2022 Lexus UX 250h Luxury: Worth the Wait

The Tale of the Tape

The Lexus UX 250h Luxury is a part of the UX Hybrid family, which includes the standard UX 250h, and falls into the overall UX lineup, comprised of the hybrid, the standard UX (200, 200 Luxury) and the UX F Sport (200 F Sport, 250h F Sport). Base MSRP is $40,240, $43,625 total sticker as-tested during the week it was with me.

Options available on this UX 250h Luxury include a heads-up display ($500), heated steering wheel ($150) and triple-beam LED headlights with auto-leveling, washers, LED fog lamps and cornering lamps ($1,660). Other options include wireless charging ($75), parking assist with rear cross-traffic braking ($565) and 18-inch gloss black machined alloys ($1,300).

Under the hood resides the UX 250h Luxury\’s Lexus Hybrid Drive unit, consisting of a 2.0L inline-four with a pair of electric motors, one for each end of the subcompact crossover. Total horsepower comes to 181, all sent through the corners through the CVT up front and the electric motor out back. A set of 18-inch alloys wrapped in Bridgestone Turanzas connect the power to the road.

Inside, the UX 250h Luxury\’s most interesting feature isn\’t the 10.3-inch center display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility plus Amazon Alexa and a three-month trial of SiriusXM satellite radio. It\’s the CD player. It\’s not often I get the chance to pop in one of a handful of CDs still in my collection, like one of Steely Dan\’s greatest hits compilations. And it\’s an opportunity that\’s dwindling with every passing model year. Lexus will likely be the last brand to sell a new vehicle with a CD player, as they were the last to offer a cassette player, via the 2010 SC 430.

Of course, this review is also the first time I got to experience the Lexus trackpad. It\’s fine, but I\’d rather have a dial or a touchscreen to control the infotainment system. I also have similar feelings for the cruise control, which is a faux-scroll wheel on the steering wheel that requires memorizing where to engage what function. Not ideal when driving on the highway, for sure; I\’ll take buttons or my 1997 Toyota RAV4 L\’s stalk/push button combo over this.

As for the rest of the interior, my UX 250h Luxury came with Birch/Lapis NuLuxe seating for five plus a washi dash in Lapis, a moonroof, heated front seats, and (very handy for car washes) power folding mirrors, plus 10 air bags and the Lexus Safety Sense 2.0+ suite of driver and safety aides.