2020 Lexus UX 250h Hybrid Road Test and Review

2020 Lexus UX 250h ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

The 2020 Lexus UX is the luxury brand’s entry vehicle and its smallest. Sizewise, the UX is about as large as a Toyota Corolla hatchback. And, in fact, it shares the Corolla’s 103.9-inch wheelbase and a smattering of powertrain and chassis components. It’s available as a conventionally powered, front-drive UX 200, or as the subject of this review: the all-wheel-drive hybrid UX 250h.

The UX 250h is the most powerful and most fuel-efficient version of the small Lexus crossover — major factors, Lexus says, that make it the best-selling version of the UX. With a decidedly urban appeal and a highly maneuverable, easy-to-park size, Lexus sells more UX crossovers to women than men. The UX competes in the small premium SUV segment along with the Volvo XC40, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace, and BMW X1 and X2 — none of which is available as a hybrid. Including the $1,025 destination charge, the 2020 Lexus UX 250h starts at $35,525; the F Sport trim costs another $2,000 and the Luxury trim is a $5,200 upcharge. 

Provocative Design

Lexus has a reputation for provocative design. With the UX, it’s more than just a big spindle grille, highly sculpted flanks, and lots of subliminal “L”s. Cool, semi-quirky details include adventurously shaped side mirrors and fin-like vertical tail-lamp pods, something Lexus calls aero stabilizing blade lights. LED lighting is standard, front and rear.

Excess fat is trimmed with a lightweight aluminum hood, doors, and fenders plus a liftgate fashioned from aluminum and polymer material. The UX is the first Lexus model to use the more engaging and fun-to-drive Global Architecture Compact platform. The F Sport version adds a sport suspension, blacked-out trim, cornering lamps, L-shaped LED fog lamp moldings, and a blacked-out mesh grille with hundreds of tiny L-shaped segments.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Powering Up

Power for the UX 250h comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with electric motor/generators. Up front, one motor/generator functions as an engine starter, generator, and engine speed regulator while the other drives the front wheels and doles out regenerative braking. At the rear, a third motor/generator drives the rear wheels and helps with stability control. The combined output of the gas engine and electric motors is 181 horsepower. The two front motor/generators live inside the hybrid transaxle, which blends the urgings of the fossil-fuel engine and electric motors. A 24-kW nickel-metal hydride battery pack for the hybrid system electrics resides under the rear seat.

Compared to previous hybrids, acceleration feels more natural with engine speed synchronized better with vehicle speed. Moving the console shift lever into sequential shift mode provides 10 simulated gear ratios for manual transmission-like downshifts and sporty control. Sport models include steering-wheel paddle shifters. The Lexus UX 250h can accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds, about a second quicker than a Toyota Prius. EPA estimates are 41 mpg city/38 mpg highway/39 mpg combined. In a week of local driving in grueling triple-digit heat, the trip computer indicated an average 31.7 mpg.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Lux Cabin

The UX offers an attractive interior with good-quality materials and the usual Lexus hospitality with soft-touch surfaces. A driver-centric horizontal dash theme sweeps into the doors. The UX presents good forward visibility courtesy of thin windshield posts, free-standing side mirrors, and small front quarter windows.

As with other Lexuses, the cabin of the UX is calm and hushed. The leather-wrapped steering wheel and infotainment-screen-mounted analog clock are shared with the brand's LS 500 flagship. The four face-level dash vents for the standard dual-zone automatic climate control system can be adjusted for both direction and air volume with a single knob. Switchgear for climate control, seat heating and cooling, cruise control, and the steering wheel has a substantial, precision feel, although the remote audio controls on the console are oddly placed. The standard driver display is a 7-inch TFT LCD display with realistic-looking analog gauges. A color head-up display at the bottom of the windshield is optional. The tested Luxury trim level brings washi Japanese paper-styled trim atop the instrument panel, rain-sensing wipers, a moonroof, and a power-adjustable steering wheel. F Sport models get a larger, LFA supercar-inspired 8-inch display with a movable ring, more aggressively bolstered front seats, paddle shifters, and aluminum pedals.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Staying Connected

For 2020, Lexus adds Android Auto cellphone mirroring capability to the previously available Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa functionality. The standard 7-inch landscape-format infotainment screen is upgraded to a 10.25-inch unit when you add the optional voice-activated navigation system, standard with the Luxury trim. It also includes over-the-air updated maps, offers alternative routes based on evolving conditions, and sorts points of interest for the first three years of ownership.

There are two USB ports up front. A wireless phone charger is optional. A six-speaker AM/FM stereo is standard, with an eight-speaker system incorporating a subwoofer optional. Speakers are made with bamboo charcoal diaphragms, which Lexus says impart a more natural sound. Standard HD radio adds clarity to AM and FM stations and details the song title and artist. SiriusXM satellite radio is included for a three-month trial and has an instant replay feature that enables you to playback content at a later time. Also, the system has a "favorite genre" feature like Pandora that allows users to explore similar music from different artists on FM and SiriusXM channels. Also standard is Lexus Enform in-car Wi-Fi for up to five in-car devices with a free three-month, 4GB trial period.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Infotainment Controls

A console-mounted remote helicopter landing pad-like touch interface operates like a cellphone screen. It supports flick, pinch, swipe, and tapping motions and has haptic feedback that indicates when the screen’s cursor is moved. It takes a while to master, so it’s best to practice in your driveway before venturing out.

The touchpad has the ability to recognize letters and numbers when typing in a search. Shortcut buttons around the circumference of the touchpad can be used to access a map, a home screen of basic climate control and navigation options and the all-important go-back functions. The pad is illuminated with the Lexus logo at night. The infotainment system can also be accessed via voice commands and steering wheel controls. Tuning and volume remote thumbwheels for the audio system are adjacent to the touchpad and surrounding the handrest on the console.

Photo by Ron Sessions

A la Modes

Despite uneven brake pedal response that can vary from one application to the next, the UX 250h is engaging to drive with a well-controlled ride, precise steering, and easy in-town maneuverability due to its small size and short turning diameter. The UX is the first Lexus to ride on the new Toyota Global Architecture Compact platform. A compact hybrid battery under the rear seat helps give the UX a low center of gravity. Standard Active Cornering Assist helps sharpen steering response when cornering by slightly braking the inside wheels. Even with run-flat tires at all four corners (due to the hybrid’s lack of a spare tire), impact harshness over sharp bumps or dips is not an issue.

With the drive mode select knob alongside the gauge panel, the driver can tailor the driving experience. In addition to the baseline Normal setting, Sport quickens throttle response and firms up steering effort while Eco moderates throttle response and limits air conditioning operation for improved fuel economy. Pushing the EV mode button on the console gives the driver the ability to drive short distances at lower speeds on electric power alone.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Front Seating

The UX offers slightly elevated seating for front seat occupants. The bottom cushions of the front seats balance comfort and support, and the torso bolsters of the upper cushions help nestle occupants in place. Foam density is just right, with just the right amount of firmness but creating no hotspots.

Power adjustments for both driver and front passenger are standard with manually adjustable lumbar and fore/aft headrest settings. NuLuxe synthetic seat trim is standard with all trim levels; real leather seating is not available. Heated and cooled front seats, as well as memory functions for the driver seat and side mirror adjustments, are included with the Luxury trim.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Occasional Back Seat

As the Lexus brand’s smallest entry, the UX is more personal-sized than family-ready. The back seat is a tight fit for adults, and for carrying anyone over 6 feet tall, the driver or front seat passenger will have to slide their seat forward a bit to give the rear seaters a smidgeon more legroom.

The fold-down back seat is split 60/40, enabling you to fold down one section for carrying longer cargo items while still keeping one rear seat open. There is a fold-down center armrest with a pair of cup holders. Two USB ports are back there for keeping mobile devices charged.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Cargo Considerations

While the UX doesn’t offer a ton of cargo space due to its Corolla hatchback size, and its steeply sloping roofline and back window, it offers more configurable space than your average sedan.

There’s a midsize sedan-like 17.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. Unlike most other carmakers, Lexus does not publish the available cargo space specification behind the front seats with the rear seat folded flat. Nevertheless, as you can see in the photo, the amount of space easily doubles when the rear seat is folded down. A hands-free liftgate, standard with Luxury trim, can be opened with a foot wave under the rear bumper if the person accessing the cargo hold has the keyless remote on their person.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Staying Safe and Secure

In addition to 10 airbags and a backup camera, the 2020 Lexus UX 250h comes with a long list of standard safety and driver-assistive technology. The standard Lexus Safety System + 2.0 includes adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system with automatic emergency braking, a lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, and road sign assist. A blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert are included with the Luxury trim. Newly optional this year is rear cross-traffic braking that will apply the brakes if the driver is backing up into the path of an approaching pedestrian or vehicle.

Lexus Enform connected services also provide peace of mind. Destination Assist gives 24-hour live access for trip guidance and Enform Remote provides vehicle access via cellphone, smartwatch, or Alexa for door locking/unlocking, engine starting, vehicle location and fuel-level checks, both for three years. Service Connect lets the owner access vehicle information, fuel level, and maintenance alerts via the Lexus app for 10 years.

Photo by Ron Sessions