Lexus LBX review

Is the Lexus LBX a good car?

There is nothing quite like the Lexus LBX currently on sale in the UK. It's as small as a Toyota Yaris Cross, yet offers the kind of premium appeal that is synonymous with larger Lexus models. However, while it feels well-appointed from behind the wheel and is reasonably comfortable to drive, there are compromises elsewhere. Rear passenger space is almost as cramped as it is in a Yaris Cross, while the LBX's list prices place it on a par with electric SUVs that offer lower running costs, or larger petrol models that match it for quality, but deliver greater practicality.

How much does the Lexus LBX cost?

After many years of offering a safe range of luxury SUVs and saloons, Lexus is going all-out to diversify its range. The Lexus LC grand touring coupe started the expansion, while the Lexus LM people carrier offers something unique in the large luxury car sector. At the smaller end of the market, Lexus is also downsizing with the LBX premium small SUV.

LBX stands for Lexus Breakthrough Crossover, and this is only the second car from the company to feature a three-letter name (the first being the Lexus LFA supercar). It's the ‘Breakthrough’ part that's important, because the LBX is the smallest car Lexus has ever built, but it comes with the premium quality and technology that has made the company's larger cars popular.

Prices range from £30,000 to around £40,500, which puts the LBX in the ballpark of small electric SUVs such as the Jeep Avenger and Volvo EX30. But while Lexus is dipping its toe into the EV market with the larger Lexus RZ, the LBX is a petrol-electric hybrid. It uses the same running gear as the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Cross, so there's a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine combined with an electric motor and battery, with the system tuned to make 134bhp here, a 5bhp increase over the most powerful version of the Yaris. As with the Yaris Cross, the LBX is available with front or four-wheel drive (on Takumi models), the latter being a rarity in the small SUV class.

There are four core trim levels: Urban, Premium, Premium Plus and Takuma, although both the latter models can be upgraded to Design spec with a two-tone paint scheme and a machine-finished alloys wheel design.

Standard specification includes a 9.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, five USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, plus a full suite of driver assistance systems.

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Given its Yaris Cross underpinnings, it’s no surprise that the Lexus LBX utilises the same three-cylinder engine ‘self-charging hybrid’ powertrain. It pairs a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a combined 134bhp – 5bhp more than the Toyota Yaris Cross.

As a result, it’s slightly quicker than the Yaris Cross, with a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds if you choose a front-wheel drive model, increasing to 9.6 seconds if you opt for the four-wheel drive version. The top speed for both versions is 106mph.

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) encourages you to adopt a smooth driving style, because being overly eager with the throttle results in more noise than forward momentum.

While it could be easy to dismiss it as a Yaris Cross in fancy clothes, Lexus has put serious effort into delivering a more refined driving experience for the LBX. The hybrid system is far quieter here than it is in the Yaris or Yaris Cross, with enough sound deadening to make the three-cylinder petrol engine almost undetectable when it fires up. There's just a distant thrum when accelerating, while no obvious engine noise is present at a cruise.

The suspension has been overhauled, too, and the LBX offers a comfortable ride for such a small car, and it’s a marked improvement over the Yaris Cross. The dampers do a good job of soaking up bumps, and only the biggest thumps are felt in the cabin. It's much like Lexus's larger SUVs in this regard. The LBX isn't the most involving car to drive, but the steering is direct, and while body roll is noticeable, the car doesn't feel wallowy in the bends.

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With a starting price of £30,000, the LBX is the cheapest Lexus you can buy, and this affordability should continue once you’ve left the showroom. Officially, the LBX’s fuel economy on a combined cycle is 61.4mpg to 62.7mpg, depending on the size of the alloy wheels, although this drops to 58.8mpg for the four-wheel drive version. All are good figures compared with regular petrol rivals, and the hybrid powertrain means you stand a good chance of achieving them if you spend a lot of time driving at lower speeds in towns and cities, where the electric motor is more able to provide meaningful assistance to the engine.

Insurance premiums are likely to be relatively high for a small SUV, with the LBX falling into groups 23 to 25, depending on the trim level. On the plus side, the cost of insurance should be offset by the hybrid’s low running costs.

With the exception of the Takumi Design model with four-wheel drive, all LBX models cost less than £40,000, so you’ll avoid the £410 VED (road tax) surcharge for cars with a list price of more than £40,000.

According to our depreciation data, the LBX will hold on to between 49 to 53 per cent of its original value over three years or 36,000 miles. That’s similar to the Hyundai Kona that’ll hang on to between 51 to 54 per cent of its value over the same period, but a little disappointing when the much cheaper Toyota Yaris Cross in Icon trim hangs on to 55 per cent of its value.

To get an accurate valuation of a specific model, check out our valuation tool...

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Before you dismiss the Lexus LBX as a Toyota Yaris Cross in a posh frock, it’s worth noting that it shares no body panels with its more affordable sibling. It’s difficult to stand out in the crowded small SUV market, but the LBX looks more upmarket than its more mainstream rivals, especially if you choose an optional pearlescent paint option, such as Ruby or Sonic Cooper.

You’ll forget the Yaris Cross connection once you step inside, where the LBX feels like a smaller version of a larger Lexus SUV, complete with leather (synthetic or real) on all but the Urban model, an instrument panel that wraps smoothly into the door panels, plush materials and dense foam padding.

The Urban trim is designed to be an entry point into the LBX range and Lexus brand, and its specification reflects this. The seats are fabric rather than leather, it misses out on some driver assistance systems, there’s no auto-dimming rear-view mirror or wireless smartphone charger, and it also goes without the illuminated entry system.

There are three mid-range Premium trim levels (Premium, Premium Plus, and Premium Plus Design), but the range-topping Takumi and Takumi Design models feel particularly opulent, adding the likes of LED ambient lighting with 50 different colours, LED headlights with adaptive high beam, and intelligent park assist.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

All versions of the LBX come with a 9.8-inch touchscreen that features navigation, voice control and a four-year subscription to connected services. Over-the-air updates are also offered, while wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto allow you to use your own apps instead. Premium Plus models and above also come with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display, although the touch-sensitive steering wheel controls used to operate the latter are a little tricky to use. Sometimes the functions unintentionally appear in the head-up display if you skim the controls with your hands, but then you need to use an affirmative double press for them to work.

One useful feature of the central screen is the ability to access often-used functions quickly. The LBX memorises which ones are opened most frequently, and a press of an on-screen button accesses them. This is particularly handy for deactivating the car's road sign recognition software – this beeps every time a road sign is detected and also alerts you when you've momentarily crept over the last detected speed limit.

The six-speaker audio system fitted to most LBX models is good, but audiophiles will appreciate the superb 13-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system found in the Takumi and Takumi Design models.

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The connection with the Toyota Yaris will give you an idea of how small the LBX is. At 4,190mm it's 10mm longer than a Yaris Cross, but a width of 1,825mm is a handy 60mm broader than Toyota's smallest SUV, and the LBX has a wheelbase that's 20mm longer, too. That means there's a bit more space in the cabin, but it's still on the snug side.

Up front there's plenty of room, and the LBX feels just as plush as the company's bigger models thanks to generous use of premium materials. The light-coloured synthetic leather of the car we drove felt upmarket (black trim is available at no extra cost), but the artificial trim for the steering wheel was less impressive. While it had the look of leather, there’s a slightly oily feel to its texture. There's centre console storage, but it's narrow, while the door bins are on the small side, too.

Where the LBX struggles the most is for rear passenger space. Much like the previously mentioned Avenger and EX30, the back seats are only really good for short trips, with the middle seat being no more than a token addition. Boot space isn't dreadful, but a capacity of 402 litres isn't much bigger than a conventional hatchback, while the seats-down capacity of just 994 litres isn’t particularly helpful for IKEA trips. There is a false floor with extra storage beneath, though, while a powered tailgate is fitted to Premium Plus models and above.

It’s worth noting that the luggage capacity drops to 317 litres in the four-wheel drive model. There’s also a two-litre penalty if the LBX is fitted with an optional subwoofer in the boot.

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The LBX hasn’t been tested by the safety experts Euro NCAP, but the Toyota Yaris Cross was awarded the maximum five-star rating when it was tested in 2021, so we’d expect the Lexus to match this result.

All trim levels feature an array of driver assistance systems, including pre-collision and emergency assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, road sign recognition and automatic high beam. Premium models add a driver monitor and blind spot monitoring to the mix, while the Takumi and Takumi Design have an adaptive high-beam system, lane change assist, front cross traffic alert, panoramic view monitor and parking assistance.

Although the LBX is too new to have featured in our Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, Lexus finished 12th out of 32 brands on the list of manufacturers. The car comes with the standard three-year or 60,000-mile warranty, with extensions up to 10 years or 100,000 miles if the car is serviced at a Lexus main dealer.

Lexus LBX alternatives

The most obvious rivals are other premium small SUVs like the Alfa Romeo Junior, Audi Q2, BMW X2, Mercedes GLA and Volvo XC40. You could also consider the MINI Countryman and, if you’re prepared to sacrifice the premium badge and an uplift in quality, the closely related and more affordable Toyota Yaris Cross.