Switching from a Lexus ES 300h Takumi to UX 250h Takumi

[KazzyT]

Am thinking of changing my ES to a UX. I know that it will be a smaller car and would like to know what people think of the UX in terms of comfort and road noise. 

I know that mine is very comfortable and quiet. Any feedback would be appreciated. 

[Bill Dawes]

If you are looking for a family car I would suggest this is not the one for you, My eldest son has three small children and our UX does not have enough room for all three. Mind you modern day child seats are like armchairs, ask any grandparent what is their worst technology nightmare and it won't be multimedia or suchlike it will be child car seats and folding pushchairs, push this, hold that, twist the other.

I have a 2022 UX Takumi 250H, it is slightly bigger than my previous car a Kia Niro which had better rear seat and boot room than the UX. 

However it is more than adequate for my wife and myself and I love the comfort and quiet ride despite my initial fears over the run flat tyres.

I had to go to the Takumi to get some of the features I had on my Niro so have to pay the annual road fund hike as it was over £40 list, an onerous and unjustified burden in my mind, it is exactly the same power and emissions as the lower spec ones so don't see the logic of it other than a 'rich mans' tax (i'm not rich, just a little treat buying what is probably my last car after over 60 years of work)

Good luck Karen.

Bill D.

 

[Slucky]

Hi @KazzyT

I made the exact same jump and you can see my thread below:

I had a ES Takumi and moved to a UX 300E Takumi.
The UX is much smaller and easier to park than the ES. Space is not as ample as the ES. Seats are comfortable.
The ES has a better sound insulation as you can barely hear the road noise, compared with the UX. 
The UX 300E seems to have a better sound insulation than the UX 250H Hybrid as I test drove it for a few days. The Hybrids are on run flats whereas the 300E is on normal tyres.

 

[ALAW]

The UX is comfortable and a lot smaller in length especially to the ES. Its all about the demands and needs what you are after. 

[KazzyT]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Very much appreciated 

[Martin Bailey]

I've come from a Jaguar XE, which is closer in size to the ES. I appreciate that a Jag is not a Lexus, but there will be some parallels in my experience, I think, that might be of interest.

Here is a summary of my thoughts:

• The UX is certainly shorter than the XE, and the XE I believe is slightly shorter than the ES. This did not affect space in the front or rear cabin. In fact, family have said the UX was more comfortable in the rear, as the Jag had the massive bulge for the rear axle, so the middle rear passenger always suffered. The UX rises literally only a couple of inches in the rear middle floor section.
• The UX is a little taller than the Jag was, so it's easier getting in/out
• Turning circle is better. Not sure if that will be the same moving from an ES, but if the wheelbase is bigger I'd expect so.
• Boot space is about 1/3rd less, but UX benefits from not being a saloon, so can get taller items in there. I've decided to purchase roof bars/roof box, so that resolves the issue on the rare occasion that I need more space for a holiday
• The ES rear seats don't go down - this was the main reason I didn't buy one!!! That to me was a show-stopper, as at least once a month I will need to transport something that needs a bit more than the boot alone would allow.

There's no point in me offering driving comparisons between the two, as I've never driven an ES, so couldn't tell you if the UX is better or worse.

Hope this helps in some way.

[KazzyT]

Thanks everyone for their feedback. This has helped me

[Gary H]

I haven't driven an ES, so unfortunately I can't comment on them in comparison to the UX. 

In terms of comfort and road noise in the UX - I was impressed with mine, given the size of the car. I had an Audi Q5 before it and I found it equally as quiet thanks to the hybrid engine. It was only on rougher, surface-dressed surfaces did the run-flat tyres really make themselves known. It was fine at dual carriageway and motorway speeds.

My only complaint with regards to comfort, again, relates to it's run-flat tyres where the UX did have a habit of 'hopping/skipping' over bumps. Particularly if you were mid-turn or half way through a bend and come across, say, a filled trench going across the road. It did take a little bit to get used to. With regards to the seats - I'd say they're the best seats I've come across in that size of car to date. I tend to suffer from lower backache every so often and it only really made itself known (even then it was minimal) after around drive of about 240 miles. I've had cars in the past which I've only got to little over half that mileage before the back starts giving trouble - just to give you an idea!