2021 Lexus UX 200 Review

　　

2021 Lexus UX 200 Review

byTravis LangnessReviews Editor

　　Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.

　　The 2021 Lexus UX 200 is a likable compact luxury SUV. It's smaller and less expensive than Lexus' next-size-up SUV, the NX 300, but it's still well equipped with features. The interior is lined with lots of high-quality materials, and even the base trim comes with advanced safety features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. For 2021, the UX gets even more safety equipment in the form of blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert — both are now standard.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Lexus UX 200 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$145/mo  for UX 200 Base

　　UX 200 Base

　　4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) (Most Popular) - $33,000 MSRPF SPORT 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) - $35,000 MSRPLuxury 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) - $37,700 MSRP

　　vs

　　$166/mo

　　Avg. Compact SUV

　　On the downside, the UX 200 offers less interior space and is behind the curve when it comes to infotainment technology, especially compared to top competitors such as the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLB. For more information on the UX 200 and how it stacks up against its rivals, read the full zzdcar rating below.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Below Average

　　7.1

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.0/10

　　How does the UX 200 drive? Outright acceleration is undeniably slow (0-60 mph takes 8.9 seconds), but the UX 200 is relatively zippy and playful as a city runabout. Brake feel is reassuring, which helps make the UX easy to drive. Emergency braking performance, however, is lacking. We measured a stopping distance of 129 feet from 60 mph, which is longer than average for a small SUV.

　　The steering has a good on-center feel and steering resistance builds quickly, which makes the UX feel a bit more substantial than its size suggests. There's not much in terms of road feedback, but the steering is precise and easy to judge. The UX imparts confidence when going around smooth and sweeping turns, such as a freeway on-ramp. But it's less composed on bumpy or tight turns.

　　

Comfort

7.0/10

　　How comfortable is the UX 200? Sadly, the smallest Lexus crossover doesn't go big on comfort. The front seat has pleasantly supportive cushions, but the seatback's distinct contour won't please everyone. The ride is rougher than we'd expect too. The suspension smooths out sharp edges, but it still transmits too much of the road surface into the cabin.

　　Heating and cooling are strong. The heated and ventilated seats aren't the most powerful, but they get the job done. The UX doesn't do the best job of isolating you from traffic noise, and depending on the road surface, there's also noticeable road and tire noise.

　　

Interior

6.5/10

　　How’s the interior? This is a small vehicle, especially compared to other subcompact SUVs. The front accommodations are a bit narrow. Taller passengers will have to duck in and out of the back seat and will find legroom lacking. The interior is attractively designed, however, even if the controls are a bit confusing to use at times. The infotainment touchpad is especially frustrating. 

　　The bottom of the windows is high, so you feel like you're sitting quite low in the car, and the thick roof pillars create blind spots. You can raise the seat, but then you might find the gauge cluster and wheel are mounted awkwardly low. The steering column lacks sufficient range of motion to accommodate a variety of natural seating positions.

　　

Technology

7.0/10

　　How’s the tech? The UX's infotainment system display looks nice, and it's not difficult to figure out how to do things, but the touch interface adds a layer of frustration to every interaction. The best results while using voice controls come from following the on-screen guide step by step, but that takes more time and is just as distracting as performing tasks by hand. The optional eight-speaker audio system at least provides strong and accurate sound.

　　As for driver aids, the UX comes with plenty of them standard. Most of the systems seem to lack the refinement found in more expensive Lexus vehicles. The adaptive cruise control, for instance, is overly twitchy when braking and accelerating.

　　

Storage

6.5/10

　　How’s the storage? The UX 200 offers an underwhelming amount of storage space. The load floor isn't particularly wide, and the liftover point is a bit high. For small items, you get anti-tip cupholders and a modestly sized console box under the armrest. There's a small shelf in front of the shifter with just enough room for a phone. The door pockets are quite small.

　　Got small kids? Car seat anchors and tethers are clearly marked and easy to access thanks to large plastic sleeves with doors that pop on and off. Bulky rear-facing car seats may have issues clearing the front seatbacks when being installed or removed. They'll also interfere with front seat travel.

　　

Fuel Economy

9.0/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The UX offers top-notch fuel economy. Its EPA-estimated 32 mpg combined blows competitors out of the water. There's also the fact that you'll be filling up with regular gas in a class where premium is the norm. As long as you avoid the temptation to rev up the engine a lot to compensate for the lack of power, you'll likely spend less on gas in this than anything in the class (except the UX hybrid).

　　

Value

8.0/10

　　Is the UX 200 a good value? The UX comes with a nicely designed and constructed interior with a lot of soft-touch materials. Every surface seems to have some sort of texturing, which adds depth and visual interest to the cabin. Lexus' warranty is typically better than average.

　　

Wildcard

7.5/10

　　The UX looks very nice on the inside, especially with the Luxury package. The car's design and execution make it stand out from the crowd. It seems to be aiming for "zippy city runabout with style" and it succeeds … even if we could stand a little more zip.

　　

Which UX 200 does zzdcar recommend?

The UX 200's upper trim levels offer a few attractive features, but we'd recommend the base trim level. Aside from a parking assist system and some upgraded headlights, the base trim comes standard with all of the UX's available safety equipment. And with the optional Premium package, you can add heated and ventilated front seats, a sunroof and rain-sensing windshield wipers.

　　

2021 Lexus UX 200 models

The 2021 Lexus UX 200 is an extra-small five-passenger SUV that comes in base, Luxury and F Sport trim levels. It uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (169 horsepower, 151 lb-ft of torque) that sends power to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is not available on the UX 200, but it does come standard on the UX 250h, the hybrid version of the UX (reviewed separately). Feature highlights include:

　　UX 200 Base

　　The base version of the UX 200 comes standard with:

　　LED headlights Dual-zone automatic climate control 7-inch infotainment display Simulated leather upholstery Power-adjustable front seats Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility Six-speaker audio system Wi-Fi hotspotStandard safety features for the UX 200 include:

　　Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing) Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Lexus and the car in front) Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) Lane keeping assist (steers the UX 200 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker) Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)Options for the base UX 200 include:

　　Premium package: Sunroof Heated and ventilated front seats Automatic wipers Hands-free liftgate Upgraded headlights Heated steering wheel 10.3-inch infotainment display with navigation and eight-speaker sound system Wireless smartphone charging Parking sensors with automatic braking (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind or in front of the vehicle when parking, and can apply the brakes to minimize or avoid a collision)F Sport

　　The F Sport trim builds on the base trim by adding:

　　Sport-tuned suspension Unique 18-inch wheels LED foglights Augmented engine sound generator Steering wheel-mounted paddles that control simulated gear shifts Sport front seats Upgraded digital gauge cluster Luxury

　　Compared to the base trim, the Luxury adds a few more extras, including:

　　Standard Premium package Hands-free liftgate Driver-seat memory functions Illuminated air vent knobs Noise-reducing front windowsThe Luxury and F Sport are eligible for the same options as the base trim, if not already included.

　　

2021 UX 200 Highlights

Trim: BaseF SPORTLuxuryBase

　　

Base MSRP	$33,000
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	32 MPG
Cost to Drive	$145/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	21.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles