• Solid claimed fuel economy figures
• Hybrid engine can be very efficient
• E-Four models slightly less frugal

What are the running costs?

With just one engine available, it’s easy to sift through the UX’s economy figures. For the front-wheel drive model, Lexus claims between 49.5 and 53.2mpg based on the latest WLTP regime; the lower figure is for cars on smaller alloy wheels. Go for the E-Four version and there’s only a small penalty – claiming between 46.3mpg and 47.0mpg.

Thanks to the clever hybrid technology, these figures shouldn’t be too far out of reach in reality. Juggling petrol and electric power, this keeps the engine off as much as possible without compromising performance. With no ability to run on electric power alone for sustained periods, this so-called self-charging system may seem old hat compared with newer plug-in hybrids but it can still be very effective.

However, with the standard-fit CVT-style automatic keen to respond to calls for acceleration by instantly revving the engine to peak performance, if you drive the UX hard you should expect to put plenty of fuel in it – and regularly.

View detailed MPG and CO2 figures on the Lexus UX specs pages

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Servicing and warranty

The service intervals for the Lexus UX are every 10,000 miles / 12 months, whatever comes sooner. Lexus offers service plans to help manage the cost, and Essential Care Maintenance packages for cars over five years old.

What’s more, it has one of the most attractive warranty packages on the market, providing cover for up to 10 years. After the first three years this is contingent on having the vehicle maintained by Lexus, but the cover – which lasts from service to service – can be applied to used vehicles even if servicing has been missed prior to this.

Reliability

• Very little to be concerned about
• New hybrid powertrain but Lexus has an excellent reputation
• Looks and feels well engineered and well built

Lexus has a stellar reputation for building cars to very high standards – with some incredible attention to detail that it calls ‘Takumi Craftsmanship’. This includes such things as windows that slow down before they close to make less noise, and exhaustive testing of the way the doors shut to ensure it’s a solid-sounding noise.

In terms of mechanical components, Lexus has been building hybrids for years. There are no signs of any major issues with the UX and we wouldn’t expect any. There have been two official recalls, however, one for the emergency call system that is supposed to activate in the event of an accident, and another related to the brake booster – the latter affected just 228 vehicles in the UK, and each instance should have been rectified by Lexus by now.