Regular readers know I was Mr. Brightside when I first drove the littlest Lexus, the UX, five years ago.
But as time went on, ambivalence crept in. My 2021 review of a non-hybrid front-driver (the UX 200 F SPORT) made it clear that hybrid AWD was the only way to equip a Lexus UX.
And since then, as competitors upped their game in the luxury compact SUV space, and as Toyota started charging and getting $50,000 plus for the RAV4 Prime (now re-named the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid), the UX, even as an AWD hybrid, just felt outgunned.
Lexus went hybrid-only with the UX in 2023 (with both FWD and AWD variants), and this year, there's a next-generation hybrid system, with a new transaxle and lightweight lithium-ion battery, bringing an incremental bump in total system output---from 181 horsepower to 196.
That gets you to 60 miles per hour from a standing start in 7.7 seconds instead of 8.2, while the EPA fuel economy average stands still at 42 mpg (44 city/40 highway) for AWD models (43 for FWD).
The compact dimensions of the UX and its low center of gravity have always made it a willing handler. Our tester this time is the UX 300h F SPORT Handling. It does add active variable suspension, but the rest of the package is purely cosmetic.
The base price of the 2025 Lexus UX 300h F SPORT Handling is $46,375 ($47,525 with destination charges). Standard at that price are bi-LED headlamps and LED taillamps, roof rails, dual-zone climate control, manual folding rear seats, a cargo cover, a comprehensive suite of active safety features, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with a three-month Platinum Plan trial of SiriusXM Satellite Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, NuLuxe-trimmed heated and ventilated F SPORT power front seats with driver seat memory, an F SPORT leather-trimmed heated steering wheel, aluminum scuff plate, power steering column, 18-inch F SPORT alloy wheels, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a power moonroof, LED fog and cornering lamps, a power rear door with kick sensor, color-keyed overfenders, intuitive parking assist, power-folding and heated outer mirrors with memory and a digital key.
Our tester also had extra-cost options, $900 for a head-up display, $595 for the Ultrasonic Blue Mica paint, another $350 for it to have a black roof, and $75 for a wireless phone charger. Bottom line on the window sticker: $49,445.
Honestly? While the 15 extra horsepower is nice, this just doesn't feel like a $50,000 car---a point amplified by the fact that this week I'm also driving a BMW X2 xDrive28i (look for that review on November 6), that is a better car in every way except gas mileage (it's not a hybrid) and only costs $3,300 more.
I have to repeat my conclusion from my review of the UX 250h last year:
The smart move is for Lexus to surrender the price advantage and field its own version of the Toyota RAV4 Prime---more room, even better fuel economy with 42 miles of pure electric range at a price tag and some serious power (the RAV4 Prime's 302 horsepower dispatches 0-60 sprints in 5.8 seconds) with a pricetag that likely would land about where the Germans already are, comparably equipped.
