The UX is a small crossover. It also has more creases and sharp lines than most of its key competitors. Unlike some key competitors, the badging for the vehicle is on the bottom right of the trunk compared to in the middle. There are some angular tail lights with a light bar that spans across these lights. If the trunk opening looks small, that’s because it is. You’ll see body cladding with a few accent pieces on the bottom of the rear. Moving to the side profile, there’s a strong crease from the rear fender to the front doors. Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0* with Obsidian roof was the paint combo on this UX250h.
Although it’s not in the name, this F SPORT had the F SPORT Handling Content package. I’ll explain in full what this means, but I’ll stick with the exterior upgrades. These include 18-inch F SPORT wheels and dark roof rails. It’s a great color combination with these dark wheels. At the front, you have Lexus's giant Grill along with the more angular headlights, and some fake-looking vents and all of the trim is black. It may be a controversial-looking crossover, but I think it looks great.
Jumping inside, there are Circuit Red seats with a black trimmed dash. One of the options that this test car had included an F Sport steering wheel. The steering wheel has buttons for the media and Center dials, along with the somewhat redundant paddle shifters. When you look ahead, there is only one dial that slides to show various information including power distribution and even a g meter! A massive 12.3-inch infotainment system comes standard along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Ironically, this vehicle did not have navigation. Underneath are traditional switches for climate control which I appreciate.
UX also comes with two USB-c ports, along with a regular USB in the center console. Finally, the buttons for the heated and ventilated seats are simple to use since they are right next to the gear shift. It's a quality interior but is extremely small. While driving to Thanksgiving, my passengers were five foot two and four foot ten, respectively. If they were taller, they would not fit in the rear! I would consider the UX more for smaller families or have the seats folded down to have more trunk space.
Under the hood, the UX250h comes with a 2L Hybrid engine that produces 181- horsepower/135 kW and 133 lb-ft/180 Nm. Combined with a CVT and AWD, the UX250h takes its time getting to 60 MPH in 8.6 seconds. It’s a crossover that’s more focused on fuel economy than handling and acceleration. You’ll find a myriad of driving modes including Eco, Comfort, Sport S, and Sport S+. In the Sport modes, the regular dial changes to show a tachometer. In a vehicle with a CVT. Sure.
Getting back to the F SPORT Handling Packaging, this UX had LED Fog and Cornering Lights, Adaptive Variable Suspension, a sunroof, and ASC. What’s ASC? Well, that’s the Active Sound Control. Press it, and a very fake-sounding “engine noise” erupts in the cabin. Driving in the sport modes, the ASC makes it sound like you’re shifting gears. You’re not. After a few minutes, I shut it off and never turned it on again. Handling is just ok, with a good amount of body lean and unenthusiastic accelerating. Thankfully, the transition from EV to hybrid was smooth, though a little loud.
Driving is quite easy with Lexus’ safety systems. These included adaptive-cruise control to keep you a safe distance from other cars, lane keep assist, and good-sized mirrors. If you like music, the 10-speaker sound system provided plenty of treble and bass. Highway driving took some effort from the engine, but off-the-line acceleration was good starting out in EV Mode. Similar to other Lexus and Toyota products, EV Mode only works up to about 20 MPH.
Let’s get into a few numbers. First, the hybrid engine returned 33 MPG. I expected that to be higher, but I was driving in about 30-degree weather with the heat and heated steering wheel on. Second, the price. UX250h with the F SPORT Premium package and F SPORT Handling Package start at around $44,000. Adding some extras such as the heated steering wheel, wireless charger, and power tailgate with kick sensor brought the price to $49,000. It isn’t cheap, but there are a lot of features. This may look like a CUV, but it has the practicality of a smaller hatchback.
Verdict time! First off, is this a practical crossover? Technically, no. It’s just too small. That said, it does have a high build quality and nice materials. Does it do well as a hybrid? I’d say so. I’m sure that if you drove more economically and in better weather, it could get close to 40 MPG. Finally, is it worth almost $50,000? Almost. There are lesser trims which start at around $36,000. The one I’d pick is the UX250h Premium. It’s almost $9,000 less but trades the sporty F SPORT looks. At the end of the day, the 2023 UX250h is a good, albeit small crossover. If you can live with the size, it has funky styling, good fuel economy, and plenty of technology.
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