue, but it does grate.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included as standard equipment, though, which allows you to bypass Lexus’ own system if you prefer.

Every UX also comes with digital dials - a small display with physical fuel and temperature gauges for lower-spec models, or a fully digital affair for the higher trim levels. Both of these options feel a little disappointing when you look at the superb quality of some of the alternatives, such as Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit. The UX’s dash feels old, the displays aren’t as clear or as vibrant and you can’t display things like a full-screen map, which is usually a major advantage of an all-digital setup.

It’s not all negative inside the UX, though. The overriding impression is of material plushness and build quality. Every button, knob and surface feels like it’s made from very high quality materials, everything is put together with millimetric precision and feels like it’ll last for decades.

The base model has dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, four electric windows and a host of safety features which we’ll cover in more detail later. Higher-spec models also have heated leather seats, front and rear parking sensors, and a digital driver’s display. Go for the top-of-the-range Takumi and you can luxuriate on electrically adjustable, ventilated front seats while listening to the crystal-clear Mark Levinson stereo.

Officially, the Lexus UX will return up to 56.4mpg or up to 50.4mpg in the E-Four version. Lexus hybrids often get pretty close to their official economy figures, especially when they’re primarily driven around town, so expect to see around 50mpg with ease and probably closer to 45mpg if you do mainly fast motorway miles.

CO2 emissions range from 113-129g/km, impressively low but not in the same ballpark as plug-in hybrid or electric alternatives when it comes to company car tax. Higher-spec models also tip over £40,000, attracting the luxury car supplement to annual road tax.

Car safety expert EuroNCAP awarded the UX a full five star rating, scoring it very highly in every area of the assessment. Indeed, it scored 96% for protecting adult occupants in a crash – very few cars have scored higher.

Safety features fitted to all models include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, rear cross traffic alert, road sign recognition and an emergency call system. Lexus’ safety systems can be very annoying to turn off, though, as they’re buried quite deep in the touchscreen’s menu.

Lexus has a very strong reputation for building dependable cars that are a real pleasure to own. It traditionally performs extremely well in owner satisfaction surveys – the UX hasn’t featured in any recently but we have no doubt it would uphold this. Lexus dealers are also universally admired, with excellent customer service usually a given.

The brand provides a three-year/60,000-mile warranty as standard, which can be extended to 10 years/100,000 miles, so long as your car is always serviced by Lexus. This is among the best warranties in the business, and premium alternatives from Audi or Mercedes can’t even come close.