Lexus LBX long-term test: report 1

The car Lexus LBX 1.5 Hybrid Premium Plus | Run by Darren Moss, deputy digital editor

Why it’s here To see what our much-praised Car of the Year is like to live with on a daily basis, providing frugal transport while not sacrificing SUV practicality.

Needs to be Frugal, fun to drive, and able to function as a mobile office when needed

Mileage 560 List price £35,260 Target Price £35,260 Price as tested £35,605 Test economy 53.5mpg Official economy 61.4mpg Options None

27 April 2024 – Masterclass

What do Judi Dench, Lewis Hamilton and Kanye West have in common with the Lexus LBX? Well, they’ve each been presented with an award for outstanding achievements in their field. And back in January of this year, the LBX got its own trophy when we named it our overall 2024 Car of the Year at the annual What Car? Awards.

The LBX, then, is not only our top-rated small SUV but also the best new car to buy in 2024 – all of which makes me feel rather happy about having one as my latest company car.

On paper, the LBX is a good fit for me. Although it’s small, its SUV shape should mean that there’s decent room for passengers and luggage whenever I’m the designated driver for am-dram rehearsals. Meanwhile, its hybrid setup is already bringing a welcome reduction in running costs. And having swapped into it from a Genesis GV70, which managed just 24mpg on a good day, this really is cause for celebration.

The LBX’s official average fuel economy figure is 61.4mpg, and so far I’m getting 53.5mpg without really trying. Like most hybrids – including the Toyota Yaris Cross, with which my car shares many of its oily bits – the LBX is at its most efficient around town, where it can run on electric power alone for a good portion of the time. The instantaneous shove from its electric motor helps me to nip into gaps in traffic with ease, too.

No version of the LBX is poorly equipped, with even entry-level Urban trim coming with automatic LED headlights, dual-zone climate control and a rear-view camera. I’ve splashed out on mid-range Premium Plus Design trim, though. This takes our recommended Premium Plus’s stellar kit list – including a 12.3in digital instrument panel, a head-up display, keyless entry and an air purification system – and adds a wider range of alloy wheel and paint options.

While most new car buyers choose various shades of black, grey or white, I’ve taken advantage of the broader palette available to me and gone for Passionate Yellow with a black roof – a no-extra-cost colour scheme that’s about as shy and retiring as a circus clown holding an oversized novelty lollipop. It’s already attracting attention; when we were taking the photos for this report, several people wandered over to talk to us about the LBX.

In a radically different approach from normal, I haven’t added any options to my LBX, but in truth there aren’t many to choose from, and those that are available are mostly designed to make family life less wearing on the interior by protecting bits of it. I’ll take my chances, considering most of my journeys involve me and either some friends or an old cat.

My early drives in the LBX have been pleasurable. I like the plushness of the driver’s seat as I lower myself into it, and the soft leather of the steering wheel rim. I also like the fact that while the LBX follows the trend of having a large infotainment screen to handle most functions, it retains physical controls for the air-con, which means I can press a button to change the temperature rather than prod at icons on the screen. The touchscreen itself is quick to respond to inputs, but I don’t appreciate having to accept terms and conditions each time I start a journey.

Still, the LBX’s digital instruments are clear and easy to read, and I love having a headup display that can put all of the most useful information – including handy reminders of which button on the steering wheel my finger is hovering over – right in front of me.

Despite being a hybrid, the LBX is priced roughly in line with non-hybrid small SUV rivals such as the Audi Q2. However, it’s significantly more expensive than its Yaris Cross sibling. Over the next few months, I want to see if the LBX really does justify that extra outlay when you live with it every day.

If it can, it’ll reaffirm why we awarded the LBX our top accolade; it will show that, just like Dame Judy, Sir Lewis and Mr West, this small Lexus SUV is at the very top of its game.

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