
So you’ve always wanted a Lexus. Your heart is saying go but your back account is saying no. Well, Lexus may have solved your conundrum with this all-new, subcompact-sized UX priced from the low $30s.
Going down-market is nothing new in this segment but manufacturers must show prudence so as not to water down their luxury marquee. The UX is now the gateway Lexus so it will introduce the brand to a younger group of customers. Last year, I tested this crossover’s Toyota counterpart the C-HR and came away with a favorable opinion even though it needed some packaging tweaks…mainly more stuff and the option of all-wheel drive. This UX – which stands for Urban Crossover – preserves the CH-R’s funky, evocative styling with a healthy dose of Lexus luster including the choice of 4-wheel traction and even a hybrid powertrain.
The model I’m running around in this week is the UX 200 Luxury with front-wheel drive and a handful of options leading to an MSRP of $41,560. As compared with the base UX, the Luxury adds a power rear hatch with kick sensor for hands-free operation, driver’s side memory settings, a blind spot monitor and much more to give its occupants a complete premium experience. Utilizing a new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers more power and better fuel efficiency than the Toyota power plant, the UX is rated at 169 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque while using a trick CVT that’s engineered to behave more like a traditional automatic transmission with 10 simulated gears.
In the urban environment for which it in intended, the driving experience is quite agreeable with enough grunt to move things along when needed, crisp steering and a chassis that profits from lightweight materials and a low center of gravity to imbue the UX with a dialed-in agility.
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