2025 Lexus UX 300h: A little more power makes a difference

2025 Lexus UX 300h Premium AWD: More oomph in the UX?

Price: $45,485 as tested. Head-up display added $900; fancy paint, $595; windshield deicer and heated steering wheel, $250; wireless charger, $75. More noted below.

Conventional wisdom: Motor Trend likes the “modern lithium-ion powertrain, up to 44 mpg, quiet ride,” but not that it’s “expensive” with “small rear door openings” and “needs more space.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Experience amazing.”

Reality: “Perhaps 2025 will be the UX’s year. Finally.” Mr. Driver’s Seat, in a July 2024 review.

What’s new: In our last episode, I complained for about 900 words about the BMW X2, noting it was intended to be competition for this model. I figured they’d be compatible on everything except fuel economy and acceleration, but that unit left me sorely disappointed.

This week’s little Lexus hybrid SUV closes the acceleration gap with a new hybrid transaxle and battery that boost horsepower by 15, to 196 total. More safety features are added as well. But the big bonus comes where you least expect it.

Competition: Audi Q3, BMW X1, BMW X2, Volvo XC40, Mini Countryman

Up to speed: Car and Driver reports the 0-60 time to be 7.7 seconds, a half-second faster than the old UX 250. It’s not a rocket, but it’s pretty good for a small hybrid.

Like the 2024, Lexus has the little vehicle juiced up so the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and its electric assistants feel punchier than the data would show. I took it to the Mr. Driver’s Seat acceleration proving grounds — Route 30 going west to Coatesville. A long start at the bottom of the hill has been a challenge for many vehicles, but the UX 300h surpassed the traffic speed in no time.

Shiftless: That transaxle may be responsible for some of the extra power, but it’s working all by itself. The Prius-style shifter doesn’t allow for any input from the driver.

Fortunately it does its work well, if not quietly — it revs high when the accelerator is opened and it gets kinda loud.

On the road: I was able to pick up the UX 300h while visiting Sturgis Best Friend’s Mom up north; I relished the opportunity because I drove a Jetta GLI to get there — a small car that did everything delightfully — and knew I’d feel any difference immediately on the same route back home.

The UX 300h managed to almost equal the Jetta for sportiness and fun, although it did start to lose its grip more quickly — understandable with tires more aimed at efficiency than handling — even despite an all-wheel-drive system that the Jetta lacked.

There’s also an F-Sport model, and that’s focused on vehicle handling; there’s nothing changed about the powertrain.

Driver’s Seat: I could find nothing to complain about in the Lexus seats. The feel, the support, the comfort — they all seemed premium. They’re covered in NuLuxe and up front are heated and ventilated. This is a big improvement over the previous test, where the seat felt cramped and awkwardly angled with the steering wheel.

The gauges are typical Lexus upgrade, thanks to the optional 12.3-inch digital cluster, with adjustments to relocate the speedometer and other information.

And this is the key to the UX — it doesn’t feel like Lexus cheaped out on the materials and feel; you’re riding in a little baby Lexus, with all the quality feel and supple surfaces that implies.

Friends and stuff: Nothing’s changed as far as the passenger compartment dimensions, so it’s as tight as ever. Sturgis Kid 4.0 didn’t complain about the accommodations, and they’re not bad, but rear-seat passengers won’t enjoy any slouching room. You’ll want to sit like a little soldier in the space set aside for you. The floor hump is almost nonexistent, though, so the middle seat is not as embarrassing as usual.

Cargo space is 17.1 cubic feet; no word on what it becomes with the seat folded.

In and out: the UX 300h actually sits at about Prius height, so it’s a bit more of a challenge to enter and exit than the average crossover or subcompact SUV. And, yes, the rear doors are small and oddly shaped — don’t hurt yourself, as it’s harder to get into the back seat than it is to sit there.

Play some tunes: The 12.3-inch infotainment screen is an upgrade from the 8-inch base model, part of a $1,405 package that boosts infotainment functionality. Buttons on the outside get you from source to source, and a volume knob also helps. But often I accidentally hit one of the buttons while adjusting the volume, so your mileage may vary.

Sound from the system is awesome, about an A. I could really enjoy my tunes but I didn’t discover anything I hadn’t heard in a while.

Keeping warm and cool: Toggles in a row handle all the functions, which is almost as good as the old three simple dials I still long for.

Fuel economy: I averaged a fairly consistent 40.7 mpg through all my driving, up 3 mpg from last year’s model, which was only front-wheel drive. Nice bonus.

Where it’s built: Miyawaka, Fukuoka, Japan

How it’s built: Consumer Reports expects the UX to rate a 4 out of 5 for reliability.

In the end: A little more juice and 40 mpg make the UX an even better choice than before.