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Test Drive: 2019 Lexus UX 200 F Sport

2019 Lexus UX 200 F Sport
2019 Lexus UX 200 F Sport in Cadmium Orange (a $595 option)

2019 Lexus UX 200 F Sport

Class: Premium Subcompact Crossover

Miles Driven: 628

Fuel Used: 19.6

Real-world fuel economy: 32.0

CG Report Card
Room and ComfortB
Power and PerformanceC
Fit and FinishB+
Fuel EconomyA-
ValueB+
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.
Big & Tall Comfort
Big GuyB
Tall GuyB
Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.
Drivetrain
Engine Specs169-hp, 2.0L
Engine Type4-Cyl
Transmission CVT automatic
Drive WheelsFront

Driving mix: 35% city, 65% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 29/37/33 (city/highway/combined)

Fuel type: Regular gasoline

Base price: $34,000 (not including $1025 destination charge)

Options on test car: Blind-spot monitor ($500), Wireless charger ($75), windshield de-icer ($100), head-up display ($500), navigation system with premium audio ($2200), parking assist/rear cross traffic alert with automatic braking ($565), hands-free power liftgate ($600), premium paint ($595), F Sport Premium Package ($975), heated S Sport steering wheel with paddle shifters ($150)

Price as tested: $41,285

 

Quick Hits

The great: Relatively low cost for features offered

The good: Powertrain performance, fuel economy

The not so good: Control layout, cargo space, passenger room

More UX price and availability information

 

CG Says:

Small crossovers have recently become big business, and many manufacturers are testing the waters to see if even smaller crossovers can also mean big business. And one of the smallest and least expensive of the premium ones wears a Lexus nameplate.

As we published a descriptive First Spin of the 2019 Lexus UX when it was introduced last fall, this Test Drive will focus on a test UX 200 F Sport front-drive “gas” version (there’s also a UX 250h all-wheel-drive hybrid) driven around our Chicagoland offices.

Quick Spin: 2019 Lexus UX 250h F Sport

Several sporty touches — such as unique wheels and rear bumper — are added on the tested F Sport version of the UX 200, which adds $2000 to the base model’s starting price of about $33,000. Note that the UX 200 is only offered with front-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive is only available (and is standard) on its hybrid sibling, the UX 250h.

With prices that start at about $33,000 including destination (the NX 250h is $2000 more), the UX stands as the least-expensive Lexus, undercutting the larger NX crossover by more than $4000, the IS sedan by $6000. And of course, it features the cargo-carrying benefits of a crossover, so it also benefits from that.

But as a subcompact crossover – and one with rather low, swoopy styling at that – “utility” is not exactly the UX’s calling card.

A low silhouette and sloping rear roofline cut into cargo volume some, and the folded rear seat backs rest about four inches above the cargo floor, but there’s quite a bit of added storage space beneath the floor.

As might be expected from its size and shape, cargo space is limited, though it’s better in the UX 200 than in its hybrid sibling (which has a raised cargo floor, likely to clear the hybrid battery). Nevertheless, the cargo opening is rather high, as is the step-up to the folded rear seat back, both complicating loading larger items. (Certainly the UX 200 would benefit from the two-tier load floor found in some vehicles, with the higher setting leaving the floor level with both the opening and the folded seat backs.) But on the plus side, there’s a useful amount of “hidden” storage beneath the cargo floor in small, segmented compartments.

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This is not a vehicle for tall folks — or at least, not four of them. There’s good but not great headroom and legroom in front, but if the latter is fully used, legroom in back virtually disappears. It’s fine for four normal-size adults, however.

Passenger room is likewise limited. While there’s sufficient space for four average-size adults, things can get tight for taller folks; putting a front seat all the way back negates legroom behind it. Visibility is good to the front corners but not to the sides or rear, and while a rearview camera is standard, it only displays about a 7-inch image on a dashboard screen that seems as though it could show something much larger.

And that brings us to the control layout.

We’ve heard several explanations from companies that don’t use touchscreens as to why they don’t, but we’ve never heard one that really made sense. That string continues unbroken.

Nice materials cloak the interior, but the console-mounted touchpad infotainment interface — despite the newly added physical radio controls on the pod behind it — remain a sore spot. A brighter one is that the tilt/telescopic steering wheel is power operated — a rare convenience — though our tester didn’t have driver-seat memory that would have made inclusion of the steering-wheel position an even stronger “plus.”

We’ve criticized Lexus’s interface ever since the company moved to a console-mounted control system (and we’re certainly not alone), and though attempts have been made to improve it, there’s still a certain “disconnect” between what you want to do and how you have to do it. In its latest iteration, there’s a touchpad on the console (with actions being displayed on the non-touch dash screen) and a separate pod with four audio controls: Tune, Radio, On/Volume, and Media. Once you get your stations selected and get used to the layout, it’s probably a bit better than the old design, but anything requiring use of the touchpad still annoys.

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Our timer clocked the UX 200 at just under 8.2 seconds in the 0-60 dash. While that’s hardly quick, it’s acceptable, and is complemented by quick transmission response to make the UX 200 feel spry in normal driving.

Far less annoying – and even nice, really —  is the powertrain. One might think a 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four to be “small” for a premium crossover, but in combination with its CVT automatic transmission, the UX 200 moves out quite well and gets impressive fuel economy. Floor the throttle from a stop and you get a fairly strong jump off the line; do it from speed, and the transmission kicks down quickly for good – if not quite strong – response. We averaged just under 8.2 seconds in the 0-60 dash and about 33.0 mpg in mostly highway driving. (By contrast, the UX 250h hybrid was just a tad slower – 8.4 seconds to 60 – and somewhat thriftier at 38.6 mpg.)

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Although our First Spin test route was on fairly smooth roads, that’s not the case around our Chicagoland offices. While the UX absorbs smaller bumps fairly well, larger ones can pound through – which is the opposite of what often happens on vehicles with low-profile run-flat tires such as the 225/50RF-18s fitted to our test vehicle, which are standard. On the positive side, the UX’s turning radius is commendably tight, something that’s often valued in city driving.

A couple of neat features: cornering lights (at bottom) turn on when the steering wheel is turned, helping to illuminate around corners, and the optional $800 head-up display throws a large image up on the base of the windshield.

Speaking of standard equipment, the UX 200 comes with quite a bit of it, including most expected high-tech safety features and a host of comfort/convenience ones. (See our First Spin for a more complete list.) The $2000 F Sport package fitted to our tester contains mostly cosmetic items, but also sport front seats and steering wheel with shift paddles. Among the $6000 of options added were blind-spot monitor, wireless cell-phone charger, head-up display, navigation system with premium audio, Park Assist with rear cross traffic alert and automatic braking, power liftgate with hands-free opening, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, and heated front seats and steering wheel.

As premium-subcompact crossovers go, the Lexus UX models come off as value-priced entries that — as is their stated goal — seem well-suited to city driving. Just don’t expect them to haul scads of stuff home from the local U-Fix-It store.

Stylish and compact with a great turning radius, decent performance, and good fuel economy, the UX 200 works well as the luxury city vehicle it’s intended to be. The fact that all-wheel drive is only offered on the hybrid version — the UX 250h — somewhat dims the picture for those in the snow belt, who probably wouldn’t care much for the UX’s stiff ride over rough roads anyway.

Check out our Premium Subcompact Crossover Best Buys

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2019 Lexus UX 200

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