The emerging segment of electric vehicles in the automotive industry raises the question: how can brands be distinguished when everything sounds like a quiet Tesla with an electric motor? Porsche answers with the best handling, Mustang Mach-E emits artificial exhaust sounds, Dodge claims that its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust electronic exhaust system on the Daytona Banshee will roar, and everyone will hear it.
In reality, luxury automakers have been tackling this problem for some time. As electronics democratize automotive technology and emissions laws force transmissions to shrink to 4-cylinder engines and CVTs, premium brands are honing their individuality.
Take the Lexus UX 250h F Sport, which is visible from space.
The entry-level Lexus SUV sports a wild design that Gene Simmons would be proud of. A huge radiator grille. Angular eye-shaped headlights with G-shaped eyebrows. G-shaped vents. The dramatically flared sides look as if sheet metal was shaped by desert winds.
This is polarizing. Offending. Priced at $47,930, the hybrid F Sport Handling tester adds a starry sky roof, power mirrors, and a foot-operated rear hatch. You won't mistake this brand for any other.
Front seats welcome us with red leather. The cyclops-style instrument panel slides back and forth depending on how you want the driving data displayed. Drive modes are selected via one of the devil's horns protruding from the instrument panel. Set the horn to SPORT or SPORT PLUS, and the speedometer will light up (accordingly) in red.
Loud sound. Red leather. Sunroof. Drive mode switches. Oh, this bad boy wants to misbehave. Grab the gear shifter, pull it into DRIVE, and Lexus barks... worse than biting.
Press the gas, and the 181-horsepower engine starts to idle. It doesn't matter that luxury competitors like Audi Q3 and BMW X2 boast much more powerful turbo-four engines — Lexus will outshine mainstream brands like the 250-horse Mazda CX-30 or the 210-horse Kia Soul Turbo.
The latter pair costs under $35,000 and also offers all-wheel drive and a distinctive style.
Indeed, for a thousand dollars less, you can buy the coveted all-wheel-drive VW Golf R hot hatch with 315 horsepower, digital tech, two inches more rear legroom/three cubic feet more cargo space, and become the envy of every car enthusiast in your neighborhood. Damn it, for the same money, the BMW X1 has 60 more horsepower, four inches more rear legroom, and eight more cubic feet of cargo space.
But they don’t wear Lexus badges.
In the auto industry, talk revolves around Tesla's cult and its hordes of fans who worship the brand’s innovative, risky, high-tech electric cars. Despite quality issues. Lexus owners are no less cult-like — they simply prioritize differently.
Lexus vehicles are rock-solid reliable, earning so many quality awards that Tokyo HQ has long run out of shelf space. This quality is backed by dealer service at Disney-level care, which showers customers with attention. You can meet Lexus owners who love their dealerships more than their own dogs.
Tesla’s quality is improving, as is Lexus’s appeal. Beneath the exterior of the UX 250h lies a good old, conservative, dependable vehicle.
While cars like the $35,000 Chevy Bolt EUV (Super Cruise) and the $50,000 Tesla Model 3 (Autopilot) push the latest driver assistance features, Lexus offers adaptive cruise control.
BMW and Cadillac have excellent ergonomic interior designs, such as tactile steering wheel controls that are easy to find with your thumbs, so you never have to take your eyes off the road or squint in the dark to find controls. However, the typical buttons on the UX are flat and hard to find by touch alone.
Lexus takes a step forward with its infotainment system.
Long lagging in technologies like voice command software and Apple CarPlay, Lexus now offers the "Intelligent Assistant" system with its own navigation comparable to Google Maps.
The F Sport trim includes paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Indeed, the AWD system probably isn't necessary for burning rubber at traffic lights — Lexus showed 8.4 seconds from 0 to 60 mph — but owners will find it useful in Michigan snow. The most interesting aspect of the transmission was determining how long the electric motor could sustain power at low speeds before the gasoline engine engaged.
In line with modern vehicle commercialization, the UX 250h uses the same automatic CVT as the Toyota Corolla Cross. But unlike Darth Vader's UX, clad in red leather, Gene Simmons would never look at a Toyota.
2023 Lexus UX 250h
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel drive, five-passenger hybrid SUV
Price: $36,490, including $1,150 destination charge ($47,930 for the F Sport at the time of testing)
Powertrain: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with two electric motors (at the time of testing)
Horsepower: 181 hp
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Performance: 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds; top speed - 110 mph
Weight: 3,604 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA estimated. mpg 41 city/38 highway/39 combined (AWD, as tested)
