2025 Lexus UX 300h review: Skip the F Sport

The UX continues to fill the niche of compact and luxurious crossover, but this F Sport example features a sickly sticker price

2025 Lexus UX 300h review by The Road Beat

Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman

My experience with the Lexus UX has been topsy-turvy the last few years. I like the idea of a compact yet luxurious car, but the UX suffers from weak performance and questionable pricing at times. The UX in general makes sense for those seeking exactly this niche, but take this tester's $49,455 retail price is reason enough for it to have been categorically ejected from the building. You know that scene in The Departed when Martin Sheen is thrown off a building? Yeah, like that. Look, not everyone needs a large car, and the UX 300h has decent qualities, but for the love of all that is and isn't holy, don't pay even remotely close to 50 grand for one. Sure this one might say F Sport on it and a shiny coat of blue paint to draw you in, but it's all just a visual formality and lacks any notion of tension on the road.

Now to quell those who think I'm just a hater of the Lexus UX, here's a trip down memory lane: Last spring, I had the opportunity to test another UX hybrid in the Premium trim level. It looked little different, drove no different in the real world, had no missing features, but it was a substantial $6,000 less than a comparable F Sport model at the time. Suddenly, when you start peeking at a nicely-equipped UX for around $40,000, okay, yeah, that is borderline reasonable now for what you're getting.

Fast forward to this new 2025 model year, and the name changes from UX 250h to UX 300h, with horsepower rising from a pedestrian 181 to a , well, still-pedestrian 196. Bolstered by a hybrid system that boosts response, performance can be perky off the line with a convincing immediacy. However, it's when you keep your foot in it that you realize that the speed does climb quickly at all. As a result, the power increase is welcome, but 0-60 MPH still requires eight full seconds; Quite disappointing for the price point and the flashy F Sport blue paint and add-ons. One would hope that it's reasonably fast, but it's no punchier than a Toyota Venza nor RAV4 Hybrid, and that's a shame to the casual driver/commuter who may be hoping for something more 'sporty' by downsizing to a UX. At least the hybrid system returns 37 MPG in the real world after a week of mixed driving. The visual idea is akin to a hot hatch in character, but a lame impersonation is all this can muster on the speed, or really, the slowness front.

At initial acquaintance, the UX also seems interested in naps rather than jogs through winding wooded trails, but actually, if you do venture past the apparent comfort zone, the UX is at least decently accomplished with its optional F Sport handling package. I wouldn't go as far as to say it has the energy of a puppy Border Collie, but there is at least a sense of surprise when you get aggressive with the steering wheel. Reason for this surprise is because in normal driving, there appears to be inclination for handling at all, lacking the eagerness to play fetch until your arm is tired.

However, get yourself on a decent section of tarmac, and the tires will bite decently well, understeer is minor in sane driving, and overall control and balance is secretly secure; I didn't expect that. However, whatever handling prowess the UX does possess is ultimately undone by the tepid acceleration which ultimately is what hinders this poser hatch and quells any semblance of fun. 250-horsepower? This could be a relative blast, but as it stands now, it's the 196-horsepower and lazy initial behavior that really discourages any kind of attack. To simplify, the Lexus UX is actually quite nice to drive, but it's just plainly boring, and certainly doesn't drive like a 50 grand hatchback. And even the praises for its composure should be taken with a grain of salt, because the F sport and handling packages only bring this up to the dynamic of some contemporaries, rather than surpassing. Special? No. Decent? Yeah, decent enough.

There's nothing to complain about when it comes to the quality of really any Lexus, with this car showing the obvious signals of their luxury mark. Doors have a secure thud when they close and not the hollow clunk of a cheaper car, the seats are comfortable and upholstered nicely, and the touch points all feel substantial and soft, and just like a quality product. When iPhones were released, they did give the tactile and direct feel of a quality and luxury product compared to cheaper Android phones, and Lexus continues to give a similar experience in everyday usability compared to the mainstream economy Japanese brands it sits above.

What is a source of complaint is the lack of rear seat space. Because the UX platform is shared with the Toyota Corolla and the discontinued C-HR, the short 103.9" wheelbase hinders legroom for your passengers. But, hey, you bought a small car on purpose, so maybe your passengers don't marter! No bother then, but what is not excusable is the tiny rear cargo space. Despite having a practical hatchback design, opening it reveals a curiously raised floor and a miniscule amount of depth (and therefore volume)with the rear seats in place. It takes only two moderate suitcases will fill the cargo hold, so go light on your trips to Costco. Hatchbacks and crossovers are supposed to be practical and spacious, but that is not the case here with its quoted 17.1 cubic-feet for storage. An Audi Q3 boasts 23.7 for example, and even a Prius matches the Audi. While the rear legroom might not be a hindrance for everyone if it's just a car for yourself, the rear cargo hold definitely can be an obstacle for lite everyday purposes.

This is an unfortunate conclusion then, because while there is definitely a space and place for small luxury cars like the Lexus UX, there aren't enough reasons to warrant one especially given the outrageous price on a fully-loaded example. What's confounding is that, for the same price as this tester, you can have a decent Lexus NX hybrid with leagues more room and even higher quality and features. And at this perilous price point, there are many German alternatives that can be easily had that offer increased brand prestige and significantly elevated performance and driving spunk, though none get the gas mileage of the UX hybrid. For those seeking this niche, the UX is not a bad car at all at its entry price points and sticking closer to $40,000. But at this spectrum, you'd have to be certifiably mad to willingly spend nearly $50,000 on one..

2025 Lexus UX 300h AWD F Sport

Price as-tested: $49,455

Pros: Expected luxurious cabin; Nearly 40 MPG

Cons: Cramped rear seat and cargo; Still slow; 50 GRAND???

Thank you for reading our 2025 Lexus UX 300h review. If you enjoy our honest and upfront take on cars, please subscribe to The Road Beat. All photos by mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.