Lexus UX 300e 2022 long-term


 When I was first handed the keys
to the UX 300e, its digital display showed 3.2 miles per kilowatt
hour – a reasonably efficient figure. That number has since fallen to 2.9mpkWh, which means I’m getting 18 fewer miles per charge. Is that the hours spent on the motorway or my overzealous acceleration? I might need to adjust my driving style

It is now four months into life with the Lexus UX 300e and my commute is just as comfortable as ever. The EV has excelled in most environments, with effortless acceleration and helpful regenerative braking that efficiently brings it to a near-stop in crawling traffic and at junctions.

The bulk of my driving is on motorways and A-roads, with short distances in town. It is very good in built-up areas and the compact, precise turning circle proves particularly useful in multi-storey car parks and on roundabouts.

The UX clearly enjoys being in its natural habitat – something that was confirmed to me after I handed the keys over to Autocar’s prepress manager, Darren Jones, who lives in an outer London suburb, whereas I commute in from the countryside. Darren is looking for a new car and is currently considering a Lexus NX or UX, among other options, and his checklist is clear: it has to be comfortable, electrified, premium, SUV-shaped and ideal for urban speed limits. The UX ticks all of those boxes, I would suggest.

Darren appreciated the Lexus’s smooth, comfortable ride and the spacious interior. Its relatively short range wasn’t a problem for him and plugging in once overnight provided enough juice for most of his week with the car.

In that time, the Lexus proved itself to be a usable EV even without a home charger. Darren used a three- pin socket, which charges the battery at a rate of roughly seven miles per hour. With it plugged in from 7pm to 9am, that’s around 84 miles of charge – more than enough for some short bursts of driving around the capital.

The few negatives Darren reported included the bright-white interior, which he didn’t think was an ideal environment for his young children, especially after a winter game of rugby, and Lexus’s fiddly infotainment system.

Unfortunately, that’s limited to the range-topping Takumi model. Darren didn’t consider it to be a deal-breaker, but it’s fair to expect more at this price point.

Overall, Darren described the UX 300e as an ideal premium electric car for low-mileage drivers living in urban areas. High praise indeed.

Not to burst the bubble, but I do have a couple of complaints of my own to report. Evening drives home from the office have highlighted that the LED headlights are angled ever so slightly too high, so I’m constantly dazzling other drivers by accident. Several oncoming drivers have flashed their lights at me aggressively, thinking that I have my full beams switched on. There’s no way to manually adjust the alignment from inside the cabin.

Another slight annoyance is that I have not yet managed to set up the Lexus Link app on my phone. This might or might not be user error, in fairness. Either way, the process should be more straightforward. It would be great to be able to pre-warm the car before my morning commute as the winter weather drags on. The UX 300e’s range is modest enough without having to heat the car for longer than necessary on the go.

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