2025 Lexus UX 300h Review: More Than a Numbers Game

In the world of Lexus, 50 is equal to 15. That’s the difference, in horsepower, between last year’s UX 250h and this year’s replacement, the 2025 UX 300h.

Of course, that is a simplification. While power is up just a little over eight percent, this latest evolution of what is now Lexus’ oldest crossover is more than the sum of its parts. It’s still small and pricey, but the latest UX is better to drive and better on your wallet.

I’m a big fan of the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. Not only does it offer a rare electrified powertrain in its class, it was my personal pick in our recent 11-SUV mega comparison. Lexus has pinched that powertrain for UX 300h duty. It still employs a 2.0-liter gas engine, but it now runs in tandem with a fifth-generation hybrid system. The Toyota only comes with all-wheel drive; that’s the case for the UX in Canada too, but American buyers can choose front-drive as well. Either way, horsepower now totals 196, helping the AWD UX just slide under the eight-second bar for the dash to 60 mph (96 km/h). A lithium-ion battery replaces to nickel metal-hydride of last year, shifting is now of the electronic variety, and Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 is now standard.

Oh yeah, and the excellent Copper Crest exterior paint is now a UX option. Yay!

The UX has looked pretty much the same since it rolled onto the scene half a decade ago. There are a lot of creases and slashes along the bodywork for an origami-like look, with the requisite spindle grille and arrow-shaped headlights giving it a familial look. The UX has the oh-so-common full-width taillight treatment, but then again, it had it in 2018 too. Lexus hasn’t changed that yet, nor has it swapped out the ol’ L badge for a spelled-out LEXUS on the tail.

With its low ride height and minimal contrasting black cladding, the UX cuts a decidedly hatchback profile in an SUV world. That isn’t accidental, either.

The smartest thing Lexus did for the UX was kill off the unloved non-hybrid model. The second smartest thing it did was updating the setup to this 300h one. The stronger front (111 hp) and rear (40 hp) electric motors allow the 2.0-liter to relax more often, making progress smoother and quieter. When it does join the conversation, it does so with a polite cough, not the hacking fit of the 250h. The e-CVT tuning is well-judged for the little cute-ute too, finding the sweet spot for highway merges but keeping the drone to a minimum around town. Acceleration is smooth, and like most Toyota/Lexus hybrids, it’s an easy system to figure out to maximize fuel economy.

Case in point: officially the UX 300h AWD will achieve 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined. (Canadian figures: 5.3, 5.9, and 5.6 L/100 km, respectively. Without even trying I did 46 mpg (5.1 L/100 km), better even than the front-drive model, which has a 1mpg advantage on all measures. Those sorts of gas savings are hard to ignore.

The UX sits on the same platform as the NX, RX, TX, and a gaggle of current Toyotas, including the afore-mentioned Corolla Cross. But please, for a moment, cast your mind back on another Toyota: the C-HR. The previous starting point of the Toyota crossover lineup never got a fair shake here in North America, where it got saddled with front drive and no hybrid. It was also very car-like, lacking that upright, faux-rough-and-tumble look the Corolla Cross nails. Many modern SUVs are just hatchbacks playing dress-up; the C-HR didn’t even try to hide it.

Neither does the UX. For some that will immediately disqualify it from consideration—and I get that. For this city dweller, however, the UX was an excellent companion. It’s tight and tidy in its movements, with that typical TNG-A steering lightness making the UX eager. There’s no slop, none of that feeling of unnecessary heft. It’s no hot hatch of course, and I wouldn’t even call it as fun as say, a BMW X1, but the UX has good enough bones to appreciate the long way to work.

The UX is a holdover from the earlier days of luxury brands still trying to figure out the small side of the market, and I appreciate that.

The relative lightness of the UX allows for a softer suspension setup, one that still maintains good body control over undulations Even in this tester’s more aggressive trim (F Sport Handling in the US; F Sport 2 in Canada), the ride quality is downright cushy, keeping the cabin free of all but the rudest outside disturbances. There’s noticeable body roll through corners, but it’s a small price to pay for an otherwise stress-free ride.

Lexus builds some of the comfiest seats in the business, and the added bolstering on these thrones does little to detract from that. Sure, they’re bright red, so about as subtle as an episode of The Boys, but they offer good lower back support and a wide range of adjustment. Ventilation is a welcome addition and far from a certainty in this class; Lexus has seemingly worked to make the setup less noisy, too.

Unfortunately one area the UX still does feel like a compact car is in back seat space. There’s not a whole lot of legroom (33.1 inches / 841 millimeters), the window line meets passengers’ chins, and the thick C-pillar keeps the light out. It’s not like there’s an abundance of trunk space to make up for this either: 17.2 cubic feet (487 liters) is barely more than some sedans, and the load floor is high up.

The UX doesn’t go wild with textures or ambient lighting to signify luxury. There’s a lot of black to the cabin, but up front, it’s all soft-touch plastic or leather, all screwed together with typical Lexus proficiency. The biggest tell for the UX’s general age is its big, rectangular air-con vents, inelegantly carved out of the dashboard. The mix of curves is a welcome contrast to the creases outside, especially in the narrow instrument cowl. Sitting atop are the twin rotary dials for traction and drive modes—or the Shrek ears, as a colleague referred to them. It can’t be unseen.

While it’s generally a swell space to spend time, the UX does see a noticeable dip in material quality on the back door panels.

A large, 12.3-inch central touchscreen features the latest Lexus infotainment setup. Just as it is in every other Lexus SUV, it’s a simple one to grok within a few minutes. The menu layout is simple, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard. There are issues, however: this ’25 still does not keep its main menu on-screen while using CarPlay, requiring extra taps to swap between setups. The voice control responses are also tardy, and I’m not a fan of how Toyota has decoupled efficiency from trips in the drive info. Largely, however, it does what it needs.

Similarly, so does the digital instrument cluster which, when paired with the head-up display here, provides all necessary information for the driver in a clean manner. There’s enough customization to tailor it to one’s liking, as well.

The UX’ safety suite is extensive and generally well done. Its backup camera is still grainy however, lacking the trick “see-through” 360-degree setup found on the rest of the Lexus SUV lineup.

Prices are unsurprisingly up across the board, typically by a grand or two. That’s more than fair considering the improved driving experience. In America, the 2025 UX 300h now starts at $37,490 including destination. Adding AWD is a $1,570 surcharge on all trims. The equivalent of our Canadian-spec tester is the F Sport Handling AWD, which stickers for $47,525. In Canada, the price of entry is now $45,810 CAD, but the jump to this top trim (F Sport 2) is comparatively small, so the grand total is $54,587 CAD.

The price increase edges the UX even closer to competitors that offer, amongst other things, more space and pace. The Volvo XC40 remains a solid choice—in fact, it won the last time we pitted the UX against the Swede—but is thirsty, and its most affordable electric version starts 15-percent richer than this tester. Add more than an option or two on the middling Mercedes-Benz GLA and it’s already more money. Buyers can check most of the boxes on the excellent BMW X1 xDrive28i for this money. Sticking to the same parent company, the all-new Mini Countryman offers a ton of personality. The gas-powered S helpfully undercuts the UX, while the all-electric SE is only slightly pricier. There’s also the family squabble: an NX 350h doesn’t ask for many more dollars per month.

The North American tendency to get the most car for the money will likely continue to relegate the UX to niche status: Lexus sells 10 times as many RXs, and 6.5 times as many NXs. Yet for those who only occasionally need a rear seat, appreciate car-like driving manners, and enjoy the massive savings at the pumps, the 2025 UX 300h is a true crossover.

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