Test Drive

SH20 · February 24

Drove the Takumi LBX at Lexus Hull, very nice and fully equipped. Possible second car. Over priced though and even worse there is no current motor insurer able to quote a premium for it as the Thatcham Research Centre, funded by the Insurance Industry , have yet to complete their evaluation of the car in terms of crash testing and repair methods/cost to repair. Moreover without this evaluation the Association of British Insurers cannot place the LBX into it's rating group. Given that car insurance premiums for vehicles, especially any that are fully or part electric, are going through the roof I would need to know what to expect for a comprehensive insurance policy and as I use PCP's which must have comprehensive insurance cover on them I would obtain a quote when available before commitment to a LBX.

Lexnew · February 24

Unfortunately my local Lexus dealership will not have a LBX available for a test drive until March. I have read several reviews about the LBX and most of them seem to be quite positive. The LBX shares the same platform as the Toyota Yaris Cross, but Lexus claims that the LBX is more refined than the Toyota Yaris, this is due to the fact that additional soundproofing has been added, also the LBX 3 cylinder engine is fitted with a counter balance shaft which is meant to reduce vibration. During your test drive how did you find the ride qaulity, in particular road noise /engine noise? Not sure as to value for money for such a small car, you can obtain some very good discounts at the moment on new a UX.

I own an RX 450H and am possibly thinking of downsizing to either a UX or LBX.

Thanks

SH20 · February 24

Wow RX to LBX that is downsizing. The quality of the LBX ride was as expected, smooth, quiet and tight as a drum. No rattles or vibrations and no road noise at all. Heavy sound proofing I guess but it was the Takumi so maybe that gets more insulation. No spare wheel of course just those awful inflator kits, you think by now they would give the Takumi run flats or the option to have them. Dark interior not helped by a black headlining as this had a black interior too but some models have an alternative Tan leather option. Pulled like a train and very responsive. The huge multi media system is all touch screen but has a very good voice command system as demonstrated by the salesman in the passenger seat who called out "Lexus I'm Cold" and the Computer lady replied raising the temperature 2.5 degrees to passenger side. Rear leg room is restricted, be mindful of that if you have more than 2 people to consider. This LBX might be a replacement for the wife's Yaris but it would need to be the entry model at £29,950 but until we get an insurance quote I'm not proceeding.

ColinBarber · February 24

2 hours ago, SH20 said:

Heavy sound proofing I guess but it was the Takumi so maybe that gets more insulation.

The Takumi grades get extra sound proofing, acoustic glass and active noise cancelling. People test driving a Takumi and then ordered a lower grade need to understand their vehicle won’t be as quiet.

ColinBarber · February 24

21 hours ago, Lexnew said:

also the LBX 3 cylinder engine is fitted with a counter balance shaft which is meant to reduce vibration.

Deleted

Edited February 25 by ColinBarber
Incorrect info

Lexnew · February 25

17 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

So does the engine in the Yaris Cross - exactly the same. The Lexus marketing material makes no comparison to the Yaris, but it is easy to draw that wrong conclusion.

I was misinformed by the reviews by Parkers Guide and Car Magazine, they both said :

What it’s like to drive?

"The LBX has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with an electric motor powered by Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ (ie not plug-in) hybrid technology. It differs from the version used in the Yaris Cross in a few respects, including the employment of a balance shaft designed to make it smoother".

Tickedon · February 25

17 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

So does the engine in the Yaris Cross - exactly the same. The Lexus marketing material makes no comparison to the Yaris, but it is easy to draw that wrong conclusion.

What’s your source for that please? The discussions in the Yaris forums (my partner has a Yaris) on this topic are all about whether the 130 variant engine coming to the Yaris and Yaris Cross will also include a balancing shaft like the LBX, because the current 115 engine in those cars doesn’t have one…

Tickedon · February 25

16 minutes ago, Lexnew said:

I was misinformed by the reviews by Parkers Guide and Car Magazine, they both said :

What it’s like to drive?

"The LBX has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with an electric motor powered by Toyota’s ‘self-charging’ (ie not plug-in) hybrid technology. It differs from the version used in the Yaris Cross in a few respects, including the employment of a balance shaft designed to make it smoother".

Not just the reviews, but Lexus themselves!

https://www.lexus.eu/new-cars/lbx-world-premiere/performance-and-powertrain

“The LBX’s luxury status is witnessed by the lengths Lexus has gone to manage noise and vibration (NVH). These include adding a balancer shaft to the engine to reduce vibration that can generate a booming effect in the cabin”

ColinBarber · February 25

18 minutes ago, Tickedon said:

What’s your source for that please? The discussions in the Yaris forums (my partner has a Yaris) on this topic are all about whether the 130 variant engine coming to the Yaris and Yaris Cross will also include a balancing shaft like the LBX, because the current 115 engine in those cars doesn’t have one…

Actually I think I have it wrong. It's the non-hybrid version of the engine that has always had a balancer shaft, with the hybrid version just using a harmonic balancer pulley. So they are using a redesigned variant for the LBX.

Difficult to know whether the new 130 Yaris will use it or not - the engine itself generates no more power, so it isn't required to get to the 130 bhp system output. Potentially they could update all versions, including the 115 models, to use the shaft if they didn't want to continue manufacturing two versions. Or it might be the Japanese engine plant creates ones with the balancer and the European plant keeps the older design. Until more information is released on the new Yaris Cross we don't know.

adnewton · March 6

I had a test drive today in a Premium Plus. Leather trim, HUD and larger instrument cluster.

I was very impressed with acoustic deadening, engine refinement and ( as always ) Japanese build quality. The centre screen is standard I’m told, so this is also a plus.

I was interested in the Premium spec ( spec below one I drove ), which comes with a smaller 7” instrument cluster. Couldn’t find an image to show difference. That alone may be a game changer. Not entirely sure how it differs for content and being intuitive.

it’s a very decent car; in specs and refinement. However, rear leg room will be an issue and drivers seat doesn’t adjust far enough back for someone who is 6ft. Probably restricted this to allow some legroom for rear passenger. Inside is quite compact!

Servicing costs are £270 for intermediate and £505 for a major ( salesman informed me ). 🥴

I have also test driven the new C-HR. As much as I wanted the LBX to be better, I really didn’t think it was, plus, servicing costs etc will be cheaper on the Toyota.

One other area for consideration - C-HR is on 1.9% APR and LBX on 5.9% APR……if you’re considering PCP. A lot of the components on the LBX are also carry over from C-HR/Toyota.

ColinBarber · March 6

1 hour ago, adnewton said:

Servicing costs are £270 for intermediate and £505 for a major ( salesman informed me ). 🥴

That's the same a UX pricing.

1 hour ago, adnewton said:

have also test driven the new C-HR. As much as I wanted the LBX to be better, I really didn’t think it was, plus, servicing costs etc will be cheaper on the Toyota.

The LBX is the same size as the Yaris Cross, not the C-HR which is UX sized.

DavidCM · March 6

1 hour ago, adnewton said:

I had a test drive today in a Premium Plus. Leather trim, HUD and larger instrument cluster.

I think you'll find that the trim is"vegan Tahara" which has never been near a cow.

Tickedon · March 10

On 3/6/2024 at 9:54 PM, DavidCM said:

I think you'll find that the trim is"vegan Tahara" which has never been near a cow.

Indeed, though thankfully the price list shows special build options where you can add real leather to the Premium Plus trim!

ColinBarber · March 10

29 minutes ago, Tickedon said:

Indeed, though thankfully the price list shows special build options where you can add real leather to the Premium Plus trim!

Lexus likes to have its cake and eat it with leather options. It costs £ 1,900 to take a Premium Plus grade from Tahara plastic to Semi-Aniline leather, but you get £ 0 back if you downgrade a Takumi grade from Semi-Aniline leather to Tahara plastic.

Tickedon · March 10

5 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Lexus likes to have its cake and eat it with leather options. It costs £ 1,900 to take a Premium Plus grade from Tahara plastic to Semi-Aniline leather, but you get £ 0 back if you downgrade a Takumi grade from Semi-Aniline leather to Tahara plastic.

I really feel for our vegan neighbours and the hardships they must endure!