Reviews: The 2019 Lexus UX 200 & UX 250h

Messages
6
Reactions
11
I agree with you Joe, cost reduction is coming through increased usage of hard plastics. While it might be understandable at lower price points, a Lexus is a Lexus where bean counters should not reign, but be reigned in ...

For example: The back of the front seats in our '19 NX are not hard plastic, but are almost entirely hard plastic in the '19 ES. Scratches on hard plastics never go away! Every time someone inadvertently scraps the plastic side of the center console with the metal tip of the seat belt a scratch will be left; many scratches after time. I can only imagine what the hard plastic on the back of the seats will come to look like.

Upon the closer inspection that time, warmer temperatures, and ownership afford, I have found in the ES center console a symphony of creaking noises in a sea of plastic parts top-covered with a skin of leather. The leather looks nice, but ... My ES has been in the shop for the last 3 days so far with no word, to locate and fix the myriad of creaks and squeaks coming from the double-hinged plastic center console. And there are creaks coming seemingly from the dashboard as well. I notice there is substantial use of hard plastic surrounding the center display (noticeably un-like the similarly designed UX center display) and on the dash on the left side of the driver's display.

These creaks and squeaks have become prevalent as the temperatures of spring increase and the plastics expand. And these noises are not just occasionally heard. Some sound when there is but a change in the car's momentum. And I notice the 600-miles-new '19 ES courtesy car I'm driving in the meantime, is creaking and squeaking much the same way.

Lexus is lowering the bar and persons like myself who have driven many Lexus vehicles for well over a decade are noticing. It makes no sense to devote so much attention to sound deadening the undercarriage of the 7ES only to allow the bean counters to increase and expand zones of hard plastics throughout the interior. I leased my '17 IS 300 AWD for two years. It was as tight as a vault. Never once heard a creak, squeak, or rattle regardless of the outside temperature. And true so far with the '19 NX. But the ES ... is another story. As a Lexus loyalist, besides the flagship models, I sincerely hope this pattern of cost saving will not become prevalent in new models and remodels across the fleet. This is not the pursuit of perfection.

The single biggest problem with my 16’ RX is the trim noise issue. Almost every panel is rattling in the car. The center screen, drivers upper door, passengers lower door, subwoofer area and rear seats. There is a squeaking noise coming from the rear which I have never been able to find it’s origin. The center console flexes like a toyota too. Simply put the RX is way below it’s competitors in terms of build quality and material choices and I happen to think the rest of the line up is suffering from the same problem.

I had an RC as a loaner and the door handles were painted silver plastic. This is absymal for a luxury coupe. Neither Bmw 4 series nor an audi a5 uses that kind of cheap plastics.

I think lexus designs beautiful interiors but uses too cheap plastics to match the designs. It is the only premium manufacturer which uses plastic emblems on the steering wheel. That is unacceptable.
 

Sadman

Fan
Messages
47
Reactions
63
I’m pretty sure almost nobody uses metallic emblems on the steering wheel for safety reasons in case of airbag deployment.

Toyota uses the same plastic badge but it’s worked to look like metal, covered in a metal like material that also is heat responsive. This is a nice plus and I always thought that having it on Toyota but not on Lexus is stupid.

I’ll never understand Toyota
 
Messages
6
Reactions
11
I’m pretty sure almost nobody uses metallic emblems on the steering wheel for safety reasons in case of airbag deployment.

Toyota uses the same plastic badge but it’s worked to look like metal, covered in a metal like material that also is heat responsive. This is a nice plus and I always thought that having it on Toyota but not on Lexus is stupid.

I’ll never understand Toyota
Look at BMW steering wheels, you will see it. You can use a metal badge but you have to design the airbag in such a way that it won’t burst through the center of the wheel but it will “open” the central cover from the lowest point. Of course this means costs which is what TMC is so afraid of.
 

Sadman

Fan
Messages
47
Reactions
63
EDIT: I checked and they’re made of metal, I was wrong. :praise:

What I saw originally was an aftermarket adhesive Bmw badge glued over the old OEM ruined one, which if you want to replace it demands a new airbag cover too.
 
Last edited:

RAL

Moderator
Messages
1,213
Reactions
1,745
Blame me for leaving the thread topic ... let's get back to that discussion.
 

Ian Schmidt

Moderator
Messages
2,330
Reactions
4,065
But seriously, even if it's designed otherwise, I'd prefer to opt out of having a large piece of metal on something that's intended to punch me in the face :) Airbags hurt enough as it is, for those who haven't yet had that particular "pleasure".
 

Motor

Expert
Messages
2,127
Reactions
3,146
Lexus UX 250h review: ‘self-charging’ hybrid SUV driven
https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lexus/250h-20-f-sport-5dr-cvt/first-drive
Would you buy one?

It’s well worth considering, which is far more than can be said for the dreadfully cramped, uncomfortable CT 200h. It still pays to do the maths, and make sure it’s suited to your life (as opposed to say, a VW Golf or Ford Focus, which will just blend into the background of whatever lifestyle you throw at it).

Don’t bother adding more weight with all-wheel drive. But do plump for F Sport trim safe in the knowledge it doesn’t knacker the ride like speccing an S-line Audi Q3 does.

The UX 250h is a good effort from Lexus. It’s more interesting, and more town-friendly, than most of its immediate rivals. Or, to put it another way, it’s a more expensive, more cramped, butcher-looking Toyota Prius, wearing a Scream mask. But at least no-one will mistake you for an Uber and vomit all over the seatbacks when you’re bumbling home of an evening.

7/10
 

mediumhot

Follower
Messages
456
Reactions
606
I’m still massively disappointed by the lack of colours, the door panels are a joke and in the rear area they’re made of hard plastic.

On the back of the front seats you have for some obscure reason a pocket only on the passenger’s seat and the glove box is hard plastic without padding.

The new Mazda 3 has it padded and has nice door panels while costing 20.000€ less than this UX, and I’m sure it will be the same with the more comparable CX-30.

No one can beat Mazda for the money when it comes to interior design and refinement, not even Audi or Lexus simply because now that's part of their business plan and compromises go to something else. New Mazda 3 has better overall interior layout and fit and finish than UX, the only thing that UX has going on is better steering wheel and dashboard layout and screens but overall interior goes to Mazda 3. Even knobs on Mazda are better weighted and have better haptic feedback than volume/tune jogdials on UX. Call me crazy but road noise also fairs better on 3 than on UX.

Considering many Lexus users complaining about massive amounts of hard plastics from UX to RC and ES there is obviously something about silicon compound soft plastic that Toyota struggles with.
 

Will1991

Moderator
Messages
1,572
Reactions
3,205
Saw today for the first time an UX, this car seems very well put together! And those seats on F Sport look lovely.
Still hasn't got the opportunity to get inside it, but was really amazed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RAL

Jezza819

Follower
Messages
149
Reactions
227
Our dealership finally was allocated a UX250h this week. It's probably 6 to 8 weeks away. I'm anxious to drive it a little bit since I didn't get to when we went to UX training. I drove a gas model but only got to ride in a hybrid.

About 90% of my driving is in town under 60mph and since I live right behind our dealership I only average about 5000 miles per year on a vehicle so the UX250h would totally fit into my driving habits.

Over the weekend I did a fuel analysis on fueleconomy.gov on it against the ES350. Yes I know it's two totally different classes of vehicles but it's the two I'm considering when my lease expires this winter. The UX has a greater overall range than the ES on a 5 gallon smaller tank. Of course the lease payment should be less, insurance payment would be less, etc. on the UX but all that would be IF I thought I could live with it for 3 years. My previous car before my current '17 IS200t was a CT200h and I hated every minute of it.
 

Motor

Expert
Messages
2,127
Reactions
3,146
The 2019 Lexus UX Provides Plenty of Luxe for Your Buck
Lexus's new entry-level crossover is convincingly premium, despite being little more than a dressed-up Toyota hatchback.

Our more cynical side wants to deride Lexus for pandering to badge snobs with a vehicle that amounts to little more than a dressed-up econobox. But all the cool kids are doing it these days, and the UX is mostly convincing in its impersonation of a premium product, thanks to its plush interior, agreeable demeanor, and—yes—even its polarizing looks.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a23065063/2019-lexus-ux-crossover-first-drive/
 

Rob Grieveson

Follower
Messages
183
Reactions
160
I like it and believe many other people will too. Lexus and Toyota never seem to get great reviews from many of publications out there not sure why - it is the same in South Africa fortunately most of the public know a good thing when they see it.
My simple explanation is that most of the people reviewing cars in many publications are young guys wanting all cars to be Porsche like and drive like sports cars. They simply have no idea about how trouble free these two brands are particularly compared to many of the fancy brands. To own a Lexus or a Toyota is a priviledge and one to be grateful for.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RAL

LDeleuran

Fan
Messages
99
Reactions
162
(...) My previous car before my current '17 IS200t was a CT200h and I hated every minute of it.

Why would you get a car that you hate? This thread full of messages that make me scratch my head: From all the talk about the greatness of using metal covering the primary driver airbag, to the Mazda 3 supposedly having nicer interior quality than the UX, which seems to contradict that the UX has class leading interior quality. See, as an example, in-debt reviews of both the UX and Mazda 3 by Savage Geese.

I also have a CT. It is a nice, silent and calm ride. It was exactly what I needed back in 2012 when I had back issues. It simply had the best seats and calmest ride in the class. Now it is great for those hectic days where I know work will be hectic. To contrast the throwaway lines in the topgear review: Cramped? Yes. Uncomfortable? Not by a long shot!
 

Jezza819

Follower
Messages
149
Reactions
227
Why would you get a car that you hate? This thread full of messages that make me scratch my head: From all the talk about the greatness of using metal covering the primary driver airbag, to the Mazda 3 supposedly having nicer interior quality than the UX, which seems to contradict that the UX has class leading interior quality. See, as an example, in-debt reviews of both the UX and Mazda 3 by Savage Geese.

I also have a CT. It is a nice, silent and calm ride. It was exactly what I needed back in 2012 when I had back issues. It simply had the best seats and calmest ride in the class. Now it is great for those hectic days where I know work will be hectic. To contrast the throwaway lines in the topgear review: Cramped? Yes. Uncomfortable? Not by a long shot!

Because it was our cheapest lease and what I could afford at the time. Actually the seats were about the only thing I did like about it.
 

LDeleuran

Fan
Messages
99
Reactions
162
Because it was our cheapest lease and what I could afford at the time. Actually the seats were about the only thing I did like about it.
So the lease agency had a selection of cars and the CT was the only one within budget? That sounds like a bad situation.

In my area the BMW 1-series occupies this entry point for leasing and is frequently seen with hubcaps and cloth seats. When I say frequently, I am talking about there being at least one of these ultimate driver's cars for every 20 or so cars I see. Only the Volkswagen Golf is more common!
 

internalaudit

Expert
Messages
1,081
Reactions
1,106
No one can beat Mazda for the money when it comes to interior design and refinement, not even Audi or Lexus simply because now that's part of their business plan and compromises go to something else. New Mazda 3 has better overall interior layout and fit and finish than UX, the only thing that UX has going on is better steering wheel and dashboard layout and screens but overall interior goes to Mazda 3. Even knobs on Mazda are better weighted and have better haptic feedback than volume/tune jogdials on UX. Call me crazy but road noise also fairs better on 3 than on UX.

Considering many Lexus users complaining about massive amounts of hard plastics from UX to RC and ES there is obviously something about silicon compound soft plastic that Toyota struggles with.

rear torsion beam suspension anyone? :)

I only care about the use of soft plastic or surfaces where occupants' limbs can touch them. I don't bother caressing my car's interior.

It's true though that with hard plastic, seat belts will start scratching them if we don't gently guide the retraction, which I usually do but my wife and daughter probably don't.