Lexus LBX long-term test: report 6

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 1744 List price £34,505 Target Price £34,087 Price as tested £35,605 Test economy 55.4mpg Official economy 61.4mpg

23 August 2024 – House hunting in Britain's best new car

I’ve just started the journey to buy my first home. And like buying a new car, I’ve quickly realised just how much there is to know before making what is likely to be an expensive purchase. 

Fortunately, much like the helpful website you’re reading right now, there’s an entire industry of specialist journalism dedicated to making the process easier. From tips on what to look out for to news on industry trends, I’ve been poring over it all like an eager student.

What there isn’t, however, is the equivalent of our New Car Awards. My Lexus LBX, for example, is the best new car to be launched in the past year. I know this because we named it as our Car of the Year, and that means if you’re buying one you can rest assured that it’s a sound purchase. But for homes? There’s not an equivalent accolade. There are awards dedicated to recognising the best firms building homes, but nothing I can see to say, in large print, that this, right here, is the best house you can buy for your budget.

That means I’ve been running around visiting potential flats, apartments and maisonettes like a mad thing, and my LBX has been helping. Its 12.3in infotainment touchscreen – standard fit on my Premium Plus model – is crisp and responsive, for example, meaning I can quickly input the postcode of my next viewing and take calls from estate agents while I’m out and about. 

While the system can’t let me see my Whatsapp chats from behind the wheel, wired connections for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, so I can plug in my phone to use its apps quickly if needed. I can also keep my phone charged with the LBX’s wireless charging pad, while the iPad I’ve been storing my notes from each visit on is kept topped up by my car’s USB-C charging port.

I’ve also been exploring my car’s nooks and crannies. In the same way that when you look around a potential home, you might peek behind a piece of furniture to see the state of the wallpaper, or clock whether the edge of a particular carpet is frayed, I've been making an effort to touch more of the LBX’s interior to see whether its apparent quality is only skin deep. 

The answer is not at all, because the properly plush materials I’ve enjoyed on the car’s top edges extend well beyond the areas you’re likely to touch regularly. Even the carpet used to line the boot floor feels premium – a feat which is all the more impressive when you remember that this is the cheapest SUV Lexus makes by some margin.

Speaking of the boot, I’m not going to claim that this small SUV will negate the need to hire a removals van when I do move, but with 402 litres available before I drop the rear seats, I’ll get more of my belongings into the LBX than I would into the Audi Q2 I ran previously.

I can’t live in my LBX, but if I manage to find a home that’s anywhere near as well-rounded as our reigning Car of the Year, I reckon I’ll be quid’s in.

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