Lexus UX 300e Review & Prices

If you’re shopping for a small electric SUV, the Lexus UX300e is a compelling option, because it’s comfortable to drive and feels posh inside. It also has a pretty striking design.

Choosing the UX300e over other premium electric SUVs like the Mercedes EQA and BMW iX1 is a bit like turning up to a black tie party wearing a bright green glittery suit; it might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’ll certainly get you noticed. 

And don’t think the fact that it’s small will help you fly under the radar – the UX300e will still get plenty of attention in the supermarket car park. You get an arresting front grille along with plenty of bold creases over the body, and the full-width light bar at the rear is a nice touch as well.  

The striking theme continues when you step inside. It’s certainly not minimalist, with a lot of buttons on the dashboard, but all the controls are angled towards the driver and there are plenty of nice-looking materials to spruce things up. 

As part of an update in 2023, the UX300e has a new touchscreen to replace the infuriating mousepad-controlled system which plagued the old car. Top-spec cars get a whopping 12.3-inch touchscreen, however the two lower trims have to make do with an 8.0-inch unit. 

That’s a decent improvement over the 10.3 inches you got in the old car, and it’s now a lot easier to use. The screen is bright and responsive, although the menu layout is still a touch confusing. 

Those wanting a commanding view of the road may be better off in something like a BMW iX1, because the UX300e has a more low-slung driving position. There is plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel though, so drivers big and small will be able to get comfortable.

Space is less generous in the rear seats. Legroom is pretty tight, but not as tight as the headroom. Those over six feet tall will more than likely be brushing their heads on the ceiling, and the middle seat is only really suitable for children. 

The boot is just about average for this size of car, offering 367 litres of space. That’s a bit more than the Mercedes EQA, but falls short of the Cupra Born.

Although you can also get the UX with a hybrid engine, this electric version is even easier to drive around town. The instant response you get from the electric motor makes pulling out at busy junctions a doddle, and the regenerative braking means that you barely have to touch the brake pedal in traffic. 

It does a pretty good job of absorbing the bumps in town, with only the biggest of potholes sending a shock through the cabin. It fidgets about a bit on broken back roads, however it settles down nicely on the motorway, with just a touch of wind noise disturbing the peace. 

Long motorway drives are more feasible since that 2023 update introduced a new, bigger battery. You can now go up to 279 miles on a charge, and a week spent with the car in mixed driving conditions saw 270 miles of real-world range. That’s a big improvement on before, and almost exactly the same as the BMW iX1, though it falls short of the Mercedes EQA’s 324-mile figure. 

You can charge the UX300e from 0-80% in around 80 minutes with a 50kW charger, but you’ll have to find an old style CHAdeMO connector and they’re not as readily available as the newer CCS plugs. A full charge at a 7kW home wall box will take nine and a half hours. 

The Lexus UX300e may not be the most practical SUV offering, but the stand-out styling, relaxing driving experience and posh-feeling interior help make it an appealing proposition. 

Keen on making this good-looking SUV your next car? Check out the latest Lexus UX300e deals available through carwow, or take a look at used UX300e models. You can also browse used Lexus models available now. Selling your car online? Find out how you can do that through carwow, too.  

The Lexus UX300e is priced pretty fairly for a premium SUV. It undercuts cars such as the Volvo C40 and Mercedes EQA, however it’s a touch more expensive than a basic single-motor version of the BMW iX1. It’s also considerably dearer than the similarly-sized Cupra Born. 

At least standard equipment is generous. All cars get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable seats, LED headlights with automatic high beam and adaptive cruise control. 

The Lexus UX300e is a doddle to drive in town and it’s relaxing on the motorway, but the suspension can get unsettled by broken surfaces 

In town

Like most electric cars, the Lexus UX300e is at its best in town. Visibility out of the front is decent, with large door mirrors also making it easier to dart in and out of traffic. The view out of the back is not so good though, with large blind spots over your shoulders. Still, at least the standard-fit reversing camera goes some way to mitigate this. 

If you really struggle with parking, you’ll want to go for the optional 360-degree camera system. It’s only available on range-topping Takumi models, but it gives you a good view around the whole car. Great for saving the 18-inch alloy wheels from those nasty kerbs. 

The instant response from the electric motor makes it easy to nip through gaps in traffic and pulling out at busy junctions is a breeze as well. You also have a ‘B’ mode that increases the regenerative braking effect so you barely ever have to touch the brakes in slow-moving traffic. It’s not the strongest system though, and you don’t get one-pedal driving like you do in the Smart #1. 

The suspension does a good job of soaking up bumps on city streets, with only particularly large potholes sending a jolt through the cabin. It can get a bit jittery over broken surfaces though, something a Volvo C40 does a better job of dealing with. 

On the motorway

The UX300e settles down nicely on the motorway. It feels secure and planted, and the seats are super supportive. You really can go for hours in this car and get out feeling refreshed. 

There’s no engine noise to disturb things in the cabin, you just get a touch of wind noise from the A-pillars once you’re up to speed. Beyond this though, the cabin is really well insulated from the outside world. 

All models come with adaptive cruise control as standard, which takes a lot of the strain out of motorway driving. You also get lane keep assist, although this can chime in too readily which gets annoying after a while. 

On a twisty road

The Lexus UX300e handles itself just fine when the road gets twisty. You won’t find yourself giggling away as you throw it into the bends – a Cupra Born will put a bigger smile on your face – but it feels safe and secure. 

Putting the UX300e into sport mode will transform it either. All this does is sharpen up the throttle response and make the steering feel a bit heavier. Really you’re much better off leaving it in normal mode and letting it waft you home in comfort. 

And it can quite happily waft you home in comfort on a countryside road despite being a touch firmer than the UX hybrid. It soaks up bumps nicely, while also keeping body lean in check. It can get upset by rougher, undulating surfaces, but on the whole it’s very comfortable to travel in. 

The UX300e offers enough room up front, however those in the back will be wanting more space and it has a smaller boot than many of its alternatives 

Most people will have no complaints about space in the front of the Lexus UX300e. There’s a lot of adjustment in the seats, which are electric as standard, making it easy to find your ideal driving position. 

That said, if you like to have a tall, commanding view of the road ahead, the BMW iX1 may be a better bet. Exceptionally tall drivers could also struggle for knee room behind the wheel. 

Still, at least the seats are really comfortable. You get lumbar support as standard and they do a good job of holding you in place without being too tight. You can spend a long time in these seats without a hint of backache. 

Interior storage isn’t the UX’s strong suit. The most useful cubby is under the armrest, and the lid has a clever party trick which allows you to open it either towards the driver or the passenger. There are two cup holders as well, and they’re a good size for most coffee cups. 

The glovebox is pretty tiny though, and most of it is taken up by the car’s manuals. The door bins aren’t that big either, although they do have a handy bottle holder, and there are no other clever storage spaces for your knick knacks. A Volvo XC40 Recharge has a more practical cabin. 

At least connectivity is decent in the front. You get a USB socket under the armrest, which is ideal for plugging your phone in and keeping the cables out of the way, and there are two more USB-C charging points in the centre console. A wireless charging pad is also available on higher-spec cars. 

Space in the back seats

The Lexus UX300e isn’t the best EV for those looking to carry rear passengers on a regular basis. Most people will have just about enough legroom, however taller adults will wish you’d bought the much roomier Kia EV6. 

It’s a similar story with headroom. There’s just about enough of it but the sporty-looking sloping roof does eat into space. Kids will be fine, however tall people may be brushing their heads against the ceiling. 

Carrying three in the rear is something you’ll only want to do if you absolutely have to though, as the narrow body means those in the outer seats will have their head pushed up against the grab handles. 

The ISOFIX anchor points are easy to get to, although you’ll have to be careful not to lose the removable covers. As for fitting a child seat, the rear doors don’t open that wide so slotting the seat through can be tricky. You’ll also have to move the front chair forwards to get a rear-facing seat in. 

You do get two USB charging ports for your mobile devices in the back, as well as a couple of cup holders in the centre armrest. There aren’t any door bins back there though, and only one seat-back pocket for some reason. 

Boot space

Sadly, the UX300e hasn’t sacrificed rear seat space in exchange for a huge boot. In fact, at 367 litres it’s actually 18 litres smaller than the Volkswagen ID3’s. It’s also 52 litres less than the Volvo XC40’s boot, and you could have a Skoda Enyaq for similar money with a whopping 585 litres of space. 

It is 47 litres bigger than the boot in the Lexus UX hybrid though, because that car has a big battery under the boot floor, whereas the UX300e has its battery pack packaged under the seats. 

You get a smattering of hooks and tethering points in the UX300e, as well as a 12-volt power socket so you can plug in a hoover and clean out the boot. There’s also some storage under the floor for your charging cables, although that doesn’t make up for the lack of a front boot like you get in the Volvo C40. 

While you can fold the rear seats, and they split 60:40, there is a pretty big step in the floor which makes it tricky to slide heavy items to the front. Lexus doesn’t actually quote boot space with the seats folded, however the hybrid model has 1,231 litres of space so the UX300e is likely to have closer to 1,280 litres. That would make it around 15 litres smaller than the Volvo XC40. 

You may also struggle to lift heavy stuff into the boot thanks to the high load lip, and the slightly awkward opening makes manoeuvring larger items into the back a bit tricky too. On the plus side, Lexus has come up with an ingenious load cover solution. It’s just a thin fabric piece which is easy to remove, and it can just sit on the boot floor without getting crushed. 

The Lexus UX300e has a posh-looking cabin and it’s well made, however the infotainment system isn’t the easiest to use

Get behind the wheel of the Lexus UX300e and it feels like you’re sitting in a premium product. It’s not quite as posh-feeling as a BMW iX1, but it looks good and everything feels well put together.

All the main touch points are nicely padded and premium-feeling, however you will find some scratchy plastics lower down. It’s also good to see some physical climate control buttons, as opposed to hiding them in the infotainment system, which makes them tricky to use on the move.

Before its 2023 update, the UX300e was plagued with one of the most fiddly infotainment systems on the market. It was controlled using a mousepad in the centre console, and navigating the menus was like trying to solve a puzzle.

Thankfully, Lexus has fixed this by giving it a touchscreen system with an all-new menu layout. Standard and mid-spec cars get an 8.0-inch touchscreen, but range-topping models get 12.3 inches. It’s a shame that the latter isn’t available as an option on the more basic models, because the smaller unit looks a bit puny with a massive bezel.

The screen is bright and responsive, and the menu layout is much easier to fathom. That said, it’s still not as intuitive as the Mercedes EQA’s system.

At least you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Apple CarPlay is wireless, however you’ll have to plug in your Android phone. Only the top-spec car gets sat nav built in, however that’s not much of a loss as the routing on Lexus’ system isn’t as good as you’ll find on apps like Waze and Google Maps.

All UX300es get a small digital driver’s display as standard. It’s not the most exciting-looking screen, however it displays plenty of information such as the current speed limit and your remaining range. That said, the system you get in Audis offers much more customisation.

You can opt to have a head-up display that shows things like your speed and cruise control settings, and it’s well worth having because it allows you to keep your eyes on the road.

Choosing power for your Lexus UX300e is easy, because there is only one option. You get a 201hp motor powering the front wheels, paired to a 72.8kWh battery. 

It has plenty of power for most people's needs. Around town it feels nippy, and it’s great for zipping out at junctions. It’s a strong performer on faster roads as well, with plenty of oomph for overtaking. 

Battery capacity was increased as part of the 2023 update, going from 54.3kWh to 72.82kWh, and the added capacity has given the UX300e a much needed boost in range. Whereas the old car had a pretty poor 196 miles of range, the revised car has an official 279 miles when riding on 17-inch alloy wheels, or 274 miles on the optional 18s. 

That’s a bit more than a BMW iX1 can manage, but it falls quite a bit short of the 324 miles you get from the Mercedes EQA. If it’s a real range champion you’re after, you could have a Polestar 2 for similar money, which will do an official 406 miles on a charge. 

A week spent with the car in varied driving conditions saw us return a decent 3.7miles/kWh, which equates to a real-world range of 270 miles. 

Charging on the go can be a challenge though, because the UX300e can only manage a slow 50kW at a DC charger, and it uses the old-style CHAdeMO connector. It’ll charge from 0-80% in around 80 minutes, not great compared to cars like the Mercedes EQA, which can get from 10-80% in 30 minutes. 

A home wall box will be a huge benefit if you plan on buying a UX300e, with it taking nine and a half hours to charge from 0-100% from a 7kW AC charger. 

Being a pure electric car, the UX300e is congestion charge and ULEZ exempt, as well as costing nothing to tax for the first year. Company car drivers may also be tempted by the 2% BIK taxation rate offered by the Lexus. 

While the Lexus UX300e hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP, the UX hybrid scored the maximum five stars in its 2019 tests. You can rest assured then that it’ll protect you well should the worst happen. 

Standard safety kit is generous as well. All cars get adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, and hill-start assist. You can also get rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive high beams as an option. 

You get a reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors as standard, making parking manoeuvres a lot easier, and you can upgrade this to a surround-view camera for an extra cost.

Being a Lexus, there are no reliability woes to report with the UX300e, it’s generally a very dependable car to live with. 

Lexus also offers an impressive warranty. You get three years cover as standard, after which you get an additional year every time you service your car at an approved dealer for up to seven years. This means, as long as you always service your car at a dealer, you get up to 10 years or 100,000 miles of warranty cover. 

There are no outstanding safety recalls for the UX300e either, which is one less thing to worry about when buying one second hand.