The 2023 Lexus UX250h is the luxury automaker’s smallest crossover, with five seats and a 103.9-inch wheelbase. As luxury crossovers have multiplied alongside small crossovers, the UX debuted in 2019 and will sit below the popular compact NX and midsize RX. Although it seems to be around the same size as most of its luxury-brand rivals, the little Lexus suffers due to its short wheelbase regarding backseat legroom and baggage capacity, which falls far below the rest of the field. It also doesn’t help the riding quality.
The UX received a little redesign in 2023, but the main news is that it is now only available as the UX250h hybrid. Customers neglected the previous non-hybrid UX200. Therefore, it has been discontinued. The base and Premium models are still available, and there are now two F SPORT packages: F SPORT Design (an appearance package) and F SPORT Handling (with paddle shifters, performance dampers, an active variable suspension, and some distinctive trim, as opposed to the standard three dynamic drive select modes). An additional 12.3-inch touchscreen is an option, and a new 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard.
There are now a lot of luxury crossovers of this size, but the Mercedes-Benz GLA, Audi Q3, and BMW X2 are the Lexus UX250h’s primary rivals. Only the Lexus has a hybrid engine. Each base model costs between $1,500 and $1,500. However, after you upgrade to either the F SPORT Design or F SPORT handling variants, the Lexus overtakes the two far more powerful AMG versions of the Mercedes as the most expensive car in the group. The Mazda CX-30 is a more capable mainstream option that should also be considered.
Before being exclusively hybrid, the UX250h was only available with all-wheel drive (AWD), whereas the UX200 had a front-wheel dream. Now that the UX250h is solely mixed, front-wheel drive variants have been added to the lineup. 181 horsepower are produced overall, and 0-60 times are sluggish (8.4 seconds). While the UX250h F SPORT Handling was quite maneuverable and agile on winding roads, the lack of power and the continuously variable transmission made it challenging to put to its best use and severely dampened any potential fun factor.
The UX250h has enough room in the front seats, but everything behind them is small compared to the competition. Lexus does not officially give a cargo capacity with the back chairs folding, but rear-seat legroom is the smallest in the class at 33.1 inches. However, it seems dashing, and the F SPORT packages further accentuate its aggressive appearance. The design is easily recognized as Lexus and complements that company’s crossover family design concept. The annoying Lexus touchpad in the center console has replaced a vast, contemporary, clean touchscreen in the new interior.
The entire suite of active safety features (pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, intelligent high-beam headlamps, and blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert) is now standard across the Lexus lineup, just like its parent company Toyota. The all-new 12.3-inch touchscreen with a ten-speaker sound system is only included on the top-of-the-line F SPORT Handling model and is only available as an additional cost option when moving up to the Premium trim when it comes to infotainment technology; however, so expect to spend more.
Performance: Lexus UX250h
It’s challenging to move 3,600 pounds with just 181 horsepower. Only the base-model Audi Q3 keeps the Lexus UX250h from finishing dead last among its competitors in the zero-to-60 Grand Prix. While the standard Audi takes 8.6 seconds to go the same distance as the Lexus, the Q3 requires 300 more pounds and 184 horsepower. There is a noticeable gap between the base versions of the Mercedes-Benz GLA (221 horsepower) and the BMW X2 (241 horsepower), which complete the task in 6.6 and 6.4 seconds, respectively.
The availability of optional engines on the Audi and Mercedes increases the difference. While Mercedes provides the AMG GLA 35 and AMG GLA 45 variants with 302 and 382 horsepower, respectively, the Audi Q3 S line Premium and Premium Plus increase the horsepower to 228 and reduce the zero-to-60 timings down to seven seconds flat.
The GLA 35 and GLA 45 can reach 60 mph from a standing start in 5.2 and 4.4 seconds, respectively, comparable to muscle cars. The more powerful Audi vehicle costs less than higher-end Lexus versions, while Mercedes-AMG cars start at $50,000 and go up. Just slightly more expensive than the UX at its peak, the Mazda CX-30 Turbo ($36,675) accelerates to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds.
Although the Q3 is the only car available with AWD, the UX250h, GLA250, and X2 are all front-wheel or all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles only meant to be driven on pavement. Only Mercedes provides ground clearance measurements since the other brands are all so low to the ground; Mercedes’s 5.3 inches falls approximately three inches short of the required minimum for off-roading.
Fuel efficiency: Lexus UX250h
The Lexus UX250 now has a significant fuel efficiency edge because of the switch to hybrid-only vehicles. One of the most efficient SUVs, luxury or not, its EPA-estimated city/highway combined mpg of 40.5 dwarfs all gasoline-only competitors. The basic models of the Mercedes GLA and the BMW X2 are rated at 27 mpg (the sporty AMG variants reduce that average to 25 mpg). The Audi’s standard engine and its optional powerplant produce 25, respectively.
Safety and driver support technology:
The Lexus UX250h has received five-star overall crash ratings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The performance exceeds the Audi Q3’s (IIHS: Good, NHTSA: Five-Star). Only the IIHS has given the BMW X2 a rating (Good); the NHTSA has not yet done so. Both organizations have not rated the Mercedes-Benz GLA, although EURO NCAP and the Australian safety group ANCAP have given it 5-star ratings. The Mazda CX-30 receives five stars from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS.
The UX differs from its German competitors in that it comes standard with a full array of crash-avoiding and possibly life-saving technology, unlike the German competitors who usually charge extra for such equipment.
Comfort and Space
The short wheelbase confines the back passengers, who only have 33.1 inches of legroom, while the front passengers have enough space and pleasant sitting. With the Mercedes GLA delivering 38 inches, BMW’s X2 36.7, Mazda’s CX-30 36.3, and the Audi Q3 36.1, it is well behind the competition.
Even the Audi’s three more inches of room felt much more than the Lexus. In contrast, the Mercedes seems limousine-like with almost five more inches.
Infotainment: Lexus UX250h
The enhanced infotainment system of the 2023 UX250h is one of its outstanding features. Previously, a non-touchscreen remote from the diver operated through a cumbersome trackpad interface was used. American users always found it annoying and inaccurate, even though it was designed for Japanese drivers who enter Kanji. Consequently, a new system with touchscreens and a helpful voice assistant will be introduced in 2023.
An 8.0-inch touchscreen with GPS, AM, FM, and SiriusXM satellite radio, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, is used in the base configuration. Standard features include Bluetooth, four USB ports, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Say, “Hey, Lexus,” the virtual assistant will respond with the necessary information.
On the UX250h Premium, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with a ten-speaker Lexus premium sound system is an additional ($1,405) option. It comes as standard on F SPORT Handling. A head-up display costs 900 dollars, whereas wireless charging costs just $75.
Storage & Cargo Space:
The Mercedes GLA sacrifices luggage capacity in favor of rear-seat luxury, and its ability falls to only 15.4 cubic feet. And it prevents the 17.1 cubic foot UX250h from finishing in the bottom place once again. With 21.6 cubic feet, the X2 offers much more cargo space than the Q3, whose 23.7 appears obscenely large. However, it just includes the area behind the back seats. Lexus doesn’t specify a capacity with the seats folded, although it is much less than the Q3’s 48 cubic feet or the CX-30’s 45.2 cubic feet.
There isn’t much small item storage, save the door pockets and the center console. Still, Lexus earns marks for reorienting and extending its wireless charging station to fit the bigger smartphones that are now fashionable.
Design: Lexus UX250h
The UX250h’s minor makeover offers a more purposeful and muscular look, with some creases and angles replacing curves. It’s an improvement, and the UX’s sloping roofline does give it a sporty appearance, but the vehicle’s proportions—longer than the competition but with a shorter wheelbase—give it a stubby appearance.
The new displays appear more excellent than the previous ones, and the inside is attractive and well-furnished with high-quality materials. Although everything seems to have been put together with the usual Lexus expertise, it doesn’t necessarily feel opulent.
Does the 2023 Lexus UX Make Sense?
The front-drive UX250h’s starting price is $35,925 (plus $1,075 for destination), and all variants may have AWD for $1,400. F SPORT Design and F SPORT Handling start at $38,385, while the Premium trim is $43,455.
There isn’t enough fun with the 181 horsepower and CVT to make the paddle shifters and other driving modes practical or cost-effective, despite the new F SPORT Handling trims preventing it from being a simple aesthetic package like F SPORT Design.
However, the Premium model of the UX250h is our top choice because it comes standard with several excellent features (such as heated and ventilated front seats, a power rear door with a kick sensor, and rain-sensing wipers) and makes the 12.3-inch touchscreen and Lexus Premium audio system, which are unavailable on the base model, available as options. The climate where you perform most of your driving will determine whether you should choose front-wheel drive or AWD. AWD is only truly usable in moderate winter driving conditions because of the UX250h’s low ground clearance and lengthy front and back overhangs.
How Much Will Insurance for a 2023 Lexus UX Cost?
Though this averages all 50 states, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record may anticipate a yearly premium of roughly $2,190 for the Lexus UX250h. Owners of the Mazda CX-30 turbo may spend $1,862 annually, compared to $2,200 for the Mercedes-Benz GLA, $2,267 for the BMW X2, and $2,236 for the Audi Q3.
Verdict
With the 2023 UX250h, Lexus enters a famous market for small luxury crossover SUVs, but it also poses a challenge to make the car seem distinctive enough to justify its high price. To its credit, the hybrid-only UX has the highest safety ratings and the best fuel efficiency in its class and uses the same high-quality components and craftsmanship as previous Lexus vehicles. But it isn’t enough to make up for its flaws, which make for a frustrating driving experience.
