For all the success the Prius has enjoyed, Toyota has struggled to create a winning small hybrid for Lexus. Perhaps you remember the HS250h sedan, or the CT200h hatchback? If not, you’re not alone. Since 2019, however, the UX has been the Lexus for buyers with Prius sensibilities and caviar tastes. Last year the UX went exclusively hybrid, dropping the nonhybrid UX200, and a front-wheel-drive UX250h model joined the previously available all-wheel-drive version.
In contrast to the brand’s previous small hybrids, the UX identifies as a subcompact luxury SUV. Really, though, it’s more of a hatchback that sits just a bit taller—much like a Mercedes-Benz GLA. As such, the front-wheel-drive powertrain is in many ways a better fit for the UX250h than all-wheel drive. First of all, there’s no off-road pretense here. The UX is a decidedly urban warrior, where its small footprint is a boon for maneuverability and parking—although rearward visibility is not so great; you’ll rely heavily on the camera system.
With just 181 horsepower in total on tap, you hardly need four-wheel traction to put the power to the pavement. In fact, this front-drive version was quicker to 60 mph than the last all-wheel-drive UX250h we tested, taking 8.2 seconds to reach that benchmark versus 8.6 for the AWD model. That’s still well in arrears of more powerful competitors such as the Audi Q3 (7.3 seconds), the GLA250 (6.3 seconds), and the Volvo XC40 B5 (6.1 seconds).
With its continuously variable transmission, the UX’s throttle response is somewhat slurred, and the powertrain can sometimes drone under acceleration—we measured 73 decibels under wide-open throttle. There is a button for EV mode, but the small battery often lacks the juice to allow for the selection. Of course, as a hybrid, the UX switches its engine on and off on its own, transitions most drivers are unlikely to notice.
That ability is key to the UX250h’s impressive fuel economy, and as you might guess, the front-drive version is better in that regard than its all-wheel-drive counterpart. The EPA reckons the front-drive UX250h will average 42 mpg combined versus the AWD’s 39 mpg. As is often the case with hybrids, though, we fell short of the feds’ numbers, averaging 35 mpg overall and also achieving 35 mpg in our 75-mph highway test, against an EPA highway estimate of 41 mpg. Still, our average marks a 4-mpg improvement over the all-wheel-drive version, and our highway result is 8 mpg better than the XC40 B5.
Although you don’t duck down to enter the UX, it does feel more hatchback than SUV from behind the wheel. It’s small and nimble, and the ride and handling balance is right in line with bigger Lexus models. Bump isolation is good, aided by modest 18-inch wheels wearing tires with plenty of sidewall cushioning. Body motions are well controlled, and the steering is well weighted if not sporty feeling. Around the skidpad, grip was a modest 0.81 g—trailing the AWD version’s 0.86 g—and the car came to a halt from 70 mph in 174 feet, although brake fade was pronounced after a few panic stops.
This wee Lexus has a shorter wheelbase than the Audi, Mercedes, or Volvo, even though it’s slightly longer overall. That short span between axles contributes to a pinched rear door opening, and passengers over six feet will have to wedge themselves into the back seat. The cargo hold is similarly diminutive, owing to the high load floor and sloping hatchback. We fit four carry-on cases back there, compared with six in the GLA and the XC40.
The UX is in its sixth model year, and in some ways, that’s to the cabin’s benefit. There’s a real shift lever rather than the weird little flipper in most Toyota hybrids (including the two-sizes-larger RX). And there are still physical buttons to work the climate-control system, with more on the console for seat heating and cooling and the heated steering wheel. One evolution is that the awkward remote touch interface is gone; the large center display is now a touchscreen. Lexus does maintain a volume knob but not one for tuning. The NuLuxe synthetic-leather upholstery feels as nice as most automakers’ leather, and your knees and elbows nudge against nicely padded surfaces. Our Premium-trim test car lacked the body-hugging seats that come in the F Sport version, however.
The UX250h is better realized than the brand’s previous efforts in this space. The hybrid powertrain delivers econocar fuel economy but, unfortunately, econocar acceleration as well, diminishing the premium feel that the UX otherwise imparts—albeit in a pint-size package.
Would-be buyers should know that Lexus is addressing some of the UX250h’s pain points with an update due later this year (as a 2025 model). They include an output bump to 196 horsepower, as well as a more robust battery. Fuel economy is also expected to improve. The new version earns a new nameplate: UX300h. But like today’s car, it will be sold exclusively as a hybrid, again in front- or all-wheel drive. Which seems like the right move.
Specifications
Specifications
2024 Lexus UX250h Premium FWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $39,150/$43,695
Options: Lexus Interface (12.3-inch touchscreen display, Drive Connect with navigation, Intelligent Assistant, Destination Assist), $1405; head-up display, $900; parking assist, $565; illuminated doorsills, $425; Lexus dashcam, $375; mudguards, $165; door edge guards, $155; heated steering wheel, $150; carpeted cargo mat, $140; windshield de-icer, $100; rear bumper appliqué, $90; wireless phone charger, $75
POWERTRAIN
Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 150 hp, 140 lb-ft + 2 AC motors, 107 hp, 149 lb-ft (combined output: 181 hp; 1.4-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack)
Transmission: continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.0-inch ventilated disc/11.1-inch disc
Tires: Bridgestone Turanza EL450 RFT
225/50RF-18 95V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.9 in
Length: 177.0 in
Width: 72.4 in
Height: 60.6 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 48/37 ft3
Cargo Volume: 17 ft3
Curb Weight: 3491 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 87 mph
100 mph: 22.4 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.2 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 112 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 174 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 35 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 35 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 370 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 42/43/41 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Joe Lorio has been obsessed with cars since his Matchbox days, and he got his first subscription to Car and Driver at age 11. Joe started his career at Automobile Magazine under David E. Davis Jr., and his work has also appeared on websites including Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.