Used 2023 Lexus UX

The 2023 Lexus UX is a compact luxury SUV that delivers excellent fuel economy and a relatively low price point into Lexus ownership. Its small size and agile steering make it a smart choice for city dwellers who want SUV flexibility, but who also need to squeeze through bustling traffic and fit into tight parking spots.

The UX is reasonably priced, very nicely finished inside, and easy to pilot in urban traffic. The sole powertrain is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor — two electric motors in all-wheel drive models — and a nickel-metal hybrid battery pack. A total of 181 horsepower is managed by a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Fuel economy comes in at more than 40 mpg during highway driving, which is a superb figure for a small SUV.

Nobody will accuse the UX of being quick, but we’ve found it plenty powerful and appreciate the smooth and responsive power delivery. It’s really an exceptionally pleasant little luxury SUV.

Lexus finishes the cabin of the UX nicely with quality materials. While the price tag affixed to the Lexus UX makes it the luxury brand’s least expensive SUV, you wouldn’t know it from behind the steering wheel.

With the adoption of a touchscreen infotainment system, the dashboard itself has an elegant and functional design. Lexus wisely moved the two available screens closer to the driver and front passenger, so accessing controls doesn’t require a big reach.

The front seats are very accommodating, while the F Sport trim package adds firmer and more heavily bolstered front sport seats. Fear not — either of the two is supportive and comfortable even after long drives.

Space in the second row isn’t nearly as generous, however. There’s room for two adults, but legroom is modest, and taller passengers could feel cramped. Cargo room behind the rear seat measures around 17 cubic feet in the UX 250h. That’s notably less than the cargo space afforded by competitors such as the Cadillac XT4 and BMW X1.

At a glance, it’s hard to know if the Lexus looks more like a shrunken-down crossover SUV or a high-riding hatchback. Thanks primarily to its large spindle-shaped front grille and heavily sculpted sides, it certainly stands out. When painted in brighter exterior hues, the UX is especially eye-catching for a small SUV.

Opting for the F Sport package adds a set of attractive 18-inch alloy wheels, black exterior trim, slightly more aggressive front and rear bumpers, plus a mesh grille that’s unique to the F Sport.

Yet, it’s probably the sheer scale of the UX that will appeal to certain luxury SUV shoppers. Because of its small size, the UX is ideal if driving priorities include navigating city streets and slotting into curbside parking spots.

New F Sport Packages
There are two choices when it comes to giving the 2023 Lexus UX the F Sport treatment. The F Sport Design package includes cosmetic touches like unique F Sport 18-inch alloy wheels, a revised grille, a black roof, dark roof rails, sport seats, an updated steering wheel, and aluminum pedals. Building upon this, the F Sport Handling includes performance dampers and an adaptive suspension to make the UX more capable through twists and turns.

New 12.3-inch Infotainment System
The standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the 2023 UX is perfectly fine. It’s a vast improvement over the frustrating touchpad controller previously fitted. Yet, we think the optional 12.3-inch touchscreen gives the cabin of the UX an even more modern look and feel to it. No matter which you choose, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.

The 2023 Lexus UX is available in 250h, 250h Premium, 250h F Sport Design, and 250h F Sport Handling trim levels.

Standard comfort and tech features on the entry-level Lexus UX 250h include an 8-inch infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, synthetic leather seating surfaces, Bluetooth, Amazon Alexa, power-operated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and multiple USB ports.

The 2023 Lexus UX also comes with an extremely long roster of active safety features. They include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. These are all lumped into what Lexus calls the Safety System+ 2.5 suite.

While you only have one choice of powertrain in the 2023 UX, there are plenty of ways to upgrade this subcompact SUV.

As we’ve already mentioned, the F Sport Design and Handling packages include features like larger alloy wheels, revised front and rear bumpers, front sport seats, aluminum pedals, paddle shifters, performance dampers, and an adaptive suspension. For UX shoppers who value style — and added steering sharpness — these could be worth consideration.

Lexus has simplified the engine lineup in the 2023 UX to only the 181-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder paired with two electric motors and standard all-wheel drive.

2.0-liter inline-4 + electric motor(s) + 24-kW battery
Front- or all-wheel drive
181 total horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
EPA combined fuel economy, front-wheel drive: 42 mpg (43 city, 41 highway)
EPA combined fuel economy, all-wheel drive: 39 mpg (41 city, 38 highway)

More UX fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

Test Car

We’ve tested several examples of the Lexus UX since it debuted for the 2019 model year, including the 2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport Handling pictured here. This one’s coated in Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0 (an extra $595) and has a sticker price of $47,440 (view window sticker).