2022 Lexus UX

The Lexus UX seems like a godsend in comparison to its predecessor. The previous entry-level model was a pretty poor attempt at cashing in on the brand's hard-earned reputation. It was slow, horrible to drive, and the styling was absurd. It looked like two completely different cars were welded together in the middle. The sales figures proved that the US market did not respond well to this hybrid hatch, which is why Lexus needed to rethink its strategy.

Luckily, the compact crossover boom gave Lexus the answer it was looking for. Instead of a hatch, it needed to do something more off-roady. To give it a unique selling point, it added a hybrid powertrain. But is it enough to beat competition from the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA, and Volvo XC40?

The base price of the Lexus UX 200 is $33,000. The 200 UX F Sport goes for $35,340, while the Luxury model will cost you $38,040. On the hybrid side, the 250h AWD has an MSRP of $35,200, followed by the 250h F Sport AWD costing $37,540. The top-spec 250h Luxury AWD comes in at $40,240. These prices exclude the delivery, processing, and handling fee of $1,075.

While some of the models in the range may have the word "sport" in their name, the Lexus UX SUV is about as sporty as a British Bulldog. It was built for comfort rather than speed. This bias towards comfort suits the nature of the car perfectly because, as mentioned earlier, it's no ball of fire.

The steering response is excellent and spot-on for city driving. At higher speeds, it can feel a bit artificial, but we're willing to forgive that since the UX is not a speed merchant. Push it to the limit and it will understeer, which may annoy enthusiasts, but is much safer than the alternative.

The F Sport is equipped with a stiffer suspension, but it doesn't add any sportiness to the mix. It also doesn't spoil the ride quality, which begs the question: Why have it at all? The standard suspension setup is perfectly suited to the UX.

The all-wheel-drive model is interesting, as mentioned earlier. With no mechanical coupling, the rear wheels are driven by the electric motor only, and only at speeds below 43 mph. Any higher than that, and it reverts to a front-wheel-drive gas car. It makes sense in town in low-grip situations, but we can't help but wonder what happens when the battery is fully drained and the conditions are still bad.

There's not much wrong with the UX. It competes in a segment that's all the rage right now, and it does so with unique and striking Japanese design. On the inside, it offers a quality interior that easily rivals the German top dogs, and you get almost every luxury and safety feature as standard. Sure, it's an entry-level compact crossover, but it's a Lexus first and foremost. We're glad Lexus didn't cut corners, as it would have done damage not just to this car, but to the whole brand.

Our biggest gripe is the underwhelming powertrain options. All of its rivals offer more power and better performance. Having said that, it depends entirely on what you're looking for in a car. If its performance, the BMW X1 would do a much better job. But if fuel economy is high up on the list, the Lexus' consumption figures can't be ignored.

The refined ride, impressive fuel economy, luxury, and safety features make up for the lack of grunt, and we think the UX is more than good enough to put on your test-drive list if you happen to be shopping around in this segment.

The UX 250h F Sport is the sweet spot in the range. The hybrid powertrain is well worth the additional $2,200. It's a tiny bit faster, way more frugal, and comes with the added benefit of all-wheel-drive. The reason we'd have the F Sport over the base 250h is the bolder exterior, as well as the few other additions. We'd also add the Luxury Package, which requires you to add the 10.3-inch split-screen multimedia display with navigation. The result is a $43,205 compact crossover (including delivery), which seems like a steep price. But try to add some of the standard features this car has to its German rivals and see how quickly you get to $50,000.

The UX has the same problem as every other premium compact crossover out there. Add a few more dollars and you can have a larger, seemingly better car. In the case of the UX, the top-spec 250h Luxury AWD comes in at $40,240. The 2022 Lexus NX 350 AWD has an MSRP of $41,550. The NX 350h AWD hybrid version is $41,050.

The NX 350 and the 350h are interesting rivals because they're just as lavishly equipped from the base upward. The NX 350 comes with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-pot, good for 275 hp and 317 lb-ft. The 350h hybrid comes with a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter engine and an electric motor, 240 hp, and EPA-estimated figures of 41/37/39 mpg city/highway/combined, matching the UX 250h AWD.

And since Lexus isn't afraid to include luxury features as standard, the base NX comes with synthetic leather, power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, and an eight-inch multimedia display boasting the same features as the UX.

The NX is also better to drive and is more spacious than the UX. We'd rather buy one of these, especially because it is significantly more powerful without any economy penalty.

The RX and RXh are two steps up from the UX, but pricing starts at $45,320, while the hybrid pricing starts at $48,020. That's only a moderate leap in price compared to the UX. The RX has a 3.5-liter V6 producing 295 horsepower, while the hybrid has a total system output of 308 hp. It's much thirstier than the UX, thanks to the old-school V6 engine, but it is silky smooth and will get to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. It's also worth pointing out that the RX is one of the most comfortable cars in existence - not just in its segment, but out of all cars on sale today.

The RX dwarfs the UX and has the same specification level, including power-adjustable seats, dual-zone climate control, and driver assistance systems. Once again, you have to decide whether it's worth sacrificing fuel efficiency for more space. For us, it's an easy choice.