2022 Lexus UX 250h Luxury

The UX 250h is Lexus’ smallest SUV. It has a number of attractive qualities and several irritating ones - irritating because remedying them would markedly improve the vehicle. Let’s start with the good stuff. For openers, the UX 250h looks the part. Its exterior design mimics its NX and RX cousins - but with a smaller, more attractive grille. Its sporty interior makes use of high-quality faux leather and copious amounts of textured and soft-touch materials. The UX’s ride is balanced and comfortable, with a nice weight to the steering for everyday driving. It’s equipped with Lexus’ excellent Safety System+ 2.0 suite of ADAS features, and its triple-beam LED headlights cast a good light pattern on the road. And, of course, the little SUV’s fuel efficiency shines: 39 mpg in combined driving. However, the UX has two significant shortcomings. First, its underpowered, noisy hybrid drivetrain transmits vibration throughout the cabin. Second, its clumsy touchpad-based infotainment system is difficult to use. Reportedly, the outmoded system will be replaced with a touch-screen-based system for 2023. Several lesser hiccups include rough operation for some ADAS features (abrupt acceleration and deceleration for the adaptive cruise control, for example) plus a tight interior and cramped entry and exit for all passengers. Finally, rear visibility is poor, due to a small rear window and thick rear roof pillars.