2024 Lexus UX250h Hybrid Tested: City Sipper

For all the success the Prius has enjoyed, Toyota has struggled to create a winning small hybrid for Lexus. Perhaps you remember 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.