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Introduction:

To help members understand the latest automotive technology so they can purchase vehicles that best suit their needs, the Automobile Club of Southern California's Automotive Research Center (ARC) began testing and reviewing vehicles over a decade ago

For the 2023 edition, we include testing and ranking cars and light trucks with the latest technology, including having at least one advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) feature. In addition to vehicle evaluation, the guide covers a number of pertinent automotive topics in detail—for example, the latest advanced safety features, how to properly maintain your vehicle, and new vehicles coming to market in the next few years.

2022 Lexus UX 250h Luxury

Vehicle Type: SUV Hybrid
76
 overall score
Category Ranking: 38

Vehicle Price

Base Price: $40,240
Price as Tested: $44,615

Fuel Information

Fuel Type: Regular
Fuel Capacity (gal): 10.6
EPA City mpg41
EPA Highway mpg38
EPA Combined mpg39
with specific headlights

Advanced Safety Features

  • Adaptive Cruise Control [S]
  • Advanced Headlights [S]
  • Automatic Emergency Braking [S]
  • Blind-Spot Warning [S]
  • Driver Monitoring [S]
  • Forward-Collision Warning [S]
  • Lane-Departure Warning [S]
  • Lane-Keeping Assistance [S]
  • Rear Cross-Traffic Warning [S]
  • Reverse Automatic Emergency Braking [O]
  • [S] Standard, [O] Optional
NHTSA Rating:

Overall Observations

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.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

Strong Points

  • • Efficient drivetrain, high mpg ratings
  • • Luxurious fit and finish inside and out
  • • Comfortable ride
  • • Excellent set of ADAS features

Weak Points

  • • Noisy, underpowered drivetrain
  • • Outdated, hard-to-use infotainment system
  • • Cramped interior, tight entry and exit
  • • Poor rear visibility

Vehicle Specifications

Model year tested: 2022
Number of passengers (F/R): 2/3
Curb weight (lbs): 3640.0
Exterior L / W / H (in): 176.97 / 72.44 / 60.63
Wheelbase (in): 103.94
Number of air bags: 10
Warranty (months/miles): 48/50,000
Tire manufacturer and model: Bridgestone Turanza EL450
Front and rear tire size: 225/50 R18
Max towing capacity (lbs): Not recommended
Headlight type: LED
Transmission type: Hybrid drive
Drivetrain type: All wheel
Engine/motor: 2.0L I4 VVT-I DOHC
Engine horsepower @ RPM: 181 @ 6,000

Test Data

Test Vehicle Scores

Advanced Safety Features:

9.70

Fuel Efficiency:

7.48

EPA Emissions Score:

7.00

Acceleration:

1.34

Braking:

4.69
Handling: 6.92
Quality and Drivability: 6.59

Ride Quality:

7.43

Interior Size:

2.47

Easy of Entry and Exit:

6.22

Visibility:

7.08

Interior Noise:

7.59

Cargo Capacity:

1.35
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