The LBX is the smallest Lexus yet, aimed primarily at city-dwellers who want a dose of the brand’s style and luxury but with lower running costs and a more easily parkable form.
Lexus has achieved it by basing the LBX on the Toyota Yaris Cross, but it’s a credit to the brand’s designers that you’d not know it just from a glance - it really is like a larger Lexus rendered in miniature. Used LBXs are sure to be in high demand.
Other premium crossovers in this section of the market include the Audi Q2, BMW X1 and X2, and MINI Countryman, while the Volvo XC40 and Mazda CX-30 do a good job of punching above their weight for design and quality feel too.
If you’re looking to downsize from a larger Lexus model, or thinking about trading your mainstream SUV for something with more badge appeal and class, then you should probably consider a Lexus LBX. It’s effectively a Toyota Yaris Cross in a tailored suit, bringing some of the Lexus brand’s attributes to a smaller vehicle class than ever before.
The best news is that you lose none of the benefits of the Yaris Cross in the transition - the LBX has the same reliable and frugal hybrid drivetrain, excellent build quality, and wieldy dimensions. But it also has a cabin trimmed in more expensive materials, giving it an expensive feel that few others in this class can match.
To drive, it’s most at home in town, with a ride quality that shrugs off most urban imperfections, light steering, and minimal body lean in corners. The e-CVT gearbox means it’s not especially engaging to drive - a Ford Puma is more fun - but it’s easy-going and only really raises its voice if you’re heavy-footed.
The cabin is on the smaller size for cars in this class, but if you need something bigger, there are plenty of other Lexus models that would fit the bill. The LBX has plenty of rivals itself though, with similarly premium-feeling ones including the Audi Q2, BMW X1 and X2, and MINI Countryman (though all are larger than the Lexus). The Ford Puma is fun to drive and offers a hybrid option, and while Mazda no longer sells the smart CX-3, the slightly larger CX-30 and even the EV and range-extended MX-30 both have a quality feel.
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We’ll often suggest that you don’t need to look too far up a model’s range to find a trim level that offers great value and plenty of equipment, but premium cars like those from Lexus do invite you to spend a little extra to get something that really feels luxurious - otherwise, you’d save even more money and buy the Toyota Yaris Cross on which the LBX is based.
As such, we’d probably look for an LBX in Premium Plus or Premium Plus Design trim, which look and feel a little more stylish than the trim levels beneath. You’ll have to go one step further to Takumi trim if you want an all-wheel drive E-Four version though, as it’s not available on models lower down the range.
Lexus might only offer a single hybrid drivetrain with either front or all-wheel drive in the LBX, but it’s made up for it by launching the car with seven different trim levels. This offsets the fact that Lexus doesn’t tend to offer individual options on its vehicles, so essentially if you want more kit, you step up to the next model in the range. Even the entry-level Urban is well-equipped, though most Lexus buyers are likely to upgrade to something with leather trim (synthetic or otherwise), so don’t expect to find too many Urban-spec cars on the used market.
The Lexus LBX’s dimensions are:
The Lexus LBX’s boot size is:
From the car’s second year of registration onward you’ll pay a flat rate to tax the LBX, which is £170 at the time of writing - £10 less per year than a conventional petrol or diesel equivalent. There’s one exception to this however, as the top-spec Original Edition just tips over the £40,000 threshold which attracts a surcharge - increasing tax to a much more painful £560 per year, until the car is seven years old.
Lexus hasn’t confirmed insurance groups for the LBX at the time of writing, but we’d expect an increase over the Toyota Yaris Cross (which sits in groups 11 and 12), despite the similarities underneath, owing to the LBX’s more expensive price tag.
Read our full Lexus LBX review